(Bloomberg) -- “Jurassic World: Dominion,” the upcoming sequel in the successful Universal Pictures movie series, halted production after more cases of Covid-19 broke out.
Work is expected to resume in two weeks, director Colin Trevorrow said Wednesday on Twitter. The studio making the film, Comcast Corp.'s Universal Pictures, said in an earlier email it's delaying the theatrical release. The company now plans to bring the film to cinemas on June 10, 2022, 12 months after its initial release date in June of 2021.
Studios have been rescheduling their biggest releases since the coronavirus pandemic shut down movie theaters in March, betting that audiences will return in large numbers to the cinema next year. With just three months left in 2020, only a couple of major films remain on the calendar. That's led to a snowballing delay of release dates.
They've also had to contend with outbreaks on sets. “Jurassic World: Dominion” shut down previously because of the coronavirus. Filming was halted in March and resumed in July, according to trade publication reports. Last month, Warner Bros. stopped work on “The Batman” after the star, Robert Pattinson, tested positive.
The “Jurassic” series in one of Universal's most important, having grossed more than $5 billion in global ticket sales, meaning the studio is particularly sensitive to releasing it at the right time. It now has only one major tentpole film scheduled for next year, a Fast and the Furious franchise installment “F9,” expected to premiere in May.
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