They also talk about what they think Universal should do with future 'Jurassic World' movies

With Colin Trevorrow’s Jurassic World: Dominion Extended Edition now available on Blu-ray, I recently got to speak with two of the stars of the film, Bryce Dallas Howard and DeWanda Wise, in the beautiful country of Malta. I traveled to Malta with a number of other reporters last week because that’s where Universal held the home video junket, which makes sense if you’ve seen the film, because Malta is one of the primary locations and it’s also where they filmed a huge action sequence.

During the fun interview, Howard and Wise talked about what they’re most excited for people to see in the extended edition, how after seeing the narrow streets of Malta, the big action set piece in the city is even more impressive, and what they think Universal should do with future Jurassic World movies. In addition, we talked about how important each of their stunt doubles were to the success of the film and how acting while doing action is harder than you think.

Jurassic World Dominion was written by Emily Carmichael and Trevorrow from a story by Derek Connolly and Trevorrow. The film takes place four years after Isla Nublar has been destroyed and dinosaurs are now all over the planet. Dominion also stars Chris Pratt, Laura Dern, Jeff Goldblum, Sam Neill, Mamoudou Athie, BD Wong, Omar Sy, Isabella Sermon, Campbell Scott, Justice Smith, Scott Haze, Dichen Lachman, and Daniella Pineda.

Finally, while I enjoyed Jurassic World: Dominion when I saw it in theaters, the extended edition is so much better. The new version includes fourteen additional minutes, including an all-new beginning, key character moments throughout the film, and even more action. Trust me, the new version is definitely worth watching.

Watch what Bryce Dallas Howard and DeWanda Wise had to say above, or you can read our conversation below.

COLLIDER: I want to start with commending Universal on the amazing matte painting behind you.

DeWANDA WISE: Thank you. This green screen. I mean, you just-

BRYCE DALLAS HOWARD: It's as if you're in Malta, right?

It's almost as if, and what people do not realize is you made this movie in the heart of COVID. So this is literally your first time in Malta, even though you were in a sequence that took place in Malta.

HOWARD: Yes. Yeah. We both have some of our best action taking place in Malta and yet–

WISE: Yeah. It's Kayla's world and this is my first time here.

HOWARD: Literally the first time here.

WISE: But also, as I've been saying, it's just a testament to Kevin, our amazing crew for replicating that on the sound stage. Because just being here I'm like, "Didn't he? Did he? Is that the same brick?"

HOWARD: Yeah. It feels very familiar.

WISE: It feels very familiar.

Watching the movie you would never know. I think that the extended cut is, how can I say this? It's the superior version of the film. It really adds so much to it.

HOWARD: It's the original version of our film.

WISE: It's the movie. Yeah.

HOWARD: It's the original cut of the movie.

Right. So what are you most excited for audiences to actually see in the extended cut?

HOWARD: Well, there's a lot of connective tissue that is very important for the narrative that you see in the extended cut. I mean starting with a new opening and that new opening is absolutely essential to pay off the third act. Then in addition to that, there are moments between characters and transitions from scene to scene. So by the end of the film, everything adds up in a way that is very, very, very satisfying. The locust. You're like, "Yes, I get it. I fully, fully, fully get it." It's just so cool that Universal and Amblin supported this because this is a cinema history moment in that the cast of Jurassic Park is coming back 30 years later joining the cast of Jurassic World and this is not going to happen again. So to have this experience of the movie that we made shared with audiences is absolutely thrilling. It's awesome. It's so cool of Universal and Amblin.

Would you like to add anything?

WISE: No. Bryce is perfect in every way.

I can see it's a very tough day doing interviews.

HOWARD: Yeah. It's rough out here. Yeah.

The thing about the extended cut is not only, as you mentioned, there's a lot of little scenes, but even the scene at the beginning where Chris is, and I forget the name of the dinosaur where he is roping, I forget. Do you know the name of the dinosaur?

HOWARD: Oh yeah. The one in the beginning, I don't know that one.

Right. Neither do I. So let's just say that there's a scene with Chris roping that dinosaur and there's a payoff to... In the theatrical cut, I'm like, "Okay, well where is this scene going?" And there's no payoff. Then in the extended cut, I'm like, "Oh wait a minute. This has a huge payoff." It introduces a character that's critical to the... Anyway, what I'm basically saying is people need to watch the extended cut.

WISE: I think so too.

One of the things, and I'm sure you guys noticed here being in Malta, is I'm more impressed with the Malta action set piece now that I've been to Malta and seeing the roads that are this thin.

And I'm like, "How exactly did second unit film this?"

WISE: Listen, Naomi Schiff, I try to give her props every single time I sit down with anyone. I'm so obnoxious about it. But my stunt double, my driving stunt double, she's a Formula 1 driver. Her name is Naomi Schiff. Every time I watch that sequence, to know that she actually did that.

HOWARD: I mean drove through there. There's that one moment where she drove through scaffolding.

WISE: Yeah. The scaffolding tilting.

HOWARD: There was nothing on any side.

HOWARD: There's no room on any side.

WISE: There's no room.

HOWARD: Because she's so precise.

WISE: Yeah. Right now, our drivers are they're experts, and they still had to be like, "Oh, let me back up off this corner a little bit." And that truck, not for nothing, I tried to learn how to drive that truck. Not an easy truck to drive, not an easy, total stick shift, old rickety early 1980s. I mean, that sequence is to your point, just absolutely phenomenal. It was fun to pretend. It was fun to pretend and make some faces because her work in this movie is I can't sing its praises.

Yeah. We're talking inches on each side.

HOWARD: Truly, truly. You can't do it unless you are a Formula 1 driver. She was three when she decided she wanted to be a Formula 1 driver. Right?

WISE: Yeah. She's been doing it for a very long time.

HOWARD: When we were shooting, I think she was 26?

Yeah. I will never have that skillset.

HOWARD: I mean the stunt doubles are superhuman. Sarah Locklin, who's my double who did that intense jump here in Malta again and again and again. Because that's the thing, it's not just once. It's a zillion times.

WISE: You're doing it all day.

Wait you're saying you didn't jump from the roof? You-

HOWARD: No. A professional did that.

HOWARD: A professional did that. I landed in a cozy spot from about this high to there. Yeah.

For this trip, they had us recreate [it].

I'm just going to say that I have a lot more respect for actors [doing this].

After doing this because I had to do three moves and then do stuff for the camera at the same time.

"How do you do this?"

WISE: Yes. It's a lot more difficult and then if you're adding on like, "Oh, and then this emotional beat happens here." Oh, forget about it. I was like, "Cut. Can I get another take? Can I do that again?"

HOWARD: Chris is so good at that stuff. He has such a relationship with the camera. He's someone just in general he's very, he's fluent in movie. He understands what's happening with the camera. He understands the lenses and what they do and how to interact with them as a performer.

WISE: How to make sure that the performance you're giving is actually captured.

HOWARD: Yes. There's so many moments of him where you see him, there's a sequence in Malta where he front rolls down something, and then he gets up for a second, and then he takes off, and you see the perfect.

WISE: Yes. You know that beat. Yeah. Yeah.

This is the ending chapter for you and the ending chapter of the Jurassic World franchise. What do you guys envision or think Universal might want to do with the future?

HOWARD: I mean, there is a character that everyone loved. She happened to play her. We all want to know who she is, where she came from and what she's going to do.

WISE: Tell us everything. All things Kayla Watts. Tell us, tell us, tell us.

HOWARD: I mean, as a fan, that's what I'm really craving honestly. I want to see you. Yeah. I want to see you for sure.

WISE: I'm here. Universal knows my phone number.

HOWARD: They do. They do.

WISE: It's very cool.

I'm very curious what's going to happen because obviously a billion-dollar franchise. It's not going away. It's a question of what do they do next?

Steven Weintraub launched Collider in the summer of 2005. As Editor-in-chief, he has taken the site from a small bedroom operation to having millions of readers around the world. If you’d like to follow Steven on Twitter or Instagram, you can expect plenty of breaking news, exclusive interviews, and pictures of cats doing stupid things.

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