The as-yet untitled fourth instalment of the Jurassic World series, currently referred to as "Jurassic World 4”, will be filmed in Thailand.
The kingdom's government has given the go-ahead for production to take place — with caveats and warnings attached.
Shooting for parts of the movie — slated for release in 2025 — will take place across multiple locations.
They include Bangkok and Chiang Mai, as well as at national parks in Krabi, Phuket, Phang Nga, and Trang, starting from Jun. 13 to Jul. 16, 2024, according to the government's public relations department.
One prominent filming location will be the Huai To Waterfall within Khao Phanom Bencha National Park in Krabi province, Agence France-Presse reported.
The production team is scheduled to shoot there for at least a week.
Hollywood star Scarlett Johansson, 39, has reportedly been lined up to star in the seventh movie in the long-running dinosaur series.
However, the use of locations in Thailand comes with conditions attached.
Do not damage environment
Thai officials have given the movie's producers a stern warning not to damage beaches and national parks when they film the next instalment of the blockbuster franchise on location, AFP added.
The warning comes more than two decades after Leonardo DiCaprio's thriller "The Beach" was widely criticised for its impact on the pristine sands of Maya Bay, on the island of Ko Phi Phi Leh in southern Thailand.
Producers had planted dozens of coconut trees to alter the environment and were accused of ripping up vegetation growing on sand dunes.
However, the U.S. production studio 20th Century Fox said they left the beach exactly as they had found it, and that they had removed large amounts of rubbish.
Maya Bay then became a popular tourist attraction and was closed in October 2018 to allow it to recover, The Guardian reported.
In 2022, the supreme court of Thailand ordered that the royal forest department should carry out environmental rehabilitation work at Maya Bay.
Athapol Charoenshunsa, head of the Department of National Parks, said they had learned from past experience and officials will keep a close eye on filming.
Natural Resources and Environment Minister Phatcharavat Wongsuwan said in a statement on Jun. 5, that Thailand was "honoured" to be part of the movie.
"However, it is strictly required that they comply with relevant laws and regulations, and must not affect and damage natural resources and the environment," he added.
Background
According to Department of Tourism director general Jaturon Phakdeewanit, the film project is expected to inject an estimated 650 million baht (S$23.8 million) into the country’s economy, supporting businesses related to equipment rental, accommodations, venue hire, transportation, Covid-19 safety measures, and catering services, AFP reported.
The Hollywood crew is also utilising the government’s incentive programme for foreign films, which offers a 20 per cent rebate to international productions that invest more than 100 million baht (S$3.67 million) in the country.
The Hollywood Reporter reported in March 2024 that Scarlett Johansson was in talks to star in the upcoming dinosaur movie, directed by Briton Gareth Edwards.
The filmmaker's 2023 sci-fi action flick "The Creator" was also partly shot in Thailand.
The original 1993 "Jurassic Park" movie, based on a Michael Crichton novel and directed by Steven Spielberg.
The 2015 reboot "Jurassic World", was also a hit.
Top photos via The Government Public Relations Department & Google Maps