'It's been a dream of mine to be in the Jurassic family'

The cast of Jurassic World Rebirth, including Mahershala Ali and Rupert Friend, on the challenges of filming with CGI - the film comes to cinemas on Wednesday July 2

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“More than any other job I’ve ever done, I’ve had to rely on my imagination for this film,” reflects American actor Mahershala Ali.

“It was the loneliest ensemble filming I've ever experienced, as we had to respond to something that is outside of us.”

The 51-year-old, two-time Academy Award winner stars as Duncan Kincaid, a mercenary and covert operations team leader, in Jurassic World Rebirth, the latest installment in the long-running franchise.

Ali is referring to the unique demands of performing alongside CGI dinosaurs-creatures that would only come to life in post-production to create a fantastical experience for audiences.

Directed by British filmmaker Gareth Edwards, best known for Rogue One: A Star Wars Story and The Creator, Jurassic World Rebirth marks the seventh film in the series.

The story follows a recovery team, led by Ali, Scarlett Johansson, and Jonathan Bailey, as they travel to Ile Saint-Hubert, an equatorial island that once housed the original Jurassic Park's research facility.

Their mission is to retrieve genetic material from the three most colossal prehistoric creatures, across land, sea, and air, in an effort to unlock a groundbreaking cure for heart disease and other life-threatening conditions.

Ali, who won Oscars for Moonlight and Green Book, emphasised the discipline required on a set where actors weren't reacting to each other, but to invisible, imagined threats.