Malta

Maltese locations continue to be used for multiple US and international films. Regular visitor Ridley Scott was back shooting Gladiator II, again recreating ancient Rome on the island. Joe Carnahan shot survival thriller Not Without Hope, starring Zachary Levi, entirely in Malta. Vampire film Last Voyage Of The Demeter shot exteriors at Malta Film Studios and the fortress city of Mdina. While Enid Blyton adaptation The Magic Faraway Tree, starring Andrew Garfield and Claire Foy, also filmed in Malta. 

Several Jurassic Park movies have filmed here, including the latest, Gareth Edwards’ Jurassic World: Rebirth, which used the famous water studios. And US indie thriller The Ascent, directed by Adam Green and made through Simple House Films, pitched up in spring 2025.

Malta’s attractions are obvious. It has a generous 40% cash rebate. Local agency Malta Film Commission provides logistical support for incoming productions. It has a huge variety of locations and can stand in for numerous places — famously, Steven Spielberg’s Munich doubled Malta for everywhere from Rome to Lebanon.

Veteran UK producer Paul Brooks (My Big Fat Greek Wedding, Pitch Perfect) brought his deep-sea diving thriller Last Breath, starring Woody Harrelson, to Malta. The feature is based on the true story of an accident on a North Sea oil rig. 

“It was between Australia and Malta. We needed a big [water] tank and tax credits. Ultimately, we plumped for Malta,” says Brooks, who is based between London, Los Angeles and New York. He explains it was more “convenient” to go to Malta than to head Down Under: “When I’m in London, [Malta] is an easy hop and Australia is a bit of a slog.”

One issue that faced the team was the amount of filmmaking already going on. “Our slight bit of bad luck was that we were shooting the same time as Gladiator II, so we had to bring in more crew than would have been the case.” Even so, says Brooks, hotel prices were “very reasonable”. 

The Last Breath producer describes Malta Film Commissioner Johann Grech as the “lynchpin” of the Maltese film sector. “Whenever we had any queries or issues, Johann would deal with them immediately. Whatever questions arise, he is on it,” says Brooks, who advises other international producers coming to the island to be “meticulous in your communication with your service producer… sometimes things can get a little lost in translation, so you need to nip that in the bud. Early and constant communication is important.” 

Cast and crew were happy to be in capital city Valletta (“great restaurants, little boutique hotels, a very attractive, seductive place”). Although not everything went entirely smoothly. “Whenever you jump into a territory where there are enhanced credits, then obviously there is significant demand,” says Brooks, “so the simple reality is that everybody is going to be under crew pressure.” 

The filmmakers worked hard to make sure the water tank matched the look they wanted. “We were ultimately very happy with the water tank. It did exactly what we needed, but it depends on what you’re looking for from the water itself. 

“We wanted the water to be much clearer versus the more natural look,” says Brooks. Any wrinkles were ironed out quickly. Brooks was so happy with his experience that he is now planning to shoot a new film in Malta, with Valletta locations doubling for Marseilles.

First contact: Johann Grech, film commissioner, Malta Film Commission @ johann.grech@mfc.com.mt

Middle East stand-in

Malta is known widely as a suitable double for Middle Eastern locations, with the region’s classic architecture in the historic city of Valletta and former capital Mdina, as well as in the surrounding countryside. To the north, St Julian’s is more modern and a centre for tourism. Plans are now being considered for studio development on the island to provide soundstage facilities and boost Malta’s all-round, versatile appeal.

Malta Film Commission is the first point of contact for filming on location in the country. Johann Grech has led the organisation since late 2017 — as a former head of government marketing for the office of Malta’s prime minister, the commission has even closer ties with the government. 

“Producers have often filmed in Malta before,” says Grech. “Sometimes they come with a specific location in mind, but they will also use our suggestions. It depends on the script and they often use our library pictures.”

International producers speak highly of Maltese technicians, who are experienced and bilingual. When several international projects are shooting at once, producers may face competition for crews. 

There are some very experienced local service producers, among them Winston Azzopardi’s Latina Pictures. Malta does not yet have major studio soundstages, although there has been active discussion for several years about building such facilities. 

In the meantime, there are shipyards and warehouses that can be used for shooting, while Malta Film Studios (previous known as Mediterranean Film Studios) remains famous for its ‘infinite horizon’ water tanks.

Malta is 27 kilometres long and 14 kilometres wide. It takes 45 minutes to drive from one end of the island to the other, allowing crews to shoot multiple locations in one day. However, traffic can cause delays.

Valletta is a short taxi ride from the airport, and all the major hotels are within a short drive of the airport and popular nightspots.

Malta is a small, compact island and easy to get around. One of its main attractions is the ability to double for elsewhere. Munich director Steven Spielberg used different parts of the island to stand in for Israel, Greece, Italy and Spain.