18 Movies and TV Shows Shot In Malta
Last Updated: Jan 28, 2024
Reading Time: 12 minutes
By: Shaun
Malta and the film industry are not two things that are obviously synonymous with each other, but since 1925, Malta has taken part in the production of over 600 feature films and TV shows. Ranging from big American blockbusters to indie films, in this post we will look at 17 movies and TV shows shot in Malta.
We based our picks not on their cinematic merits but on their popularity and the use of popular destinations in the production. So when you are visiting Malta and Gozo, don’t just immerse yourself in its millennia-old history or long list of beaches; you can also get to visit some locations featured in some of your favourite movies and TV shows.
1. Popeye (1980)
Popeye Village | Image by Callisto_Schmidt from Pixabay
Our first entry is the most obvious one to find on this list, and that is Popeye, as the entire set that served as the town of Sweethaven is now a fun park aptly called Popeye Village. The movie, filmed over a period of six months, stars the late Robin Williams as Popeye. While the film was not as successful as Paramount would have wanted, it has become quite popular with kids in subsequent years.
Since the file release, the theme park, located in Anchor Bay in the north of Malta, has grown to become one of Malta’s top attractions and definitely one of the best activities you can do in Malta with kids.
2. Game Of Thrones (2010)
Azure Window | Image by viajeminuto from Pixabay
Malta was also used in the production of some TV shows, with Game of Thrones being the most famous. During season 1 of the show, all the exterior shots portraying King’s Landing and Essos were shot in Malta, with many streets and landmarks in Valletta, Mdina, and Gozo used as a backdrop in many scenes.
Most notably, the area around Dwejra, back when the Azure Window still had its imposing place in the area, served as the location for Daenerys Targaryen’s wedding and her birth to the three dragons during the show’s pilot episode. Fort Manoel on Manoel Island served as the Great Sept of Baelor in the season finale, during that unexpected event that demonstrated to the world that Game of Thrones is unlike any other TV show.
The Game of Thrones production in Malta was not without controversy. The team had covered the area of Dwerja in artificial sand to make it resemble more of a desert. The cleanup process left a lot to be desired, with some experts believing that the sand caused permanent damage to the environment. This led to a public outcry and caused quite a stir with the local authorities.
Many believe that this incident led to the production never returning to Malta and using Dubrovnik in Croatia as King’s Landing for the latter seasons. However, some experts are of the opinion that this was inevitable as the limited locations in Malta would not have been enough to supply enough original shots for the show’s eight seasons.
Today, there are many Game of Thrones-themed tours that take you to the various locations used in the first season, and it’s a must-do activity for any fan of the show.
3. Gladiator (2000)
Fort Ricasoli | Image by laredawg on Flickr
If in early 1999 you looked across the Grand Harbour from Valletta, you could not miss the imposing sight of a Roman arena as the whole area of Fort Ricasoli stood in for ancient Rome for the production Gladiator. The arena was only about a third of the size of the actual Colosseum in Rome and cost around 1 million dollars to build. Unfortunately, not much of the set remains, as the area has been used by many other productions since then.
The Gladiator production is notoriously associated with the death of English actor Oliver Reed, who died of a heart attack during filming. He had his last drink at The Pub in Valletta, and according to gossip, he had drank eight pints of beer, half a bottle of whisky, a dozen shots of rum, and a few shots of cognac on that faithful night, totaling a bill of around €630 ($680).
The director Ridley Scott was no newcomer to Malta back then, as he had shot parts of his 1996 film White Squall at the Mediterranean Film Studios.
Ridley Scott has returned once again to Malta to work on the much anticipated sequel to Gladiator (with the very original working title of Gladiator 2), which will star Paul Mescal in the lead role together with Denzel Washington, Pedro Pascal, and Connie Nielsen.
Production was halted because of the SAG-AFTRA strike but resumed in December 2023 and wrapped up in mid-January 2024. An open day was held on January 21, 2024, where people had the unique chance to see the set before it got dismantled.
4. Napoleon (2023)
Ridley Scott did shoot another of his blockbusters in Malta, or at least a substantial part of it. In November 2023, the epic movie Napoleon, which documented the rise and fall of the titular general’s life, was released and included several scenes filmed in Malta.
Scott and his crew filmed in Malta for 3 weeks transforming various places in Mdina, Senglea, Valletta, Mellieħa, Siġġiewi and Attard to stand for various places like Paris, Egypt, and Russia, using impressive sets, costumes, and props. Some of the most memorable scenes were filmed just at Gladiator at Fort Ricasoli. The fort was used to recreate the Palace of Versailles, where Napoleon was crowned emperor, as well as the Siege of Toulon.
5. The Count of Monte Cristo (2002)
Comino Tower | Image by Ruben Holthuijsen on Flickr
Filmed in Malta The Count of Monte Cristo as Edmond Dantès and uses various locations around the islands. The area around the Grand Harbour stood in for Marseilles, while the islands of Filfa and Dwejra in Gozo stood for the titular island of Monte Cristo.
The tiny island of Comino, between Malta and Gozo, also found its place in the film, as it served as Château d’If, the prison in which Edmond Dantès was imprisoned.
This film is a great example of a production that not only made the most of the filming facilities in Malta but also of the scenery and landscapes the islands have to offer.
6. Foundation (2021)
Malta Film Studios Water Tanks | Image by Malta Film Commission
Malta is known to production companies not only for its locations but also for its facilities at the Malta Film Studio. One of the main attractions of these facilities are their massive water tanks, which ease the filming of all kinds of scenes.
Over the years, it has been used to film everything from shark attacks to boat explosions, but the Foundation team used these tanks to create the alien planet of Synnax. The town of Kalkara, as well as Fort Manoel, were also used when the team decided to move part of the production to Malta after strict COVID-19 regulations were imposed in the UK.
7. Jurassic World: Dominion (2022)
St. George's Square Valletta | Image by Konstantin Malanche on Flickr
The most recent film in this list is Jurassic World: Dominion. The production was in full swing when, in March 2020, it came to a halt due to the outbreak of COVID-19 in Malta, only to be resumed later that year.
The film plot uses Malta for a significant part of the story, with an action-packed scene with dinosaurs running around the city of Valletta being one of the highlights of the movie.
8. Munich (2005)
Sliema Waterfront | Image by Mike McBey on Flickr
Steven Spielberg is another A-list director who worked his magic in Malta with his 2005 film Munich the Israeli government’s reaction to the Munich massacre during the 1972 Olympics.
The production used a long list of locations around Malta, most notably the area around Fond Għadir in Sliema as a promenade in Tel Aviv, Marsaxlokk as Athens, Rabat, and Republic Square in Valletta as Rome.
9. Midnight Express (1978)
Fort St. Elmo Courtyard | Image by Oren Rozen on Wikimedia Commons
The story of Midnight Express takes place in Turkey; however, after the Turkish authorities denied the crew’s request to film in Istanbul, the production settled on shooting the film in Malta. Fort Saint Elmo served as the location for the years the student Billy Hayes spent in the Turkish prison.
Interestingly, the Turkish police that search Billy when he lands in Istanbul talk in Maltese and not Turkish between them.
10. Troy (2004)
Għajn Tuffieħa | Image by Rafał Bubała from Pexels
Brad Pitt was involved in a number of productions that were filmed or partially filmed in Malta. His first visit was to star as Achilles in the 2004 epic adventure film Troy, based on Homer’s Iliad. The cast also included Eric Bana as Hector and Orlando Bloom as Paris.
The movie used several locations in Malta to depict ancient Greece and Troy. These include Mellieħa Bay, Golden Bay, Ghajn Tuffieħa, Fort Ricasoli, and Comino Island.
11. World War Z (2013)
Malta Freeport | Image by Sgrixti on Wikimedia Commons
In 2012, Brad Pitt was in Malta to shoot World War Z, a zombie flick that used several locations around Valletta, the Three Cities, and even the airport to stand in for Jerusalem. I wonder if the Knights of St. John who built Valletta and the Three Cities ever imagined that an army of undead would roam the streets and fortifications they were constructing.
12. By the Sea (2015)
Mġarr ix-Xini | Image by Diego Delso on Wikimedia Commons
A few years later, Brad Pitt returned to Malta to star with his then-wife Angelina Jolie in By the Sea.
This time, Brad Pitt spent most of his time on the island of Gozo, where the small, picturesque bay of Mġarr Ix-Xini served as the film’s location for three months.
13. 13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi (2016)
Our 13th entry on this list is 13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi. This action drama is based on the true story of six American security contractors who defended a diplomatic compound in Benghazi during a terrorist attack in 2012.
The movie stars John Krasinski as Jack Silva, one of the contractors who fought against overwhelming odds. The movie was entirely filmed in Malta, where several locations were used to depict Benghazi and other places in Libya. These include Malta International Airport, Hal Far, Marsa, Kalkara, and Ta’ Qali.
14. Assassin’s Creed (2016)
Fort Manoel | Image by Frank Vincentz on Wikimedia Commons
In 2015, Malta served as a backdrop for Spain for the movie adaptation of Assassin’s Creed. Various locations were used during this production, including Fort Ricasoli, Fort Manoel, Fort Delimara, the Basilica in Paola, and several locations in Valletta, like the Basilica of St. Dominic and the Valletta ditch.
15. Captain Phillips (2013)
Malta Freeport | Image by MattGPhoto on Wikimedia Commons
Malta’s geographical location in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea makes the island an important shipping hub, with the Malta Freeport on the island’s south being one of Europe’s busiest ports. This unlikely fact made Malta a great destination to shoot Captain Phillips. For nine weeks in 2012, filming took place at the Freeport and in the surrounding waters with a ship identical to the Maersk Alabama.
During his stay in Malta, Tom Hanks, the film’s star, was frequently spotted strolling the promenade in St. Julians and famously took to Twitter to express his frustrations with the notorious rush hour traffic.
16. Murder on the Orient Express (2017)
Valletta By Night | Image by Dion Hinchcliffe on Wikimedia Commons
Based on Agatha Christie’s novel of the same name, Murder on the Orient Express is a mystery thriller directed by Kenneth Branagh, which also includes him as the famous Hercule Poirot. The story follows the detective as he investigates a murder on a train travelling from Istanbul to London.
The movie was partly filmed in Malta, where several locations were used to recreate Istanbul and other places along the route. These include Valletta Waterfront, Fort St. Elmo, St. Paul’s Cathedral in Mdina, and Villa Bologna in Attard. You can visit these locations and see how they were used to create a vintage atmosphere.
17. Agora (2009)
Fort St. Angelo | Image by FritzPhotography on Wikimedia Commons
Agora is a historical drama starring Rachel Weisz as Hypatia, a renowned philosopher, mathematician, and astronomer in 4th-century Alexandria. The movie depicts her life and work amid the religious and political turmoil that engulfed the city, as well as her relationships with her slave Davus (Max Minghella) and her student Orestes (Oscar Isaac).
The movie was directed by Alejandro Amenábar and was mainly filmed in Malta, where several locations like Fort Ricasoli, Fort St. Elmo, Fort St. Angelo, Mdina, and Marsaxlokk were used to recreate ancient Alexandria. The film also utilises a number of local talent in small speaking parts, showcasing that Malta’s attraction as a film location is not just about its location and facilities.
18. Cutthroat Island (1995)
Birgu Waterfront | Image by Bellina 09 on Wikimedia Commons
If you made it this far on our list, allow us to finish off with a terrible entry. Not all movies produced in Malta ended up being big hits, but nothing compares to the mess that was Cutthroat Island. It is one of the biggest box office flops in history, which resulted in the production company (Carolco) declaring bankruptcy soon after.
The only reason I would suggest anyone at least watch the first part of the film is for the many scenes shot at the Birgu (Vittoriosa) Waterfront, where it was transformed to look like 17th-century Port Royal in Jamaica.
Honorable mentions
Alexander (2004)
Oliver Stone’s Alexander used Malta to portray Alexandria.
The Spy Who Loved Me (1977)
Even James Bond travelled to Malta for this film’s final scene.
Clash of the Titans (1981)
The now-destroyed Azure Window in Gozo served as the location for the battle against the Kraken.
Black Eagle (1988)
A terrible film that gives an interesting look at Malta in the 1980s.
Conclusion
Malta is a fascinating country that has been featured in many movies and TV shows over the years. Whether you are a fan of historical epics, fantasy adventures or action dramas you have defiantly had your taste of the Maltese islands through the lens of many renowned productions.
You can visit the locations where these productions were filmed and see them for yourself. You can also learn more about Malta’s history, culture, and nature along the way. So what are you waiting for? Book your trip to Malta today and experience the magic of movies and TV shows shot in Malta!
Frequently Asked Questions
What movies were shot in Malta?
Malta was part of over 600 feature films and TV shows, with some of the most popular movies being Gladiator (2000), The Count of Monte Cristo (2002), Popeye (1980), and Jurassic World Dominion (2022).
Was Game of Thrones filmed in Malta?
Significant parts of Season 1 of Game of Thrones were shot in Malta, with all the exterior shots portraying King’s Landing and Essos being shot across the islands.
What filming locations are there to visit in Malta?
Mdina was portrayed in Game of Thrones and The Count of Monte Cristo; the capital Valletta in Cutthroat Island, World War Z, Munich, and Midnight Express; Fort Ricasoli in Gladiator; Troy and Agora; Dwejra in Game of Thrones and Clash of the Titans; and last but not least, Popeye Village for its role in Popeye.
