Why Malta Would Be a ‘Dream’ Location for the Next James Bond Movie

Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience.Generate Key Takeaways

Denis Villeneuve hasn’t made the trip to shoot on the Mediterranean islands of Malta yet. But if Malta’s film commissioner has anything to say about it, he hopes Villeneuve could follow filmmakers like Ridley Scott and Steven Spielberg to shoot the next James Bond film among the country’s atmospheric ancient villages and stunning sea locations.

“I hope we’ll have the opportunity,” says Johann Grech, film commissioner and CEO of Malta Film Studios. “It’s an ambition, it’s a dream.”

More from Variety

'Jurassic World Rebirth' Leads U.K. and Ireland Box Office in Strong Debut as 'Superman' Looms

Saudi Comedy 'Alzarfa: Escape from Hanhounia Hell' Beats Hollywood Blockbusters 'Jurassic World Rebirth' and 'F1: The Movie' at Saudi Box Office

'Jurassic World Rebirth' Stomps Past Competition at Korean Box Office

AdvertisementAdvertisement#«R26e4kr8lb2m7nfddbH1» iframe AdvertisementAdvertisement#«R46e4kr8lb2m7nfddbH1» iframe

Though a couple of Bond movies shot very briefly in Malta, Grech says “Maybe it could play a bigger role in the next one. It was a dream for me to get back Ridley Scott, and after 22 years, we got him back.”

Scott chose the historic Fort Ricasoli and Malta Film Studio’s famous water tanks to shoot both “Gladiator” and “Gladiator II,” while his “Napoleon” used Maltese locations to double for Paris and Elba.

Production executives from companies including Marvel, Universal, Amazon, A24 and Annapurna checked out these locations and more at June’s Mediterrane Film Festival, where they were invited to network and learn more about the country’s location capabilities.

During a festival masterclass, “Munich” production designer Rick Carter recalled that 20 years ago, Spielberg and their team cut down on costs and logistics by doubling an impressive seven different countries, from Israel to Italy and Cyprus, in several Maltese towns.

AdvertisementAdvertisement#«R2be4kr8lb2m7nfddbH1» iframe AdvertisementAdvertisement#«R4be4kr8lb2m7nfddbH1» iframe

But the most recent feature to wrap there didn’t even need to simulate other countries.

Millie Bobby Brown starrer “Enola Holmes 3” conveniently has a plot that’s actually set in the capital city of Valletta – no doubling required, which helps maximize production rebates. Just as the festival was getting underway, the third installment of Legendary’s mystery adventure series for Netflix wrapped at Malta Film Studios. It was one of a total of seven productions shooting around the country’s three islands in the first half of the year.

“We felt incredibly lucky to shoot Malta for Malta on ‘Enola Homes 3,’ and to integrate with our fantastic Maltese crew to tell a story rooted in their history and culture,” Legendary’s executive VP of physical production Herb Gains told Variety. “Shooting a chase sequence through the streets of Valletta, set on the Day of the Gostra – a popular Maltese tradition celebrating the feast of St Julian – was particularly rewarding. We worked with puppet makers whose families have been creating this art for generations – it is one of the biggest set pieces we’ve done in the franchise, and we hope it will be among the most unique.“

Legendary worked with local producer Winston Azzopardi to hire 475 local crew members for 20 days of location shooting, says Gains. “There is no version in today’s production space to film anywhere without some type of financial incentive,” he acknowledges. “It is a rare experience to be able to shoot an actual location as scripted, with a favorable incentive, as well as the amount of local support that was willing to pull out all the stops to secure us stunning and logistically challenging locations across the island for our film.”

AdvertisementAdvertisement#«R2he4kr8lb2m7nfddbH1» iframe AdvertisementAdvertisement#«R4he4kr8lb2m7nfddbH1» iframe

In fact, filming in Malta has become so popular that local crews are at a premium. More than a thousand people in the small country are now working full-time in the film business, says Grech. Even more importantly, Malta is investing a million Euros to train more crew members which are needed in fields such as accounting, sound and camera work.

Grech says film and TV productions generated more than a million Euros in economic activity in the country last year.

When Grech became commissioner in 2018, Malta’s rebate was 20%, only the 13th highest in Europe. “I said, if we want to compete, we need to shake up the system,” says Grech. “Within three months, we increased it to 40%.” The cash rebate has a base of 30%, with an extra 10% eligible for productions that meet certain criteria such as utilizing local resources.

The festival, which just wrapped its third year with a lavish awards event featuring “Gladiator” star Russell Crowe, is a “strategic tool” to show off the country but also to promote networking, says Grech, with the aim of “bringing nations together to discuss the art of film and the changes that the industry need.”

AdvertisementAdvertisement#«R2me4kr8lb2m7nfddbH1» iframe AdvertisementAdvertisement#«R4me4kr8lb2m7nfddbH1» iframe

“Hitman” producer Adrian Askarieh was among the producers invited. He highlighted the country’s Middle Eastern, African and European influenced architecture. “Beyond its beauty and the very strong sense of history permeating the entire island, Malta stood out to me as a wonderful place to film,” Askarieh says.

Mark Myers, a producer and manager at Citizen Skull, also made the trip from Hollywood for the festival. “We’re shooting films this year in England, Spain and Hungary and now there is a whole new country for us with a plethora of incentives, ready and experienced crew and amazing one of a kind locations,” Myers says. “They also have incredible water tanks for shooting, which are hard to find.”

“Gladiator” isn’t the only production that returned to Malta for a sequel. “Jurassic World Rebirth” came back to Malta to shoot water scenes after “Jurassic World Dominion” shot in Valletta. The dinosaur epic’s return was “a vote of confidence in our crews,” says Grech. “We have strong relationships with studios.”

“Gladiator II,” “Jurassic World Rebirth” and “Game of Thrones” are just a few of the productions that have shot at Fort Ricasoli. The fort, which is normally closed to the public, is adjacent to Malta Film Studios, and is likely the only movie studio backlot that includes a 17th century complex full of actual prisons, ruins and fortifications as part of the available sets.

AdvertisementAdvertisement#«R2re4kr8lb2m7nfddbH1» iframe AdvertisementAdvertisement#«R4re4kr8lb2m7nfddbH1» iframe

While the fort is a compelling backdrop for productions set in ancient times, other productions choose Malta for filming underwater or from the sea, with a backdrop of the reddish cliffs that first lured Robert Altman to shoot 1980’s “Popeye.” (Popeye’s village has been preserved as a tourist attraction featuring a water park.) During the festival, DiveMed underwater shooting specialist Abigail Borg conducted boat tours of notable maritime locations from films like “Napoleon” and “By the Sea,” and explained how her company works with productions like scuba thriller “The Last Breath.”

Grech’s next aim is to build a soundstage that would enable more year-round productions, as shoots now tend to avoid the steamy summer months. The plans include a permanent indoor water tank, complementing the famous shallow tank and deep tanks, built in 1964 and 1979 respectively, that put Malta on the world production map thanks to films like “Captain Phillips.”

“My satisfaction is seeing crews working in film, yeah, seeing locals working in film, giving the opportunity to all — not for some of us, but for all of us,” says Grech.

Best of Variety

Oscars 2026: George Clooney, Jennifer Lopez, Julia Roberts, Wagner Moura and More Among Early Contenders to Watch

New Movies Out Now in Theaters: What to See This Week

'Harry Potter' TV Show Cast Guide: Who's Who in Hogwarts?

Sign up for Variety's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.