World-famous director Ridley Scott, who directed the new Gladiator film which was filmed in Malta, told an audience that he wouldn’t advise visiting Malta on holiday.
Scott was being interviewed by fellow director Christopher Nolan after a screening of the new Gladiator film, considerable parts of which were shot in Malta.
The film received some €47 million in taxpayer’s money through grants which the government has staunchly defended – despite being far above what was initially budgeted for.
“Malta is a treasure trove of architecture. I wouldn’t advise going there on holiday,” Scott told Nolan, before turning to the audience to make sure there were no Maltese people present.
“I would not go back there on holiday,” he repeated. “But the architecture goes from medieval right through to renaissance, and when it’s good, it’s spectacular,” he said.
He then detailed how the architecture seen in the film was largely built rather than based off of a green screen because it was cheaper to do so.
Malta’s Film Commissioner Johann Grech – a figure who has been controversial in his own right over the huge spending bill and the comparative lack of support to local filmmakers – posted a clip of Scott speaking about the film to his Facebook page, but edited out the part where the director advises people not to visit Malta on holiday.
The official page for the Gladiator movie also shared the same clip, with the same part edited out.
The full 23-minute interview uploaded to Paramount Pictures’ YouTube channel however includes the remark.
Ridley Scott is no stranger to shooting his films in Malta: Malta’s cash back scheme to foreign filmmakers meant that Gladiator’s sequel netted a record €47 million, while Scott’s Napoleon biopic which received luke-warm at best reviews received €13 million in rebates for three weeks of filming in Malta.
The government has consistently defended the scheme saying that it strengthens the film industry but puts Malta on the map, but critics have noted the sheer amount spent and the noticeable disparity in funding made available to local filmmakers.