Even a cursory look through the internet shows how much the filming of this movie is inextricably linked to its location.
For example, according to www.maltamoviemap.visitmalta.com, the main sites of the film are mentioned specifically.
“The $150m dramatisation of the Trojan War is all set to be one of the biggest blockbusters of 2004 and much of the action has been filmed on Malta. The vast main sets for the city of Troy, including King Priam’s palace and the towering gates through which the famous wooden horse is drawn, were built with the aid of hundreds of Maltese craftsmen on the wide, flat space at Fort Ricasoli from April to June 2003. Hundreds of local extras were involved in the filming, which took place at Ricasoli from June to July (the outer walls of Troy were built and filmed in Mexico).Another set was built on the cliffside at Mellieha and other locations that are set to feature in the film include Mellieha, Golden Sands, Riviera and Comino.”
The site then goes on to put in more interesting facts:
“This is the third time in just six years that Malta has welcomed an actor playing Odysseus. Before Sean Bean in Troy, Armand Assante was cast as the Greek hero in The Odyssey and Nigel Whitmey in Helen of Troy, two American productions featured in the Movie Map’s TV pages.”
Having such blockbuster films shot in Malta has a spin-off effect for our tourist industry. For example, the website www.Guardian Unlimited is offering a competition which they are publicising as ‘Win a holiday to Malta – the film location for Troy’.
It describes Malta as “ fast becoming one of the world’s most popular film locations”.
The website goes on to say that “The honey-coloured limestone baroque architecture, unspoilt coastline and wonderful climate has proved irresistible to movie makers - including those of The Count of Monte Cristo, Gladiator and this year’s blockbuster movie, Troy - where previous visitors may recognise the sandy beaches of Golden Bay. The film’s stars Brad Pitt and Orlando Bloom also explored Malta’s trendy nightlife. One lucky winner will win a dream holiday for two to Malta, including flights, four-star luxury hotel accommodation and a meal in La Dolce Vita, Brad Pitt’s favourite restaurant from his time on the island, which overlooks the picturesque bay of St Julians. You can enjoy the warmth of the Maltese welcome and experience a range of leisure activities from diving the Azure Window underwater caves to joining the rhythms of the festa or just taking it easy on one of the many stunning beaches.”
With the hype surrounding the film, other prospective film makers will undoubtedly consider Malta as a possible location who may not otherwise have known of it.
This is what happened when the Count of Monte Cristo was shot here. According to the fascinating behind-the-scene feature which can be viewed when one rents the film as a DVD, the producer remarked that he originally hoped to shoot 30 per cent of the film in Malta. However, when he came to scout the island for the locations he needed, he found he could use it for 80 per cent of the movie because so much of the island looked right for the ‘feel’ he wanted for the movie.
He was right. Who can ever forget that view of our magnificent Grand Harbour with the caption ‘Marseille’?