36 Films Shot in Malta to Watch Before Visiting

36 Films Shot in Malta to Watch Before Visiting including Popeye, The Spy Who Loved Me, Gladiator, World War Z, Captain Phillips, Limestone Cowboy, Troy and By The Sea | almostginger.com

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I wanted to write a list of films set in Malta. But since there is roughly two of those in the world, I have settled for films shot in Malta. Because surprisingly, there is a hec of a lot more of those, including all of these Hollywood Films set in Malta.

If you’re wondering which the two are, it’s Simshar (2014) and Limestone Cowboy (2017). If you only watch two films shot in Malta before visiting the country, make it these. They are set and filmed in Malta and are actually in the Maltese language.

If that’s not your bag, I have a list of 34 more. They mostly only use Malta as a film location and not as the setting for a story but it still counts! It’s the closest you’ll get, anyway. Malta needs much, much more love in the world cinema film industry.

36 Films shot in Malta you MUST watch

36 Films Shot in Malta to Watch Before Visiting including Popeye, The Spy Who Loved Me, Gladiator, World War Z, Captain Phillips, Limestone Cowboy, Troy and By The Sea | almostginger.com
© 2000 Dreamworks LLC & Universal Pictures

1. Malta Story (1953)

Director: Brian Desmond Hurst

Language: English

2. Casino Royale (1967)

Director: So. Many. People.

Language: English

36 Films Shot in Malta to Watch Before Visiting including Popeye, The Spy Who Loved Me, Gladiator, World War Z, Captain Phillips, Limestone Cowboy, Troy and By The Sea | almostginger.com
© Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc.

3. A Twist of Sand (1968)

Director: Don Chaffey

Language: English

4. Hell Boats (1970)

Director: Paul Wendkos

Language: English

5. Pulp (1972)

Director: Mike Hodges

Language: English

6. The Spy Who Loved Me (1977)

Director: Lewis Gilbert

Language: English

36 Films Shot in Malta to Watch Before Visiting including Popeye, The Spy Who Loved Me, Gladiator, World War Z, Captain Phillips, Limestone Cowboy, Troy and By The Sea | almostginger.com
© 1977 – MGM

7. Midnight Express (1978)

Director: Alan Parker

Language: English

8. Popeye (1980)

Director: Robert Altman

Language: English

36 Films Shot in Malta to Watch Before Visiting including Popeye, The Spy Who Loved Me, Gladiator, World War Z, Captain Phillips, Limestone Cowboy, Troy and By The Sea | almostginger.com
© 1980 Paramount Pictures

9. Clash of the Titans (1981)

Director: Desmond Davis

Language: English

10. Never Say Never Again (1983)

Director: Irvin Kershner

Language: English

11. Trenchcoat (1983)

Director: Michael Tuchner

Language: English

12. Black Eagle (1988)

Director: Eric Carson

Language: English

13. Gladiator (2000)

Director: Ridley Scott

Language: English

36 Films Shot in Malta to Watch Before Visiting including Popeye, The Spy Who Loved Me, Gladiator, World War Z, Captain Phillips, Limestone Cowboy, Troy and By The Sea | almostginger.com
© 2000 Dreamworks LLC & Universal Pictures

14. The Emperor’s New Clothes (2001)

Director: Alan Taylor

Language: English

15. The Count of Monte Cristo (2002)

Director: Kevin Reynolds

Language: English

16. Swept Away (2002)

Director: Guy Ritchie

Language: English/Greek/Italian

17. The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen (2003)

Director: Stephen Norrington

Language: English/German/Italian

18. Troy (2004)

Director: Wolfgang Petersen

Language: English

36 Films Shot in Malta to Watch Before Visiting including Popeye, The Spy Who Loved Me, Gladiator, World War Z, Captain Phillips, Limestone Cowboy, Troy and By The Sea | almostginger.com
© 2004 Warner Bros. Ent.

19. A Different Loyalty (2004)

Director: Marek Kanievska

Language: English

20. Munich (2005)

Director: Steven Speilberg

Language: English/Hebrew/German/Arabic/Italian/French

36 Films Shot in Malta to Watch Before Visiting including Popeye, The Spy Who Loved Me, Gladiator, World War Z, Captain Phillips, Limestone Cowboy, Troy and By The Sea | almostginger.com
© 2005 Universal Pictures

21. A Previous Engagement (2008)

Director: Joan Carr-Wiggin

Language: English

22. Agora (2009)

Director: Alejandro Amenabar

Language: English

23. The Devil’s Double (2011)

Director: Lee Tamahori

Language: English

24. Conan The Barbarian (2011)

Director: Marcus Nispel

Language: English

25. Gulf Stream Under the Iceberg (2012)

Director: Jevgeņijs Paškevičs

Language: Russian

26. World War Z (2013)

Director: Marc Forster

Language: English

36 Films Shot in Malta to Watch Before Visiting including Popeye, The Spy Who Loved Me, Gladiator, World War Z, Captain Phillips, Limestone Cowboy, Troy and By The Sea | almostginger.com
© 2013 Paramount Pictures

27. Captain Phillips (2013)

Director: Paul Greengrass

Language: English/Somali

28. Simshar (2014)

Director: Rebecca Cremona

Language: Maltese

29. By the Sea (2015)

Director: Angelina Jolie

Language: English/French

36 Films Shot in Malta to Watch Before Visiting including Popeye, The Spy Who Loved Me, Gladiator, World War Z, Captain Phillips, Limestone Cowboy, Troy and By The Sea | almostginger.com
© 2015 Universal Pictures

30. Assassin’s Creed (2016)

Director: Justin Kurzel

Language: English/Spanish

31. The Promise (2016)

Director: Terry George

Language: English

32. 13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi (2016)

Director: Michael Bay

Language: English

36 Films Shot in Malta to Watch Before Visiting including Popeye, The Spy Who Loved Me, Gladiator, World War Z, Captain Phillips, Limestone Cowboy, Troy and By The Sea | almostginger.com
© 2016 Paramount Pictures

33. Love to Paradise (2017)

Director: Julian Galea

Language: English

34. Papillon (2017)

Director: Michael Noer

Language: English/Spanish

35. Murder on the Orient Express (2017)

Director: Kenneth Branagh

Language: English/French/German/Arabic

36. Limestone Cowboy (2017)

Director: Abigail Mallia

Language: Maltese/English

36 Films Shot in Malta to Watch Before Visiting including Popeye, The Spy Who Loved Me, Gladiator, World War Z, Captain Phillips, Limestone Cowboy, Troy and By The Sea | almostginger.com
© 2017 Take 2 Entertainment

And those are some films set in Malta to watch before visiting! Have you seen any of the films I’ve listed? Did you know some of them were even filmed in/set in Malta? Let me know in the comments below! 


Read next:

Hollywood Film Locations in Malta: Gladiator, Captain Phillips & More!


36 Films Shot in Malta to Watch Before Visiting including Popeye, The Spy Who Loved Me, Gladiator, World War Z, Captain Phillips, Limestone Cowboy, Troy and By The Sea | almostginger.com
© 2000 Dreamworks LLC & Universal Pictures

6 thoughts on “36 Films Shot in Malta to Watch Before Visiting

  1. Tanya Cutajar says:

    Thank you , I’m going to start watching the list you gave . Plus we’re huge fans of GOT and want to learn more on what happened there ?? Mmmm plus we just came back from visiting Malta love it ! Now to go back again with movie knowledge and be able to actually see the places and remember.

    • Rebecca says:

      Thanks so much for your comment, Tanya! From what I remember, it was mostly just that the Maltese authorities were unhappy with the way the GOT production treated the natural landscape. Happy movie watching! 😀

  2. Martin Delia says:

    Thanks for the article. I am Maltese born (raised and live in Australia) and devour anything connected to Malta, especially movies set or filmed there. I have seen most of the ones listed here and a few I wasn’t aware of. I was actually holidaying in Malta when Gladiator was being shot and got to see some of the action. Was also living there for a short time when World War Z and By the Sea were being filmed (Brad and Angelina were being hounded by the local paparazzi!).

    • Rebecca says:

      There are more films shot in Malta than many people might think, aren’t there! That’s fantastic you were there during the filming of Gladiator, possibly one of the most beloved films ever shot on Malta.

  3. Peter Morse says:

    I was stationed aboard a US Navy vessel homeported near Palau, Sardinia. In October of 1976 we steamed away for a liberty cruise, giving the crew for The Spy Who Loved Me, time to film the arrival of 007’s spy car on the local ferry and its submarine antics at the nearby Club Med. No mistaking the wharf where nightly liberty began for many of us.

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