Top 5 Filming Locations in Malta

Malta’s history as a location for film production goes back to 1925 – when the islands served as the main backdrop for the silent movie Sons of the Sea. 

Since then, film production in Malta has bloomed: the islands have served as the main setting for films and TV shows such as Gladiator, Troy, Assassin’s Creed, Murder on the Orient Express and Game of Thrones.

In this blog post, we’re highlighting 5 of the top filming locations in Malta. Therefore, if you’re a film buff who wants to visit the filming locations of your favourite movie or TV show, we highly suggest that you keep on reading. 

Mdina

Malta’s silent city is a medieval walled city that’s often used as a double for Middle Eastern locations. Mdina and its neighbouring town were famously featured in Game of Thrones as King’s Landing. Rabat was also used to replicate the atmosphere of 1970s Rome in Steven Spielberg’s Munich. 

Gozo

Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt made the best use of Malta’s sister island Gozo in their 2015 movie By the Sea. In this film, Gozo replicated 1960s France. 

The island’s Dwejra Bay was also used by the Game of Thrones production team as the setting for the Dothraki wedding scene. 

Visitors will notice that things look a little different as, unfortunately, Dwejra Bay’s famed Azure window (a naturally occurring, 28-metre-tall rock arch) collapsed in 2017. 

Rinella

The Malta Film Studios at Rinella has been used for a number of high-profile productions. The Studios house two humongous water tanks, which are utilised by production teams to create the illusion of being out into the ocean. All in all, the Studios have serviced more than 200 feature films, television movies, documentaries and commercials. 

Valletta

Valletta’s forts and Baroque architecture make it the perfect location for period films. The City stood for Jerusalem in the apocalyptic flick World War Z. Tens of other films were shot in Valletta, including the 1995 film Cutthroat Island, dystopian sci-fi action movie Assassin’s Creed, the 2017 American Assassin and Branagh’s Murder on the Orient Express. 

Popeye Village

Popeye Village is, perhaps, one of the most obvious filming locations in Malta. That’s because it’s an actual film set: the Village was built in 1980 as a film set for the live-action feature film Popeye. Since then, it’s been repurposed as an attraction park and open-air museum which is open for visitors all year round.