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Director Ridley Scott has advised people to avoid visiting Malta, one of the filming locations for his action flick, "Gladiator II."
His remark upset politicians in Malta, where a local incentive funneled millions in rebates to the movie's production company.
"I wouldn't advise going there on holiday," Scott said during a discussion in front of a live audience with director Christopher Nolan earlier this month. "I would not go back there on holiday."
"Gladiator II" received a €46.7 million — about $48 million — rebate for working in the country, according to the Times of Malta.
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Malta's Film Commissioner Johann Grech originally shared an edited clip of the interview on Facebook that did not include Scott's comment about visiting Malta. The director also said the architecture in Malta "goes from medieval right through to renaissance, and when it's good, it's spectacular."
However, once the full version made the rounds, some members of Malta's parliament were not happy. Julie Zahra, the opposition party's minister of culture, said in a Facebook post on Friday that Grech had been "humiliated" by Scott and should step down from his position. She then urged the film industry to also focus on local talent, saying the industry "deserves much better."
Later that day, Adrian Delia, another member of Malta's parliament, tagged Scott in a separate Facebook post. Delia said Scott had achieved worldwide fame and accolades and "mesmerized millions with tales of historic legend brought to life."
"Sadly however seems you have not managed to learn respect. Towards those who welcomed you warmly, shared and lent their history and culture and showered you with millions to credit to your tax bill. How unfortunate," the post read.
Malta is one of several international destinations, including Croatia and Iceland, offering filmmakers rebates. The rebates are a way to entice filmmakers, who often hire local workers and contribute to the economy far beyond the cost of the rebate.
Tourism Minister Clayton Bartolo previously defended Malta's rebate incentive during an interview with The Malta Independent published in 2023.
"When we say we will give €47 million as a cash rebate, it means that while this production is being filmed in our country, over €110 million is being spent. So giving the impression that the country is losing money is completely wrong, is misleading," he told the outlet.
Bartolo said this method of investing in the film industry has provided jobs to local residents.
"These people who are earning money or improving their skills to then be able to work in Malta or abroad, are we going to lose them this work? Or are we going to say we will continue investing in this industry to really increase opportunities, improve the skills of our crews," he said.
Representatives for Scott, Grech, Zahra, Delia, Paramount Global, and the Malta Film Commission did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Business Insider.
