Film Commissioner of European Nation That Made Gladiator 2 $49M Leaves Out Part Where Ridley Scott Said “I would not go there on holiday” in New Video

SUMMARY

• Gladiator 2 was at the receiving end of over $49 million for shooting in Malta.
• In spite of the unbelievable cash rebate, and having spent a lot of time in the country, Ridley Scott said that he wouldn't return to the place as a tourist.
• The remark didn't go down well with the Maltese, who questioned him, and the government over the rebate to production houses.

To the unversed, the proposition that Gladiator 2 had already made $49 million even before it hit the theatres would seem unbelievable at best, and idiotic at worst. However, for the Maltese government, in particular the Maltese Film Commissioner, it is all a part of the plan.

As the Pedro Pascal starrer looks set to become one of the greatest beneficiaries of the Maltese rebates for production houses, there was a lot of buzz in the upper echelons of Malta that the movie would do wonders for the island nation. Ridley Scott had other plans (rather advice).

Ridley Scott rips Malta apart in interview with Christopher Nolan

Gladiator 2 stands to gain a lot from shooting in Malta || Paramount Pictures

Malta is one of the many nations which imparts production houses with a cashback of up to 40% if they film in the country. The rationale? The government believes that filming will have a two-pronged benefit for the nation – firstly, it will stimulate inflow into the local economy, and secondly, it will attract tourism.

They aren’t wrong. After all Malta, with its cultural and architectural heritage, is a treasure trove for any history maniac. Even Ridley Scott, the man behind Gladiator 2 and its predecessor, has hailed the beauty of the architecture.

Sadly, that wasn’t the only thing he had to say about the nation. While Scott was in conversation with Christopher Nolan, he highlighted that the country shouldn’t be on the top of any tourist’s list.

Ridley Scott did not mince words about his plans to visit Malta || Image by Gage Skidmore, licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

He said,

I wouldn’t advise going there on holiday. I would not go back there on holiday. But the architecture goes from medieval right through to renaissance, and when it’s good, it’s spectacular. (YouTube)

While the praise contributes little to the island nation’s objective behind the glorious cash-back scheme, the Maltese Film Commissioner did not hesitate to share the clip, albeit after making some tweaks.

Ridley Scott’s statements raise questions about the Maltese Film Commissioner

Ridley Scott is facing the heat for the remarks directed towards Malta || Image by Gage Skidmore, licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Johann Grech, the Film Commissioner, took the opportunity to share the clip from Ridley Scott’s interview on Facebook, after cutting out the part where Scott advises the world not to visit Malta.

In the clip he shared on his social media handle, the Napolean director can be seen paying homage to Malta’s rich architectural heritage. The same video would be shared by the Gladiator’s Facebook page. Grech thought that no one would notice that the video had been edited.

Alas! It had been seen only by thousands of people at the time. The number of viewers of the interview, uploaded by Paramount Pictures on YouTube, currently stands at 83,000.

It doesn’t come as a shock that many people were fed up with the Film Commissioner for unabashedly sharing the clip. After all, anyone ought to lose it if a man who had just pocketed a rebate of $49 million (Napolean brought in €13 million as well) spoke ill of their nation.

The Shadow Culture Minister Julie Zahra had some tough words for the Commissioner, imploring him to bite the bullet for his humiliation at the hands of the 87-year-old. She said,

(Grech) ended up being attacked by the one who benefited the most from these cash rebates. (Times of Malta)

She wasn’t amiss. Former Opposition leader, Adrian Delia called Scott out for showing a lack of respect for the Maltese people and their heritage.

Written by Smriti Sneh

Articles Published: 363

Smriti Sneh is a Content Writer at Fandom Wire specializing in celebrities and everything pop-culture. Being a literature research scholar, she is cashing in on her writing skills by working in the entertainment news sector - studying literary theories by day, and navigating celebrity net worth through the night. Although you can find her writing poems at any and all hours.