Sharon Stone graces Malta

Stunning Hollywood actress Sharon Stone, renowned for her seductive role in Basic Instinct, arrived yesterday for the shooting of the film A Different Loyalty, which starts on Wednesday.

The film is also starring British actor Rupert Everett (My Best Friend's Wedding and The Next Best Thing).

When contacted, line producer Malcolm Scerri-Ferrante said he could not disclose information on the stars and their whereabouts. He did say, however, that the government was supporting the production in many ways.

The $10 million-budget film is being produced by an independent Canadian production company, Forum Films, in co-production with the UK. The Malta shoot is spread over two weeks, with locations varying from Valletta fortifications to a sandy beach.

Based on the true espionage story of the world-renowned British spy Harold Adrian Russell "Kim" Philby, who defected to Russia, A Different Loyalty has already shot in Montreal and London. It moves to Moscow after Malta, which managed to fight off stiff competition from Casablanca and Spain, and is doubling as Beirut in the 1960s.

A Different Loyalty is being directed by Marek Kanievska (Less Than Zero) and produced by Richard Lalonde, Demitri Samaha and Jan H. Vocke.

Over 500 extras days are being used in the film.

The character-driven drama focuses on the relationship and characters of the couple, Eleanor and Kim Philby - in the film, Sally and Leo Cauffield - played by Stone and Everett respectively.

Stone accepted a breakthrough role in Basic Instinct (1992), with Michael Douglas, and her interrogation scene is a classic in film history, her performance captivating everyone, from MTV viewers, who honoured her with Most Desirable Female and Best Female Performance Awards, to a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actress.

Other landmark films include The Specialist (1994) with Sylvester Stallone and The Quick and The Dead (1995) with Gene Hackman. However, it was not until she played the beautiful, but drug-crazy wife of Robert De Niro in Casino (1995) that she got far more than just fame and fortune, receiving the acknowledgment of the films industry for her acting ability, her first Golden Globe and an Oscar nomination.

According to Empire magazine - and not only - Stone is one of the 100 sexiest stars in film history. The actress also ranked 77th in Empire (UK) magazine's list of Top 100 Movie Stars of All Time.

A Different Loyalty is expected to be released in cinemas worldwide early next year.