Some 900 Maltese extras were involved today in the shooting of the Brad Pitt film World War Z in Marsa and the Valletta Waterfront.

Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi and Finance Minister Tonio Fenech were among those present to see the hive of activity which is expected to leave €30m in Malta's coffers. Film-shooting has also taken place in Valletta and at the airport.

Pitt took a break from filming to chat with Dr Gonzi, telling him that he and his family were enjoying their visit in Malta. He was also grateful for the facilities provided for the film-shooting.

Dr Gonzi was shown around the film set by Robert Harris, who was also publicist of Gladiator and Troy.

The government in a statement said the film industry was turning out to be an important niche in the Maltese economy, not least because of available facilities, excellent weather and tax advantages.

It said that momentum is building up. The series Game of Thrones, currently showing in Europe and the US, was shot in Malta and well known actor Gerard Depardieu was currently featured in Asterix and Obelix, also being shot in Malta.

Sign up to our free newsletters

Get the best updates straight to your inbox:
Please select at least one mailing list.

You can unsubscribe at any time by clicking the link in the footer of our emails. We use Mailchimp as our marketing platform. By subscribing, you acknowledge that your information will be transferred to Mailchimp for processing.