English actors Joseph Fiennes and Tom Felton, of Shakespeare in Love and Harry Potter fame, will co-star in a biblical drama to be shot in Malta and Spain over the next two months.

The film, Clavius, tells the story of an agnostic Roman centurion who is charged by Pontius Pilate to investigate rumours of a risen Messiah and locate the missing body of Jesus of Nazareth in order to subdue an uprising in Jerusalem.

Clavius will meet the apostles along his journey, while piecing together the mysterious events that unfolded after the crucifixion.

The film is being directed by Kevin Reynolds, who was in Malta in 2002 to direct The Count of Monte Cristo. He had described Malta as an extraordinary location. Clavius is expected to be released around Easter 2015.

It is one of a number of productions currently preparing to shoot in Malta in the coming weeks, in what sources in the industry have described as “an unprecedented level of filming activity in Malta and Gozo”.

A spokesman for the Home Affairs Ministry, said: “The government remains committed to building a sustainable film industry to create more job opportunities and generate economic activity.”

Film Commissioner Engelbert Grech attributed the high level of activity to a new strategy, with an upgraded set of financial incentives and focused marketing campaigns targeting major markets.