Malta could very well be the new home of King Tutankhamun, even if just for a short time, during the shooting of a movie, touted to become a blockbuster, dealing with the "murder" of the young king.

According to a number of websites, the multi-million dollar movie will be the most expensive ever filmed in Malta. Work on it here is expected to take about six months.

The script for movie, directed by Roland Emmerich, of Stargate, Independence Day and Godzilla fame, was penned by Sean O'Keefe and Will Staples.

Investments Minister Austin Gatt is expected to visit the set of the film - which has the working title MOT - this morning. Dr Gatt said in December that the biggest ever European co-production would be shot in Malta this year. Although he did not disclose the name of the movie or any other details, he said it would be the biggest investment and the biggest payback Malta has ever seen.

King Tutankhamun was an Egyptian Pharaoh who ascended the throne when just a boy and reigned for about nine years when the Egyptian Empire was at its height. The tomb, in which his mummified body was preserved, was opened in 1922. His body was covered in amulets and jewels and wearing a solid gold burial mask.

Although initially there was speculation that the young king was murdered through a blow to the head, a CT scan of his remains in 2005 led researchers to believe that he died through complications following a broken leg.

An exhibition in London about Tutankhamun and the Golden Age of the Pharaohs, which opened in November, has already attracted thousands of visitors.