Jolie-Pitt movie could leave €20 million in Gozo economy

90% of the budget will be injected directly into Gozo’s economy, involving local servicing, building of the set, catering and lodging.

6 July 2014, 8:30am
by Staff Reporter

2 min read

Power couple Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt will be spending eight weeks at the picturesque Mgarr ix-Xini Bay, Gozo

The Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt film being described as a love story and set in the picturesque Mgarr ix-Xini bay near Ta’ Cenc in Gozo, is expected to contribute over €20 million to the Gozitan economy.

Sources close to the film industry told MaltaToday that 90% of this budget will be injected directly into Gozo’s economy, involving local servicing, building of the set, catering and lodging.

USmagazine has reported that the name of the project for which Jolie was scouting is a closely guarded secret, but the magazine said the movie is one written by Jolie. “It’s not a big movie, it’s not an action movie,” she had previously told Extra about the film, which would be her first onscreen reunion with Pitt since Mr. & Mrs. Smith. “It’s the kind of movie we love but aren’t often cast in,” she said.

Yesterday in US Weekly, Prime Minister Joseph Muscat said: “I’m sure that this film will help put our beautiful sister island of Gozo on the world map.”

The first time the Jolie-Pitt family visited Malta was when Brad Pitt was working on the uninspiring zombie apocalypse movie “World War Z” in 2011.

The whole family will be staying in Malta for eight weeks, arriving at the end of August. It is believed that the Jolie-Pitt family will be staying in one of the villas next to Mgarr ix-Xini bay.

Most of the individuals working on the film will be coming directly from Malta and part of the €20 million budget, that is around €800,000 will go to cover their costs and accommodation for the three- to four-month period they will live in Gozo.

The Ministry for Gozo has been involved in many preparations and Minister Anton Refalo yesterday appeared thrilled by the spillover effect. He told MaltaToday: “This is indeed splendid news for Gozo. We are looking at this blockbuster as one of the most powerful tools to market Gozo abroad.”

Some of the budget of the film will also go to compensate for businesses which may be affected by the film set. One particular case involves a fish restaurant located in Mgarr ix-Xini bay and which will have to close for the summer

The film-makers have agreed to compensate the restaurateur but MaltaToday could not confirm the sum agreed on.