Matt Hookings, the writer, producer and lead actor in boxing drama Prizefighter tells Giulia Magri how he brought Russell Crowe back to Malta

Eight months ago, Oscar-winning star Russell Crowe surprised his fans when he invited them to meet him at Fort Ricasoli.

He cycled into the fort, which once played host to the film Gladiator, and happily posed for photos at the set of the blockbuster that won him the Best Actor Oscar in 2000.

At the time, he was filming, Prizefighter: The Life of Jem Belcher, a biopic about the eponymous 19th-century boxer.

Yet, Matt Hookings, writer, producer and lead actor of the upcoming movie, was unaware of how special Malta is for the actor.

“I did not anticipate the impact Crowe’s return would have on the country and how important it was not just for Malta but also for him,” Hookings said.

“It was a bit weird for me because I realised I’m the person who brought this guy back. He had not been in Malta for 20 odd years and, for him, Gladiator is one of the most important things he has ever done.”

Prizefighter: The Life of Jem Belcher tells the story of Belcher, the man who becomes the greatest fighter in the world but is blind by the age of 22 and dead at 30.

This was Hookings’ third time filming in Malta and he fell in love with the country and the work ethic of the local film crew.

“I’ve been in the film industry for over 12 years now and Malta has such a professional film industry that continues to flourish and the rebate scheme is also very attractive.

“I continue to receive calls from other producers asking me about my experience here,” he said.

The trailer of the film, which lands on Amazon Prime on July 22, shows Crowe bare-knuckle boxing as Jem’s grandfather, Jack Slack.

Creating 1800s England in Malta

Hookings did not plan to film Prizefighter in Malta.

He wanted the production to be filmed entirely in Newport, Wales, where he is from, yet, due to lack of funding from the Welsh government, he said he had to change his plans.

The film was shot in South Wales and Lithuania before Hookings considered where else he could continue filming and whether he could get Crowe on board.

He contacted Maltese producers Paul Parker and Kathleen Debrincat, from PaulParker Film Limited, who ultimately became the Malta producer and service provider for Prizefighter.

“I also spoke to Film Commissioner Johann Grech about my plans and he told me if I can bring Crowe back to Malta he will support us,” he said.

At first, Hookings asked Crowe to film solely in the UK, which he refused. The compromise was to film two days in the UK and the rest in Malta.

That sealed the deal.

The first 28 pages of the 98-page script were shot in Malta. He said a month was spent on ‘prepping’, including rehearsals, scouting for filming locations  and building three sets.

“Making 1800s England in Malta was a true testament to the Maltese crew’s work ethic, who work so hard on each scene and set,” he said.

“We met with every person working on the project as we wanted to make sure that everyone was happy so that the project works well.”

Some scenes were shot close to the Blue Grotto and an important scene with Crowe was filmed in the Addolorata cemetery.

Boxing star father’s influence

Hookings was inspired to write, produce and also act in a film about a 19th-century boxer because of his own boxing family origins.

His father was British heavyweight champion boxer David Pearce.

After two years researching Jem Belcher, Hookings started boxing himself and building his cast.

He said the workload almost destroyed him.

“During the day, I was on actor mode, solving problems on the creative side, and, right after, I would put my producer hat on and reply back to emails and sort out other issues. I still haven’t fully recovered and it was one of the most challenging experiences of my life.”

However, he isn’t putting his gloves down just yet.

He is currently working on another big project as well as another Malta venture.

“I need to rest a bit after this but I am looking into working on a smaller project but with a 90% Maltese crew and a story based in Malta in the future,” he said.