The government spent more than €17,000 on three dinosaur statues to promote a movie shot in Malta.  

The three full-scale Velociraptors were temporarily installed in Valletta, Vittoriosa, and Mellieħa over the summer to promote the release of the latest Jurrasic World: Dominion film which was partially shot in Malta in 2020. 

The cost of the displays, €17,100, was revealed in parliament by Tourism Minister Clayton Bartolo in reply to a parliamentary question by Nationalist MP Julie Zahra. 

The dinosaur replicas spent a few weeks in Valletta’s St George’s Square, near the Freedom monument in Vittoriosa and just outside the Mellieħa police station, all three sites featured in the blockbuster which premiered in Malta.  

Replying to a separate PQ, Bartolo said the premier cost some €9,100. 

Tourism Minister Clayton Bartolo and Film Commissioner Johann Grech together with an entourage at the local premier of the film.

In the movie, Malta features as a hub for the dinosaur black market, where they are imported and exported, leading to chaotic chase scenes on the streets of the capital city. 

Replying to the PQ on Tuesday, Bartolo said the replicas served as an attraction to tourists visiting the capital, saying they had received international publicity.

Bartolo said that the decision was part of an important publicity campaign at the height of the film's success, with the film being the first blockbuster to specifically mention Malta as part of its storyline.

Photo: Chris Sant Fournier.

While many major films have been shot in Malta, the country normally features as a stand-in for other locations.  

Bartolo added that the dinosaurs’ success was reflected in the large number of photos uploaded on social media by passers-by.

When the statues were first announced, the government had said they were part of a strategy to promote "screen tourism".