How much did Croatia’s hit new film with John Malkovich cost?

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Croatia’s latest international tourism campaign film, titled “Croatia – I Hear It’s Beautiful”, featuring acclaimed actor John Malkovich, has generated significant global interest, reaching more than 730,000 views on YouTube within just over three days.

The short film, developed by the Croatian National Tourist Board, has been widely shared online and has received a largely positive response from viewers, with many praising its production quality, humour, and emotional tone, as well as its portrayal of Croatia.

Strong Online Reaction and Positive Viewer Feedback

According to early reactions, audiences have described the film as one of the strongest tourism promotional pieces Croatia has produced to date. Online comments have highlighted the cinematic style of the campaign, the storytelling approach, and the performance of Malkovich.

The film was creatively directed by award-winning television and sports producer of Croatian heritage, Pete Radovich. 

Commenting on speculation surrounding the production costs, Tourism and Sports Minister Tonči Glavina addressed the figures circulating in the public domain on HRT’s morning radio show ‘A sada Vlada’.

He stated that the reported figure of around €600,000 refers to the entire project cost.

“A production company from Croatia handled the production, and that price includes all major costs – from the director and supporting actors to everything related to filming the film,” he said.

Glavina added that comparable international promotional productions of this scale typically range between €1 million and €1.5 million or more, suggesting the project was delivered at a competitive cost.

“We did very well because standard prices for a project of this level, considering the people who participated and the way it was done, range from one million to one and a half million euros and up.”

He also emphasised that the focus should be on the impact of the film rather than speculation over its budget, highlighting Croatia’s need to compete with larger tourism markets.

“Not a Commercial, but a Short Film”

Glavina underlined that the project differs from traditional tourism advertising, describing it as a short cinematic film rather than a standard promotional spot.

He explained that the aim was to create a stronger emotional and narrative connection between Croatia and individuals with Croatian heritage.

The involvement of Malkovich, whose family roots are linked to Croatia, was part of a wider effort to emphasise authentic connections, alongside contributions from industry professionals with Croatian backgrounds.

The Croatian Tourism Board believes the film will help increase visibility in key international markets. According to officials, particular focus is placed on the United States, as well as North and South America and regions across Asia and Southeast Asia.

The campaign is expected to support Croatia’s broader strategy of strengthening its global tourism profile in highly competitive international markets.

You can see the short film below.