Word has it security on the set was extremely tight, and film locations were kept secret, although a Malta Maritime Authority statement saying Comino's Blue Lagoon would be cut off to boats and bathers inadvertently tipped off the media. The paper also reported that private security guards kept tourists away from the lagoon and that photographers were forbidden to carry their equipment close to the scene. The airspace over the filming sites and Madonna's villa was also restricted.
After spending three weeks shooting in Malta, Madonna chartered a special Air Malta flight, KM1958, to Olbi in Sardinia for the next stage of filming. The flight number was reported to have been especially chosen to mark Madonna's birth date. I suppose that perk comes from being at the top of UK's pay list.
Third time's the charm
Although LSD&M is Madonna and Ritchie's first feature film, it is not the first time the couple have worked together since their elaborate wedding at Skibo Castle last year.
Ritchie directed Madonna in the six-minute streaming film Star, the last in a series of short films commissioned by German automaker BMW. The series, called The Hire, is about a professional driver who specializes in high-risk trips, with each episode turning into a car-chase scene. In Star, Madonna was appropriately cast as a pretentious rock star on a wild ride.
Ritchie also directed Madonna in the video for "What It Feels Like for a Girl," from her album Music.
It has been widely reported that Madonna asked Ritchie to reshoot parts of LSD&M because she thought she looked old and frumpy in the initial footage. Ritchie reportedly agreed to film the scenes over again with a new filter lens and flattering light. Maybe that will help Ritchie deliver the role of a lifetime that Madonna has been so desperately seeking all these years.