The Viper's Pit is the first feature film financed by the National Book Council of Malta, which supported the production company Shadeena Entertainment Ltd through its recently established Film Adaptation Fund, that aims to promote Maltese literature through a maximum financial allocation of 200,000 EUR for screen adaptations.
The shoot took place in August 2020, after being postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The film, based on a novel by Alex Vella Gera, which was adapted by Teodor Reljic, tells the story of a thwarted and fictional assassination attempt on former Maltese Prime Minister and Leader of the Labour Party, Dom Mintoff, who headed the Government from 1955 to 1958 and from 1971 to 1984.
The main characters are played by Gianni Selvaggi, Joseph Zammit, Chris Galea and Erica Muscat.