( l - r ) Tom Cruise, Cameron Diaz - Contributed

The recent filming of the movie 'Knight and Day' starring Hollywood megastars Tom Cruise and Cameron Diaz, in Jamaica has reportedly earned the island a whopping J$135 million.

Knight and Day which was previously known as Witchita, is produced by 20th Century Fox and co-stars Paul Dano, Peter Sarsgaard, Viola Davis, Olivier Martinez, Maggie Grace and Mark Blucas and directed by James Mangold. According to a release sent to THE STAR from the Ministry of Industry, Investment & Commerce, Jamaica earned some J$135-M in investments from the just-concluded film.

Pivotal sections of the motion picture were shot at Frenchman's Cove in Portland between February 1 - 5, with a film crew of some 200 local and foreign persons. The film was also shot in Boston, Spain and Austria.

attracting high-impact film

Making the announcement at a press conference yesterday morning, Minister of Industry, Investment & Commerce Karl Samuda said the five-day production was facilitated by Jamaica Trade and Invest, formerly JAMPRO, as part of its mandate to attract high-impact film investments and affirm Jamaica's position as a premier filming destination.

Minister Samuda said he was particularly happy that 20th Century Fox had chosen Jamaica for this segment of the movie, as the investment underlines the value of this type of industry to the country. Jamaica Trade and Invest's facilitation of the film project included scouting locations, facilitating waivers and approvals, as well as VIP clearance. The film crew left the island on Saturday.

The film is tentatively scheduled for release in July of this year. According to www.loadedgunboston.com, Knight and Day follows Cruise as a secret agent who pops in and out of the life of a single woman played by Diaz. It will mark the first time Tom Cruise and Cameron Diaz have starred together on-screen since the 2001 film Vanilla Sky.