Tyler Gallant To Star In Caravaggio Art Heist Drama ‘Nativity’

EXCLUSIVE: Tyler Gallant (Maserati: The Brothers) has signed to star in crime thriller Nativity, taking its cue from the real-life, unsolved theft of a Caravaggio masterpiece.

The picture is being directed by Maltese director and producer Joshua Cassar Gaspar, who is also producing under the banner of his Jericho Dominion and Valletta Pictures, his joint company with
Alon Michael Hattingh.

The storyline takes its cue from the intrigue surrounding the theft of Italian painter Caravaggio’s 1609 masterpiece ‘Nativity with Saint Francis and Saint Lawrence’ from a church in Palermo in 1969.

Gallant will star as Francis Battista, a washed-up boxer turned low-level criminal desperate to regain custody of his daughter.

When Caravaggio’s long-lost masterpiece resurfaces in the criminal underworld, he accepts one final job in the hope of rebuilding his life.

He soon finds himself drawn into a dangerous world of organized crime, deception and an international investigation that forces him to confront the choices that destroyed his family.

“Bringing Nativity to the screen has been an incredibly meaningful journey, and I am thrilled to have Tyler leading the film,” said Gaspar, who also wrote the screenplay.

“Tyler has the ability to bring compelling depth to Francis Battista, capturing the complexities of a man struggling with his past while fighting for a second chance. I am excited to explore this character and his world together.”

Nativity marks Gaspar’s second feature and the second chapter in a planned trilogy of standalone crime thrillers inspired by Caravaggio’s paintings. His directorial debut, The Theft of the Caravaggio, premiered in competition at the Mediterrane Film Festival in 2025.

His work spans feature filmmaking, commercial directing and international productions, includingcollaborations with Formula One champion Kimi Räikkönen and football star Lionel Messi.

The film is produced by Cassar Gaspar, Hattingh and Aaron Barnett, with support from Arts Council Malta.

Cinematographer Daniel Cawthorne and composer Elton Zarb, who worked on The Theft of the Caravaggio, are also reuniting with Cassar Gaspar on the new film.