The new James Bond is already in Prague

The first shot of the 21st film of the Bond-series, Casino Royale, was taken yesterday (29 Jan 2006) in Prague in Modrany studios. Director Martin Cambell (Goldeneye, two Zorro movies) is filming according to Ian Fleming's original James Bond story.

As Michaela Olexova, from the co-producer of the movie Stillking Films, confirmed for Pravo, already the first day of the filming brought the new performer of James Bond - the 38-year old British actor Daniel Craig - to Prague.

For how long he will stay at the suntrap of the Bond popularity is impossible to guess until the success of Casino Royale. "In the Czech Republic there will be filming for approximately for two weeks. In the middle of February, Bond moves to the Bahamas and he will come back in spring again," told Olexova.

In the next months it will be filmed in Italy, Britain, in the Czech Republic (apart from the studios Barrandov and Modrany) as well as other locations in the centre of Prague, including the hospital in Plana u Marianskych Lazni, Karlovy Vary or the castle Loket. It is allegedly not decided yet, who from the Czech actors will take part in the filming. It is only known, that the Czech filmmakers will constitute approximately the half of the staff, Czech stunt man will take part and there will be also a many-thousand Czech crowd.

The filming will last for a half year, the world premiere will be in November, the Czech one in January 2007. Daniel Craig got the role in the series from Pierce Brosnan, who entered the Bond-series in GoldenEye. The Bond girl will be Thandie Newton (?). Fully confirmed is also Judi Dench in the role of M.

Vera Miskova, Pravo

"First of all, it's a franchise that doesn't need reinventing, because the last one [Die Another Day] took in a huge amount of money," Campbell said in an interview while promoting the Jan. 31 DVD release of his most recent movie, The Legend of Zorro. "But I think what makes this interesting is that it's going back to the original book. That's what makes it exciting. Having a new Bond? I think Daniel is not only a terrific actor, but it's kind of a tougher, more gritty Bond this time, hopefully without losing all the things that make Bond really work. And it's a much more ... What's the word?... It's got its feet on the ground much more in term of its action and in terms of its story."

"Judi Dench is far too great an actress not to have, to be honest," Campbell said. "She must be England's best actress, I think. We don't have a Q [or gadget master] in this film. That doesn't happen. We have [CIA agent] Felix Leiter in the movie. So it's a remastering of the series, basically. It is, as I've said, the original story. That I am excited about."