South Korea welcomed the new James Bond when Daniel Craig, Caterina Murino and Martin Campbell held a Casino Royale press conference in Seoul....

South Korea Welcomes Mr Bond
11th December 2006

On their way back from Australia, Daniel Craig, Caterina Murino and director Martin Campbell stopped by in Seoul, South Korea, to promote the new James Bond film Casino Royale.

A news conference and photocall was held at the Shilla Hotel on Sunday 10th December 2006 in Seoul ahead of the film's general release in South Korea on Thursday 21st December 2006.

Photographers and members of the press and gathered to welcome the new James Bond to their shores - the first time in many years that a 007 production has had cast and crew attend a launch event in the country.


Above: Caterina Murino and Daniel Craig pose for photographers in Seoul, South Korea

When asked what he thought of comparisons to other 007 actors, Craig saig "I think I admire all the Bonds, but my personal favorite is Sean Connery. I think what he did was fine. But when we film, it’s not my job to compare, that’s your job. I don’t make comparisons".

Craig pleasantly surprised the crowd when he cited "Old Boy’" (2003) and "Sympathy for Lady Vengeance" (2006) as his favourite South Korean films.

The publicity should help Casino Royale at the nation's box office no end, especially as last time around, "Die Another Day" sparked controversy and protests in South Korea due to the politics involved in the film's plot. Unsurprisingly, no cast and crew attended the debut "Die Another Day" screening arranged by Fox Korea back in 2002.

Despite the controversy, protests and boycotts in the country, "Die Another Day" opened in South Korea on January 3rd 2003 and scooped $2,467,660 from only 40 venues nationwide - an impressive $61,692 average per screen. The film went on to take a total of $3,409,983 in the country.

In comparison, "Mission: Impossible III" opened on over ten times as many screens (422) in South Korea earlier in 2006 and brought in an opening weekend total of $7,120,449 - an average of $16,873 per screen. Other blockbusters released in South Korea in 2006 so far include: "X-Men: The Last Stand" ($10.5m), "Superman Returns" ($10.5m), "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest" ($21.5m), "Mission: Impossible III" ($31m), and Sony's "The Da Vinci Code" ($18m).

Casino Royale is expected to take at least $10m at box-office in South Korea if Sony secures a wide release on December 21st

Related Articles
Casino Royale Coverage
Casino Royale World Premiere Report