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MI6 rounds up the latest rumours circling the 22nd
James Bond film, including new locations in Italy
and the Aston Martin DBS...
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Bond 22 Pre-Production Diary (7)
19th August 2007
For Your Eyes Only - The following report contains rumours surrounding
the 22nd James Bond film from various sources around the globe.
MI6 rounds up the latest whispers...
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Italy Impresses Scouts
The production team have been scouting
further locations to shoot in Italy following their filming
of the Palio di Siena horse race which will feature as
the background to a thrilling sequence which will see Bond
chasing the villain through tunnels, alleys and on rooftops
in the village.
According to Italian sources, principal
photography is being organised for Basilicata,
a region in southern Italy. Locations selected include
the town of Craco (Matera) which features an impressive
road to Maratea Superiore, the San Biagio di Maratea and
the Statua del Redentore (Christ Statue).
The road climbs
Monte San Biagio in a series of hairpin curves and several
of the tight switchbacks are supported by concrete stilts.
Matera was recently used by Mel Gibson for his
2004 epic "The Passion of the Christ". |
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Above: Daniel Craig observing the
filming in Siena that took place on Thursday 16th August.
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Left: The road
to Maratea Superiore, the Basilica of San Biagio
Right: The Statua del Redentore (Christ Statue)
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The production
team has also scoped out the the top of the dam at Montecotugno
di Senise. An announcement of the locations is expected at
the Lucania Film Festival.
Bond 22 is shaping up to be a European adventure, as MI6 reported
last
month
that
location
shooting
could also
take in an impressive
Opera set in Austria and
a ski sequence.
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Angelina
Rumours Reheated
When MGM officials reportedly
visited Matera in Italy to conclude
filming agreements this week, local news outlets touted
that Angelina Jolie was in the frame
again. This is despite the actress shooting "Wanted" in
Chicago, and having a full 2008 slate. Put this down as
wild speculation on the part of the
Italian
press.
Last year, Eon Productions
casting director Debbie McWilliams admitted that Angelina
Jolie was a top candidate for a Bond Girl role
(presumably
Vesper Lynd) in Casino
Royale. Jolie reportedly
turned down the role due to
her pregnancy. |
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Aston Martin DBS
When Ford announced they had sold Aston Martin, the company did
not release many details of the deal. Many industry watchers
assumed Ford had sold off 100% of its interests, but this is
not the
case. It transpires that Ford did receive a cool $931 million
as part of the deal, but also kept a $77 million stake
(or 15% share) in Aston Martin. Ford will still have the exclusive
rights for vehicle product placement in the 22nd film due to
their $100m three-picture deal which began with "Die
Another Day" in 2002.
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Above: The new production
Aston Martin DBS
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Earlier in the year, Jaguar
was tipped as the likely replacement that
Q-branch would equip 007 with in Bond 22. Now that Ford is
considering selling 100% of Jaguar, the story has another
twist... Readers following the filming
in Siena will have noticed
the Italian press mention Bond's Aston Martin featuring in a
planned chase sequence - although this could have been a
hangover from an early script draft. But a worker at the Aston
Martin plant building the new production DBS tipped MI6 that
Daniel
Craig visited the site
recently and
added
that the car will return in Bond 22, with some 'traditional'
gadgets this time around.
In Brief...
Bond co-producer Michael G. Wilson
was spotted on a London to Los Angeles Virgin Atlantic flight
on
Monday reading
a copy of Ian Fleming's seventh 007 novel - Goldfinger.
Briefing
Produced by Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli (Eon
Productions), QUANTUM OF SOLACE was released in the
UK on October 31st 2008 and is directed by
Marc Forster. Principal photography started on January
3rd
2008 at
Pinewood Studios and around the UK, and foreign locations
including Italy, Panama, Chile, Peru and Austria.
Paul Haggis completed the script based on a first draft
screenplay developed by regular scribes Neal Purvis & Robert
Wade, with later polish by Joshua Zetumer. The story
is a direct continuation of the events of Casino
Royale. 007 faces off against
villains Mathieu Amalric (Dominic Greene), Anatole
Taubman (Elvis) and Joaquin Cosío (General Medrano).
Olga Kurylenko (Camille) and Gemma Arterton (MI6 Agent
Fields) play the Bond Girls. Dame Judi Dench (M), Jeffrey
Wright (Felix Leiter) and Giancarlo Giannini (Mathis)
reprise their roles as Bond's allies. It is British
actor Daniel Craig’s second outing as James Bond,
following his debut film Casino Royale released November
16th 2006.
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