Trivia - GoldenEye

A number of scenes from the original screenplay failed to make it to the finished film:

• During his attack on the Arkangel Chemical Weapons Facility, Bond would have seen off two guards while they played chess. This, and other cut scenes can be seen on the Ultimate Edition DVD.
• M's first meeting with Bond originally ended with the line "...whose boyish charms I might actually have succumbed to ten years ago," implying that there may have been a relationship of some sort in the past. The dialogue was wisely changed to the less ambiguous "...whose boyish charms, although wasted on me..."
• There was more of Jack Wade's gardening obsession, which only survives obliquely in the finished film.
• When Bond and Wade arrived at Zukovsky's, they were originally to have passed a sort of car boot sale where all the goods on offer were illegal weaponry. Inside, Zukovsky would have first been seen dismissing one of the traders who is trying to sell him counterfeit goods.

The Bond film to follow "Licence to Kill" (1989) [which eventually became "GoldenEye" (1995)] was supposed to be released in 1991 or 1992, but legal squabbles over the ownership of James Bond, disappointing box office results on "Licence to Kill" (1989), and the death of longtime screenwriter Richard Maibaum, delayed the start of production for several years. Although he was contracted to play Bond a third time, after several years elapsed with no new film, Timothy Dalton announced he didn't want to play the role again. This opened the door for Pierce Brosnan.

During years that the Bond film that eventually became "GoldenEye" was in a legal quagmire, it went through several title and concept changes. Initially, Michael G. Wilson and Alphonse Ruggerio wrote a script treatment under the title "Property of a Lady" which would have seen the Bond film series briefly return to using Ian Fleming titles. According to what little evidence is available about this script, the film would have taken place in Hong Kong.

"GoldenEye" was Pierce Brosnan's first appearance as James Bond. He was offered the role when the production was planning "The Living Daylights" (1987), but was unable to accept it due to his contractual obligations to "Remington Steele" (1982).

Before Pierce Brosnan was cast as James Bond, Liam Neeson, Mel Gibson, Sam Neill, Hugh Grant and Lambert Wilson were all rumoured to be in the running for the role.

Actresses considered as Bond girls were Elizabeth Hurley and Elle Macpherson. Paulina Porizkova was offered the role as Bond's leading lady, but turned it down.

The 006 character, Alec Trevelyan (Sean Bean) was originally written as a much older character and a mentor to Bond. The producers tried to get Anthony Hopkins to play the role, but when he refused they rewrote it to be a younger age.

This is the first time that MI6 Chief of Staff Bill Tanner appears in a James Bond film since "For Your Eyes Only" (1981).

"GoldenEye" is the first James Bond film to not be directed by a British director: Martin Campbell was born in New Zealand (still a member of the Commonwealth). Since 1995, Bond has been directed by two further interational directors, Lee Tamahori (New Zealand) and Marc Forster (Switzerland).

Several changes had to be made to the script prior to production because the plot was virtually identical to "True Lies" (1994) which was released the year before.

This was the Bond film in many years not to have its title sequence designed by Maurice Binder, who died after "Licence to Kill" (1989) was released. "GoldenEye" is digital artist and music video director Daniel Kleinman's first James Bond title sequence.

The satellite dish used in the end of the film is the same one used in the film "Contact" (1997). The massive dish is the Arecibo radio telescope in Puerto Rico.

Near the end of the film a computer displays "Pevsner Commerzbank GmBH", a reference to executive producer Tom Pevsner.

Pierce Brosnan was officially introduced to the press as the new James Bond on 8 June 1994 at the Regent Hotel in London. He was sporting a full beard as he was about to start production on "Robinson Crusoe" (1997) the next day.

This film marks the first time the Aston Martin DB5 has been in a James Bond film since "Thunderball" (1965). The DB5 would reprise its starring role again in "Casino Royale" (2006). The latter two films are both directed by Campbell.

Robbie Coltrane's scenes were shot on the first day of production, 16 January 1995.

British rock'n'roll band, The Rolling Stones were offered the chance to sing the title song, but declined.

"Goldeneye" is the nickname of Bond creator, Ian Fleming's beachfront house in Jamaica where (between 1952 and 1964) he wrote the Bond novels and short stories.

Long-standing visual effects supervisor Derek Meddings died of natural causes during the production of the film, hence the dedication of the film to him.

"GoldenEye" is the first, completely original James Bond film, without reference to any Ian Fleming novel or short story.

Second and last Bond film to be turned into a novel by then-current James Bond writer, John Gardner.

In the script, M's real name is Barbara Mawdsley.

In the opening car chase between Bond's Aston Martin and Onatopp's Ferrari, Famke Janssen performed her own driving stunts. She confirmed this in an interview with Jay Leno in 1995.

The song sung by Zukovsky's girlfriend Irina (Minnie Driver) in the nightclub was "Stand By Your Man" by Tammy Wynette.

This is the first James Bond film in which Albert Broccoli does not have a credited role in the production.

The scene where Xenia kills the old man qualifies as the first actual sex scene shown in an official Bond film. (There is a love scene between Sean Connery and Barbara Carrera in Never Say Never Again (1983), but that isn't an official Bond).

One of the sounds/noises during the attack on the "GoldenEye" control station by weapon itself, seems to be exactly the same humming noise the CRM-114 makes, when it receives a message in the movie "Dr. Strangelove".

Joe Don Baker, who plays Jack Wade, James Bond's CIA counterpart in "GoldenEye" is the first actor to have played both a villain and then an ally (Charles Gray did it the other way around). He had previously played, Brad Whitaker in "The Living Daylights" (1987). He would go on to reprise the role of Wade in "Tomorrow Never Dies" (1997).

As the Bond series traditional home at Pinewood Studios was unavailable, the producers created a new studio from a former Rolls-Royce aircraft engine factory. This studio, at Leavesden in Hertfordshire, was subsequently used for "Sleepy Hollow" (1999) and "Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace" (1999).

"GoldenEye" was the first Bond film (and indeed any film released by MGM/UA) to be produced in Dolby Digital.

Although it is alleged that Pierce Brosnan's contract to play James Bond specifically prohibited him from appearing in other movies wearing a tuxedo, he nevertheless appears in a tuxedo in "The Mirror Has Two Faces", which followed Brosnan's first James Bond appearance in "GoldenEye" by more than a year.

The black-haired Tiger helicopter pilot Onatopp shoots before she steals it, is the same man who performed the bungee stunt in the opening sequence: Wayne Michaels.

The pen grenade given to 007 by Q in this movie is actually a stainless steel Parker Jotter.

Michael G. Wilson, the film's co-producer appears as a member of the Russian Security Council.

For the first time, computer graphics were used to create the famous "gun barrel" opening.

The new arrangement of the Bond theme used in the opening was disliked by many fans and was replaced by a more traditional version in future films.

Swedish pop group Ace Of Base was originally slated to perform the title theme song. Ace Of Base recorded the song, written by the band's own Jonas Berggren, but was pulled out of the project by their then record label. Ace Of Base later re-wrote the lyrics to the song, renaming it "The Juvenile", and put it on their album, "Da Capo", released in Europe in late 2002. The song was even released as a single off of that album in Germany in December, 2002.

Features the highest bungee jump from a structure in a movie. The drop was over 722 ft.

The first of the James Bond films ever to be released on DVD.

Goldeneye was actually the code name of a contingency plan that the Allies devised in the event of a Nazi invasion of Spain. This plan was concocted in part by Ian Fleming himself, as an SIS agent.

The plane that Wade delivers to Bond (borrowed from a friend in the DEA) is a reference to "Licence to Kill" (1989). Franz Sanchez attempts to escape in a plane of the same make, model, and series (but with a different registration) before his capture by the DEA.

Composer John Altman provided the music for the tank chase, after it was decided that Eric Serra's initial arrangement was not to be used. It appears on the soundtrack CD as "Pleasant Drive in St. Petersburg".

The theme song for the film, "GoldenEye" was written by Bono and The Edge of U2 and performed by Tina Turner. Bono's inspiration for writing the song came when he spent his honeymoon with his wife in Ian Fleming's Jamaican beach house named Goldeneye.

The 6-year, 4-month gap between this film and "Licence to Kill" (1989) is the longest between any of the Bond movies.

The song "The Experience of Love", which appears during the end credits is actually a sped-up version with lyrics of a select sequence from Eric Serra's score from his previous film, Léon (1994)

In the original script, Admiral Farrell was to be an American. According to David L. Robb's book "Operation Hollywood" this was changed at the request of the US Pentagon.

At the time the script was being written the producers were under the assumption that Timothy Dalton would be renewing the role of Bond. It was written to match Dalton's darker, more realistic portrayal of 007.

In real life, Severnya is actually an island.

"GoldenEye" is the most successful Bond film since "Moonraker" (1979).