On 30 January, filming began in the Czech Republic on Casino Royale, starring British actor Daniel Craig in his first appearance as the legendary agent, James Bond.
Due for release in November 2006, the MGM/Columbia Pictures adventure thriller is a co-production of the United Kingdom, Czech Republic, USA and Germany. It reunites producers, Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli with Martin Campbell, who directed the 1995 Bond blockbuster GoldenEye, and stars Daniel Craig (Munich, Layer Cake) and Dame Judi Dench (Mrs Henderson Presents, Shakespeare In Love, Mrs Brown).
“We are very honoured that the Czech film community is able to welcome Michael and Barbara and help with their production of Casino Royale. We hope that they feel well supported here and that the film is able to achieve the best possible production value,” said Matthew Stillman, Stillking Films Co-Producer and Managing Director, who with David Minkowski, Stillking Film’s Co-Producer and Head of Film Production, act as the Czech co-producers.
Pre-production in the Czech Republic has continued for over a year and involved numerous location scouts throughout the country and construction of sets on stages at Barrandov and Modrany. The decision to bring the production to the Czech Republic rested largely on stunning locations in Karlovy Vary and Prague as well as the quality of the stages and services available at Barrandov and Modrany.
Wilson and Broccoli said “We are delighted to be filming in the Czech Republic which has a long history of great international film making. There is a wealth of beautiful location opportunities here and we have been impressed by the extremely talented local technicians who are working along side our British crew.”
“Although the majority of the shoot will take place at Barrandov and Modrany studios, we’ll also be filming in Prague´s historical centre as well as Karlovy Vary, Planá u Mariánských Lázní, Loket, and elsewhere,” said Minkowski, Stillking.
“This presents a fantastic promotional opportunity for the capital as well as the rest of the country. It is a common fact that the film industry heavily influences the tourism after the release of movies such as James Bond,” said Matthew Stillman.
In addition to the Czech Republic, other filming locations will include the Bahamas, Italy and the UK. Casino Royale has employed over 350 crew members, more than half of which are of Czech nationality. I am pleased to say that many of the Czech crew work throughout the whole movie – not only in the Czech Republic but also in the Bahamas and Italy,” adds David Minkowski.
For further information, please contact: Misha Olexova, E: misha@stillking.com, T: +420 267 073 741, www.stillking.com