SPECTRE (2015) - UK Oct 23rd , US Nov 6th

While I'd be happy with that, it may not be the case. Goldeneye had us in Russia and Monte Carlo before moving to the Caribbean.

I'm sure they'll pick locations that work. But the first thing I thought of when reading Rome and a high-altitude mountain village cut off from the outside world (that may or may not be in Norway) is a conspiracy-style Bond film. Hopefully it will draw on things like the Isdal Woman, the Jack Drummond case, and/or the Annecy shootings: a seemingly-innocuous mystery that is notable only for its weirdness, but which quickly escalates into conspiracy and cover-up.

Side note: Totally would have loved to have seen LS, Lazenby, Ambler and MP's reaction to Purvis and Wade rejoining for Bond 24!

bitchcraft wrote:

Gravity's Silhouette wrote:

Financial considerations kept Bond24 out of Norway? Really?

With $1 billion in Skyfall box-office receipts, the bean counters can afford to open the Bond 24 wallet and let some fresh air inside.

I know Norway is kind of expensive, but I think SONY could afford to unclench their cash register just a bit and throw a few more dollars at the production. It was a chance to go somewhere not only that Bond has never been to before, but a country that doesn't get a lot of Hollywood productions. In an ever shrinking world, it's hard to find places that haven't been used before in any film production, and that are both exotic and maintain a sense of mystery. Norway could have been that location, but now we're going to get more of what we've gotten before: Austria/Morocco/Italy. I'd actually love to see more of Morocco than the 20 minutes we got in TLD, so I won't complain about going back there.

Is Morocco a (potential) location for Bond 24?

It wasn't just Norway that was named, but Svalbard, a couple of islands off the coast with little in the way of infrastructure. If Norway is expensive, then Svalbard would be doubly so. Austria could potentially double for Norway, but it's more important that locations are chosen to fit the film, rather than trying to fit the film around locations.

And I have heard that Morocco is being scouted, but there is no word on where within the country might be of interest.

When I first heard that Norway was (or is) under consideration, my thoughts immediately ran to the Isdal Woman:

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isdal_Woman

That's the sort of thing I would love yo see in a Bond film: a baffling mystery that quickly escalates into a sinister conspiracy.

Wow! What an interesting read! I'd also love to see something like that in a Bond film.

That, or the Jack Drummond case:

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_Drummond

Or something inspired by both.

The village in the Austrian Alps sounds like the perfect location for something like it. I can imagine the set-up: the world is largely behaving itself, and Bond is bored with paperwork. A British resident of obscure importance dies in Austria, and his presence on a secret list of key individuals demands an automatic investigation upon death, even under natural causes. Given that it happened abroad, M assigns Bond to what should be a routine investigation, but once he gets there, Bond quickly gets caught up on a conspiracy of some kind.

More news regarding Morrocco as a location and Joanne Froggart doesn't confirm nor deny:

http://www.mi6-hq.com/sections/articles/bond-24-report-20140921-news-round-up?t=&s=&id=03759

Will try and find the interview with her… Microexpressions are usually the giveaway, unless it was a printed interview, and not video… Always thought she'd appear in a Bond film, though I'm not sure if she would be Bond girl material… Always pictured her as a Moneypenny.

FieldsMan wrote:

More news regarding Morrocco as a location and Joanne Froggart doesn't confirm nor deny:

http://www.mi6-hq.com/sections/articles/bond-24-report-20140921-news-round-up?t=&s=&id=03759

Will try and find the interview with her… Microexpressions are usually the giveaway, unless it was a printed interview, and not video… Always thought she'd appear in a Bond film, though I'm not sure if she would be Bond girl material… Always pictured her as a Moneypenny.

She probably would have been a better Moneypenny than the one we have now, but that's water under the bridge at this point. We're stuck with Naomi Harris, I suppose, until the end of the Craig era. She's attractive, but in a wholesome way. But yeah, she's clearly not Bond Girl material. Maybe she could play Q'ute.

Glad to see Morocco is still in play. Sounds a bit like THE LIVING DAYLIGHTS, with very similar locations.

Gravity's Silhouette wrote:

Glad to see Morocco is still in play. Sounds a bit like THE LIVING DAYLIGHTS, with very similar locations.

Is Morocco safe? There might be radical attempts to snatch Bond crew, just as neighbouring Algeria has snatched a French tourist and is threatening to kill him unless France withdraws its airstrikes.

I don't think it's safe for a western film crew to venture into Northern Africa or the Middle East.

I'm wondering if China will once again play a role? It's now one of the Top 3 box-office markets in the world (Transformers 3 made over US$300m in China, ahead of the USA) and Bond will be looking for another US$60m+ haul there.

Morocco is safer than the likes of Algeria and Libya. And I doubt EON will take filming there lightly regardless.

As for China, I doubt it will play a part. Sure, it's a big market, but all of the talk on BOND 24 has revolved around Rome, Austria or Norway, and Morocco. I can't see any of them doubling for China, and nor can I see China doubling for any of them. Filming would only take place in China if the film was set in China. Even then, you absolutely have to play ball with the Chinese government. Bond might have visited in SKYFALL, but his role was limited, and I doubt Beijing would appreciate a Western agent running around and solving all of their problems for them.

bitchcraft wrote:

Gravity's Silhouette wrote:

Glad to see Morocco is still in play. Sounds a bit like THE LIVING DAYLIGHTS, with very similar locations.

Is Morocco safe? There might be radical attempts to snatch Bond crew, just as neighbouring Algeria has snatched a French tourist and is threatening to kill him unless France withdraws its airstrikes.

I don't think it's safe for a western film crew to venture into Northern Africa or the Middle East.

I'm wondering if China will once again play a role? It's now one of the Top 3 box-office markets in the world (Transformers 3 made over US$300m in China, ahead of the USA) and Bond will be looking for another US$60m+ haul there.

Maybe, just maybe, you know, like, Bond could actually go to China this time around rather than fake it on a beautifully lit soundstage.

bitchcraft wrote:

Gravity's Silhouette wrote:

Glad to see Morocco is still in play. Sounds a bit like THE LIVING DAYLIGHTS, with very similar locations.

Is Morocco safe? There might be radical attempts to snatch Bond crew, just as neighbouring Algeria has snatched a French tourist and is threatening to kill him unless France withdraws its airstrikes.

I don't think it's safe for a western film crew to venture into Northern Africa or the Middle East.

Craig is Bond, Barbara is Elektra, and she doesn't want to be safe. There's no point in living if you can feel alive.

I'm sure he could go to China ... but the question is whether EON would want to send him there?

China is a big, lucrative market, to be sure - but like I said, you've got to keep Beijing in mind. Having seen parts of TRANSFORMERS 4, I can safely say that it could easily be subtitled "Alien Robot Dinosaur Explosions" or "Yay, China!". It's very positive about China - for one, the Chinese characters make decisions that the Americans are unwilling or unable to. In some ways, it's propaganda. It's made for Chinese audiences, but it presents a version of China that the Chinese government wants to promote. EON had similar problems with the Indians during production for SKYFALL, and it got to the point where they just gave up and went elsewhere.

TOMORROW NEVER DIES is probably more representative of how a Bond film in China might play out than SKYFALL. When Bond encounters General Chang (who is arguably a bigger villain than Elliot Carver), the film goes out of its way to depict Chang as an absolute hardliner whose views are completely removed from the rest of the government, despite the fact that Chang does not speak at all and appears on-screen for all of one shot. Any film set and/or shot in China would need to make similar concessions to Beijing. Perhaps that won't be a problem, but having that linger over production isn't ideal.

Prisoner Monkeys wrote:

EON had similar problems with the Indians during production for SKYFALL, and it got to the point where they just gave up and went elsewhere.

In terms of of the cost/benefit ratio, India wasn't worth it. This market barely brings in US$10m...it is peanuts.

China, on the other hand, has $100m potential. Marvel movies can make that easily. Even Captain America, which can be viewed as American propoganda made the magic $100m in China. Producers won't be as willing to walk away from a $100m market as they would a $10m one, which is why I can see more bending to please them.

Don't be surprised if some hot Chinese chick becomes Q's assistant.

Well, there's certainty cost-benefit problems with filming in India. But I remember the Indians were granting filming permits to railways, but not railway bridges. Then they'd talk about having Craig become a spokesperson for Indian Railways, or the Indian Railways logo being prominent on the train in the film, and all of a sudden, a permit would be granted for the bridge. Now, maybe the Indians were simply reading too much into things, but the whole thing cane across as a bit of a rort, with the tourism ministry trying to take advantage of production.

I'm not keen on the idea of writing a story to fit a particular location to try and break into a certain market. Especially when the story is going to be subject to external forces from that location from the very beginning.

But like I said, BOND 24 seems to be lining Rome, Morocco and Austria up as locations.

bitchcraft wrote:

Prisoner Monkeys wrote:

EON had similar problems with the Indians during production for SKYFALL, and it got to the point where they just gave up and went elsewhere.

In terms of of the cost/benefit ratio, India wasn't worth it. This market barely brings in US$10m...it is peanuts.

China, on the other hand, has $100m potential. Marvel movies can make that easily. Even Captain America, which can be viewed as American propoganda made the magic $100m in China. Producers won't be as willing to walk away from a $100m market as they would a $10m one, which is why I can see more bending to please them.

I heard Bourne 2016 will feature the great wall of China. Which is better than what Bond featured of China in Skyfall. Bourne will score big time.

Don't be surprised if some hot Chinese chick becomes Q's assistant.

You sure it wasn't in reference to this:
http://deadline.com/2014/09/bryan-cranston-the-great-wall-matt-damon-838751/

But yeah, it would've been nice if we could have gotten Craig actually in China...filming on location....and not on the back-lot (which, to their credit, did look very nice).

Gravity's Silhouette wrote:

You sure it wasn't in reference to this:
http://deadline.com/2014/09/bryan-cranston-the-great-wall-matt-damon-838751/

Yep, you're right, I tweaked my original post.

Construction begins in Austria for Bond 24!

http://www.mi6-hq.com/sections/articles/bond-24-report-20140925-first-set-photo-austria?t=&s=&id=03762

Interesting how it specifically mentions a plane crash...

At least it's something other than a motorcycle chase ...

Actually, the first thing I though of when I saw "plane crash" was the "Cadia Libre" mission in GRAND THEFT AUTO V (I was playing it yesterday) - you shoot down a private jet, then chase it across the map to retrieve a document from the wreck. It feels very Bondian, and is also quite original, and originality in action sequences is what I want to see more of in BOND 24.

I'd imagine it being something like that, PM. 3 days in Austria to shoot snow action and potentially a plane crash… I'm sure they bleed into each other. Exciting stuff, all the same! :)

MI6 wrote:

As MI6 exclusively revealed this past weekend, Daniel Craig traveled to Morocco on Saturday for an early location recce for Bond 24.

Local press reports now confirm that filming in Morocco is expected to last 15 days with the principal cast.

Specifically, Casablanca and Tangier will be used for shooting.

The production team previously scouted the country back in the spring.

The news comes hot on the heels of the first Bond 24 set photo from Austria.

Tangier and Austria? Oooh oohh oh oh… The Living Daylights!

Three days in Austria isn't much. Although that's three days in Obertilliach; there's no confirmation of any shooting in Sölden.

I wonder ... perhaps Bond is on some kind of assignment in Morocco when an agent is killed in a plane crash and Bond is reassigned to conclude that assignment, and either discovers a connection to his own or is pursued by someone from the Morocco investigation that he missed the first time around.