Feldkirch

Talk about Austria as shooting location for the 22nd still unnamed James Bond movie first came up in July, when CBn reported that an Eon team with producers Barbara Broccoli, Michael G. Wilson and director Marc Forster had visited the Floating Stage at the Festival site in Bregenz. Vorarlberg Online and various Austrian and Swiss media report today that both Bregenz Festival speaker Axel Renner and local production manager Leonard Gmuer of Unicorn Films have confirmed that both the Floating Stage in Bregenz for a major scene and the previously rumoured nearby small town of Feldkirch for a minor scene have been chosen. However, both say that still no contracts have been signed, but that this would be only a matter of a few minor details and a few days.

Floating Stage with ‘Tosca’ Set (Image copyright Bregenz Festival, Karl Forster)

As previously reported, a casting of extras will take place. Now the details for this have been announced: 1,200 to 1,500 extras for the Bregenz shooting and 25 to 30 extras for the Feldkirch shooting are wanted, the casting will take place at the Kornmarkttheater in Bregenz on January 18th, 19th and 20th, each day from 9.00 AM to 5.00 PM. They are looking for a "mixed audience, from 18 to 70", dress code from "well dressed" to "tres chic" (dressed for a theatre visit), as the extras will have to impersonate a real Festival audience. A bit of stamina and patience is required, as shooting will take place on several nights in the timespan from 28th April to 10th May 2008. Also wanted are athletic types who could act as security people, and the producers are also looking for cars, so people can bring pictures of their cars to the casting. Applicants will have to fill in a questionnaire and a picture of them will be taken and then, everything left to do is waiting and hoping. "People are people" says Leonard Gmuer, "Not only local residents but also people from nearby Germany and Switzerland are invited to take part."

Gmuer can’t promise that people will actually be able to catch a glimpse of Daniel Craig, as he will be protected and it has to be secured that he’ll be able to work concentrated. But he will certainly be shooting scenes on location. As it is common use, he’s not allowed to tell any details, but he revealed that Bregenz will be Bregenz in the movie and not double for any other place. Welcome (back) to Austria, Mr. Bond.