Casino Royale To Open On 3,434 Screens In US

As previously reported on CBn, Casino Royale was set to open on 3,300+ screens in the US starting Friday, 17 November.

Box Office Mojo has since been updated with what appears to be the final number: 3,434 screens for Casino Royale.

This number places Daniel Craig’s debut as 007 slightly above the recent Pierce Brosnan Bond adventures. Die Another Day opened on 3,377 screens, The World Is Not Enough on 3,163 and Tomorrow Never Dies on 2,807.

Stay tuned to CBn for all the latest Casino Royale coverage.

Related Casino Royale Articles

Caterina Murino's 'Royale' Ascent

The Telegraph takes a look at just how Bond girl Caterina Murino, who plays Solange in Casino Royale managed to get the role.

She explains: ‘I was in Buenos Aires doing a movie and when I came back my agent said, “Congratulations, you just missed the James Bond casting.” I can’t say I was very bothered. I said to her, “Do you really imagine they are going to take someone like me? Hah! I don’t think so.”‘

Murino says that a chance meeting in Rome with a casting director who was still looking for the perfect actress gave her a chance to audition for the role.

After learning she had obtained the role in Casino Royale, Murino says ‘what worried me most of all was that I would have to ride a horse in the film. You see, only two months before, I had been thrown from a galloping horse and broken a bone in my back. Afterwards, I swore to myself that I would never go anywhere near a horse again. Not even to stroke his nose! Then I read the script and almost the first words I read were, “Solange is riding a horse along the beach.” I just thought, “Oh no, I can’t possibly do this.”‘

Thanks to some producer Barbara Broccoli, Murino met with ‘the best horse-person in London. I spent a whole month with him. Every morning I would be in tears and every night I would have nightmares about having another accident the next day. Then, after about three weeks, I found I wasn’t frightened any more, and after a month I loved horses so much that I’d run after one if I saw it in the park.’

‘We are not typical James Bond girls,’ she explains. We are proper women, you know; we have feelings and characters. And although I am very happy with this label “James Bond girl”, I hope that people will see that I am also passionate about what I do.’

Click here to read the entire article online.

Stay tuned to CBn for all the latest Casino Royale coverage.

Related Casino Royale Articles

Photographs Of Eva Green At Dutch Premiere Online

CBn previously reported that Eva Green, who plays Bond girl Vesper Lynd in Casino Royale, would be appearing at the Dutch premiere of the film, which took place on Thursday, 16 November in Amsterdam.

Pictures of Eva Green appearing at the Dutch Casino Royale premiere can be viewed online here at 007nl.com.

The premiere took place at the Tuschinski Theatre, which is located at Reguliersbreestraat 26-34.

Stay tuned to CBn for all the latest Casino Royale coverage.

Related Casino Royale Articles

BSkyB Gains 'Casino Royale' UK Television Rights.

Reuters is reporting that BSkyB has secured the first run television rights to Casino Royale and future James Bond films. “We’ve … secured a long-term agreement with MGM which brings for the first time the Bond franchise to Sky exclusively, starting in 2007 with the current Casino Royale movie,” BSkyB CEO James Murdoch told investors Wednesday.

A BSkyB spokesperson later added. “…Bond will be on Sky Movies for the first time in many years.”

Folowing the initial “Sky first-pay window” rights would fall to ITV, who also retain the library of MGM James Bond films produced before Casino Royale.

Bond Fans Go The Extra Mile For Daniel Craig And Casino Royale

With the world premiere of Casino Royale, the 21st official James Bond film, taking place in London, the BBC reports that the grand event brought it thousands of 007 fans to event.

Have you seen Casino Royale on the big screen? Be sure to add your own review here on the CBn Forums.

‘I have seen the stars and the atmosphere has been superb and we are all off to see a late showing of the film itself,’ said Bond fan Karl Auzins, from Wolverhampton. ‘It’s different to other action movies. It’s British for a start and that gives it a real flavour that stands out from the crowd. It has shown it can last. Kids what to be James Bond even when they grown up but no one wants to be Harry Potter for long.’

‘This is my sixth,’ said 007 fan Steven Morris, from Colwyn Bay in North Wales. ‘I had the privilege of attending the last Roger Moore premiere, the two Timothy Dalton’s and two of Pierce Brosnan’s. They were all very special.’

‘I had wanted Robbie Williams or Clive Owen to play the part but when I found out Daniel Craig had got it and he is from Chester, just round the corner from me, I was pleased.’

Bond fans Dan Thomas and Steve Spring traveled from Northampton to attend the Casino Royale premiere. ‘We are here for the late shows and came along to sample the atmosphere,’ said Steve. ‘It’s such a buzz when a new Bond comes out.’

‘From this film we are looking for a more serious approach. Let’s hope the makers have learnt that Bond and computer graphics don’t mix. You can push that envelope, between the amazing and the unbelievable, only so far with 007. Invisible cars is too far.’

Stay tuned to CBn for all the latest Casino Royale coverage.

Related Casino Royale Articles

Casino Royale World Premiere Brings Out The Stars

The BBC reports that the world premiere of Casino Royale, the 21st official James Bond film, has brought out the stars as well as thousands of 007 fans in hopes of meeting Daniel Craig and others at the grand event.

Craig, who arrived to the tune of the Bond theme said: ‘I’m just very excited. These sort of things happen once in a lifetime and I’m just trying to enjoy it.’ When asked how he compared Casino Royale to previous Bond films, he replied: ‘It’s not up to me to compare them. Casino Royale is still a Bond movie and there’s a love story.’

Bond girl Eva Green, who plays the mysterious Vesper Lynd, was also present at the premiere. ‘The character is not only beautiful but she’s also very sassy and funny but also vulnerable,’ she said. ‘I wouldn’t have wanted to do it if it was just a bikini-clad role. I wanted to see the script first but was then very keen to get involved.’

Dame Judi Dench, who returned as ‘M,’ said: ‘I had nothing to teach Daniel, he is a superb actor. I would like to keep playing M as long as they keep asking me and as long as I can remain standing for enough time to get the take.’

Former Bond girl Michelle Yeoh, former Bond theme song veteran Dame Shirley Bassey, Paris Hilton, Sir Elton John, and the Sugababes were among the celebrities who were present at the world premiere.

Stay tuned to CBn for all the latest Casino Royale coverage.

Related Casino Royale Articles

Daniel Craig: The Reluctant James Bond

Daniel Craig has spoken to the BBC News about just how important a decision it was on whether or not to become James Bond #6.

‘I don’t think I would have taken the role if it had been a continuation of Bond as we knew him, it just wouldn’t have interested me,’ says Craig.

As Bond fans and Craig now know however, Casino Royale takes the path less traveled in the history of the cinematic 007. ‘There have been a lot of incarnations of Bond, and the role has changed a lot. As far as I was concerned, the script I got was an actor’s piece, so I was absolutely into doing it.’

‘It was important for me to discover who this guy was. By starting at the beginning, as we do with Casino Royale–we were able to do that. I just wanted to make sure that we were seeing a character go through some change within the movie. I started doing it, and nobody said stop–so I just carried on.’

The overall acceptance of Craig as the new James Bond has been a wild ride from the word go, with complaints over blond hair and lifejackets early on, to the latest reviews labeling Craig as the best Bond since Sean Connery. Craig says: ‘I wasn’t looking for vindication. I’m just very happy with the response.’

‘You have to try not to take any of the negativity that comes your way and twist that in on yourself. I wouldn’t have made a commitment to this film unless I thought I could enjoy it–you need that energy level to get through a movie like this.’

Craig chose ‘the opening sequence in Madagascar,’ which features a chase between Bond and Sebastien Foucan’s Mollaka, as Casino Royale‘s most difficult set piece. ‘Running up the side of a building is emotionally daunting, but it’s physically hard work too. At the same time, it’s exhilarating too.’

And what about the future for Craig? ‘Nothing has changed. I’m reading scripts, I’m trying to find other stuff I want to do–as I’ve always done. I’m very excited about the idea of going on and doing another [Bond] movie. That was always the aim, to set something up so that we could continue the series.’

Stay tuned to CBn for all the latest Casino Royale coverage.

Related Casino Royale Articles

Casino Royale World Premiere To Be Webcast Live On MTV

The world premiere of Casino Royale, the 21st official James Bond 007 film, which takes place tomorrow, 14 November, will be streamed live across several MTV regional websites. The full report:

Casino Royale World Premiere to Be Webcast Live From London on MTV Regional Websites Around the World

The World Premiere of Casino Royale, the 21st James Bond adventure, will be streamed live across MTV regional websites in Europe, Latin America, Brazil, and Asia tomorrow, Tuesday, November 14th. Entertainment fans everywhere looking for their first glimpse of Daniel Craig as he takes on the role of “007” can point their browsers to their local MTV sites to witness the premiere live from London, which will take place at 5:30pm GMT. Following the premiere, fans in North America can see highlights of the premiere at movies.mtv.com.

Casino Royale will take over Leicester Square as three of London’s flagship cinemas — the Odeon Leicester Square, the Empire, and the Odeon West End — will host the premiere of the film and the 60th Royal Film Performance. The stars and filmmakers will gather on the red carpet in the presence of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh as they celebrate the film’s release in theaters everywhere on November 17th. Attending the premiere will be Daniel Craig, who makes his debut as 007 in Casino Royale, and stars Eva Green, Mads Mikkelsen, Caterina Murino, and Dame Judi Dench, as well as director Martin Campbell and producers Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli.

Daniel Craig stars as “007” James Bond, the smoothest, most lethal agent on Her Majesty’s Secret Service in Casino Royale. Based on the first Bond book written by Ian Fleming, the story recounts the making of the world’s greatest secret agent. Martin Campbell is directing the 21st adventure in the 44-year-old franchise, from a screenplay by Neal Purvis & Robert Wade and Paul Haggis.

James Bond’s first “007” mission leads him to Le Chiffre (Mads Mikkelsen), banker to the world’s terrorists. In order to stop him, and bring down the terrorist network, Bond must beat Le Chiffre in a high-stakes poker game at Casino Royale. Bond is initially annoyed when a beautiful British Treasury official, Vesper Lynd (Eva Green) is assigned to deliver his stake for the game and watch over the government’s money. But, as Bond and Vesper survive a series of lethal attacks by Le Chiffre and his henchmen, a mutual attraction develops leading them both into further danger and events that will shape Bond’s life forever.

Press Release

Stay tuned to CBn for all the latest Casino Royale coverage.

Related Casino Royale Articles

London Prepares for Casino Royale World Premiere

This afternoon I did a little reconnaissance run of Leicester Square, ready for tomorrow’s world premiere of the 21st James Bond film, Casino Royale. The CTBF, the organisers of the event, have taken over all three cinema’s in the square; The Odeon Leicester Square, The Odeon West End and The Empire.

Checking out the progress they were making, I saw large posters were being put in place above the cinema’s. A large poster of Daniel Craig in four different poses, graces the Odeon Leicester Square with neon lights over the Casino Royale logo with the 007 gun logo.

The Leicester Square gardens are also shut to the public now while they erect what appears to be two large stages. One with a Casino Royale logo backdrop that I assume the cast and crew will climb before the film shows.

Tomorrow is set to be the most exciting day for Bond fans – finally, after four years we get to see what is in my opinion, one of the best Bond films ever.

You can read my CBn review of the Casino Royale here.

You can discuss this in the CBn forums in this thread.

Details On Sir Richard Branson's Casino Royale Cameo

CBn previously revealed back in July that Sir Richard Branson would be making a cameo appearance in the newest James Bond film, Casino Royale.

Branson, who provided a plane to the Bond production crew, asked director Martin Campbell if he could make a small appearance in the film. He can be seen along with his son going through airport security during the Miami sequence.

Producer Barbara Broccoli said: ‘He was very supportive of us and he helped us out when we needed a plane in Prague.’He said, ‘Can I just do a little cameo’ and Martin said, ‘Come to the airport and we’ll stick you in the little security thing and you can set the bells off.’ ‘He had a lot of fun and he was a trooper and it was a long night. He and his son were in the scene and they were great.’

Stay tuned to CBn for all the latest Casino Royale and James Bond news.

Related Casino Royale Articles