BILBAO, SPAIN
The pre-title
sequence is roughly divided into two halves, and will take place in two
different cities.
The
film opens in Bilbao (originally intended to be Geneva, Switzerland) where
Bond has to escape a tricky office situation by jumping out of the window
of the multi-storey building, using the curtains as support. The Bilbao
footage was one of the first scenes shot by the first unit, back in mid-Febuary
so, as they say, it's in the can.
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The
bank in Bilbao that Bond bids a hasty retreat from in the early part of
the sequence. Carrying a metal briefcase, he jumps out of the top floor
window on to the street below.
For
a more indepth look at filming in Bilbao, check out the Bilbao
Location Section. |
..LONDON,
ENGLAND
The action
really gets underway when the film cuts to London, England. (My guess is
that we'll be shown footage of a big red London Bus just to drive the point
home.) Skipping details, Bond is forced to pursue a deadly female assassin
down the River Thames in one of Q's high-concept speedboats, with gunfire
going off all round. Scroll down for exciting pictures of the "Q Boat"!
.
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Tower
Bridge on the River Thames (left), which is expected to feature prominently,
as is the MI6 Building at Vauxhall (right), where Bond launches the Q boat
on to the River. The launch ramp is in the space just to the left of the
building.
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|
The
scenes will take days to shoot, and one of my London spies reported the
following:
..
Filming
for the new James Bond film "The World Is Not Enough" will take place next
week right under our noses here at Kings Reach Tower in Central London.
The chase scene involving a Sunseeker Hawk 34 is to be filmed on the stretch
of river that we overlook from our 22nd floor.
Shooting
- if you'll forgive the pun - takes place between Vauxhall and Tower Bridge,
over 22-30 March, with additional filming between 7-9 April at Kings Reach
and Tower Bridge, and 17-18 May at Blackwall Point. Kings Reach features
prominently, especially between 24- 26 March. We should have a grandstand
view of the chase scene, involving a sleek powerboat capable of 60mph -
so don't call the police if you hear machine gun fire on the Thames. The
Port of London press release says "Scenes to be filmed involve a number
of fast craft with cast embarked," so although we are guessing a bit, because
the exact shooting script is always a closely guarded secret, you can draw
your own conclusions. Harbour launches will be in attendance and the river
will be closed from time to time.
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..
Filming
the Thames chase sequence culminated on 30th March with scenes of the "Q
Boat" being launched from a ramp just beside the MI6 Building in Vauxhall,
London. The filming, which was overseen by 2nd Unit director Vic
Armstrong who was on the camera boat, took place between 10am and 4pm.
Spy David Williams infiltrated
the site and aided by his Hi8 Video Camera was able to obtain some remarkable
shots of the "Q Boat", shown below. Many thanks to David for supplying
these pictures.
A
close-up of the boat, and you can see the camera clearly, housed in a waterproof
bag. The Brosnan stand-in bears a striking resemblance to Bond, although
Douglas James was not used for this stunt. |
..
The boat
again, this time you can get a good idea of the small size of the amazing
craft (which can operate in only three inches of water!) |
The
Q Boat roars into action cutting through the water at speeds of up to 60
mph. Just look at the wash this tiny boat creates. |
Detail
on the left hand side of the "Q Boat". |
...
This is
the Cigar-Girl, not Maria Grazia Cuccinotta, but Sarah Donohue. Eon's 2nd
Unit (stunts) are making use of both Maria, and stunt driver Sarah
Donohue in the fast-paced Thames chase, in which the villainous
Cigar Girl uses Machine guns and mortars to try and dissuade Bond from
chasing her. |
...
..
To read
more about filming on the Thames, and to see more pictures of the Q Boat,
have a look at the
Thames
Location Section.
Here
you'll also find pictures of the actual chase sequence. |
On
Monday 12th April, a devastating stunt was filmed on the Thames. Stunt
Driver Sarah Donohue smashed the SunSeeker into a breakaway pier, which
shattered into pieces upon impact.
Read
all about it here! |
The
final, throwaway part of the sequence is to take place above the Millennium
Dome. It was an expert decision by the Producers to include the controversial
£1.25billion Dome in the proceedings, and it will undoubtedly be
the butt of many jibes.
Bond
will be dropped onto the roof of the Dome after falling from an exploding
hot air balloon! |
Filming
of the Dome scenes are expected to take place shortly, as Eon signs have
been spotted in the area, but exact times and locations are being kept
secretive. However, it is known that filming has now officially begun and
shots of the Q Boat going up a ramp and shooting up into the air have already
been completed. Apparently, the filming didn't go too well on the 31st
of March - there was footage of Bond's boat flipping upside-down when he
is supposed to jump out and grab the ropes of the balloon. The scenes of
the boat hitting the ground and exploding are expected to be done next
week. More information on the Millennium Dome scenes can be found in the
Dome
Location Section! |
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