Film no. 21 · 2006 · Craig era

Casino Royale

TMDB rating: 7.6 / 10 · View on TMDB

Plot

James Bond earns his double-O status through two killings in Lahore and Prague. His first major mission takes him to Madagascar, where surveillance turns into a destructive pursuit of bomb maker Mollaka. The man's mobile phone leads Bond to intermediary Alex Dimitrios in the Bahamas. Bond wins Dimitrios's Aston Martin at poker, questions his wife Solange and follows him to Miami. There he prevents the destruction of a new Skyfleet aircraft at the last moment. The intervention ruins terrorist financier Le Chiffre's stock-market gamble and leaves him under lethal pressure from his clients.

Le Chiffre tries to recover the money at a high-stakes Texas hold'em tournament at Casino Royale in Montenegro. The Treasury supplies Bond's stake and sends Vesper Lynd to control it. Suspicion gradually becomes intimacy as they survive an ambush, Bond's poisoning and escalating tension at the table. With help from CIA agent Felix Leiter, Bond finally wins, but Le Chiffre abducts Vesper and tortures him. Mr White kills the desperate banker yet spares the couple.

As Bond recovers beside Lake Como, he and Vesper fall in love and he resigns from MI6. In Venice, however, he discovers that the winnings were never transferred. Vesper, acting under blackmail, delivers the money to her handlers; during the ensuing fight the building sinks into the canal. Bond cannot save her. Her final message gives him Mr White's name. He confronts White at Lake Como and, now fully formed, introduces himself with certainty: Bond, James Bond.

Facts

James Bond: Daniel Craig
Director: Martin Campbell
Screenplay: Neal Purvis, Robert Wade and Paul Haggis
Producers: Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli
Music: David Arnold
Title song: „You Know My Name“Chris Cornell
Based on: Ian Fleming: „Casino Royale“1953
Running time: 144 minutes
Budget: $102 millionProduction budget according to The Numbers; other publications quote figures up to $150 million
Box office: $594 millionworldwide theatrical gross according to The Numbers
Release: UK: 16 November 2006US: 17 November 2006Germany: 23 November 2006

Travel route and filming locations

Gold numbers trace Bond's journey through the story, light markers show the real filming locations. Each layer can be hidden separately.

Bond's route · 11 stops

Total distance (great-circle)≈ 40,356 km

The screenplay locates this uncaptioned flashback in Lahore: Bond pursues agent contact Fisher through a cricket clubhouse and makes the first of the two kills required for double-O status in the washroom.
Lahore → Prague · ≈ 5,286 km
Bond confronts corrupt MI6 section chief Dryden in his office and completes his promotion to double-O agent with the second kill.
Prague → Madagascar · ≈ 8,327 km
Surveillance of bomb maker Mollaka escalates into a chase across a construction site and into the fictional Nambutu embassy. As the film names no city, the map uses Antananarivo as a neutral national reference.
Madagascar → London · ≈ 9,090 km
Bond breaks into M's flat, uses her computer to analyse Mollaka's message and clashes with his superior over his methods.
London → Nassau and Paradise Island · ≈ 6,985 km
Bond identifies Dimitrios at the Ocean Club, wins his DB5 at poker and learns from Solange that her husband is travelling to Miami.
Nassau and Paradise Island → Miami · ≈ 309 km
Bond kills Dimitrios at an exhibition, follows Carlos to the airport and uses the hijacked tanker to prevent the attack on the Skyfleet prototype.
Miami → Nassau · ≈ 307 km
After foiling the attack Bond returns to the Bahamas. M shows him the murdered Solange and explains that Le Chiffre intends to recover his clients' lost money in Montenegro.
Nassau → Casino Royale, Montenegro · ≈ 8,665 km
Bond and Vesper face Le Chiffre in an unnamed Montenegrin resort. The map uses Podgorica only as a national reference; the casino and hotel are fictional.
Casino Royale, Montenegro → Lake Como · ≈ 892 km
Bond recovers from the torture at a lakeside clinic, declares his love for Vesper and submits his resignation from MI6.
Lake Como → Venice · ≈ 249 km
Bond discovers Vesper's coerced betrayal and loses her during the fight in a collapsing palazzo on the Grand Canal.
Venice → Villa La Gaeta, Lake Como · ≈ 247 km
Vesper's final message leads Bond back to Lake Como. At Mr White's villa he shoots his adversary in the leg and delivers the famous full introduction for the first time: Bond, James Bond.

Filming locations · 25

Dryden's modern office building in the black-and-white opening
doubles for Madagascar (Madagascar)
Unfinished hotel and purpose-built settlement for the Madagascar construction-site chase
doubles for Nambutu embassy, Madagascar (Madagascar)
Exterior and courtyard of the fictional Nambutu embassy
Bond's hotel, security room, poker game against Dimitrios and helicopter arrival
Dimitrios's beach villa, Bond emerging from the sea and meeting Solange
doubles for Miami International Airport (United States)
Runway and Miami airport exteriors with the modified full-size Skyfleet aircraft
doubles for Miami International Airport (United States)
Terminal areas of the film's Miami airport
doubles for Miami (United States)
Exterior of the Body Worlds exhibition in Miami
doubles for Miami (United States)
Interior of the exhibition where Bond overpowers Dimitrios
doubles for London (United Kingdom)
Philosophical Hall as a British parliamentary committee room for M's briefing
doubles for Montenegro (Montenegro)
Montenegrin railway forecourt and restaurant where Bond meets Mathis
doubles for Hotel Splendide, Montenegro (Montenegro)
Hotel Splendide exteriors, arrival, terrace and entrance
doubles for Casino Royale, Montenegro (Montenegro)
Casino Royale façade and entrance
doubles for Montenegro (Montenegro)
Streets and colonnades of the Montenegrin resort
doubles for Montenegro (Montenegro)
Night DBS chase and seven-roll car crash
Clinic exteriors where Bond recovers after the torture
doubles for Lake Como clinic (Italy)
Interiors of Bond's recovery clinic
Bond and Vesper sail the Spirit 54 between the Accademia and Rialto bridges
Waterside and alley footage around the collapsing Venetian palazzo
doubles for Venice (Italy)
Lobby and staircase of the Grand Venetian hotel
Mr White's villa and Bond's final confrontation
Casino interiors, embassy, yacht and clinic scenes and other interiors
Additional interior sets and production work
doubles for Venice (Italy)
Hydraulic interior set and model photography for the collapsing Venetian house
doubles for Mbale, Uganda (Uganda)
Rebel camp in Mbale where Le Chiffre is introduced to Obanno

Characters and cast

Bond

James BondDaniel Craig

Bond girls

Villains

Henchmen

Allies

MI6

Others

MendelLudger Pistor

Vehicles & Gadgets

Vehicles

A screen-used DBS driven by Bond in Montenegro, displayed at the National Motor Museum in Beaulieu.Photo: Morio · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Aston Martin DBS V12
Car2007
MI6 car with medical emergency kit and weapons compartment
Bond receives the pre-production DBS for the Montenegro assignment. Its glovebox carries a P99, antidotes and a defibrillator; during the night pursuit Bond swerves around Vesper lying in the road and rolls seven times. A compressed-air cannon was needed to launch the car into rotation for the record stunt at Millbrook Proving Ground.
Driven by
James Bond
Specs
5.9 L V12, 510 bhp, 190 mph
Sources: Aston Martin: DBS and Casino Royale · 007.com: Casino Royale vehicles and record roll · Bond Lifestyle: Aston Martin DBS V12 · IMCDb: Aston Martin DBS in Casino Royale
Production example of the DB5 Bond wins from Dimitrios in the film's poker game.Photo: Alexandre Prévot from Nancy, France · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Aston Martin DB5
Car1964
Private car without Q Branch modifications
Dimitrios stakes the left-hand-drive DB5 in the Ocean Club poker game and loses it to Bond. Unlike the familiar service cars of the classic films, this example carries no weapons or tricks; Bond later drives it with Solange. The car connects the reboot with the series tradition without breaking its more realistic tone.
Driven by
Alex Dimitrios, later James Bond
Specs
4.0 L straight-six, 282 bhp, about 145 mph
Sources: 007.com: Aston Martin DB5 · Aston Martin: DB5 past model · IMCDb: Aston Martin DB5 in Casino Royale
The hand-built Mondeo prototype carried Bond to the Ocean Club in the Bahamas.Photo: sv1ambo · CC BY 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Ford Mondeo Mk IV five-door prototype
Car2006
hand-built pre-production car in Tonic blue
After arriving on New Providence, Bond drives the Mondeo to the Ocean Club. As series production was not due to begin until 2007, Ford built a single driveable example in Cologne within eight weeks, with a petrol engine, automatic transmission and sports body kit. The prototype travelled in a sealed air-freight container via Amsterdam and Miami to Nassau and is now displayed as a film vehicle.
Driven by
James Bond
Specs
One-off pre-production car; engine and performance figures for the screen vehicle were not published
Sources: Ford-Werke: Ford „Bondeo“ für Casino Royale · Ford Belgium: 2007 Mondeo in Casino Royale · IMCDb: Ford Mondeo in Casino Royale
Production example of the MD 600N type in which Carlos arrives at the Ocean Club.Photo: Carlos E. Perez S.L · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
MD Helicopters MD 600N
Aircraft
NOTAR helicopter used to deliver the bomber
The helicopter lands at the Ocean Club, where Dimitrios receives Carlos as the replacement for the dead Mollaka. The type dispenses with a conventional tail rotor and controls torque through the NOTAR system. Its brief appearance links the Bahamas story to the attack on the Skyfleet prototype.
Driven by
pilot working for Dimitrios
Specs
Rolls-Royce 250-C47M turboshaft, 600 shp take-off power, up to 175 mph
Sources: 007.com: Casino Royale vehicles · MD Helicopters: MD 600N technical description · IMPDb: Casino Royale aircraft
The surviving Skyfleet display model shows the design of the aircraft targeted at Miami airport.Photo: Karen Roe from Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, UK · CC BY 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Skyfleet S570 prototype
Aircraft
fictional wide-body jet and target of the Miami attack
Le Chiffre bets on the manufacturer's share price collapsing and orders its new prototype attacked during the Miami presentation. The full-size static prop was retired Boeing 747-236B G-BDXJ: its outer engines were replaced by auxiliary tanks and its inner positions by twin-pod mock-ups. The preserved aircraft remains at Dunsfold; the display model records the fictional design at a smaller scale.
Driven by
not in flight operation
Sources: 007.com: Casino Royale vehicles · IMPDb: Boeing 747-236B Skyfleet S570 · Dunsfold Park: Film and television · Planespotters: Boeing 747-200 G-BDXJ
Spirit Yachts Spirit 54 Soufrière
Boat
bespoke 54-foot sailing yacht
Bond and Vesper sail the purpose-designed Soufrière first in the Caribbean and later into the Grand Canal. The wood-epoxy boat was hand-built in Suffolk and taken from the Bahamas via Puerto Rico and the British Virgin Islands before being shipped to Europe. In Venice the rig had to be lowered and raised ten times so the yacht could pass beneath the bridges.
Driven by
James Bond and Vesper Lynd
Specs
54 ft length, just over 8 tonnes displacement, sailing yacht with auxiliary diesel
Sources: Spirit Yachts: 007 yacht · Spirit Yachts: Soufrière history · 007.com: Casino Royale vehicles and Grand Canal
Sunseeker Predator 108
Boat
Le Chiffre's motor yacht in the Bahamas
Le Chiffre uses the Predator 108 as a luxurious base off Nassau. For interior filming, full-size replicas of the deck saloon, aft cockpit and owner's cabin were made with Sunseeker and transported in sections to Prague, where they were mounted on a hydraulic motion platform. Exterior shots show the real yacht in the Bahamas.
Driven by
Le Chiffre's crew
Specs
107 ft 11 in length, triple MTU V16 diesels, up to 7,300 PS, up to 45 kn (52 mph)
Sources: Bond Lifestyle: Sunseeker Predator 108 · Boat International: Predator 108 Casino Royale specification · 007.com: Casino Royale vehicles
Texron airport fuel tanker
Other
fictionally branded tanker in the Miami showdown
Carlos hijacks the airport tanker intending to ram the explosive into the Skyfleet prototype. Bond gets aboard, takes the wheel and prevents the collision while the bomber is still carrying his own device. “Texron” is a fictional screen livery; reliable technical specifications for the modified stunt vehicle have not been published.
Driven by
Carlos, later James Bond
Sources: 007.com: Casino Royale vehicles and synopsis · IMCDb: Casino Royale vehicle index
Production example of the Jaguar XJ8 that carries Bond and Vesper to their hotel in Montenegro.Photo: Damian B Oh · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Jaguar XJ8 (X350)
Car2006
saloon used for Bond and Vesper's transfer in Montenegro
After arriving in Montenegro, Bond and Vesper are driven to the Hotel Splendide in an XJ8. The restrained saloon serves as official transport and carries no visible special modifications. Alongside the conspicuous Aston Martins, it represents the mission's formal vehicle fleet.
Driven by
MI6 driver
Specs
4.2 L V8, 300 bhp; electronically limited to 155 mph
Sources: Jaguar 2006 XJ specifications brochure (archived copy) · IMCDb: Jaguar XJ8 in Casino Royale · 007.com: Casino Royale vehicles
Production example of the L320 Range Rover Sport Bond crashes as a diversion at the Ocean Club.Photo: OSX · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons
Land Rover Range Rover Sport HSE (L320)
Car2006
SUV Bond deliberately damages while parking
Bond mistakes the driver for a hotel employee, takes his keys and deliberately crashes the Range Rover into parked vehicles. The commotion distracts the staff, allowing Bond to inspect the Ocean Club security footage unnoticed. The HSE's precise engine is not identifiable on screen, so no performance figures are asserted.
Driven by
Ocean Club guest
Sources: IMCDb: Range Rover Sport in Casino Royale · 007.com: Casino Royale vehicles
New Holland W190B wheel loader
Other2005
construction vehicle in the Madagascar chase
Bond takes over the wheel loader at the construction site and pursues Mollaka among excavations, scaffolding and a crane. The heavy machine establishes the physical, improvised methods of this inexperienced 007: Bond does not avoid obstacles elegantly but drives through them. No preserved identity for the exact screen vehicle is publicly documented.
Driven by
James Bond
Sources: 007.com: Casino Royale Construction Site Chase · IMCDb: Casino Royale vehicle index

Gadgets

The Walther P99 is Bond's principal service pistol in Casino Royale.Photo: Sirimiri · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons
Walther P99
Bond's principal service pistol; another P99 is stored with the medical emergency kit in the Aston Martin DBS.
Sources: 007.com: Casino Royale gadgets and weapons
Walther PPK
The compact PPK appears in the black-and-white opening and leads into the newly staged gun-barrel image.
Sources: 007.com: Casino Royale gadgets and weapons
Sony Ericsson phone with tracker
The mobile phone receives location data, processes the photograph of Mollaka's message and leads Bond onward through the code word “Ellipsis.”
Sources: 007.com: Casino Royale gadgets and technology · Bond Lifestyle: Sony Ericsson K800i
Key-fob detonator
A radio trigger disguised as a car key is intended to detonate the bomb Mollaka carries toward a fuel depot.
Sources: 007.com: Casino Royale gadgets and technology
Subcutaneous tracking implant
Before the Montenegro mission Bond receives an implanted transmitter that allows MI6 to follow his position and vital signs.
Sources: 007.com: Casino Royale gadgets and technology
DBS emergency medical kit
The DBS glovebox contains antidotes, a defibrillator and a direct link to MI6 medical monitoring.
Sources: 007.com: Casino Royale gadgets and technology · Bond Lifestyle: Aston Martin DBS medical kit
Omega Seamaster Planet Ocean
Bond wears a Planet Ocean during the Madagascar mission and in the Bahamas; the watch has no hidden on-screen function.
Sources: Omega: James Bond and Casino Royale · Bond Lifestyle: Omega Seamaster Planet Ocean Casino Royale
Backpack bomb
Mollaka and later Carlos carry a compact explosive in a backpack; its first trigger can be activated by radio.
Sources: 007.com: Casino Royale gadgets and weapons
Nail gun
At the construction site Mollaka uses a nail gun as an improvised weapon against Bond.
Sources: 007.com: Casino Royale gadgets and weapons · 007.com: Casino Royale Construction Site Chase
Le Chiffre's knotted rope
Le Chiffre uses a weighted knotted rope to torture Bond, a deliberately crude implement rather than a technical gadget.
Sources: 007.com: Casino Royale gadgets and weapons · BBFC: Casino Royale classification and cuts

Production and trivia

Casino Royale is the first EON film starring Daniel Craig and begins a new continuity in which Bond has only just earned double-O status. After GoldenEye, Martin Campbell thus introduced a new Bond actor for the second time.
The film is based on Ian Fleming's first Bond novel, published in 1953. The screen rights did not become available to EON until 2000.
Principal photography began on 3 January 2006 and concluded at Pinewood Studios on 20 July. Further filming took place in the Czech Republic, the Bahamas, Italy and at several British locations.
The black-and-white pre-title sequence is the first to displace the traditional opening gun barrel. The image is instead created at the end of Bond's fight with Fisher and leads directly into Daniel Kleinman's playing-card titles.
Sébastien Foucan, one of the defining freerunners of his generation, plays Mollaka and performed many movements in the construction-site chase himself. The sequence was designed to establish the new Bond as physical, daring and largely gadget-free.
The Aston Martin DBS crash set a Guinness record with seven complete rolls in a cannon-roll stunt. Stunt driver Adam Kirley performed it at Millbrook Proving Ground.
A three-storey hydraulically controlled interior set was built on the 007 Stage for the Venice collapse. A similarly controlled one-third-scale exterior model repeated the movement for the canal views.
The Spirit 54 Soufrière was permitted to sail the Grand Canal between the Accademia and Rialto bridges. Its rig was lowered and raised ten times during the Venice shoot to clear low bridges.
Peter Lamont served as production designer on a Bond film for the eighteenth and final time. By then he had worked in different capacities on films starring all six official Bond actors.
Casino Royale is only the second EON film after Dr. No without Q and the first without Miss Moneypenny. The reduced technology supports the deliberate reinvention of the character.
David Arnold composed his fourth Bond score and co-wrote “You Know My Name” with Chris Cornell. Motifs from the song largely stand in for the classic Bond theme, which is heard in full only at the end.
The torture scene was reduced to secure a British 12A classification after advance advice. The BBFC records the removal of close views of the rope and Bond's reactions and the substitution of a more distant shot of the blow.
The film won the 2007 BAFTA for sound and received eight further nominations. Daniel Craig became the first Bond actor nominated for the BAFTA for leading actor.
The German version was produced by Interopa Film in Berlin, with dialogue script and direction by Frank Schaff. Dietmar Wunder voiced Daniel Craig as James Bond for the first time and remained his German Bond voice.