Bond gets royal red carpet and readies for Istanbul

ISTANBUL - Hürriyet Daily News

Istanbul is preparing to host its own premiere night Oct. 30 at Kanyon Shopping Mall Cinema. The events will include a James Bond concept night at the British embassy. REUTERS photo

The 23rd James Bond movie, “Skyfall,” had its world premiere in London Oct. 23 with red-carpet appearances by Daniel Craig and his co-stars Judi Dench and Javier Bardem.

Istanbul is preparing to host its own premiere night Oct. 30 at Kanyon Shopping Mall Cinema. The events will include a James Bond concept night at the British embassy. The gala night in Istanbul will host Bond girl Naomie Harris and producer Michael G. Wilson. Some parts of Skyfall were filmed in the Turkish cities of Istanbul, Fethiye and Adana.

Istanbul also hosted filming of previous movies in the James Bond series, including “From Russia with Love” and “The World is not Enough.” The 2003 Greek movie “Politiki Kouzina” (A Touch of Spice) was also filmed in Istanbul, along with “The Accidental Spy.”

The city’s world-renowned sites, such as Topkapı Palace, the Hagia Sophia, Sultanahmet Mosque, the Grand Bazaar, the Spice Bazaar, Eminönü, the Basilica Cistern, Beyazıt and many other locations have drawn a long list of filmmakers.

In April 2012 filming for the latest installment of the James Bond movie series began in Fethiye in the Aegean province of Muğla. A team of 1,000 people were in town for the shooting and erected five tents in an area surrounded by iron fences in Çalış Sörf Café on the Koca Çalış Beach.

The Mediterranean city of Adana also received a major boost thanks to its decision to welcome shooting for “Skyfall,” with many excited about greater tourism numbers and others happy at the production team’s contributions to the local economy.

Royal James Bond

Craig, making his third outing as Bond, said it had been a “real honor” to play the role in the franchise’s 50th anniversary year, as he swept past a giant 007 logo and the secret agent’s favorite Aston Martin.

The rugged Craig stars with Dench, again playing his controller “M,” and Spaniard Bardem as the spy’s latest nemesis, Raoul Silva, reported AFP.

Heir to the British throne Prince Charles attended the screening, which fittingly took place amid the regal splendor of the Royal Albert Hall.

Critics have declared the 23rd Bond film one of the finest in the British secret agent’s half century on the silver screen.

The prince hailed Bond as “the most famous secret service agent of all time” in a letter included in the screening’s programs.

The release of “Skyfall” has special resonance because it is half a century this month since Bond strode stylishly into a film for the first time in “Dr No.”

“It is just a real honor to be part of it and to have a chance to make a movie in this 50th year,” Craig told Sky News on the red carpet.

“There is nothing quite like it, but this feels even more special for me than the ones that have gone before,” Craig said of the premiere.

In “Skyfall” Britain’s foreign intelligence agency MI6 comes under attack, leaving Bond to hunt down the threat.

Oscar-winning director Sam Mendes hands “M” a more prominent role than in recent Bond adventures, giving Dench a chance to develop her testy personal relationship with Craig’s inscrutable 007.

“There were lots more to explore – a continuation of what has been happening to us over several years,” Dench said at the premiere. “I boss him about all the time.” She said the Bond films remained popular 50 years on because “he [is] just very British” and “a hero that we love.”

Even for a veteran of dozens of films, acting in a Bond movie was a unique experience, Dench told BBC TV.

“It is quite different from any other film. And they make you very, very welcome, and they make you feel part of the franchise and part of the family.”