30 Sunday Jan 2022
Posted in No Time to Die, No Time to Die
Tags
007, filming location, Great Britain, James Bond, James Bond location, London, movie location, No Time to Die, UK
Real filming locations together with screens of scenes filmed in these places. Film scene on top and my location photo at the bottom.
07 Sunday Nov 2021
Posted in London, No Time to Die
Tags
filming location, James Bond, James Bond location, London, movie location, No Time to Die, UK, Whitehall
There were only a few scenes in ‘No Time to Time’ that were shot on location in London unlike in ‘Spectre’ or ‘Skyfall’. One of them was the scene with James Bond (Daniel Craig) arriving at MI6 headquarters in Aston Martin V8 Vantage Saloon. Previously James Bond was driving such a car in ‘The Living Daylights’.
The scene was filmed on June 30th 2019 at Whitehall Ct. Below you can see a photo of that place taken from the Whitehall along Horse Guard Ave. On the left you can see the Statue of the Duke of Devonshire the Gurkha Soldier Statue in background. Aston Martin V8 Vantage Saloon was parked right behind that second statue.
While filming the scene, Nicola Dove who was still photographer on the set of ‘No Time to Time’, took an iconic photo of Daniel Craig. It became an advertisement for Omega watches. It was also the first look image made available to the press.
Whitehall Ct is located in the very center of London. No wonder it is close to other filming locations known from James Bond franchise. In the next photo you can see not only ‘No Time Location’ in the right bottom but also the Old War Office on the left. It was the MI6 headquarter in ‘Octopussy’, ‘A View to a Kill’ and ‘Licence to Kill’ (read also ‘Old War Office Building as MI6 HQ‘). The dome tower was also presented at the end of ‘Skyfall’ when James Bond was standing on the roof and looking at the London panorama.
Another ‘Skyfall’ location can be found behind the Old War Office building. If someone walked on Whitehall Ct in the direction from which the Aston Martin V8 Vantage arrived, he would see the Embankment Place round the corner. The scene with Raoul Silva (Javier Bardem) leaving the subway station was filmed there (‘Skyfall’ at Embankment Station in London).
Source:
– www.mi6-hq.com
12 Saturday Dec 2020
Tags
filming location, Great Britain, James Bond, James Bond filming location, James Bond movie locations, London, Skyfall
Real filming locations together with screens of scenes filmed in these places. Film scene on top and my location photo at the bottom.
16 Monday Dec 2019
Tags
Blenheim, Great Britain, Italy, James Bond location, james Bond locations, James Bond movie locations, London, Museo della Civilta Roma, Museum of Roman Civilization, Rome, Spectre
Real filming locations compared to film scenes. Film scene on top and my location photo at the bottom.
21 Saturday Jul 2018
Posted in Die Another Day, London
Tags
007, Buckingham Palace, Die Another Day, filming location, Great Britain, James Bond, James Bond location, London, movie location, travel, UK
Media representatives were waiting for Gustav Graves (Toby Stephens) at Buckingham Palace in London. There was also his assistant, Miranda Frost (Rosamund Pike), waiting for her boss. Right on time he appeared in the sky with Union Jack parachute. He landed between them, answered a few questions and together with Miranda Frost went by car to receive his knighthood from the Queen. James Bond (Pierce Brosnan) was standing in the crowd and just looking at the villain. 
That sequence was filmed in April 2002. Film crew got permision to work around the Buckingham Palace for one day only, until lunch time.
There was parachute jump of 3 stuntmen planned for the scene. To fly helicopter less than 1 kilometer above the Buckingham Palace it was necessary to get special permissions from Anti-Terrorist Units. Executive Producer Anthony Waye said that according to the script the scene was supposed to be filmed at the House of Parliament. About 2-3 weeks before filmimg it was decided to try to shoot at the Buckingham Palace. When they were trying to get permissions, Queen Mother died and all the offices were closed for 10 days. Permision to shoot there was received less that a week before planned filming day.
About 250 members of the film crew arrived on the set very early that day. Actress Rosamund Pike said that she had to wake up at 4 a.m. At 6.30 a.m. filming could begin as sun was rising.
At first the scene with parachuting Gustav Graves was filmed. Three stuntmen, who were made up to look like the villain in the film, were ready for the jump. They were flying in a helicoper with pilot Mark Wolff, who has flown helicopters for 8 previous James Bond films.
The first jumper was the team leader Allan Hewitt. Film director Lee Tamahori was happy with the shot. He decided to film second jump as backup. There was no time for third stuntmen to jump.
Afterwards the scene with Gustav Graves landing in the crowd was filmed. Actor Toby Stephens was suspended under the arm of crane 40 feet in the air. It was moving down so it looked like Stephens was parachuting.
Film crew had to clean the area before 9.30 a.m. as the Life Guards began preparations for the Changing of the Guard.
In the next photo that was taken at night you can see the Buckingham Palace, the square where the scene with Gustav Graves talking to media representatives was filmed and the Canada Gate where he was heading.
Film crew moved to the park behind Canada Gate (see photo below) to complete filming the scene. At that time houndreds of tourists were gathering to see Changing of the Guard. 
About an hour before end of filming, Pierce Brosnan arrived on the set. In his brief appearence in the scene he was standing in the crowd and looking at his rival getting into Range Rover.
At the end the scene with Miranda Frost and media representatives waiting for Gustav Graves was filmed. In the film it was shown before all other scened filmed that day.
Sources:
– ‘Die Another Day’ audio commentary, „Die Another Day” Special Edition, Danjaq, LLC and United Artists Corporation, 2006
– ‘Just Another Day’, dir. Roger Penny, A Special Treats Production, 2002
20 Sunday May 2018
Posted in Dr. No
Tags
‘Dr. No’ was the first official (produced by EON Productions) James Bond film. Its world premiere took place at London Pavilion on October 5th, 1962. The building with nearly 1200 seats was located on the corner of Shaftesbury Avenue and Coventry Street on the north-east side of Piccadilly Circus in London. Below you can see the facade of the building on the right.
There were five showings of ‘Dr. No’ that day, starting at 10.45 a.m. Celebrities including Sean Connery (who played 007), Zena Marshall (who played Miss Taro), film director Terence Young, producers Hally Saltzman and Albert R. Broccoli, as well as James Bond author Ian Fleming attented a gala screening in the evening.
It is worth to add an interesting fact that the same day The Beatles released their first single – ‘Love Me Do’.
Sources:
– ‘Premiere Bond’, Associated Press Television News, BBC Worldwide Americas Inc., 2002
– www.007magazine.co.uk
01 Wednesday Jun 2016
In “Skyfall” James Bond (Daniel Craig) was chasing Raoul Silva (Javier Bardem) in the tunnels of the London Underground. Silva came out of the Embankment Underground Station and got into a police car.
The scene in which Raoul Silva came out of the tube station was filmed on March 11th 2012 at the intersection of Northumberland Avenue and Whitehall Place in London. In fact Javier Bardem who played Raoul Silva came out of a staff entrance to the Farmes Club (3 photos below). There was a fake “UNDERGROUND” sign attached to the metal frame above the entrance.
When Silva got into a police car parked at Whitehall Place, there was another fake “UNDERGROUND” sign visible in background. It was placed above a disused Charing Cross exit, between the Playhouse Theatre and Embankment Place (photo below). Real entrance to the Embankment Underground Station is located at the end of Embankment Place.
There is a poster with the title of the play above the entrance to the Playhouse Theatre. In March 2012 it was “Dreamboats and Petticoats“, however for the purposes of “Skyfall” it was replaced with fictional production of “Assassins”.
When I was taking pictures for this post at the beginning of 2016, the Playhouse Theatre was performing „The End of Longing” with Matthew Perry, very well known as Chandler Bing from “Friends” TV series. At the theatre I saw enthusiastic group of people. There was Matthew Perry between them signing autographs.
The police car with Raoul Silva drove off down the Whitehall Place and turned left in front of the entrance to the Corinthia Hotel. In pictures below you can see the Whitehall Place with the illuminated facade of the Corinthia Hotel on the right side. In that hotel the official announcement of “Skyfall” movie was made at press conference held on November 3rd 2011, 50 years to the day after Sean Connery was revealed as James Bond in “Dr. No”. At the end of the street there is a Department of Energy and Climate Change. James Bond was looking at London panorama at the end of “Skyfall” from the roof of that building.
Visit LOCATIONS GALLERY on top of the page to see locations photos compared with movie scenes.
Sources:
– www.bbc.com
– www.mi6-hq.com
22 Friday Apr 2016
Tags
007, filming location, James Bond location, London, movie location, National Gallery, Skyfall, Trafalgar Square
In ‘Skyfall’ James Bond met new Quatermaster in the National Gallery in London.
James Bond passed through the Trafalgar Square and climbed the stairs on the right side of the building. In the next scene he was sitting on a bench inside the National Gallery, looking at the painting hanging on a wall. The man sitting next to him turned out to be Q.
The film crew was working on Trafalgar Square on November 19th 2011. They were working inside the gallery during closing hours at night. Daniel Craig and Ben Whishaw (who played James Bond and Q) were sitting in front of the famous oil painting called ‘The Fighting Temeraire’ painted by Joseph Mallord William Turner in 1839. It can be found on Level 2 in Room 34 in the National Gallery in London. In photos below you can see where 007 climbed the stairs and entered the gallery.
Sources:
– www.mi6-hq.com
– www.nationalgallery.org.uk
09 Saturday Apr 2016
Tags
007, filming location, James Bond location, London, movie location, Safe House, Spectre, Trafalgar Square
James Bond (Daniel Craig) and Madeleine Swann (Lea Seydoux) escaped from burning headquarters of Franz Oberhauser. (It is worth to notice that the scene filmed on June 28, 2015 in Erfoud, Morocco with supervision of Special Effects and Miniature Effects Supervisor Chris Corbould has been awarded a Guinness World Records™ title for the Largest Film Stunt Explosion. 8418 litres of fuel and 33kg of explosives has been used.) In the next scene, the film moved from the sun-drenched desert to London by night. M (Ralph Fiennes) opened the door with „Hildebrand Prints and Rarities” written on it. Together with Bill Tanner (Rory Kinnear) and Q (Ben Whishaw) he climbed external stairs and entered small room on top of the building where James Bond and Madeleine Swann waited for him. After short discussion they left the room. MI6 team drove off and Madeleine Swann walked away alone. After a few steps she stopped and looked back at an empty street.
The scene was filmed on May 31, 2015 at Spring Gardens near Trafalgar Square. Going from Buckingham Palace along the Mall after a few minutes walk you can see impressive Admiralty Arch (photo below). T-shaped Spring Gardens street is right behind it. Turn right before the Admiralty Arch to see the place where Madeleine Swann was walking alone. If you want to see the entrance to the safe house you have to walk straight ahead.
There is a small square behind the Admiralty Arch, from which you can already see Trafalgar Square with Nelson’s Column (photo below). On the right side of the photo there is a Drummonds Bank building with “Spring Gardens” street name on it.
After a few meters on the left you will see the entrance to the safe house, however you will not find any „Hildebrand Prints and Rarities” sign on the door. The store name was inspired by the title of the Ian Fleming story. The book entitled „For Your Eyes Only” with short stories: „From A View to A Kill”, „For Your Eyes Only”, „Quantum Of Solace”, „Risico” and „The Hildebrand Rarity” was published in 1960.
In the next photo you can see similar frame as the one in the film with Madeleine Swann saying good bye to James Bond.
In the last photo there is an arch connecting buildings on both sides of Spring Gardens that Madeleine Swann saw when she turned back.
Visit LOCATIONS GALLERY on top of the page to see locations photos compared with movie scenes.
Sources:
– http://www.007.com
– http://www.007.info
– http://www.ianfleming.com
20 Sunday Mar 2016
In “Spectre” James Bond was traveling to Mexico, Italy, Austria and Marocco. While he was in a train with Madeleine Swann (Lea Seydoux) in North Africa, three members of MI6 met in Rules restaurant in London. Miss Moneypenny (Naomie Harris) and Q (Ben Whishaw) informed M (Ralph Finnes) that they had found where James Bond was heading to. Their boss didn’t believe it was possible to help 007. He went out from the restaurant in the rain stream. The audience could see dissapointed faces of Miss Moneypenny and Q behind the window with the restaurant logo.
The sequence was filmed at Rules restaurant at Maiden Lane, Covent Garden. The restaurant established by Thomas Rule in 1798 is the oldest one in London.
The scene was filmed on May 22nd 2015. The Rules, which is usually open seven days a week, was closed also the day before shooting. The restaurant published on its website rather mysterious note that it would be closed due to “essential work being carried out in the kitchen”.
For the scene, metal-framed structure with lights was put up above the narrow street. To create heavy rain, water sprinklers were used. Cameraman had to sit under umbrella.
The discussion between the three characters was filmed at the table located in front of the main entrance to the restaurant (photo below).
It is worth to add that Ralph Finnes has been involved in filming at Rules restaurant over a dozen years before, when he played Maurice Bendrix in “The End of the Affair”. The restaurant has been also filming location of a few scenes in “Downton Abbey” TV series.
Sources:
– http://rules.co.uk/
– http://www.007.info/dine-another-day-spectre-films-at-famous-restaurant/
– http://downtonabbey.wikia.com/wiki/Rules_Restaurant
JAMES BOND 