‘Spectre’ – James Bond’s apartment in London

03 Friday Mar 2023

Posted by Piotr Zając in London, Spectre

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007, filming location, Great Britain, James Bond, James Bond location, London, movie location, Spectre, UK

In ‘Spectre’ we get to take a look at James Bond’s apartment. He (Daniel Craig) was standing at the window wearing dressing gown while waiting for Monneypenny (Naomie Harris). She brought him a box with personal things recovered from Skyfall. After the meeting in the apartment Moneypenny walked down the street into the darkness of the night.

London, Stanley Gardens 1 — – 1 Stanley Gardens, Notting Hill, London, UK

The exterior of the house was filmed at 1 Stanley Gardens in Notting Hill in London.

The entrance to the building is located at Stanley Cres.

The exterior of the townhouse was filmed on December 15th 2014 in the evening. It was a week after principal photography began. Interior of the apartment was filmed at Pinewood Studios.

Both Daniel Craig and Naomie Harris were on location. Daniel Craig was standing at the window in an apartment with a balcony. Naomie Harris walked down the Stanley Cres towards Ladbroke Gardens.

Source:
– www.mi6-hq.com

‘No Time to Die’ – locations gallery

30 Sunday Jan 2022

Posted by Piotr Zając in No Time to Die, No Time to Die

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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.

Scenic road between Sapri and Acquafredda in Italy — – James Bond and Madeleine Swann in Aston Martin DB5 travel to Matera. It was filmed on a scenic road between Sapri and Acquafredda in south-western Italy. (location photo: 2022) Read the story behind the scene: Scenic road at the Tyrrhenian Sea in ‘No Time to Die’.

Matera, Italy — – Via D’Addozio in Sassi di Matera in Italy. (location photo: 2022)

– James Bond and Madeleine Swann in Aston Martin DB5 enter Sassi di Matera in southern Italy. The car turns right but the camera continues to move forward. We can see the view of the city. There was some CGI used to created that view. The bridge on the left was filmed in Gravina in Puglia and pasted into the view of Sassi di Matera. Photo taken from view point at Via D’Addozio (location photo: 2022)

Gravina in Puglia, Italy — – Part of the cemetery in Matera was built in Gravina di Puglia, Italy. Artficial tombs were built at Parco Archeologico Madonna Della Stella as you can see above. Building on the left in Gravina in Puglia were replaced with CGI so it looked like panorama of Matera. (location photo: 2022)

– James Bond runs through the cemetery after explosion of Vesper’s tomb. It was filmed in Parco Archeologico di Botromagno in Gravina di Puglia, Italy. (location photo: 2022)

Ponte Acquedotto in Gravina di Puglia, Italy — – James Bond runs on the Ponte Acquedotto in Gravina in Puglia, Italy. (location photo: 2022)

Via D'Addozio in Sassi di Matera, Italy. — – Via D’Addozio in Sassi di Matera, Italy. (location photo: 2022)

– Piazza San Giovanni in Sassi di Matera, Italy. (location photo: 2022)

– Chiesa di San Rocco at Piazza San Giovanni in Sassi di Matera, Italy. (location photo: 2022)

– James Bond and Madeleine Swann arrive at the railway station. It was filmed in Sapri, Italy. As you can see in the film it was mirrored. (location photo: 2022)

Parking space at Centaur Street, London — – James Bond leaves his garage driving Aston Martin V8 Vantage. It was filmed at parking space at Centaur Street, London. Interesting fact is that the sequence was mirrored after filming. In the film he turns right, but in reality he had to turn left. In the center of location photo you can see the entrance to Bond’s garage. He drove towards the exit that is on the right, behind a bicycle. (location photo: 2023)

Whitehall Ct, London — – Whitehall Ct in London. (location photo: 2023) Read the story behind the scene: ‘No Time to Die’ at Whitehall Ct in London.

The Mall in London, UK — – The Mall at the Duke of York Monument in London, UK. Dr. Swann (Lea Seydoux) on her way to her office where she meets Safin (Rami Malek). (location photo: 2011)

BACK TO LOCATIONS GALLERY

‘No Time to Die’ at Whitehall Ct in London

07 Sunday Nov 2021

Posted by Piotr Zając in London, No Time to Die

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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. Previously James Bond was driving such car in ‘The Living Daylights’.

The scene was filmed on June 30th 2019 at Whitehall Ct. The car was parked near number 4. Daniel Craig walked towards Ministry of Defence that doubled for MI6 headquarters.

While filming the scene, Nicola Dove who was still photographer on the set of ‘No Time to Time’ (Interview with Nicola Dove – ‘No Time to Die’ still photographer), 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 the place where Bond parked the car in ‘No Time to Die’ in the right bottom and the Old War Office on the left. It was the MI6 headquarter in ‘Octopussy’, ‘A View to a Kill’ and ‘Licence to Kill’. 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. (‘Old War Office Building as MI6 HQ‘).

Another ‘Skyfall’ location can be found behind the Old War Office building. If you walk down the Whitehall Ct in the direction from which the Aston Martin V8 Vantage arrived, you will 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).

Go to LOCATIONS GALLERY – ‘NO TIME TO DI E ’ to see location photo compared with the movie scene.

Source:
– www.mi6-hq.com

‘Die Another Day’ at Buckingham Palace in London

21 Saturday Jul 2018

Posted by Piotr Zając in Die Another Day, London

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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

Go to LOCATIONS GALLERY – ‘DIE ANOTHER DAY’ to see location photo compared with the movie scene.

‘Dr. No’ world premiere in London

20 Sunday May 2018

Posted by Piotr Zając in Dr. No

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Dr. No, James Bond, London, Piccadilly Circus, premiere, UK

‘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.

Piccadilly Circus in London

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

‘Tomorrow Never Dies’ in Oxford

30 Friday Sep 2016

Posted by Piotr Zając in Oxford, Tomorrow Never Dies

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007, England, filming location, James Bond location, movie location, New College, Oxford, Tomorrow Never Dies, UK

In ‘Tomorrow Never Dies’ James Bond (Pierce Brosnan) visited Professor Inga Bergstrom (Cecilie Thomsen) at Oxford University. While they were together Bond’s Aston Martin DB5 was parked in the courtyard at the entrance to New College Oxford.

The courtyard has been shown in the first picture, that was taken from Holywell Street. The car was parked on the right just behind the entrance. New College, Oxford, UK Second picture was taken from the courtyard. In the background you can see Holywell Street.

New College, Oxford, UK

Source:
– Tomorrow Never Dies Audio Commentary, Tomorrow Never Dies Special Edition, Danjaq, LLC and United Artists Corporation, 2006

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‘Spectre’ at Blenheim Palace

07 Sunday Aug 2016

Posted by Piotr Zając in Blenheim Palace, Spectre

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007, Blenheim Palace, filming location, Great Britain, James Bond, James Bond location, movie location, Spectre, UK

James Bond (Daniel Craig) traveled to Rome to attend funeral of Marco Sciarra – the criminal he killed in Mexico at the beginning of ‘Spectre’. After the ceremony he visited and seduced Sciarra’s widow Lucia (Monica Belucci). She told him about the meeting of criminal organisation called Spectre in Palazzo Cardenza. 007 joined the meeting by pretending to be one of the organisation members. Bond had been recognized and had to escape the meeting. Car chase with 007 in Aston Martin DB10 and Mr. Hinx in Jaguar C-X75 began.

Palazzo Cardenza in Rome was doubled by Blenheim Palace in Woodstock (Oxfordshire), England.

Aston Martin DB10 on the way to the Spectre meeting was filmed on Passeggiata del Gianicolo in Rome. In aerial view of the capital of Italy there was a Blenheim Palace added by visual effects team.Film crew was working at Blenheim Palace in February 2015. The interior however was filmed in Pinewood Studios.

Bond’s car pulled into the Blenheim Palace Great Court through the narrow gate in the east wing (see photo below).The Great Court was filled with super-expensive cars. To light them the film crew used two 40-by-40 feet soft boxes.

James Bond parked the Aston Martin, got out of the car and walked to the Collonades.When he was recognized at the Spectre meeting he jumped out of the window and ran to the Collonades. He jumped out from between the columns and got into the Aston Martin DB10. Mr. Hinx got into the Jaguar C-X75. Both cars left the Palace Great Court through the narrow gate in the east wing and they pulled into small East Courtyard (photo below).They left the Blenheim Palace through east gate (photos below).Both cars jumped when they were driving through the gate and continued the high-speed car chase that was filmed in Rome.

Visit LOCATIONS GALLERY on top of the page to see locations photos compared with movie scenes.

Sources:
– www.awn.com
– blog.moviemaps.org
– www.theasc.com

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“Thunderball” at Silverstone Circuit

13 Friday May 2016

Posted by Piotr Zając in Silverstone Circuit, Thunderball

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007, filming location, formula 1, Great Britain, James Bond location, movie location, Silverstone, Thunderball, UK

“Thunderball” is the fourth film in the James Bond official series (EON-produced films). It is an adaptation of the eighth James Bond novel by Ian Fleming, also entitled “Thunderball”. It is worth mentioning that “Never Say Never Again” is an adaptation of the same novel, however as non EON-produced is not on the list of official James Bond films.

007 must again face the SPECTRE organization (SPecial Executive for Counter-intelligence, Terrorism, Revenge and Extorsion). The organization created by Ernst Stavro Blofeld returned in the latest James Bond film.

James Bond (Sean Connery) was sent to to a clinic in Shrublands, where he met Count Lippe (Guy Doleman). When 007 left the clinic in Aston Martin DB5, Lippe followed him in his Ford Fairlane with the intention of killing. Suddenly a motorcycle joined the car chase. It was Fiona Volpe (Luciana Paluzzi) sent by SPECTRE organization to kill Count Lippe for failling his job.

The chase scene was filmed at Silverstone Circuit on June 21st 1965.
The Silverstone Circuit is located in England next to the Northamptonshire villages of Silverstone and Whittlebury. It was built on the site of the RAF Silverstone. There are still airfield’s runways within the outline of the track. It is the host of different racing series including Formula 1. There are headquarters of several Formula 1 teams not far from the circuit with Sahara Force India Formula One Team headquarters in the very Silverstone village. Silverstone Circuit In the chase scene Bob Simmons replaced Guy Doleman, who played Count Lippe. The film crew did not notice as a stuntman left the car before the explosion, which caused for a moment very nervous atmosphere. Director Terence Young ran in panic toward the wreck, luckily nothing happened to Bob Simmons. Silverstone Circuit Formula 1 car from Force India team

Force India Formula One car (2008).

Sources:
– “Bond. Leksykon” Kamil M. Śmiałkowski, Wydawnictwo Pascal 2009
– “James Bond. Szpieg którego kochamy” Michał Grzesiek, Wydawnictwo Bukowy Las 2011
– www.mi6-hq.com
– www.silverstone.co.uk

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Old War Office Building as MI6 HQ

09 Saturday Jan 2016

Posted by Piotr Zając in A View to a Kill, License to Kill, London, Octopussy, Skyfall, UK

≈ 1 Comment

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007, A View to a Kill, filming location, James Bond, James Bond location, Licence to Kill, London, MI6, movie location, Octopussy, Old War Office, Skyfall, UK, Whitehall

In three James Bond films the MI6 headquarters, where M’s office was located, was portrayed by the Old War Office Building in Whitehall, London.

The Old War Office – Whitehall, London

For the first time the building featured in an establishing shot in “Octopussy”. We can see Whitehall with the Trafalgar Square in background and the Old War Office on the right. Inside the office there were Miss Moneypenny (Lois Maxwell) with her assistant – Penelope Smallbone (Michaela Clavell). The producers were looking for someone to replace Lois Maxwell who was playing Miss Moneypenny from the first James Bond film. They could not find anyone for replacement so they decided to introduce the assistant.

In “A View to a Kill” James Bond reported in the MI6 office right after opening credits with Duran Duran song (read more in Duran Duran in “A View to a Kill”). Camera briefly followed one of a horse guard on the other side of Whitehall and turned over to the Old War Office. Inside the office there were 007 and Moneypenny played for the last time by Lois Maxwell. She was the same age as Roger Moore (both born in 1927), who also played in James Bond film for the last time. Lois Maxwell was Miss Moneypenny for 23 years in 14 James Bond films.

For the third time the Old War Office building was presented as MI6 headquarters in establishing shot in “Licence to Kill”, similar to the shot from “Octopussy”. The scene inside the office was filmed in a studio in Mexico.

In all three sequencies there were red double-deckers on the street. They are still present on the Whitehall. Red double-decker in fron of The Old War Office - Whitehall, London The Old War Office building or actually its domed towers (one of them in picture below) returned to James Bond film in “Skyfall”.

At the end of the film James Bond was standing on a top of a building looking at London panorama. The scene was filmed on the roof of Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DECC). The building can be seen as first from left in a photo below and in background in the next photo. There is also the Union Flag between domed towers on the roof of the Old War Office as it was seen in “Skyfall”.

The Old War Office - Whitehall, London Standing on the roof James Bond was looking at the Big Ben in background (it can be seen also from the street as presented in photo below). There were two domed towers on the Old War Office on the right. The Old War Office with Big Ben in background - Whitehall, London

Shortly Moneypenny joined Bond standing on the roof. In the next scene they were both talking in MI6 office. The headquarters at Vauxhall Cross (that is real headquarters of British Secret Intelligence Service) was destroyed at the beginning of the filmed so the office returned to Whitehall, but it was not clear to which building.

Sources:
– A View to a Kill Audio Commentary, A View to a Kill Special Edition, Danjaq, LLC and United Artists Corporation, 2006
– „James Bond. Szpieg którego kochamy” Michał Grzesiek, Wydawnictwo Bukowy Las 2011
– Octopussy Audio Commentary, Octopussy Special Edition, Danjaq, LLC and United Artists Corporation, 2006
– http://www.filmweb.pl
– http://www.mi6-hq.com

JAMES BOND

~ Behind the Scenes of James Bond

Tag Archives: UK

‘Spectre’ – James Bond’s apartment in London

‘No Time to Die’ – locations gallery

‘No Time to Die’ at Whitehall Ct in London

‘Die Another Day’ at Buckingham Palace in London

‘Dr. No’ world premiere in London

‘Tomorrow Never Dies’ in Oxford

‘Spectre’ at Blenheim Palace

“Thunderball” at Silverstone Circuit

Old War Office Building as MI6 HQ

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