It seems the makers of Bond 23 are keen to ensure it’s a big international adventure, even if it’s causing them a bit of a headache. There are rumours that a major action sequence on a train that was set to be shot in India has had to be moved to South Africa after the co-operation of Indian authorities ceased. That doesn’t mean they’re going to hole themselves up in Pinewood for the whole shoot though, as it appears the opening scenes wiil be shot in Instanbul.
MI6-HQ reveals that Producers Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli met with Turkish Culture and Tourism Minister Ertugrul Günay to firm up plans for the production. Günay says, “The opening scenes are planned to be filmed in Istanbul, but some other places will also be used outside Istanbul for the film. Such is the appeal of the series that many of the locations where Bond films have been filmed in the past have continued to attract Bond fans to visit many years down the line. The fact that the opening scene of the film will be made in Turkey will contribute to Turkish tourism. The ministry has been providing big support to the film sector for five years. We have made a concerted effort in the past five years to support the film sector and our aim continues to be to welcome international film crews to our country for filming.”
Bond 23 will shoot in the Sultanahmet Square area of Istanbul, although the production is also looking to shoot in the coastal town of Bosporus. “There are, however, a number of locations, including the waterside and shores of the Bosporus, in consideration for the 10-15 minutes of the movie that is to be filmed in Turkey,” Gunay added.
In related news, Twitch reports on rumours French actress Berenice Marlohe has been cast as a new Bond girl in Bond 23. She’s mostly appeared on French TV so far, so it’d be a big step up for her. However there’s been no confirmation she’ll be in the movie, so we’ll have to wait and see.
Sam Mendes is directing Bond 23 from a script by Neal Purvis, Robert Wade, and John Logan. Production is scheduled to begin next month.