Casino Royale is a 2006 film directed by Martin Campbell and is the reboot of the James Bond series starring Daniel Craig. In the movie, we see how James Bond becomes Bond, as he’s given his 00 license and is sent on the hunt for a criminal organization with worldwide reach.
With Daniel Craig, Eva Green, Judi Dench, Mads Mikkelsen, Caterina Murino, and Giancarlo Giannini in the cast, the movie is impeccably shot, giving us a look at how this new iteration of Bond becomes a more deep character.
The film also features a lot of outdoor scenes and on-location footage that we’re going to explore and is accompanied by a great musical which includes the intro song, a staple to all Bond films, performed by Chris Cornell.
Casino Royale Filming Locations
Casino Royale is a big production and takes James Bond’s Daniel Craig all over the world, with photography taking place in the Bahamas, Italy, the United Kingdom, and the Czech Republic, with interior shots taking place in Barrandov and Pinewood Studios. Filming took place between early January and late July 2006.
Barrandov Studios, Prague, Czech Republic
Barrandov Studios is the largest film studio in the Czech Republic. It’s one of the most iconic filming locations in Europe, home to films like The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe, The Bourne Identity, Yentl, Amadeus, Eurotrip, and Blade II. Here, they shot several indoor dialogue scenes.
Pinewood Studio, Buckinghamshire, United Kingdom
Every single James Bond film has been filmed at the iconic Pinewood Studio in Buckinghamshire, United Kingdom. It’s the home of James Bond, it is a massive complex that features all sorts of stages, including the iconic 007 Stage, and it is a filmmaker’s paradise with all the things you can imagine to make movies come to life.
This is the home of productions like Tim Burton’s Batman, Ridley Scott’s “Aliens,” Ant-Man, Guardians of the Galaxy, and many more! It is here where they shot those famous poker games in which Bond shows he’s not only a covert ops specialist but also a skilled poker player, as well as the many interior shots of him at the MI6 building as well as other indoor scenes that give the movie its body.
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Italy
Several outdoor scenes were shot across Italy, including the Villa, where Bond shoots a snitch in the knee, a hospital garden at Lake Como, the iconic Accademia Bridge, St. Mark’s Square, and the Academy of Music in Venice. It’s in Venice where they shoot those action scenes, including the collapsing building at the climactic scene where Vesper meets her demise, leaving a heartbroken Bond seeking revenge.
Bahamas
In the movie, Bond goes to Nassau to gather some intel about the mysterious Spectre organization and the poker game that will be orchestrated by Le Chiffre. Cast and crew moved to the Bahamas and shot outdoor locations at New Providence Island, the Nassau International Airport, the Atlantis Casino in Paradise Island, Coral Harbour, the One and Only Ocean Club, the Buena Vista Hotel, and West Shore.
Casino Royale is the reboot of the Daniel Craig era, and it is an impactful action movie that gave us a Bond that is remembered for being one of the deepest interpretations of that character, only to be rivaled by Timothy Dalton’s Bond. The movie was impeccably shot on location and in studios with the amazing quality, detail, and action sequences that made the Daniel Craig era what it is.
Shot across Europe and the Caribbean, it shows us how Bond is a man with global reach, a special ops man, a gambler, a playboy, and a man with a broken heart who falls for a double agent in what sets up the scenario for the following films.
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