Sam Mendes’ Spectre is the 24th Bond Movie released in October 2015. Starring Daniel Craig, this Bond movie has many awards and even a Guinness Book Record. The storyline of this 148-minute-long film centers on Bond finding out about the secret organization named Spectre, whose leader is none other than Ernst Stavro Blofeld.
With a budget of almost $300 million, Spectre crossed over $880 million, making it one of the most successful bond films ever. Daniel Craig stars in the role of James Bond, while the rest of the skilled cast includes Christoph Waltz playing Ernst Stavro Blofeld, Monica Bellucci plays Lucia Sciarra, and Léa Seydoux portrays Madeleine Swann.
Spectre: Filming Locations
Having one of the highest budgets certainly gave Spectre the freedom to film in multiple locations, including the UK, Morocco, Austria, and Mexico. Major filming for Spectre began in December 2014, with the final shots in July 2015.
United Kingdom:
The first location Spectre’s crew moved to was the UK, specifically at the Pinewood Studios and other places around London. The exterior parts of James Bonds’ apartment were shot at Stanley Crescent, Notting Hill, London.
The interior of the Centre for National Security Headquarters was filmed at the London City Hall, The Queen’s Walk. MI6 Hildebrand’s safe house was based in London, too, particularly the Spring Gardens at St. James’s in Westminster.
M and James Bond’s car scene location is at Admiralty Arch, Pall Mall, St. James’s. While Spectre’s crew shifted to different countries for other scenes, the final parts of Spectre took place in the UK once again, particularly at Camden, where the Boat and Helicopter scenes were shot.
Blenheim Palace in Oxfordshire served as a filming spot for some scenes of Rome.
Austria:
After completing all scenes in the UK, Spectre’s crew shifted to Austria in December to film around Sölden. Most snow scenes were filmed here, with the Ice Q Restaurant at Das Central Hotel as a backdrop for the Hoffler Clinic.
A few other chase scenes were shot at Obertilliach, a municipality in Austria. This location is filled with picturesque mountains and clear waters, making it a wonderful place to visit to experience nature. Lake Altausee was the stunning lake we see James Bond go across in one of the scenes.
The cable car sequences that Spectre consists of were filmed at Cable Car Station, in Das Central Hotel, Sölden. Places like Ausseerland, Gaislachkogl, Kartitsch, Rettenbach, and Steiermark were other locations in Austria that made it into Spectre.
While filming in Austria, Daniel Craig got injured while filming in Austria, and the production had to be halted. In another incident, three crew members of Spectre ended up in an accident, which led to a temporary halt as well.
Rome, Lazio, Italy:
Filming in Rome lasted for a total of 5 weeks, with several well-known places being featured in Spectre. Lucia Sciarra’s beautiful villa was the Villa di Fiorano, located at Via Appia Antica in Rome. Adjacent to an Archaeological Park, this place has the perfect vibe for a Bond film featuring Monica Bellucci.
The archway in Spectre that James Bonds drove through while in Rome is located near the Garibaldi Museum, Largo di Porta San Pancrazio 9. The car chase scenes in Spectre are beyond spectacular, and one of those night scenes took place near the Tiber River of Rome.
This chase scene also features the Basilica of St. Paul, Corso Vittorio, Lungotevere, and Theatre of Marcellus, eventually ending near the Trastevere, where Bond reaches a bridge. Sciarra’s funeral, where Bond meets Lucia Sciarra for the first time, was filmed at Piazza Giovanni Agnelli in Rome.
When James arrives in Rome to attend Sciarra’s funeral, he passes by the Colosseum. Rome has been featured in several projects, including Domina, 365 Days, and The Godfather.
Mexico:
Spectre begins with scenes filmed in Mexico, with James in the middle of a “Day of the Dead” festival. The parade that we see in Spectre was specially made for this film, as there were efforts from both the producers and the Mexican government to include it in the movie.
Attended by more than 250,000 people, the parade scenes took place at the Paseo de la Reforma and Centro Histórico. Various places around Mexico City, like Zócalo, Plaza de La Constitucion, and Street Tacuba, were a part of the opening Day of the Dead sequence.
After completion of filming, the crew moved back to the Pinewood studios to compile the film and add appropriate special effects where needed.
Spectre not only was able to feature a gripping storyline and action scenes, but it also undeniably had some of the most perfect filming locations ever seen in a Bond movie. At present, Spectre is available to stream on Prime Video.
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