Roger Moore appeared for the last time in A View To A Kill, released in 1985. It is the fourteenth movie from the James Bond series. The 131-minute-long movie got produced by United Artists and Eon Productions. The movie’s budget was supposed to be $35 million.
The production team took two weeks more than the planned schedule but completed filming within $30 million. It was released in the United Kingdom and the United States and made a box office collection of $152.4 million. James Bond, also called Agent 007, is responsible for stopping Max Zorin, a threatening microchip manufacturer, from destroying his competitors in Silicon Valley in A View To A Kill movie.
A multinational digital technology company named ‘Zoran Corporation’ was later spotted by the production team in Silicon Valley. Thus, they had to add a disclaimer before the movie informing that Zorin does not depict any real-life company.
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View To A Kill Filming Locations
View To A Kill Filming Locations include several locations in San Francisco, France, London (pinewood Studios), Switzerland, and Iceland. Many locations are the same as in the Superman (1978) movie.
Ascot Racecourse
Principal photography began on 01 August 1964, and the filmmakers chose Ascot Racecourse for racing scenes. Thoroughbred horseracing occurs in the Ascot Racecourse, the dual-purpose British racecourse in Berkshire. Bond first checks out there in the movie.
Lefty O’Doul Bridge
The fire engine chase scene, in which Agent 007 used the fire truck to evade the police, was filmed on the Lefty O’Doul Bridge adjacent to Oracle Park. It connects the San Francisco Mission Bay neighborhoods and the China Basin.
Staines-upon-Thames
The market town in the northwest, Surrey, called Staines-upon-Thames, and an open-air industrial heritage Amberley Chalk Pits Museum got chosen to film the mineshaft scene. In that scene, the fire burned the cables, and the burning elevators Bond and Sutton were standing on fell down the shaft. However, heavy steel cables cannot burn so easily in real life.
Eiffel Tower
B.J. Worth, a stunt parachutist, jumped from the Eiffel Tower, and enough footage was obtained through his jump. Thus, another parachutist, Don Caldvedt, did not get a chance to jump. Still, he jumped without no consent from anyone and ended up getting dismissed from the movie.
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The Blimp And The Golden Gate Bridge
Bond crashed against Zorin’s blimp in one of the most memorable moments in the climax scene. Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco, was shown in the scene. It got constructed for the movie using a few plates.
The blimp was actually used for the 1984 Summer Olympics opening ceremony promotional tour. The filmmakers replaced ‘Welcome’ with ‘Zorin Industries’ painted on the blimp’s gasbag for the movie. Moreover, the airship got inflated within a couple of minutes in the movie, but it takes twenty-four hours to do so in real life.
Jökulsárlón Glacial Lake
Siberia shown in pre-credits is the Jökulsárlón glacial lake located at the top of the Breiðamerkurjökull glacier and the southeastern part of Vatnajökull Glacier. It is a center of attraction in Iceland and contains skuas, seals, and floating icebergs.
Château de Chantilly
Eighteenth-century Château de Chantilly was chosen to film Zorin’s estate. Château means a large French castle or country house. The jewel of France, Château de Chantilly, is about thirty miles north of Pairs in the town of Chantilly.
The Fisherman’s Wharf
After following Zorin to San Francisco, Bond met Chuck Lee, the CIA agent. Walking through The Fisherman’s Wharf, the duo discussed Zorin’s intentions to capture an oil station.
Located on the northern waterfront, The Fisherman’s Wharf is the city’s most family-oriented and busy tourist area. It has several garages and parking lots nearby. Street performers, seafood restaurants, and shops also got included in the scene.
San Francisco City Hall
San Francisco City Hall, often chosen for filming several movies, became The State Office Building, where Howe handles his mines and divisions of oil. Howe is a corrupt official working for Zorins in the movie. San Francisco City Hall, called People’s Palace, is the seat of government and an open space.
The Dunsmuir House
Stacey Sutton, who inherited the oil business, stayed in real-life The Dunsmuir House in Oakland, California. It gets used for reenacting historical events, weddings, business parties, and receptions. It got registered as one of the national historic places by the United States.
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