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Sir Richard Branson, owner of Virgin Atlantic,
will make a cameo appearance in the forthcoming James
Bond film Casino Royale... |
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Sir Richard Branson To Cameo In Casino Royale
4th July 2006
Virgin Atlantic boss Sir Richard Branson will play himself in
a cameo role in the forthcoming James Bond film Casino Royale.
The tycoon was in Jamaica today, July 4th 2006, to celebrate
the airline's inaugural trip to the island. As well as the
latest 007 film shooting a large number of scenes there
earlier in the year, Jamaica was also the birth place of
James Bond - from the typewriter at Ian Fleming's "Goldeneye"
estate.
Dressed in a classic white tuxedo, Branson was joined by
Caterina Murino, who plays Solange in the film - a femme-fatale
who falls for the dangerous charms of 007.
As well as Branson, the sequence in the film will also
include one of the airline's new Airbus A340-600s and a
gaggle of check-in staff. The scenes were shot in Prague
back in April, although in the film the location will appear
to be Miami airport.
Branson said, "James Bond is original, cool and sophisticated
– just like an airline I know. Virgin Atlantic is
delighted to be a global partner of the new James Bond movie
Casino Royale and I’m just a little excited to be
playing a cameo role in the film. Having met Daniel Craig
and the rest of the team on set, I have no doubt that Casino
Royale will be one of the most successful James Bond films
ever."
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Above: Sir Richard Branson keeps Caterina
Murino from getting wet in Jamaica |
When asked by reporters if he was nervous before filming, Branson
said he was "just a little excited to be playing a cameo
in the film".
Above: Branson and Murino
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This is not the first time Branson has brushed with
Bond however. In an early draft of the screenplay for the
1999 James Bond film "The World Is Not Enough",
it was planned for Branson to make a cameo as the tycoon
explorer whose hot-air balloon is hijacked by Cigar Girl
in the film's opening sequence. For reasons unknown, it
never happened.
Later this year, Virgin Atlantic will launch a series of
promotional and marketing initiatives connected with the
movie, which has been filmed in the UK, the Caribbean and
in Prague.
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Whilst in Jamaica, Caterina Murino commented on the film and
Daniel Craig's casting as 007. She said, "Casino Royale is
the first book Ian Fleming wrote and it means we see how James
Bond became James Bond. Daniel is giving to this James Bond something
else we never saw before. When he's going to kill someone, he
looks like a real killer. When he kisses me, when he makes love,
he's so sexy."
"This James Bond doesn't look like a little cartoon like
before, like the last one or so charming and playful like the
first James Bond," she added. "This is new." She
also promised fans "you never saw a James Bond like this".
Produced by Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli (Eon
Productions) and directed by Martin Campbell, CASINO ROYALE is
scheduled for release November 17, 2006. Principal photography
started on January 30th 2006, with locations in the UK, Czech
Republic (Prague), Italy, and the Bahamas. It will be British
actor Daniel Craig’s first outing as James Bond. He is the
sixth actor to play the 007 role in the franchise.
The film also stars Judi Dench, Eva Green, Mads Mikkelsen, Jeffrey
Wright, Giancarlo Giannini, Caterina Murino, Simon Abkarian, Tobias
Menzies, Ivana Milicevic, Clemens Schik, Ludger Pistor, Claudio
Santamaria and Isaach de Bankole.
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