MI6 reports from the 2007 BAFTA awards in London, where Casino Royale was nominated in nine categories including Best Actor for Daniel Craig, and Eva Green for Rising Star...

Bond At The BAFTA Awards
11th February 2007

Daniel Craig and Eva Green attended the British film awards on Sunday 11th February 2007 in London, with the latest James Bond film "Casino Royale" nominated in nine categories. Both were snapped on the red carpet outside the Royal Opera House in London's theatre-packed West End.

Above: Daniel Craig and girlfriend Satsuki Mitchell arrive at the ceremony.

When asked about his prospects of winning before the event, Daniel Craig told reporters "I'm feeling good. I'm feeling very good. Win or lose it's going to be a good night whatever"

But Royalty rather than Royale triumphed at the BAFTA's, with "The Queen" clinching best film and Helen Mirren best actress for her portrayal of the monarch, while "The Last King of Scotland" scooped three awards. The other main victor of the night was "Pan's Labyrinth", a fantasy set just after the end of the Spanish Civil War which also picked up three awards. In contrast, the 007 failed to shake or stir, picking up just one of the nine BAFTA nominations it received - winning the sound quality category.

Above: Dame Judi Dench and Daniel Craig greet fans on the red carpet

Forest Whitaker won best actor for playing the late Ugandan dictator Idi Amin in "The Last King of Scotland", after beating off competition from Daniel Craig - the initially controversial but ultimately successful choice to replace Pierce Brosnan as superspy James Bond in "Casino Royale", and also the first actor to be nominated for a BAFTA for his portrayal of 007.

Judi Dench was nominated for her role in the school sex drama "Notes on a Scandal", but was beaten to the Best Actress gong by Helen Mirren for "The Queen".

Above: Eva Green arriving, and after winning her Rising Star award

Eva Green, who was wearing a stunning Dior red dress by John Galliano, won the Orange Rising Star Award as voted by the public.

Craig also revealed that filming for Bond 22 is currently planned for January 2008. How many films will he play Bond? Craig left his options open - "as many as I have to", he replied with a wry smile. "I can only think about the next one. I can't think beyond that. I am loving [playing James Bond], but I can only think about the next one - each film takes about two years to get ready and prepare for and film, and I have to dedicate a large part of my life to it. So, I can't see beyond next year at the moment. We'll do next year and then we'll see from there."

Above: Daniel Craig and Satsuki Mitchell pose for photographers

Related Articles
Casino Royale Coverage
Casino Royale World Premiere Report

Produced by Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli (Eon Productions) and directed by Martin Campbell, CASINO ROYALE was released on November 16, 2006 in the UK. Principal photography started on January 30th 2006, with locations in the UK, Czech Republic (Prague), Italy, and the Bahamas. It was 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 starred 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.