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South Korea welcomed the new James Bond when
Daniel Craig, Caterina Murino and Martin Campbell
held a Casino Royale press conference in Seoul....
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South Korea Welcomes Mr Bond
11th December 2006
On their way back from Australia, Daniel Craig,
Caterina Murino and director Martin Campbell stopped by in Seoul,
South Korea, to promote the new James Bond film Casino Royale.
A news conference and photocall was held at
the Shilla Hotel on Sunday 10th December 2006 in Seoul ahead
of the film's general release in South Korea on Thursday 21st
December 2006.
Photographers and members of the press and gathered
to welcome the new James Bond to their shores - the first time
in many years that a 007 production has had cast and crew attend
a launch event in the country.
Above: Caterina Murino and Daniel
Craig pose for photographers in Seoul, South Korea |
When asked what he thought of comparisons to
other 007 actors, Craig saig "I think I admire all the Bonds,
but my personal favorite is Sean Connery. I think what he did
was fine. But when we film, it’s not my job to compare,
that’s your job. I don’t make comparisons".
Craig pleasantly surprised the crowd when he
cited "Old Boy’" (2003) and "Sympathy
for Lady Vengeance" (2006) as his favourite South Korean films.
The publicity should help Casino Royale at the nation's box office no
end, especially as last time around, "Die
Another Day" sparked
controversy and protests
in South Korea due to the politics
involved in the film's plot. Unsurprisingly, no cast and crew
attended the debut "Die Another Day" screening arranged by Fox
Korea back in 2002.
Despite the controversy, protests and boycotts in the country, "Die
Another Day" opened in South Korea on January 3rd 2003 and scooped
$2,467,660 from only 40 venues nationwide - an impressive $61,692 average
per screen. The film went on to take a total of $3,409,983 in the country.
In comparison, "Mission: Impossible III" opened on over ten
times as many screens (422) in South Korea earlier in 2006
and brought in an opening weekend total of $7,120,449 - an
average of $16,873 per screen.
Other blockbusters released in South Korea in 2006 so far include: "X-Men:
The Last Stand" ($10.5m), "Superman Returns" ($10.5m), "Pirates
of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest" ($21.5m), "Mission: Impossible
III" ($31m), and Sony's "The Da Vinci Code" ($18m).
Casino Royale is expected to take at least $10m at box-office
in South Korea if Sony secures a wide release on December 21st
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