MI6 reports from Madrid where Daniel Craig, Caterina Murino, Mads Mikkelsen and Martin Campbell attended the Spanish premiere of Casino Royale...

Casino Royale Spanish Premiere
21st November 2006

Six days after the World Premiere in London, the Casino Royale publicity machine arrived in Madrid on Monday 20th November 2006. Treading the red carpet were Daniel Craig, Caterina Murino, Mads Mikkelsen and director Martin Campbell.

Above: Mads Mikkelsen, Martin Campbell, Caterina Murino and Daniel Craig pose for a group photograph ahead of the Spanish premiere held in Madrid.

Taking place at the Palacio de la Música on Grand Vía on Monday night, the Spanish Premiere was also attended by various Spanish celebrities, including the reining Miss Spain, Elisabeth Reyes, who posed in front of the Casino Royale poster (below right).

For the actors, the day had started with a press conference at Hotel Santo Mauro, where Daniel Craig was asked about his portrayal of 007 and why he had accepted the part – “the deciding factor was the script”, repeated Craig, a line which he must be speaking in his sleep by now.

Above: Daniel Craig arrives at the photo call, Miss Spain Elisabeth Reyes poses at the premiere

Craig also told reporters that his favourite Bond actor was Sean Connery, who “was a great inspiration” to him, while Caterina Murino, speaking in almost flawless Spanish, insisted that the most exhilarating aspect of the film was the promotional tour.

Barbara Broccoli also had the chance to speak about refocusing the franchise by returning to Bond’s roots with Casino Royale, which she considered to be the “Holy Grail of Bond”.

Above: Daniel Craig and Caterina Murino start the press conference ahead of the premiere

Although there has been little in the way of in-depth reviews in the press, the major Spanish newspapers all have features about the new film. One article simply comments that Daniel Craig is more muscular and spends more time undressed than anyone else in the film and notes that he doesn’t care if his Martini is shaken or stirred, while another journalist concludes that Casino Royale is “the most realistic film of the series” and that with “action, cruelty, sex, murder, fast cars, poker, the recurrent John Barry theme [sic], bad villains, sexy girls and dry martinis” the film is “a classic with a view to the future”.

Casino Royale goes on general release in Spain on Friday 24th November.

Above: Daniel Craig and Caterina Murino pose outside the Hotel Santo Mauro

Next up... Director Martin Campbell will attend the New Zealand premiere at SkyCity Cinemas in Newmarket, Auckland on Thursday 30th November 2006. Daniel Craig and Caterina Murino will be the stars of the show at the Australian premiere in Sydney on Monday 4th December 2006. Martin Campbell and producer Barbara Broccoli will also attend. The film opens nationwide in Australia and New Zealand from Thursday 7th December 2006.

Related Articles
Casino Royale Coverage
Casino Royale World Premiere Report

Thanks to David Leigh.