The "Quantum of Solace" production has arrived in Panama. MI6 has a full report and pictures from the location shooting, plus news on Peru and Chile...

Production Diary (11)
9th February 2008

According to reports, Daniel Craig arrived in Panama on Monday 4th February, with filming on "Quantum of Solace" commencing a few days later on Thursday 7th February.

A formal dinner was held at the National Theatre to mark the start of production in Panama. Principal cast members were in attendance, including Daniel Craig, Dame Judi Dench, Gemma Arterton, Olga Kurylenko, Giancarlo Giannini along with director Marc Forster and Craig's partner Satsuki Mitchell. Approximately forty guests were invited, who arrived from Bonita Beach for a cocktail reception in the theatre's foyer. The dinner was held on the theatre stage, which was decorated with a jungle theme.

Above: The National Theatre in Panama City hosted a welcome party for the production

Daniel Craig (007) and Gemma Arterton (Agent Fields) were spotted filming in Panama City on Friday 8th February by locals. Craig was in-character wearing a sharp suit, and Arterton was seen in Agent Fields' beige trenchcoat.

Above: Gemma Arterton and Daniel Craig were spotted in Panama City on Friday

The local media were hot on the tail of the production and one snapper managed to spot Daniel Craig in between scenes at the decommissioned US Howard Air Force Base in Panama City. As MI6 previously reported, other filming in the country will take place in the Old Town (known locally as El Casco Antiguo and El Casco Viejo) and the district of Santa Ana.

The National Institute of Culture (INAC) building is being refurbished for the filming as "Andean Grand Hotel", where an assassination attempt will be launched on 007 whilst he is in the hotel elevator. Shooting is expected to take place there on Monday 11th February through Wednesday 13th February. Although officials are yet to confirm which South American country Panama is doubling for, locals are continually hearing "Bolivia". The name of the hotel also gives this away, as the Andies are the major mountain range between Bolivia and Peru. Shooting will then move to the Union Club which will double as an Embassy where Agent Fields is based. Roads across the city are being closed to accommodate the filming. On Friday 8th February, "Calle 16 Oeste" (16 West Street - a side street to the National Bank building) was closed, followed by the street 18 Sta. Ana on Saturday 9th February.

Above: Daniel Craig was spotted in rehearsals at the Howard Air Force Base in Panama.

Filming will then move to Patio Rochet on Thursday 14th and Friday 15th February (Student Street will be closed, on the block of Instituto National), for a night shoot between the hours of 6:00pm and 6:00am. The local production manager James Grant has posted a notice apologizing in advance for the "degree of disturbance" that the shooting will cause.

More filming will then take place in the province of Colón, north of the capital city. 700 Panamanian extras will be needed for the shoot. Back in December, MI6 reported that casting for extras in the film would take at the Teatro la Quadra. Shooting in Panama is expected to last until Thursday 21st February.

Peru & Chile Next Up Part of the 22nd James Bond film "Quantum of Solace" will be shot next month in the Peruvian Inca citadel of Machu Picchu, the production company confirmed. EON will be assisted in Peru by Iguana Productions. A producer for Iguana Productions said that the filmmakers have chosen the region of Cusco, which is part of the Machu Picchu, for the filming which will involve at least 250 people. The company declined to comment on whether Daniel Craig will be in attendance for the filming. Local reports state the filming will centre around action sequences, and director Luis Llosa will assist the production. Llosa was behind 1995's "Max is Missing", which was shot entirely in Cusco. The production team will arrive in Peru after filming wraps in Panama. Shooting in Peru is expected to take place between March 2nd and March 12th.

Meanwhile, Stillking Films - who co-produced the filming of "Casino Royale" in the Czech Republic - are currently in the Antofagasta region of Chile to firm up locations for "Quantum of Solace". The company has an office in Santiago, and scouting in Chile first started last September. Producer Bud Theisen confirmed that filming is expected to start in Chile on March 23rd and will last for 10 to 12 days. Exact locations in Chile are yet to be confirmed, but Stillking Films are reported to have extensively scouted the small town of Chuquicamata.