By Elizabeth McQuillan
Scotland is to once again set to host a maelstrom of Hollywood action, with another film crew and movie entourage set to commandeer the "wilds of Scotland" as a backdrop.
The 23rd Bond adventure, Skyfall, will see Daniel Craig return for his third film as James Bond 007, along with a healthy cast that includes Javier Bardem, Dame Judi Dench, Naomie Harris, Bérénice Marlohe, Ralph Fiennes, Albert Finney and Ben Whishaw.
With filming already underway, and a release date of October 2012, one can only hope the actors are hardy enough to endure all that the Scottish weather and cuisine can throw at them over the coming months.
The film, from Albert R Broccoli’s Eon Productions, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios and Sony Pictures Entertainment, is directed by Sam Mendes. The screenplay is by Neal Purvis, Robert Wade and John Logan.
In Skyfall, Bond’s loyalty to M is tested as her past comes back to haunt her. As MI6 comes under attack, 007 must track down and destroy the threat, no matter how personal the cost.
“We’re so delighted to have Sam Mendes direct Skyfall and be working once again with Daniel Craig," said producers Michael G Wilson and Barbara Broccoli. "We've a great script, an extraordinary cast and an incredibly talented creative team for this latest James Bond adventure.”
The director of photography is Roger Deakins, a nine-time Oscar nominee who previously shot the films Jarhead and Revolutionary Road for Mendes. The production designer is another Oscar winner, Dennis Gassner, who designed Quantum of Solace and collaborated with Mendes on Road to Perdition and Jarhead.
The editor is Stuart Baird, whose credits include Casino Royale. Costume designer Jany Temime's credits include the Harry Potter series, In Bruges and Children of Men.
Much of the filming will take place at Whitehall, as well as at Pinewood Studios, but Scotland, Shanghai and Istanbul will also have their role to play. Rumours abound as to the exact location for the Scottish part of the filming, but Duntrune Castle near the west end of the Crinan Canal is a favourite.
It is thought that the castle may provide the setting for Bond’s ancestral home, with a winter backdrop. If so, the actors and crew could be in need of thermal underwear, with flasks of soup and bacon butties all round.
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