Tag: Casino Royale

Sony Pix to air best films from James Bond franchise

MUMBAI: Envy him for his sophisticated gadgets or love him for his charming attitude, you definitely cannot ignore this iconic secret agent, who will sweep you off your feet with his impeccable style and wit. The name’s Bond…James Bond – the panache that remains unparalleled since 1962. Catch the most complicated cases getting solved by code name 007 only on Sony Pix with Bond PIXathon. Watch some of the best films from the James Bond franchise back-to-back all day long on 2 October from 10 am onwards.

Bond movies have succeeded in keeping the viewers on the edge of their seats. While the oh-so-charming Pierce Brosnan, will keep you enthralled with his back-to-back three movie marathon, Tomorrow Never Dies at 10 am, The World Is Not Enough at 12:30 pm and Die Another Day at 3:15 pm, there is more in the offing. The channel will then move on to satiate your appetite by showcasing movies of the drop dead gorgeous, Daniel Craig- Casino Royale at 6 pm and Quantum of Solace at 9 pm.

The Bond series have a lot to offer – from the well suited Bond style and the theme tune, to the gadgets used and the quintessential dialogues. What started as a fictional character by novelist Ian Fleming in the year 1953, went on to become a successful 26-movie series with 6 actors playing the title character of James Bond till the year 2015. The franchise has grossed nearly $7 billion to date, making it the third-highest-grossing film series.

September 30, 2016
Sony Pix to air best films from James Bond franchise

MUMBAI: Envy him for his sophisticated gadgets or love him for his charming attitude, you definitely cannot ignore this iconic secret agent, who will sweep you off your feet with his impeccable style and wit. The name’s Bond…James Bond – the panache that remains unparalleled since 1962. Catch the most complicated cases getting solved by code name 007 only on Sony Pix with Bond PIXathon. Watch some of the best films from the James Bond franchise back-to-back all day long on 2 October from 10 am onwards.

Bond movies have succeeded in keeping the viewers on the edge of their seats. While the oh-so-charming Pierce Brosnan, will keep you enthralled with his back-to-back three movie marathon, Tomorrow Never Dies at 10 am, The World Is Not Enough at 12:30 pm and Die Another Day at 3:15 pm, there is more in the offing. The channel will then move on to satiate your appetite by showcasing movies of the drop dead gorgeous, Daniel Craig- Casino Royale at 6 pm and Quantum of Solace at 9 pm.

The Bond series have a lot to offer – from the well suited Bond style and the theme tune, to the gadgets used and the quintessential dialogues. What started as a fictional character by novelist Ian Fleming in the year 1953, went on to become a successful 26-movie series with 6 actors playing the title character of James Bond till the year 2015. The franchise has grossed nearly $7 billion to date, making it the third-highest-grossing film series.

September 30, 2016
Daniel Craig to return as James Bond 007 for fourth time in ‘Spectre’

NEW DELHI: The 24th James Bond adventure ‘Spectre’ will feature Daniel Craig in his fourth film as Ian Flemings James Bond 007.

Produced by Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli and directed by Sam Mendes, the film is all set to begin production.

This announcement was made at 007 Soundstage, Pinewood Studios in London. The film, from Albert R. Broccolis EON Productions, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios and Sony Pictures Entertainment begins principal photography on 8 December and is set for global release on 6 November next year.

The other cast includes Ralph Fiennes, Naomie Harris, Ben Whishaw and Rory Kinnear as well as introducing Christoph Waltz, Léa Seydoux, Dave Bautista, Monica Bellucci and Andrew Scott.

Mendes also revealed Bonds sleek new Aston Martin, the DB10, created exclusively for ‘Spectre.’

A cryptic message from Bond’s past sends him on a trail to uncover a sinister organisation. While M battles political forces to keep the secret service alive, Bond peels back the layers of deceit to reveal the terrible truth behind ‘Spectre.’

The 007 production will be based at Pinewood Studios, and on location in London, Mexico City, Rome and Tangier and Erfoud, in Morocco. Bond will return to the snow once again, this time in Sölden, along with other Austrian locations, Obertilliach, and Lake Altaussee.

Commenting on the announcement, Wilson and Broccoli said, “We’re excited to announce Daniel’s fourth installment in the series and thrilled that Sam has taken on the challenge of following on the success of Skyfall.”

Written by John Logan and Neal Purvis and Robert Wade, director of photography for the film is Hoyte van Hoytema and editor is Lee Smith. Production designer Dennis Gassner returns along with costume designer Jany Temime and composer Thomas Newman. Action Specialist Alexander Witt is the 2nd unit director. Stunt coordinator is Gary Powell, special effects supervisor is Chris Corbould, and visual effects supervisor is Steve Begg.

Skyfall, the 23rd James Bond film, was a worldwide box office phenomenon, opening #1 in 70 territories around the world, taking over $1.1 billion worldwide and setting a new all-time box office record in the UK by becoming the first film to take over ?100 million.

The launch of Spectre was streamed live on 007.com <http://007.com/> and Facebook.com/JamesBond007, and the video is now available on demand at both sites.

Promotional partners returning to the Bond franchise include Aston Martin, Bollinger, Heineken, Jaguar Land Rover, Omega, Sony Electronics, and Sony Mobile.

James Bond is the longest running, and one of the most successful franchises of all time, with twenty-three films produced and the twenty-fourth about to go in to production. Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli succeeded Albert R ‘Cubby’ Broccoli and have produced the past seven Bond films together, including the highly successful Casino Royale, Quantum of Solace and Skyfall. All of the James Bond films have been made in collaboration with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios or United Artists, its predecessor.

December 8, 2014
Skyfall reigns for third consecutive week

MUMBAI: Seizing the No. 1 box office spot offshore for the third consecutive round, Skyfall, with a weekend tally of $89 million from 12,850 locations in 80 markets, is now on its way to becoming the biggest-grossing James Bond title ever released in the foreign theatrical circuit.

Since its overseas opening on 26 October, Daniel Craig‘s third Bond outing has collected $428.6 million, just $3.6 million away from the $432.2 total foreign gross of the existing franchise record holder 2006‘s Casino Royale that also starred Craig.

The film is expected to overtake Casino Royale on Monday, said Sony, which has collected $367.4 million of the total overseas take while co-distributor MGM has taken in $61.2 via various licensees.

The film‘s weekend feature was dominated by the UK that contributed $18.2 million from 1,786 sites in Skyfall‘s third round there. In Germany, the second round tally was $15.1 million at 1,338 situations for a market total of $44 million. France came up with $8.2 million in the third stanza at 825 sites, for a market total of $42.5 million.

The 22 previous Bond titles that started from Dr No, the first that generated $43.4 million overseas to 2008‘s Quantum of Solace that amassed $407.7 million, have tallied total foreign revenues of $3.277 billion.

November 12, 2012
Five 007 films to screen at Cannes on 50th anniversary

MUMBAI: This year‘s Cannes Film Festival will celebrate 50 years of the James Bond franchise by screening five classic 007 films.

The films that will be screened on the occasion are From Russia with Love, On Her Majesty‘s Secret Service, Diamonds Are Forever and Daniel Craig‘s debut film Casino Royale. The films, which have all been digitally enhanced, will be shown free to the public.

“The screenings in Cannes mark a year-long celebration, including a return to theatres worldwide of some of the classic Bond films,” said MGM and Sony executives in a joint statement.

The superspy first made an appearance on screen in 1962‘s Dr No and went on to become a sensational hit thereafter.

May 17, 2012
BBC viewers vote ‘Casino Royale’ as top film of the year

MUMBAI: Viewers of UK pubcaster the BBC’s show Film 2006 With Jonathan Ross have votd the Bond film Casino Royale as the film of the year.

Having visited Bond sets in the Bahamas and Buckinghamshire, the show’s host Jonathan Ross was delighted to see his own enthusiasm for Casino Royale being matched by the voters.

He says, “Daniel Craig is a magnificent Bond and Casino Royale is a daring and spectacular success.”

The top 10 films voted were

1) Casino Royale
2) The Wind that Shakes the Barley
3) Pirates Of The Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest
4) Children Of Men
5) Little Miss Sunshine
6) Clerks II
7) Borat: Cultural Learnings of America For Make Benefit Glorious Kazakhstan
8) Pan’s Labyrinth
9) Superman Returns
10) The Prestige.

December 30, 2006
Sony Pictures reaches $3 billion worldwide box office for the first time

MUMBAI: While its electronics division is in trouble one area where Sony has been doing really well in is in films. For the first time in its history, Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE) has crossed more than $3 billion in worldwide ticket sales.

As had been reported earlier by Indiantelevision.com, in India Sony crossed the Rs 1 billion mark for the third time in four years.

This marks the fourth time in history that any studio has reached the $3 billion mark in a single year. Internationally, the studio has already realised its best year of all time, with just under $1.5 billion and counting. Domestically, the studio has already passed more than $1.5 billion and is on pace to surpass $1.573 billion, the most any studio has ever generated at the box office in a single year in North America, a record held by Sony since 2002.

2006 marks the third time in the past five years that SPE has been the number one studio in the US in terms of share. As Sony finishes the year, the studio controls over 18 per cent of all tickets sold in the US and Canada. Led by The DaVinci Code, the worldwide blockbuster that has grossed over $750 million at the box office, SPE has seen four films exceed more than $100 million in domestic box office — including Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby, Click, The DaVinci Code, Casino Royale — and five more have surpassed the $100 million worldwide threshold (Pink Panther, Monster House, Open Season, Underworld: Evolution and Little Man).

Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Group chairman worldwide marketing and distribution Jeff Blake says, “This is the kind of year that is pretty hard to top. Hitting $3 billion in worldwide box office is an incredible accomplishment in every way. The fact that we are reaching this peak by potentially passing the domestic industry box office record while at the same time enjoying our best year ever internationally is just a staggering achievement that makes us all very proud.

“This isn’t the result of just one film — our entire slate really worked this year, and credit for our success goes first and foremost to the extraordinary filmmakers and actors that brought us The DaVinci Code, Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby, Click, Casino Royale, The Pink Panther, Underworld: Evolution, Monster House, Open Season and so many others.”‘

Blake also credited “The remarkable talent and hard work exhibited by our production, marketing, and distribution teams. Today, we’re celebrating and thanking everyone who played a part in the success of our 2006 slate worldwide.”

The studio reached its achievement in a year that featured a record 12 films opening at number one and strong performances from all the labels under the Sony Pictures Entertainment banner: Columbia Pictures, Screen Gems, Revolution Studios, TriStar Pictures, and co-productions in association with MGM.

December 11, 2006
Sony Pictures India crosses Rs 1 billion mark for third time in four years

MUMBAI: The Indian operations of Sony Pictures Entertainment are going from strength to strength. Following a disappointing 2005, the studio has rebounded and has announced that it has crossed the Rs 1 billion mark in ticket sales for the third time in four years.

This milestone was previously crossed in 2002 and 2004 and is a record for Hollywood in India. For 2006, Sony broke its own record. It made Rs 1,056,856,024 compared to Rs 1,019,240,000 in 2002 and Rs 1,001,693,000 in 2004.

The record was helped by the latest Bond film Casino Royale, probably the best Bond film since Sean Connery. As had been reported earlier by Indiantelevision.com, the film opened across 427 prints and 452 screens, largest print and screen count. In the opening weekend it made Rs 149 million almost twice that of Spider-Man 2, which had made Rs 78 million in 2004.

This year Sony also had four films in the top 10 list for opening weekend for Hollywood films. Besides the Bond film, Pirates of the Caribbean 3 made Rs 31 million. Thanks to the controversy surrounding its release The Da Vinci Code made Rs 30 million and The Chronicles of Narnia made Rs 24 million.

Sony also became the first Hollywood studio to foray into local production with Saawariya. The film, directed by Sanjay Leela Bhansali, will be released next Diwali.

Casino Royale was the first Hollywood film to cross the Rs 100 million mark. It did that in two days. Sony anticipates it to be the second largest grosser of all times for any foreign language film in India. It made Rs 330 million as of 29 November 2006.

Sony Pictures releasing of India MD Uday Singh says, “We are extremely proud to be the only studio to ever reach this box office pinnacle and that too thrice in a short span of four years. This inspired performance has been due to a fabulous line-up put together by Sony Pictures Entertainment, Buena Vista International and our partners in India and of course the stupendous efforts put in by our talented and dedicated marketing and distribution teams across India. This is truly a historic and a memorable moment for all of us.

“The future looks exciting with highly anticipated tent pole products like Ghost Rider, Pursuit of Happiness, Spider-Man 3, Pirates of the Caribbean 4, Surf Up, Resident Evil 3 and National Treasure 2. 2007 is also a special year as it marks the launch of our first Hindi title, Sanjay Leela Bhansalis Saawariya on 9 November, 2007.”

In a year, approximately 70-72 films are released by the Hollywood Studios in India. Releases from other sources (the Independent Importers) is not known. More and more titles are being released day and date with the US – to kill piracy at one end and to cash in on the global marketing campaign at one shot at the other end.

December 6, 2006
Bond shakes up the Indian box-office with nearly Rs 150 mn take

MUMBAI: Shaken but not stirred! Casino Royale the new bond film made Rs. 149 million in the first three days of release.

The film opened across 452 screens on 427 prints. Sony pictures releasing of India says that this marks the best opening weekend performance for a foreign film in India surpassing Spider-Man 2 which had made Rs. 78 million. On the first day alone Casino Royale made Rs. 47 million. It has also been the fastest foreign film to cross the Rs. 100 million mark.

Sony Pictures Releasing India MD Uday Singh, says, “Casino Royale has exceeded our expectations at the box-office. This unprecedented opening is the largest for a foreign film in India. Backed by a 360 degree marketing campaign, synergy partnerships from the Sony Group Companies and our brand alliances, we took this franchise to a wider audience base. Critical acclaim from the media further helped in building the buzz”.

November 21, 2006
Bond festival gathering steam on Star Movies

MUMBAI: With the latest James Bond film Casino Royale in theatres across the country Star Movies’ month long initiative Absolute Bond Festival is gathering steam.

On 20 November 2006 the channel airs Octopussy. Roger Moore plays the ttile role. When 009 turns up dead clutching a fake Faberge egg, Bond is sent to investigate. When the real jewelry is auctioned at Sotheby’s, 007 follows the seller, Kamal Khan (Jordan) to India, where he meets Octopussy (Adams), the head of a female gang of smugglers. Learning Khan and Octopussy are partners with General Orlov (Steven Berkoff), an insane Soviet hardliner, Bond races to West Berlin, where Octopussy’s circus is entertaining American troops. Dressed as a clown, 007 races against time to find and disarm a nuclear bomb planted by Orlov as part of his mad scheme to invade and conquer Europe.

Another Moore Bond A View To A Kill airs on 21 november at 9 pm. This marked Moore’s final appearance as Bond. He has to stop Madcap computer industrialist Max Zorin (Christopher Walken) from triggering a massive earthquake in Silicon Valley and annihilating the global computer market.

With the help of geologist Stacey Sutton (Tanya Roberts), Bond must contend with May Day (Jones) and Zorin’s endless supply of henchmen.

On 22 November the channel airs The Living Daylights with Timothy Dalton in his first outing as Bond. Narrowly missed by a female sniper, Soviet General Georgi Koskov (Jeroen Krabb) defects to England. During his debriefing, Koskov informs MI6 that KGB chief Leonid Pushkin (John Rhys-Davies) has started a new operation: Smiert Spionem: Death to Spies.

With one of their agents already dead, M orders Bond to assassinate Pushkin. Not trusting Koskov, Bond learns the sniper was the general’s girlfriend, Kara Milovy (Maryam D’Abo). Traveling to Tangiers, Bond discovers Koskov’s partners with arms dealer Brad Whitaker (Joe Don Baker). Captured, Bond’s sent to Afghanistan, where Koskov makes an opium purchase worth millions. Escaping, Bond destroys the opium and returns to Tangiers, where he kills Whitaker and Pushkin arrests Koskov for high treason.

On 23 November the channel airs Licence To Kill which was the second and last film with Dalton. When drug lord Franz Sanchez (Davi) exacts his brutal vengeance on Bond’s friend Felix Leiter (David Hedison), 007 resigns from the British Secret Service and begins a fierce vendetta against the master criminal.

Bond won’t be satisfied until Sanchez is defeated, and to accomplish this aim he allies himself with a beautiful pilot (Lowell) and Sanchez’s sexy girlfriend (Talisa Soto). But Bond, relegated to outlaw status, must battle agents on both sides of the law as he discovers the horrifying extent of his prey’s resources.

The channel has also quoted Tam data c&s 4+ Males SEC A, A+ saying that since the Bond festival started there has been a 58 per cent jump in channel shares compared to the previous six weeks. While reach of the channel remains constant, there was a 37 per cent improvement in weekly time spent.

Star VP marketing Satya Raghavan says, “James Bond is a global phenomenon and is hugely popular in India. The Absolute Bond festival on Star Movies has created an enormous amount of buzz and excitement amongst its viewers. We are extremely delighted at the response and this line up of Bond films will keep the viewers entertained and coming back for more! If you haven’t caught them already, there are eight more movies to go”.

November 18, 2006