The 1965 James Bond classic Thunderball takes viewers on a spectacular journey around the world. The production team filmed scenes in the Bahamas, France, Florida and England. They also used Pinewood Studios in Buckinghamshire for many of the interior shots.
Here are some of the most memorable filming locations:
France: The opening sequence takes place at Château d’Anet, a beautiful castle near Dreux, west of Paris.
England: Bond meets Count Lippe at the Scrublands clinic. However, the real filming location was Chalfont Park House in Buckinghamshire. The grounds also feature luxury cars, including Bond’s iconic Aston Martin DB5. The thrilling car chase that follows takes place at the famous Silverstone Circuit. Meanwhile, the Royal Saracens Head, an 18th-century coaching inn in the Buckinghamshire Chilterns, doubles as Major Derval’s hotel.
The Bahamas: Nassau provides the setting for the colourful Junkanoo parade, filmed along Bay Street. Bond also meets Largo and Domino at Cafe Martinique. In addition, the production team filmed underwater scenes, including the love scene, at Clifton Pier. Other locations include the Exumas, New Providence Island and Paradise Island.
Photograph: Wikipedia
Where Was GoldenEye Filmed?
Martin Campbell directed GoldenEye in 1995. The film features spectacular locations in Switzerland, France, Puerto Rico, Russia and England. Interestingly, Pinewood Studios wasn’t available at the time. As a result, the production team used Leavesden Studios in Hertfordshire for much of the studio work.
Discover some of the famous GoldenEye filming locations below:
Switzerland: The famous opening dam jump takes place at the Contra Dam on the Verzasca River in Ticino. This impressive location provides the backdrop for one of Bond’s most memorable stunts.
France: Monte Carlo features in several scenes, including the casino sequences and the Tiger helicopter demonstration.
Puerto Rico: The dramatic satellite scenes take place at the Arecibo Observatory.
England: London doubles for several locations in St. Petersburg. For example, the Langham Hotel becomes the Grand Hotel Europe, while Somerset House stands in for a Russian square. Epsom Downs Racecourse also doubles as the airport where Bond meets Jake Wade. Meanwhile, the production team filmed the armoured train scenes at the Nene Valley Railway in Cambridgeshire.
Where Was Spectre Filmed?
Released in 2015, Spectre stars Daniel Craig as James Bond. Directed by Sam Mendes, the film takes viewers across England, Italy, Austria, Mexico and Morocco. Each location adds its own atmosphere to this action-packed adventure.
Here are some of the key filming locations:
Mexico: The spectacular opening sequence takes place in Mexico City’s Zócalo Square. The production team closed the square for two weeks to film the festival scenes, with the cathedral providing a stunning backdrop.
England: London features prominently throughout the film. Key locations include the River Thames, City Hall, Westminster Bridge, Covent Garden and Notting Hill. Further afield, Blenheim Palace in Oxfordshire doubles as Rome’s Palazzo Cadenza. The production team also filmed M’s office scenes at Her Majesty’s Treasury.
Austria: The luxurious ICE Q Restaurant at the Sölden ski resort becomes a private medical clinic. Meanwhile, Obertilliach provides the setting for the dramatic plane crash sequence. Mr White’s remote log cabin sits beside Lake Altaussee.
Italy: Rome provides several memorable backdrops, including the Colosseum, the Tiber River and Vatican City. The production team filmed the funeral scene at the Museum of Roman Civilization. In addition, the high-speed car chase races past the Vatican and crosses historic Roman bridges, including Ponte Sisto.
Where Was Skyfall Filmed?
Skyfall features some of the most spectacular James Bond filming locations. The production team travelled to Turkey, Japan, China, England and Scotland to capture the film’s impressive scenery.
From busy city streets to the dramatic Scottish Highlands, these locations help bring the story to life.
Turkey: The opening chase races through Eminönü Square in Istanbul and the streets of Adana. Bond also falls from the famous Varda Bridge in Kıralan. Meanwhile, Koca Çalış Beach in Fethiye provides the setting for the beachfront shack.
England: London features heavily throughout Skyfall. M’s house is located at 82 Cadogan Square, while the MI6 headquarters scenes feature the building near Vauxhall Bridge. Interestingly, the Shanghai hotel swimming pool is actually the Virgin Active pool in London’s Canary Wharf. Bond also meets Q at the National Gallery in Trafalgar Square. However, one of the film’s most recognisable locations, Skyfall House, wasn’t a real property. Instead, the production team built a special set on Hankley Common in Surrey.
Scotland: The breathtaking drive towards Bond’s childhood home takes place in the spectacular landscapes of Glen Etive and Glen Coe. These locations provide some of the film’s most memorable scenery.
Where Was Casino Royale Filmed?
Casino Royale marked Daniel Craig’s debut as James Bond in 2006. Directed by Martin Campbell, the film features locations in Italy, the Czech Republic, the Bahamas and England. The production team also split the studio work between Pinewood Studios and Barrandov Studios in Prague.
Here are some of the most interesting locations:
The Bahamas: Nassau provides the backdrop for several sunny scenes, including the ‘Nambutu Embassy’ chase. Bond also stays at the luxurious One&Only Ocean Club. This stunning resort in Nassau features in the scenes involving the poker game against Dimitrios.
The Czech Republic: The impressive Strahov Monastery Library in Prague doubles as the ‘House of Commons Committee Room’. Meanwhile, the Grandhotel Pupp in Karlovy Vary provides the exterior for Hotel Splendide.
Italy: Bond recovers at the beautiful Villa del Balbianello on the shores of Lake Como. The film also features Venice, where a collapsing building plays an important role. Although the production team created the collapse using CGI at Pinewood Studios, Palazzo Michael provided the real-life exterior.
Photograph: Wikipedia
Where Was Goldfinger Filmed?
The 1964 James Bond classic Goldfinger, starring Sean Connery, features filming locations in Florida, Kentucky, England and Switzerland. The production team used several real-world locations to create the film’s memorable scenes.
Take a look at some of the most recognisable locations:
England: The production team filmed much of Goldfinger near Pinewood Studios. Stanwell’s storage tanks became the fictional ‘South American holdings’. In addition, RAF Northolt Aerodrome doubled as ‘Blue Grass Airfield, Kentucky’. The famous golf match between Bond and Goldfinger took place at Stoke Poges Golf Club in Buckinghamshire. Meanwhile, Black Park Woodland provided the setting for the Fort Knox exterior.
Switzerland: The spectacular car chase featuring the white Mustang takes place along the scenic Furka Pass. The production team also used the Pilatus Aircraft Factory as the fictional ‘Auric Enterprises’.
Photograph: Wikipedia
Explore James Bond Filming Locations
Fancy visiting some of these famous James Bond filming locations? You can explore many of them for yourself with specialist tours and dedicated fan websites.
Whether you want to follow in Bond’s footsteps around London or discover the spectacular locations used in the international films, there are plenty of options.
05/12/2018
