CHINA: Daniel Craig and Eva Green at the premiere of the film Casino Royale in Beijing, the first ever James Bond movie to be shown at theatres in China

Record ID: 219254

  • Title: CHINA: Daniel Craig and Eva Green at the premiere of the film Casino Royale in Beijing, the first ever James Bond movie to be shown at theatres in China
  • Date: 31st January 2007
  • Summary: BEIJING, CHINA (JANUARY 29, 2007) (REUTERS) (SOUNDBITE) (English) ACTRESS EVA GREEN SAYING: "It's quite mad. I've always wanted to go to China you know since I saw "The Last Emperor", the Bertolucci movie. And this morning was so magical. A bit foggy, it was just beautiful. And I also saw the wall of China yesterday. I bought a lot of Chinese stuff. It's like a dream. I'm only here for two days but I'll come back for sure." VARIOUS OF 'CASINO ROYALE' PREMIERE PARTY WITH 007 SIGNAGE AND MODELS IN OUTFITS (SOUNDBITE) (Chinese) YU JINGXUE, AUDIENCE MEMBER, SAYING: "I think it's just a matter of being more open and mentally liberated nowadays. There are less and less restrictions and we are having less concerns."
  • Embargoed: 15th February 2007 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: China
  • Country: China
  • Topics: Entertainment
  • Reuters ID: LVA9GJP3V72JYUVFUPZVS08S1HUB
  • Story Text: Hundreds of screaming Chinese fans turned up on Monday (January 29) to see actor Daniel Craig at the premiere of the first ever James Bond movie to be shown at theatres in China, screening uncut and uncensored.
    "Ling ling qi", Chinese for 007, has never before been officially released in the world's most populous country, and the new James Bond Craig and leading lady Eva Green flew in especially for the event.
    Craig chatted with fans and signed autographs in Beijing's fashionable Wangfujing shopping district where a red carpet was laid out for him and Green, who plays Vesper Lynd, a prickly official at the British Treasury.
    Pirated DVDs of the latest Bond movie were out in shops all around Beijing weeks before its release. Many fans who turned up to see the new blonde Bond in action, had already seen the movie on a pirated DVD.
    "It's a worldwide problem. It's not just in China. I know it's a serious problem here as far as movies are concerned. I personally believe that movie-going is about a collective experience and going to the cinema and seeing with a large bunch of people. Whether you see it later on DVD, that's a different matter, you want to see it again. And I think it's sad that's all. And it does affect the film industry. It affects the movies that can be made. I hope things can change that's all. I hope bringing something like the Bond movie here will actually change people's opinion about it," said Craig when asked about the issue.
    Poor quality DVD versions of "Casino Royale" have been available on China's streets for weeks, costing a little more than 1 U.S. dollar and underlining the risk movie makers face in the world's most populous country.
    China only permits a small number of Western movies be shown at cinemas every year, and even then films can run into problems with the Chinese censor for political or moral content.
    But director Campbell said the Chinese censors had been more favourable towards his film than those in Britain and the U.S.
    "I think China is opening up. There is no question about that. And the censors passed it without a cut, which was incredible. They certainly didn't do that in England and they certainly didn't do that in America. But it was very encouraging. I feel very good about the fact that it is the first James Bond film to be shown and I directed it. So, yeah, it's an event," he said.
    The director and his leading stars were taken on a tour of Beijing during their short stay in the city. Green said she was impressed and would try to make her way back.
    "It's quite mad. I've always wanted to go to China you know since I saw "The Last Emperor", the Bertolucci movie. And this morning was so magical. A bit foggy, it was just beautiful. And I also saw the wall of China yesterday. I bought a lot of Chinese stuff. It's like a dream. I'm only here for two days but I'll come back for sure," Green said.
    Executives expect the film, in which a moodier, more chiselled Bond battles an evil banker to the world's terrorists, to be the biggest grossing foreign movie ever in China, with receipts seen exceeding 100 million yuan (12.86 million U.S. dollars).
    It has already earnt some 350 million (USD) worldwide.
    40-year-old Yu Jingxue, travelled all the way from the other side of town to see the film.
    "I think it's just a matter of being more open and mentally liberated nowadays. There are less and less restrictions and we are having less concerns," Yu said.
    Director Martin Campbell admitted he was unsure of the reaction the film would get in China, but said he was pleased Chinese would finally get a chance to see Bond up close.
    The full, original version is being shown in China both dubbed into Chinese and in the original English.
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