Casino Royale returns to France 3 with Daniel Craig’s first James Bond film. Martin Campbell, who had already directed GoldenEye, revisits the character’s early days as a “00” agent. The 2006 film adapts Ian Fleming’s first novel and launches the series starring Craig.
The mission brings Bond face to face with Le Chiffre, a banker with ties to terrorist financing. Bond must bankrupt him in a poker game, under the watchful eye of Vesper Lynd, the Treasury agent overseeing the money at stake. Eva Green plays Vesper and Mads Mikkelsen her opponent, while Judi Dench reprises her role as M.
The screenplay is by Neal Purvis, Robert Wade and Paul Haggis. Rather than following an established spy on a standalone mission, it tells a story from his training: his encounter with Vesper is given equal weight to his showdown with Le Chiffre. The film thus retains the heart of Fleming’s book, centered on gambling and trust.
Filming took place in locations including the Bahamas, the Czech Republic, Italy and the United Kingdom. David Arnold composed the score, with the title song performed by Chris Cornell. This version of Casino Royale is part of the official series of Bond films, distinct from the 1967 comedy of the same name.
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