SNEAK PEEK
February 16, 2006
Producers Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios, Inc, and Sony Pictures Entertainment have announced that actress Eva Green has now been cast to play 'Vesper Lynd' opposite Daniel Craig in "Casino Royale".
Actor Jeffrey Wright has also joined the cast as 'Felix Leiter', with Mads Mikkelsen as 'Le Chiffre'.
"Casino Royale" reunites Wilson and Broccoli with Martin Campbell, who directed 1995's "GoldenEye".
The MGM/Columbia Pictures production began shooting in January and will be released worldwide November 17, filmed on location in the Czech Republic, Bahamas, Italy and the UK. "... Eva is one of France's most accomplished young actresses, now receiving international acclaim," said Eon.
"She brings to the complex role of 'Vesper' an exciting combination of enigmatic and seductive beauty. Likewise Mads has such a compelling onscreen presence and his riveting performances in 'Open Hearts' and 'Adam's Apples' convinced both us and director Martin Campbell that he was ideal for the role of 'Le Chiffre'."
Neal Purvis and Robert Wade wrote the screenplay of "Casino Royale", based on author Ian Fleming's first novel. Additional writing was contributed by Academy Award-nominated writer, Paul Haggis of "Crash" and "Million Dollar Baby" fame.
"Vesper is a pivotal role in 'Casino Royale' and it takes much more than beauty to make this role work," said Amy Pascal, Chairman of the Columbia Pictures Motion Picture Group.
"When you think about the great James Bond adventures, of course you think about action and espionage, but you need to have palpable sexual tension in the movie and in casting Vesper, we really needed to up the ante, because this character is very much an equal to Bond and central to our story."
Described by Bernardo Bertolucci as "so beautiful it's indecent," Eva Green was born in Paris, France, making her film debut in Bertolucci's "The Dreamers". She then starred opposite Kristin Scott Thomas and Romain Duris in Jean-Paul Salome's French-language "Arsene Lupin". In 2005 she made her Hollywood debut, starring as the female lead in Ridley Scott's "Kingdom of Heaven".
Mads Mikkelsen co-starred alongside Clive Owen and Keira Knightley in "King Arthur". Mikkelsen is also noted for his starring role in Susanne Bier's "Open Hearts".
Wright, who played doomed artist 'Jean Michel Basquiat' in "Basquiat", gave an Emmy-winning performance in HBO's miniseries "Angels in America".
The rest of the cast of "Casino Royale" include Giancarlo "Seven Beauties" Giannini as 'Mathis', Caterina Murino as 'Solonge', Simon Abkarian as 'Dimitrios', Tobias Menzies as 'Villiers', Ivana Milicevic as 'Valenka', Clemens Schik as 'Kratt', Ludger Pistor as 'Mendel' and Claudio Santamaria as 'Carlos'.
