The leading English-language newspaper in Turkey has provided some new details about the main Istanbul sequences that will be shot for ‘Skyfall’ when the main unit arrive in the country’s capital city.
According to ‘The Hurriyet Daily News’, scenes for the new Bond movie ‘will be filmed in one of Istanbul’s busiest and most crowded neighbourhoods, Eminonu, following filming in the southern province of Adana’. The production will start filming on April 16 in an Eminonu street, which will be closed to traffic and pedestrians for three weeks. In a special arrangement made with the film company, the owners of the shops on the street will stay open, but will not be able to make real sales. They will be compensated for the three week loss of sales by the production company.
The main unit for ‘Skyfall’ is expected to then arrive in Istanbul on April 30 and will shoot until May 6. Locations to be used in the Turkish capital city will include the famous Egyptian Bazaar, the New Mosque, the Old Post Office, and the Grand Bazaar.
As we reported in the JBIFC’s March Newsletter, a ‘Skyfall’ second unit began work in Turkey in March on some railway sequences for the new movie. This part of the story is being filmed in Adana, a southern province of the country. Adana train station, for example, saw some fight scenes being rehearsed by stunt actors on top of a railway carriage. Some preliminary work also began in March on some complex train sequences that will take place over the famous and historic Varda Viaduct, which runs over a deep gorge. It is expected that Daniel Craig will be involved in the main unit shooting in Adana before he moves on to the main filming in Istanbul.
Meanwhile, in a late casting decision made by Sam Mendes at Pinewood Studios, it has been confirmed that Greek actress Tonia Sotiropoulou will have a brief role in the Turkish sequences. She will shoot two or three scenes over a 5-day period in Istanbul, in a sequence that is expected to form part of the opening to the new 007 adventure.