Monica Bellucci, who, at 50, is the “oldest Bond girl,” and Daniel Craig are currently in Rome filming the new James Bond thriller Spectre.
Crowds have been gathering in the beautiful Italian city, from the historic center to them modern EUR neighborhood, hoping to catch a glimpse of Daniel Craig, 46, and his leading lady, Monica Bellucci, during the 20-day shoot.
“I hope to see James Bond. Someone told me that there is also Monica Bellucci,” said Floriana Sacco, 36, as she watched an apparent funeral scene being shot outside EUR’s civic museum. “We hope that as all other film settings in Rome, it will be beautiful and it will be good publicity to this beautiful city.”
On Tuesday, the main thoroughfare of central Rome, Corso Vittorio Emanuele II, was the scene of a nighttime car chase scene featuring Bond’s silver Aston Martin. Earlier in the shoot, another car chase was shot along the bike path on the banks of the Tiber River.
Daniel Craig & Monica Bellucci bring #SPECTRE to Rome after injuries on set. Pics & info: http://t.co/zLJZK0UBtZ pic.twitter.com/KuI8KtIsXh
— JustJared.com (@JustJared) February 18, 2015
Needless to say, fans of 007 have been beyond curious to know what faces their favorite spy in Spectre. Sony tried to keep details of the plot a secret, however, an early version of the script was among material stolen in the Sony Pictures cyberattack and some details have been posted online.
James Bond's latest, #SPECTRE, is now filming in Rome. Want to know what they're shooting? http://t.co/Ou7dd2VNqr pic.twitter.com/BP969rr2bI
— Variety (@Variety) February 18, 2015
The shoot, while inconvenient, will bring some revenue to the city, with city officials expecting as much as 1 million euros ($1.1 million) in permit fees alone. Add revenue generated form the extras, security guards, film crews, catering services and hotels being used, and the Eternal City could fare quite well.
Monica Bellucci proves true Bond Girl in tight red dress at Spectre photocall in Rome http://t.co/HNGzfEGEtM pic.twitter.com/IYHy79WYLF
— Daily Express (@Daily_Express) February 18, 2015
Rome has been the scene for many films, including Woody Allen’s To Rome With Love and Paolo Sorrentino’s 2013 The Great Beauty, which won an Oscar for best foreign film.
Sam Mendes directs the latest 007 adventure.