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Barrandov Battles for the Newest James Bond

21.3.2007 - Hospodarske noviny Page 28 Entertainment Industry

Author: Ales Borovan

PRAGUE, March 21, 2007

Czech filmmakers are on the brink of receiving a gigantic order worth hundreds of millions of crowns. During the past few weeks, Hollywood’s MGM and Columbia Pictures studios (both belong to Sony), together with British EON Productions, have started negotiating the location where the next Bond film will be shot. The project is currently referred to under the working title “Bond 22”. The hottest candidates include the Barrandov Studios soundstages, which belong to steel magnate Tomas Chrenek.

“Yes, we’re negotiating with them. It’s possible that they’ll be filming with us, but it seems we’re not the only ones under consideration. They were very satisfied with Barrandov and the services we offer during the last shoot, so there is a chance that the next Bond film will also be made in Prague,” confirmed Tomas Zelazko, spokesperson for Barrandov Studios.

Will tax relief win out?

The main factor working towards Barrandov’s benefit is the successful filming of “Casino Royale” – the most recent 007 film that featured Daniel Craig in the lead role. That film was shot at Prague’s soundstages and exterior locations during the first half of last year. The movie premiered on November 17, and, according to the boxofficemojo.com monitoring server, has thus far earned 594 million dollars. Given that the budget was approximately 150 million dollars, it has become one of last year’s most profitable pictures.

In addition to know-how, Barrandov also offers the largest soundproof soundstage in all of Europe.

According to available information, Barrandov Studios will is competing for this lucrative order with the likes of the large soundstages located at Pinewood Studios, which are located not far from London, and Shepperton Studios. Since last year’s filming of “Casino Royale”, the British soundstages and production companies, for whom the films about Her Majesty’s special agent are a prestigious affair, have gained a significant advantage over Barrandov Studios.

At the end of last year, the British film industry received the green light from the European Commission for implementing a new system of tax relief and offers for international film productions that is scheduled to remain in effect until 2012. According to information received from the British Film Council, within the framework of this system film producers can request increased tax deductions of up to 25% of the amount spent for filming in Great Britain in relation to the film budget.

The Czech Republic does not have a comparable system in spite of the fact that local producers have been requesting one for a number of years. Various studies, such as the one prepared for the Czech Ministry of Culture last year by the prestigious British company Olsberg/SPI, recommended implementing a 12.5 percent discount from expenses on the basis of a tax break.

A decision any day now

“It’s a great disadvantage for us,” says David Minkowski, from the Stillking Films production company, which organizes the largest orders for foreign producers in the Czech Republic. Its list of credits includes not only “Casino Royale”, but also films such as “Tristan and Isolde”, “The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe”, “Van Helsing”, and “xXx”. Stillking Films is also in the running for the opportunity to make the arrangements for the production of “Bond 22” at Czech locations.

The film, which will be the twenty-second official James Bond picture, should tie onto “Casino Royale”. According to producers Michael Wilson and Barbara Broccoli, screenwriters Neal Purvis and Robert Wade will base the script on characters and plots from the books written by Ian Fleming, specifically “The Hildebrand Rarity”, “The Property of a Lady”, “Risico”, and “007 in New York”. Craig will once again star in the lead role. Filming is planned to start at the start of next year and the premiere is scheduled for November 7, 2008.

It is not yet certain when MGM and Columbia Pictures will make their final decision. “It could come at any time,” according to Zelazko.