Pinewood Studios opens Sean Connery Stage while celebrating Dr No’s 60th Anniversary
Coinciding with the 60th anniversary of Dr No, the first James Bond film, Pinewood Studios has opened the Sean Connery Stage.
Sir Sean’s granddaughter, Saskia Connery, opened the stage on behalf of the Connery family at an event which also saw James Bond producers Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli in attendance along with previous previous cast and crew from a number of Bond films.
These included actresses Maryam D’Abo, Carole Ashby, Madeline Smith, Caroline Munro, and Martine Beswicke, who starred in From Russia With Love with Connery in 1963, and Director John Glen.
To mark the event, the James Bond 60th anniversary logo was projected on the outside of the new stages along with the Roger Moore stage. It will continue to be projected until James Bond Day on 5 October.
James Bond Producer, Michael G. Wilson said: “Barbara and I are grateful to Pinewood for acknowledging this screen legend and honoured to have been invited to celebrate this evening along with Sir Sean’s granddaughter Saskia.”
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Inside the 30,000 square foot stage the Aston Martin DB5 and Goldfinger’s Rolls Royce Phantom III were exhibited, both of which made their first appearances in the film of the same name, which starred Sean Connery.
The Rolls Royce was the real car used in the film, while the Aston Martin was a replica kitted out with gadgets including an ejector seat, as seen in the movie.
Goldfinger Avenue, which the new studio is located on the corner of, was names after the scene in which the ejector sear is activated in the Aston Martin.
Saskia Connery said: "I am so proud of my grandfather both on screen and for who he was and meant to all of us at home. He would have been humbled and honoured to now have his own stage at Pinewood Studios."
Pinewood Studios was used to shoot Dr No, the first official Bond film. It featured Sean Connery in the lead and entered cinemas around the world on 5 October 1962. Since then, 23 of the 25 official films were shot at Pinewood Studios and every actor to play the lead has visited.
Andrew M. Smith, Corporate Affairs Director said: “This evening marks an extra special celebration for our studios, remembering our heritage, honouring Sir Sean Connery, our long relationship with the James Bond films and, at the same time, celebrating our development and looking to the future as a world-leading film and tv studio.”
Pinewood is planning to continue the celebrations with a “Bondathon”, showing seven classic films – one from each actor and decade. Between 30 September and 2 October the studios will show Goldfinger (1963), Dr No (1962), On Her Majesty’s Secret Service (1967), Live And Let Die (1973), The Living Daylights (1987), GoldenEye (1995) and Skyfall (2012).
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