Playmobil Presents… Goldfinger

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Playmobil has unveiled its new James Bond Aston Martin DB5 set, featuring 007’s modified DB5 from 1964’s Goldfinger, alongside characters and accessories from the film. Designed for all ages to enjoy – from 5-99 years – the set lets you eject figures through the roof and defend yourself with a range of film-matched toy weapons.

The iconic DB5 comes with classic Q gadgets from the movie, including a removable roof, ejectable passenger seat and swivelling number plates. All tyres are equipped with retractable tyre blocks, the front and back bumpers are extendable and a rear bulletproof shield provides protection. 

A Goldfinger set wouldn’t be complete without the memorable cast of characters… Playmobil has created 3-inch high articulated figures of James Bond, Auric Goldfinger, Oddjob and a henchmen, along with a pair of binoculars and Goldfinger’s favourite precious metal, in the form of four gold bullion bars. 

Available to pre-order now at 007Store for shipping October 2021.

 

James Bond’s DB5 On Rocket League

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Psyonix, the San Diego video game developer, in collaboration with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios, Eon Productions, and Aston Martin, have announced that 007’s Aston Martin DB5 will be available in Rocket League beginning July 29, on all platforms.

007’s Aston Martin DB5 will be available in the Item Shop and features the iconic silver painted 1963 Aston Martin DB5, Aston Martin DB5 Engine Audio, Aston Martin DB5 Wheels, and a Reel Life Decal. 007’s Aston Martin DB5 will be available from July 29 until August 4.

The car marks the start of a multi-year collaboration between Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios, Eon Productions, Aston Martin, and Psyonix, with more James Bond content coming to the game in the future.  

James Bond’s Greatest Gambles

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The casino has been central to the James Bond universe since the world was first introduced to Sean Connery’s 007 in Dr. No (1962). Playing at the chemin de fer table at Le Cercle, Les Ambassadeurs, Bond quickly demonstrates his effortless confidence and skill as a risk taker. Over the following 60 years of on-screen adventures, Bond has gambled countless millions in nearly a dozen locations and using a range of aliases. Here we take a closer look at each casino appearance from the 24 films.

Chemin de fer

Inspired by Fleming’s love of the game, 007 takes on Sylvia Trench at chemin de fer in Dr. No. The aim of this French card game is to total nine with a hand of two or three cards. Trench has a strong hand with eight but is trumped by Bond with a winning hand. We see 007 play this game more than any other in the series.

In Thunderball (1965), Bond faces SPECTRE’s Emilio Largo at Café Martinique, Paradise Island in the Bahamas. Bond hints at knowing Largo’s allegiances and the ‘SPECTRE of defeat’ before taking his money. Despite winning, Bond bows out to buy a drink for Domino and passes control of the shoe (the card holder which is moved around the table during play).

The Palácio Estoril Casino, Estoril, Portugal. When Tracy makes a bet she cannot back in On Her Majesty’s Secret Service (1969), she is assisted by Bond who pretends to be her partner and pays off her debts. As their relationship flourishes, Tracy leaves him the payment in full the following morning, along with a red carnation.

In GoldenEye (1995) the glamorous Monte Carlo Casino, Monaco is the setting for Bond to meet Xenia Onatopp following their adrenalised car race through the hills. They discuss their shared passions – one of which is a love of gambling – and battle it out playing chemin de fer. 007 eventually gets the better of Onatopp, much to her frustration.

One card draw

We visit Valentin Zukovsky’s Le Casino L’Or Noir, Baku, Azerbijan for a high-stake bet in The World Is Not Enough (1999). Here Bond meets Elektra King who is offered her father’s credit line and seat in the Salon Privée. After turning down the idea of black jack and vingt-et-un (pontoon) she challenges Zukovsky to “One card, high draw, a million dollars” and states, “There is no point in living if you don’t feel alive.” She draws the queen of hearts but loses to the Russian’s ace of clubs and duly writes him a note for a million dollars.

Craps

Diamonds Are Forever (1971) is set against the backdrop of the bright lights and casinos of Las Vegas. Posing as diamond smuggler Peter Franks, Bond plays craps at the Whyte House Hotel Casino, while Plenty O’Toole watches on and lends a hand. As a reward, 007 gives Plenty $5,000 of his winnings.

Sic bo 

When 007 visits Macau in The Man With The Golden Gun (1974) he tracks down gunsmith Lazar who supplies Scaramanga with his trademark ammunition through the Casino de Macau. Bond watches from afar while Lazar pretends to play sic bo – a game with three dice – as he passes a cigarette pack full of golden bullets into a basket above the tables to be collected by Andrea Anders.

Backgammon

Octopussy (1983) sees Kamal Khan playing Major Clive at backgammon in the Shiv Niwas Hotel Casino, India. All is not what it seems in this game though thanks to some ‘lucky’ trick dice. When the Major cannot take on the odds offered by Kamal Khan, Bond steps in. As the odds increase, 007 offers a Fabergé egg as a form of security on payment. Accepting player’s privilege, Bond uses Khan’s lucky dice to roll double sixes and win 200,000 rupees. It’s all in the wrist…

Blackjack

In Licence To Kill (1989), Bond plays blackjack at the Republic of Isthmus Casino. After winning over $250,000, 007 draws the attention of drug lord and casino kingpin Franz Sanchez. His mistress Lupe Lamora is sent to help the house win some money back, but she warns Bond of the trouble he is in. Sensing imminent danger, Bond quits the game while he’s ahead.

Texas hold‘em

Casino Royale (2003) gives us two memorable games of Texas hold’em poker. Early in the story Bond plays Alex Dimitrios at the One & Only Ocean Club in Nassau, Bahamas. After Dimitrios stakes his DB5 on a hand of three kings, Bond defeats him with three aces and drives away the winnings with Solange in the passenger seat.

Later, we head to the Hotel Splendide, Montenegro for arguably the most iconic gaming sequence in Bond history. Here shadowy private banker Le Chiffre hosts a high stakes Texas hold‘em poker game to recoup his investor’s money and both Bond and the CIA’s Felix Leiter are staked to stop him. The epic game takes many dramatic twists and turns but ultimately leads to Bond triumphing over Le Chiffre in the final hand.

Poker lessons from producer Michael G. Wilson with the cast and crew helped the writers develop an end to the card game – Neal Purvis took inspiration from one of these sessions when he lost to the same hand Bond held on screen.

“The card game was probably the most difficult scene I’ve ever had to film,” director Martin Campbell recalled. “It’s one thing to shoot a game of chemin de fer or 21, that’s very simple. When you’re playing Texas hold’em poker with ten players around a table, that’s tough because it’s a more complex game and, with ten players all looking at each other. It’s very tricky to film.”

Roulette

When Bond travels to Macau in Skyfall (2012), he visits the Floating Dragon Casino with Moneypenny and the chip found in Rapace’s assassin’s kit. He cashes it in – receiving a silver case full of money in exchange – meets the mysterious Severin and is confronted by Silva’s henchmen. After escaping the Komodo Dragon pit, 007 hand’s Moneypenny the case, telling her to “Put it all on red, the circle of life.”

Want to recreate a little Bond casino action at home? Set up a table with the 007 Collector’s Edition Roulette Wheel, play a hand with theory11’s Bond Playing Cards or try your luck with the handmade luxury Backgammon Set (Faberge egg not included). Make it your own with a Personalised Poker Set or set the scene with some Le Cercle replica casino plaques. Find the 007 games collection at 007Store.

 

The 007 Collector’s Edition Roulette Wheel

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A night at the casino? Now you can create the experience at home with an exclusive limited-edition series of James Bond collector’s casino games. Handmade to order by world-renown casino supplier Cammegh Ltd, the first game to launch is the 007 Collector’s Edition Roulette Wheel in an individually numbered series of 250.

Apart from your own personal croupier, the luxury set contains everything you need for a casino night: a perfect half-size replica of a Cammegh roulette wheel used by the globe’s finest casinos, 560 coloured wheel checks, 140 value chips, a roulette layout cloth, ball, dolly and playing guide. Each set also contains a Bond Archive-certified prop casino chip as used in Casino Royale’s Texas hold’em poker game at the Hotel Splendide.

The 40cm diameter roulette wheel is precision-engineered by Cammegh in their factory in Kent, using the same exacting manufacturing techniques and materials used in their casino grade wheels. Cammegh’s signature scalloped separators contrast elegantly with the piano gloss black finish of the Bond wheel, while the curved ball-stops ensure maximum randomness in every game.

Founded in England 32 years ago, Cammegh is a family business which has established itself as an award-winning industry leader in casino supply, manufacturing roulette wheels for casinos around the world including Les Ambassadeurs, Mayfair, London and Le Casino, Monte Carlo. Director Andrew Cammegh tells us, “As a family we have collectively enjoyed the James Bond films and are thrilled to join EON’s own extended family with our beautifully designed 007 roulette wheel.”

The wheel is available to order now at 007Store.com and Cammegh.com, priced £13,250. A Cammegh 007 Collector’s Edition Card Set will be released in September 2021.

The James Bond Film Guide

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The James Bond Film Guide is a new 296-page authorised guide to all 25 official James Bond films from Hero Collector Books. From 1962’s Dr. No to 2021’s No Time To Die, the book takes the reader through six decades of one of the longest-running big-screen series in history.

Featuring nearly 500 photographs from the 007 archive, including posters and movie images, each film is explored in detail, from the plots and characters to the iconic vehicles and unforgettable gadgets that made cinematic history.

Will Lawrence, author of Blood, Sweat and Bond: Behind the Scenes of Spectre, and James Bond’s DB5, delivers an indispensible guide to the 007 film franchise.

Priced at £25 RRP, the book will be released on 19th October and is now available to pre-order from 007Store.

Barton Perreira x 007 Collaboration Series Two

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Introducing Series Two of the Barton Perreira x 007 collaboration, inspired by locations from No Time To Die. The best-selling Joe sunglass design is reimagined in four new options that draw on the colours of Matera in Italy, Jamaica’s Port Antonio, Hakadal in Norway and the El Nido Bar in Havana. Crafted by hand in Japan, the highly polished rectangular style frame is built from the highest quality Japanese acetate and glass and features 007 inscribed temples. 
The complete collection is available to order at 007Store.com and usa.007Store.com now

Simon Waterson Competition

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1. The competition is only open to people aged 18 years or over excluding employees of the Promoter or anyone else professionally connected with this promotion. This competition is open globally. Anyone attending who is under 18 must be accompanied by an adult.

2. One winner and nine runners up will be chosen at random during the Promotion Period to win the prize and will be contacted directly. The competition ends on May 12.

3. The winner will need to get in touch with the 007 Facebook page or Instagram account via a direct message by 6pm (BST) the next day to claim their prize otherwise the right to the prize will be lost and the Promoter reserves the right to re-award the prize.

4. No entries from agents, third parties, organised groups or applications automatically generated by computers will be accepted for the Prize Competition.

5. Anyone found to use multiple accounts to enter will be ineligible.

6. Multiple entries in a single day will not be accepted.

7. Proof of submitting your entry is not proof of receipt of any entry by the Promoter. The Promoter is not responsible for any entries that fail to be submitted for any technical reason whatsoever. Entries submitted by any other means will be rejected. The Promoter can accept no responsibility for, and reserves the right to refuse entries which are corruptor incomplete. Any entries containing offensive or inappropriate content will be rejected.

8. No cash or alternative in part or full will be offered in lieu of the specified prizes. Prizes are not transferable.

9. By entering participants will be deemed to have accepted and be bound by the rules. All entry instructions form part of these Terms and Conditions.

10. The Promoter reserves the right to amend, alter or terminate this promotion at any time due to circumstances beyond its control.

11. The Promoter’s decision is binding in all matters.

12. Meta (Facebook and Instagram) is not a sponsor of this contest and bears no responsibility or liability for the administration, operation, judging, or conduct of the contest, or the fulfilment of the Prizes associated with this Promotion. Promoter and Data Controller: AI, 10-11 Archer Street, Greater London, W1D 7AZ. By participating you hereby release and hold harmless Meta (Facebook and Instagram) from any and all liability associated with this promotion.

13. The prize will consist of a one hour training session with trainer Simon Waterson plus a signed copy of his book Intelligent Fitness. Nine runners-up also win a signed book. Winners of the training session and books will be picked at random from the correct answers. The training session will be in person or via a video link (such as Zoom) depending on winner’s location. Winners must provide their own transport to the training session location. Winners must provide their own equipment to attend video link sessions.

14. These rules are governed by the laws of England and subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the English courts.

 

 

 

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Helen McCrory 1968-2021

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“We are devastated to hear of the passing of the extraordinarily talented and gracious Helen McCrory. We were honoured to have worked with her on Skyfall and send our heartfelt condolences to Damian, Manon and Gulliver.” Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli. 

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The Perth Mint James Bond 25 Coin Collection

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The Perth Mint gives us a first look at its latest celebration of James Bond. The limited edition series features twenty-five coins embossed with iconic poster art, one for each film. From April 2021 to March 2022, The Perth Mint will issue two new coins per month in film release order, from Dr. No to No Time To Die. The coins are made from 1/2oz 99.99% silver in a maximum mintage of 12,700.

The first two coins, marking Dr. No and From Russia With Love, are now available to order at 007Store. The Dr. No coin features illustrations by Mitchell Hooks, well-known at the time as a paperback book cover artist, in the colouring as seen on the USA poster. The From Russia With Love coin draws on the UK poster by Renato Fratini. Bond’s pose was a composite of two photos and has become one of his iconic stances, repeated by subsequent 007s.

As the official mint of Australia, The Perth Mint is wholly owned by the Government of Western Australia and makes platinum, silver and gold coins for collectors and customers worldwide. To create the James Bond 25 Coin Collection, the mint’s design team have reimagined elements of the original movie posters to work within a 32mm diameter. The blank coins are made from huge rolls of pure silver and each is then struck three times to create the design before being transferred to the printing area where the colour is applied.

Bond collectors can take advantage of the 007Store Coin Collectors Subscription Service. The unique service gives a special reduced price, presentation folders, and first access to a special release gold Bond coin.

The Dr. No and From Russia With Love coins, as well as the Bond Coin Collectors Subscription Service, are all available now.

Classic Bond Cars On Top Gear

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The UK’s number one motoring TV programme, Top Gear, is to feature a selection of classic James Bond vehicles this Sunday on BBC One. The Top Gear Guide To Buying A Bond Car On Any Budget (Including A Really Quite Enormous Budget) will feature the Aston Martin DB5, Lotus Esprit from The Spy Who Loved Me, Toyota 2000 GT from You Only Live Twice and the Alfa GTV6 from Octopussy among many others. 

Top Gear presenter Chris Harris said, “I’m a total Bond obsessive. I love the cars and I watch the films religiously with my kids because they’re one of the ultimate viewing experiences. So, to get access to the back catalogue of Bond cars was amazing and I love the fact that we feature some of the cars you’d forgotten about.”

Catch Top Gear on Sunday, BBC One at 8pm and on BBC iPlayer.

James Bond And Catherine Tate Comic Relief Sketch

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James Bond and Catherine Tate’s Nan are appearing together in a special sketch for Comic Relief’s big night of TV in the UK. In the sketch, Britain’s best loved OAP Nan has spurned retirement and taken up a part time job as a cleaner. Whilst cleaning the office of the head of the Secret Intelligence Service, aka M, she finds herself face to face with 007 as he suddenly appears on screen for his security briefing. 

Catherine Tate says: “Nan had a right old time meeting Bond. What a smashing fella! As ever, it was great fun filming this Comic Relief sketch, huge thanks to Daniel and all the Bond team for being such great sports. I hope it raises lots of money on the night.” 

The special sketch is part of a three-hour comedy special to be broadcast on BBC One on Friday from 7pm. The money raised by Red Nose Day will support people in the UK and around the world, and help tackle hunger, homelessness, domestic abuse and mental health stigma. For more information and to donate go to: bbc.co.uk/rednoseday

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