007 Stage

Coordinates: 51°33′00″N 0°32′06″W / 51.55000°N 0.53500°W

The 007 stage at Pinewood Studios in March 2006, before the July fire and rebuilding

The Albert R. Broccoli 007 Stage is one of the largest silent stages in the world. It is located at Pinewood Studios, Iver Heath, Buckinghamshire, England, and named after James Bond film producer Albert R. "Cubby" Broccoli.

The stage was originally conceived in 1976 by production designer Ken Adam to house the set he had designed for the interior of the Liparus supertanker in the James Bond film The Spy Who Loved Me. The stage's construction cost $1.8 million ($4 million in 2015 dollars[1]).[2] The stage was christened the "007 Stage" on 5 December 1976 during a ceremony attended by former British Prime Minister Harold Wilson. In contrast to the volcano crater set Adam had built for You Only Live Twice in 1966, the 007 Stage was to be a permanent structure that could be rented out to other productions.

The 1976 stage measured 102 m by 41 m (334 ft by 136 ft) and was 12.5 m (40 ft 6ins) high. It had a maximum 4,220 m² (45,424 sq ft) floor space. The stage featured a tank measuring 91 m by 22.5 m by 2.7 m (297 ft by 73 ft by 8 ft 10in). According to 007stage.com, the water tank was an existing studio feature and the stage was created by constructing a building to completely enclose the tank. Technically, because it had no soundproofing, it was a "silent stage", the largest ever built.

The 007 Stage burnt to the ground on 27 June 1984[3] towards the end of filming of Ridley Scott's Legend.[4] It was rebuilt, and reopened in January 1985,[5] with the new name, "Albert R. Broccoli 007 Stage", in time for filming to commence on A View to a Kill (1985).

Another fire occurred on 30 July 2006.[5] The fire occurred just after production ended on the Bond film Casino Royale while the Venetian piazza set was being dismantled. Eight fire engines took 90 minutes to bring the fire under control; a spokesman for the local fire brigade said gas canisters may have exploded inside the building. Filming had been completed on the stage several days before and it was being dismantled, so it did not delay production or release of the film.[5] The damage to the building was extensive causing the roof of the building to collapse.[6] On 31 July 2006, Pinewood issued a statement indicating that the stage "will need to be demolished and rebuilt" and that there had been no casualties in the incident.[6] The fire-damaged stage was demolished on 13–14 September. Construction on the new stage began on 18 September and was completed in under 6 months.[7] The new stage was redesigned and included a number of new features including an increased working floor space area, enclosed stairwells to the gantry, a vehicle ramp into the tank, aircraft hangar-style loading doors, increased electrical power and better insulation. The new stage is 374 feet (114 m) long, 158 feet (48 m) wide and 41 to 50 feet (15 m) high (114 x 48 x 12–15 m). The stage is the biggest in Europe around 59,000 sq ft (5,500 m2).

Filmed in the 007 stage

Contrary to some sources (including IMDb), The Living Daylights did not film on the 007 Stage except for a music video by A-ha.[13] Anecdotal reports that parts of Batman and Mary Reilly were filmed on the 007 stage are unsubstantiated.

References

  1. ↑ Consumer Price Index (estimate) 1800–2014. Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. Retrieved February 27, 2014.
  2. ↑ Frayling, Christopher (2005). Ken Adam and the Art of Production Design. London/New York City: Macmillan Publishers. p. 179. ISBN 978-0-571-22057-1.
  3. ↑ News provider ITN's reference to footage of fire on 27 June 1984. Retrieved 5 August 2012.
  4. ↑ Interview with Ridley Scott, Starlog No. 101, December 1985.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 "Fire wrecks James Bond film stage". BBC News. 30 July 2006. Retrieved 5 August 2012.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 "Bond film stage 'will be rebuilt'". BBC News. 31 July 2006. Retrieved 31 July 2006.
  7. ↑ "007 Stage construction completed". Pinewood Studios. Retrieved 10 April 2007.
  8. ↑ "The Making of Superman the Movie" by David Michael Petrou. Scenes inside the Fortress of Solitude were filmed at Shepperton Studios
  9. ↑ Interview with John Richardson Cinefex 33, Feb 1988
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3 10.4 10.5 10.6 10.7 10.8 "007 Stage (PW) Pinewood Studios | United Kingdom studio sound stage", Pinewood Shepperton plc. Retrieved 13 October 2012.
  11. ↑ "Credits | Pinewood - Film studio facilities & services", Pinewood Shepperton plc. Retrieved 8 June 2013.
  12. ↑ "Credits | Pinewood - Film studio facilities & services", Pinewood Shepperton plc. Retrieved 8 June 2013.
  13. ↑ "The Making of the Living Daylights" by Charles Helfenstein

External links