Stars out for the Casino Royale royal premiere in London
14-Nov-2006 • Casino Royale
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The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh joined James Bond stars past and present at the Odeon Leicester Square.
The new actor in the 007 role, Daniel Craig, was one of the first to arrive on the red carpet and took time to sign autographs and pose for photos.
Early reviews have praised Craig's gritty and complex performance.
The movie is an adaptation of Ian Fleming's first Bond novel and is one of the few without gadget-maker Q or much-loved secretary Miss Moneypenny.
Craig arrived to sounds of the Bond theme tune and was greeted with roars of approval from fans who had stood for hours to catch a glimpse of the stars.
"I'm just very excited," the 38-year-old actor said. "These sort of things happen once in a lifetime and I'm just trying to enjoy it."
He declined to rate Casino Royale against previous Bonds, saying: "It's not up to me to compare them. Casino Royale is still a Bond movie and there's a love story."
When asked what was the best thing about being the superspy, Craig said: "The car".
Other stars at the premiere included Eva Green, who plays Bond girl Vesper Lynd in Casino Royale, Mads Mikkelsen who plays the villain Le Chiffre and Samantha Bond - who played Miss Moneypenny in the Pierce Brosnan Bond movies.
Green said: "The character is not only beautiful but she's also very sassy and funny but also vulnerable.
"I wouldn't have wanted to do it if it was just a bikini-clad role. I wanted to see the script first but was then very keen to get involved."
Dame Judi Dench, who as M is the only actor to return from the Brosnan era, said: "I had nothing to teach Daniel, he is a superb actor.
"I would like to keep playing M as long as they keep asking me and as long as I can remain standing for enough time to get the take."
Producer Barbara Broccoli said: "It's a testament to the book Ian Fleming wrote in 1953 that it can still appeal to the audiences in 2006.
"There is a real sense of relief when you see it up on the big screen and it works but there is also the sense of 'oh no, how do we top that?'"
She added that no decision had been taken on whether to shoot the next Bond at its traditional home at Pinewood Studios but they hoped to return "if possible".
The event attracted many other celebrities from the world of Bond and beyond, including Dame Shirley Bassey, Paris Hilton, Sir Elton John and pop group the Sugababes.
The premiere was in aid of the Cinema and Television Benevolent Fund of which the Queen is Patron.
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