Italian prop firearm law changes could pose challenges for Bond 24

11-Nov-2014 • Spectre (2015)

According to Variety, the Italian filmmaking community is biting back against new regulations around the use of prop firearms on set.

Bond 24, which is understood to be shooting in Rome in January 2015, may feel the sting of tighter controls. The Italian Motion Picture Association called the new regulations "technically debatable" and cautioned that they would be technically impossible with which to comply fully. The contents of the new regulations were not made clear in English language reports.

One of the major attractions of Italy for the Bond producers was two kinds of tax break, but the legalese of the new regulations may yet be off putting. It is all speculation at this point, however, as the Association may get the regulations voided, and even if they fail in this endeavour, there is no concrete evidence to suggest the Italian sequences will rely on 007 and his adversaries carrying firearms, although this is certainly likely. MI6 understood that Rome was being scouted as the location for a car chase.

The January shooting date is the other titbit in this story and, if accurate, could mean that Second Unit work will start in Rome while Mendes, Craig and the first unit shoot in Austria, who are expecting 007 from 5th January 2015.

Thanks to `Samuel001` & `Pierce2Daniel` for the alert.