Cape Town welcomes Daniel Craig for `Flashbacks of a Fool` filming

27-May-2007 • Actor News

James Bond star Daniel Craig touched down in Cape Town on Saturday to play a pleasure-seeking fool - reports Tonight.

Craig arrived for his new movie Flashbacks of a Fool and almost immediately started shooting at the airport. Filming in and around the Mother City is scheduled to last around a month.

Craig was accompanied by film producer girlfriend Satsuki Mitchell.

Craig, the latest James Bond, is playing a hedonistic British actor whose Hollywood career is starting to nosedive. The death of his best friend from his English childhood causes him to journey back home for the funeral, and prompts flashbacks to his teenage experiences - including the tragedy that forced him to flee to the United States and a new life.

The movie also stars Helen McCrory, Olivia Williams and Emilia Fox. The movie is the feature-writing and directing debut of Baillie Walsh, an award-winning music video producer. Craig is executive producer.

After landing 30 minutes late at Cape Town International yesterday, Craig was quickly escorted through customs and immigration by attentive ground staff.

Elaborate security arrangements designed to keep his arrival top secret were laid on so that Craig could slip out of a side entrance. But he wasn't taking any chances.

In spite of the presence of his personal bodyguard and a South African bodyguard doubling as his driver - plus several immigration and airport officials and a waiting police escort - Craig popped his head around the door to check that all was clear. Then, protected by minders, he dashed to a waiting car where he sat for 10 minutes behind tinted windows, waiting for his luggage to be cleared.

James Bond would have been very embarrassed by what happened next. At the airport exit, his minder pulled up too far away from the boom control and had to climb out of the car to feed his card into the slot.

Then Craig was forced to endure a slow crawl on the highway thanks to a pile-up a kilometre ahead.

He checked into his hotel and freshened up before returning to the airport for shooting.

Preparations have been going on for the past few weeks at a number of sets around Cape Town. Insiders say Craig will have a couple of days to enjoy the pleasures of the Cape before the hard work begins.