Earlier this week, Sony Pictures, MGM and EON Productions unleashed the very dapper James Bond (Daniel Craig) on a new theatrical one-sheet for Spectre. Now, we get a variation on that poster, bringing in new Bond Girl Léa Seydoux. Looming in the background is the iconic sugar skull associated with Día de Muertos, the Mexican celebration known in the states as Day of the Dead. The festival plays a big part in the film, and features heavily into one of the bigger action set pieces.
Léa Seydoux plays a doctor in the movie. She is Madeleine Swann, daughter of Bond's old nemesis Mr. White. Swann has been described as a different kind of Bond girl. And may be too smart for her own good. She feels an immediate attraction to 007 the moment she lays eyes on him. And the feelings are mutual. About her character, Léa Seydoux says she is intelligent and very sexy.
In Spectre, a cryptic message from the past sends James Bond (Daniel Craig) on a rogue mission to Mexico City and eventually Rome, where he meets Lucia Sciarra (Monica Bellucci), the beautiful and forbidden widow of an infamous criminal. Bond infiltrates a secret meeting and uncovers the existence of the sinister organisation known as Spectre. As Bond ventures towards the heart of Spectre, he learns of a chilling connection between himself and the enemy he seeks, played by Christoph Waltz.
Meanwhile back in London, Max Denbigh (Andrew Scott), the new head of the Centre for National Security, questions Bond's actions and challenges the relevance of MI6, led by M (Ralph Fiennes). Bond covertly enlists Moneypenny (Naomie Harris) and Q (Ben Whishaw) to help him seek out Madeleine Swann (Léa Seydoux), the daughter of his old nemesis Mr White (Jesper Christensen), who may hold the clue to untangling the web of Spectre. As the daughter of an assassin, she understands Bond in a way most others cannot.
As you can tell by the poster, The Day of the Dead will feature heavily in Spectre. This 007 adventure kicks off with an epic chase sequence. The scene in question took nearly ten days to shoot, and utilizes more than 1500 extras all decked out in Day of the Dead make-up. The scene features James Bond meeting Estrella (Stephanie Sigman) in the crowded streets surrounded by giant Skeleton floats and other larger-than-life decorations. They hurry to make their way through the massive parade, arriving at the Gran Hotel De La Ciudad De Mexico, where Estrella believes she is about to be seduced. Bond has other things on his mind, though, as he stares out the hotel window, fixated on two men having a conversation. Bond stops something really bad from happening, killing one of these men while giving chase to the other. They eventually both find themselves hanging from a helicopter. It is said that the stunt pilot, Chuck Aaron, is the only man in the world insured to do 360 degree flips in his helicopter, which we're likely to see on screen.
Day of the Dead (aka Día de Muertos) is a Mexican holiday celebrated throughout Mexico, in particular the Central and South regions, and acknowledged around the world in other cultures. The holiday focuses on gatherings of family and friends to pray for and remember friends and family members who have died, and help support their spiritual journey. These will surely be underlying themes in Spectre, as Bond comes face-to-face with his past. Check it out, as one Bond Girl gets added to a poster that some are already calling iconic (though to be fair, others are calling it cheap photoshop). Take a look and decide for yourself.
