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Open in new tab Top cameraman reveals how new Bond movie includes fight scenes filmed under frozen lake
He’s known for being ice cool under pressure.
But James Bond is set to reveal hidden depths with underwater fight scenes filmed 16ft below the surface of a frozen lake.
Actor Daniel Craig – on his last appearance as the suave superspy – shot the franchise’s most daring stunts yet on location in Norway.
Underwater cameraman Kjetil C Astrup disclosed details of the dramatic filming for Bond 25.
He told the Sunday Mirror : “It’s probably the most extreme stuff Daniel and some of the other actors have ever done.
“This Bond is the jubilee, 25th, and most probably Daniel’s last movie – so it has to be special.
“In Spectre they had scenes with Daniel falling into water in Venice, but they’ve never had underwater fight scenes, and never had actors going under the ice. We’re breaking new ground.”
He said the stunt was so dangerous that emergency divers were on standby during the 1°C plunge in Oslo. The dramatic scenes are said to be part of a bid by producers to ensure the success of the blockbuster after a string of setbacks.
Craig and other actors trained in diving tanks for weeks before heading abroad.
And Astrup told how he spent weeks attaching a rig to the ice ready for the filming.
He said: “The water is one degree Celsius – you need to use special equipment or else your scuba gear freezes.
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An ice cube forms around your breathing apparatus, blocking the air. We dive with electrical heating vests and go straight to heating pools when we come up.
“We had to introduce camera gear, actors, lots of people on to the ice, with a ton of equipment. That’s where it gets dangerous.”
The movie has suffered a string of setbacks, including director Danny Boyle quitting over creative differences.
And star Craig reportedly tore an ankle ligament during early filming in Jamaica, halting production while he recovered.
Kjetil says an injury during the chilly underwater scenes would have been a disaster.
He said: “Under the ice is incredibly cold and very dangerous, and you’re trapped – it’s not easy to get out.
“It’s hard to communicate, that’s why we use absolutely professional people, top actors – we have very few chances.”
Craig and his co-stars even had special diets in preparation, eating fatty foods such as salami, cheese, nuts and eggs.
Kjetil, who worked with Michael Fassbender on 2017 flick The Snowman, added: “Filming through the ice, it’s very special with
the light. It’s unique to be under the ice and look at the sunlight coming through, glowing off that super crystalline lake. People will be awestruck.”