The new James Bond, British actor Daniel Craig, disappointed some Chinese fans in Beijing as he walked down the red carpet to attend Monday evening's Chinese premiere of Casino Royale, the first 007 movie ever to be officially released in China. 

 

Also in attendance were Bond girl Eva Green, producers Michael Wilson and Barbara Broccoli, and director Martin Campbell.

 

 

Although Craig talked with foreign reporters and shook hands with others lining the red carpet, a number of fans were disappointed that he didn't spend more time with them. The fact that the actor doesn't speak Chinese seemed to matter little to his fans.

 

"He disappointed me, I didn't get a greeting. All he did was look left, center, and right in the direction of the cameras," complained Liu Tingting, a self-confessed Bond nut who said she still intends to see Casino Royale, which will be the first Bond film she's seen in a movie theatre.

 

 

Although none of the 20 other 007 films were officially released in China, "Bond is no stranger to Chinese audiences," said Weng Li, of the China Film Group Corporation, one of the movie's two distributors in China.

 

Approximately 500 copies of Casino Royale will be distributed across China beginning Tuesday, a record number for an imported film. The movie is expected to bring in 100 million yuan (US$12.8 million).

 

 

The Da Vinci Code, earning 105 million yuan (US$13.5 million), and King Kong, close behind with 102 million yuan (US$13.1 million), were the third and fourth top grossing films in China in 2006.

 

The movie is reported to have already taken in over US$540 million at the box office, making it the top-grossing Bond film of all time.

 

 

(China.org.cn, Xinhua News Agency January 30, 2007)