Yesterday, the British tabloid The Daily Star published a front page report that the cast and crew of the new James Bond film Quantum Of Solace had been threatened by violent gangs while on location in Panama. The tabloid reported the cast and crew had been caught up in a struggle between rival gangs to monopolize a protection racket extending to the film production. The paper said equipment and crew had been robbed and that the cast was under protection after gun battles veered very close to the filming. However, today producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson, who generally make a policy of not commenting on any tabloid rumors, issued a joint statement saying the local violence has nothing to do with the film production and that no robberies have occurred. The producers also said no cast or crew have been in danger and said, ""These scurrilous and irresponsible reports in The Daily Star have caused distress to the UK families of our filming unit."
There's no doubt that major film productions being shot "south of the border" have to contend with many challenges including shakedown rackets and corruption - factors that plagued legendary Bond producer Albert R. Broccoli when he shot Licence to Kill in Mexico in 1989. Central and South America have experienced exceptionally violent situations as governments have sought to finally exert control over the lucrative drug rackets that have been allowed to prosper over the decades. Many gangs are now virtually self-contained armies with hi-tech weaponry that rivals that of the military. Thus, the reports in The Daily Star seemed all too plausible to many readers. However, the Bond films have long been a magnet for wild and unsubstantiated rumors ranging from "inside knowledge" of who will be cast to who will sing the title songs. In most cases, the media prints these rumors without any effort to verify their accuracy. In some cases, it is all too apparent that talent agents float these rumors about their clients in order to get them free publicity. To what degree the violence in Panama has impacted the latest production will probably not be known until the film unit leaves the country, but for now the official word is that the situation has been great exagerrated and that neither cast or crew have been in danger at any time.
To read the original tabloid report click here
To read more about the producer's denial of the story click here