Daniel Craig is Famous

Chinese censors have cleared the latest James Bond film "Casino Royale" to be shown in the country, a movie executive said Friday.

The latest 007 installment - which had its world premiere in London on
Tuesday night (14.11.06) - was approved by China's Film
Censorship Board, which monitors "cultural pollution" from Western-made
movies.

The board typically censors films that contain what they deem to be
excessive violent, political or sexual scenes.
The movie - starring Daniel Craig in his debut outing as the suave spy - is
due to hit Chinese cinemas on January 30.

Images Faded Youth

The movie is reportedly the first Bond movie to screen in mainland China reports iht.com.

"The film has been approved and no cuts or changes have been requested," Li Chow, general manager at Columbia TriStar Film Distributors International and Sony Pictures Entertainment, said in an e-mail to The Associated Press.

Meanwhile, 'Casino Royale' has smashed the existing record for debut night
box office takings for any film in the spy franchise, when it took 1.7
million on Thursday (16.11.06).

The figure is more than twice as much as the previous record-holder, 2002's Die Another Day, took in its first day.

An anti-piracy group has reported that pirate copies of the film have already appeared for sale in London reports BBC.

"The rapid appearance of this film on the streets shows the sophistication and organization behind film piracy in the UK, " said Kieron Sharp, from the Federation Against Copyright Theft.

"Film piracy is a crime being committed on UK streets, in markets and online and one that generated over 270 million for criminals in the UK alone," he added.

Daniel Craig is being hailed as "the best Bond yet" by the British media following the world premiere of Casino Royale.

Reviewers say the opening night, attended by Queen Elizabeth II late Tuesday, had been a "personal triumph" for 38-year- old Craig.

"He started off as junk Bond, panned by the critics for his blond hair, arty manner and lived-in face...but Daniel Craig has had the better of them in the end," wrote the Daily Telegraph.

"The blond Bond era began in style," said the Times, which praised Craig as "the best Bond yet."

Dismissing the suggestion that he had sought to answer his critics with his performance, the star himself said: "I just set out to make a good movie."

But, according to the Daily Mail, it was the Queen who calmed any nerves Craig might have had with the "warm smile" she offered during the handshake with her secret agent