Moonraker (1979) is the eleventh film in the James Bond series and Roger Moore’s fourth appearance as 007. Directed by Lewis Gilbert, the film pushes Bond further into science fiction than any previous entry in the series, reflecting the enormous popularity of space-themed films at the end of the 1970s. Bond’s investigation begins after a Moonraker space shuttle disappears while being transported to Britain, leading him to its manufacturer, the wealthy industrialist Hugo Drax, played with icy calm by Michael Lonsdale. Drax’s plans eventually prove considerably larger than a stolen spacecraft: he intends to wipe out most of humanity with a deadly nerve agent and create a new civilisation from a carefully selected group living aboard his space station. Lois Chiles stars as CIA agent and astronaut Dr. Holly Goodhead, while Richard Kiel returns as the seemingly indestructible Jaws. With its globetrotting story, huge Ken Adam sets and climactic battle in orbit, Moonraker became one of the most extravagant Bond productions of its era.
Moonraker (1979) was filmed across France, Italy, Brazil, Guatemala, the United States and England, with real locations often standing in for places thousands of kilometres away. The exterior of Drax’s supposedly Californian estate is Château de Vaux-le-Vicomte near Paris, with additional mansion interiors filmed at Château de Guermantes. The futuristic architecture of the Centre Pompidou in Paris became part of Drax’s space-shuttle research complex, including the walkway leading Bond to Holly Goodhead’s laboratory, while the exterior of the facility was filmed at the Rockwell International plant in Palmdale, California. Venice is used extensively as itself, with Bond travelling along the Grand Canal and through St Mark’s Square, staying at Hotel Danieli and investigating the fictional Venini Glass Works near St Mark’s Basilica; the city’s canals also provide the setting for the famous gondola chase. The story then moves to Rio de Janeiro, where locations include Rio–Galeão International Airport, the Copacabana Palace and Sugarloaf Mountain, the latter providing the spectacular cable-car fight between Bond and Jaws. The jungle sequences make even greater use of geographical sleight of hand: Iguaçu Falls appears during Bond’s escape by boat and hang glider, while the ancient Maya ruins of Tikal in Guatemala provide the exterior of Drax’s hidden pyramid headquarters. Parts of the Amazon boat chase were filmed around Port St. Lucie in Florida. Much of the enormous space-station interior and Drax’s underground complex was constructed on stages in France, while Pinewood Studios in England was used for additional interiors, miniatures and much of the extensive visual-effects work.
Centre Pompidou
The Centre Pompidou is a building complex in Paris, France. The Centre Pompidou served as a primary filming location for the 1979 James Bond film Moonraker.
Palazzo Pisani a Santo Stefano
Palazzo Pisani a Santo Stefano appears in the James Bond film Casino Royale, A Haunting in Venice and Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One.
St. Mark’s Square
Films associated with St. Mark’s Square are Summertime, Death in Venice, A Little Romance, Moonraker, The Tourist, Inferno and Spider-Man: Far From Home.