Cape Town ready for 007

Cape Town - A spokesperson for the Mother City said on Monday that it was ready to host British spy James Bond in his latest instalment of martini swilling and villain chasing, after reports of filming troubles in India.

"Cape Town welcomes James Bond whenever he decides to visit us," said Cape Film Commission chief executive Denis Lillie.

The city said it had noted media reports of difficulties facing producers in the 23rd Bond movie, with producers said to have put forward Cape Town as an alternative.

"This demonstrates how a film project can very quickly go 'off the rails' if the coordination between city and government departments are not in place," said Lillie.

"Cape Town would not be happy to benefit from someone else's loss," he said, but added that the city's film-friendliness and bureaucratic co-ordination had been demonstrated during the 2010 Soccer World Cup and the hosting of big films.

Cape Town is a popular location, drawing stars like Denzel Washington and Ryan Reynolds and has also been named for a local franchise of the popular American and British television show Law & Order.

South Africa's film industry contributes R5.5bn to the Western Cape and R12.3bn nationwide, Lillie said.

"Our city has all the facilities required for a shoot of this magnitude," said counsellor Grant Pascoe, a mayoral committee member for tourism, events and marketing.

"I would like to assure the producers that we are ready."

Media reported problems over filming permissions for railway scene stunts in India for the latest 007 leg, which is set for release next year.