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After the long drawn-out conflicts regarding MGM’s business affairs, it’s very much business as usual here on the lot. The “Skyfall” set is enormous -– not only has it taken over the standard 007 stage, named in honor of the late “Dr. No” producer Cubby Broccoli, but it’s extended right around the block and into a life-size replica of an abandoned Japanese city, where a deposed eastern leader lies in cement blocks on the ground — the first hint of director Sam Mendes’ singular vision for Bond.

On the set of “Skyfall” with Daniel Craig and Javier Bardem

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Inside the tunnel, someone yells “Action,” as hordes of people stop moving around and gaze at the monitor. The only sound in the room comes from Daniel Craig, walking through the squalor and taking aim at the film’s antagonist, played by Javier Bardem. As the scene continues, Bardem is halfway up a ladder, making himself — you would think — an easy target. Nonetheless, dialogue ensues. Although the moment seems to have all the hallmarks of a traditional Bond/villain exchange, Craig later points out that “Skyfall” has some deeper elements than audiences might expect, calling the film “a rich palette of characters.”

On the set of “Skyfall” with Daniel Craig and Javier Bardem

Check out our full story to get exclusive new pictures from the newest “James Bond” movie.

“This movie costs a lot of money to make, it costs as nearly as much again if not more to promote, so we go where we can. The great thing is that Bond is a drinker, he always has been, it’s part of who he is, rightly or wrongly, you can make your own judgement about it, having a beer is no bad thing, in the movie it just happens to be Heineken.”

Daniel Craig defends the ‘Skyfall’ Heineken sponsorship.