FILM · 2015 · UK
Spectre
37 archived facts 6 topics 1 source Last reviewed Oct 2026
23 Interesting Facts About Spectre
- #001
In Ian Fleming's James Bond stories, Hannes Oberhauser — the father of Franz Oberhauser (Christoph Waltz) in this film — was a skiing and climbing instructor who taught Bond at Fettes College in Edinburgh, Scotland. In Fleming's short story "Octopussy" (1966), Bond says of him: "He taught me to ski before the war, when I was in my teens. He was a wonderful man. He was something of a father to me at a time when I needed one."
- #002
- #003
Daniel Craig, then 47, said keeping up with the shirtless scenes as James Bond was becoming increasingly difficult: "Am I getting my kit off in this movie? Of course I'm getting my kit off. I'm pretty much bare-chested throughout this film. Yes, I've been working out for six months. I work bloody hard to stay in shape. There's no secret method, just a lot of very hard graft. I have to admit it's getting harder, but that's life. I'll keep going. As long as I'm physically able."
- #004
- #007
According to reports, Sir Christopher Nolan was seriously considered to direct this film before Sir Sam Mendes decided to return for another one. Associate producer Gregg Wilson said: "Christopher Nolan would be a 'dream' choice for a future Bond director. Of course we would want to have a discussion with him. We would want to make the same kind of film. It would be a dream to have Nolan. But we are always open-minded when it comes to directors."
- #009
James Bond's new car in this film is the Aston Martin DB10. The C.E.O. of Aston Martin tweeted that the vehicle was "absolutely created for James Bond and limited to only ten cars. It is the most exclusive car of the DB series so far." It also adopted a new styling direction with a more angular look never before seen from Aston Martin.
- #010
- #011
This is the third James Bond film to show Bond's home, after Dr. No (1962) and Live and Let Die (1973). Producer Barbara Broccoli said of Bond's flat in this film: "Early in pre-production I told (production designer) Dennis (Gassner) that Bond's flat would be one of the hardest sets to get right, and after we shot it he said, 'You were right about that,' because everyone has an idea in their head of what a place of Bond's would be like." Broccoli added: "When you actually sit down to decide what it should be, everyone has different expectations. We knew it would be difficult, but Dennis did a wonderful job and Daniel (Craig) was very involved in this set design too, because it shows a lot about Bond's character and what he calls home." Craig personally chose many of the items in Bond's home in this film.
- #014
In earlier James Bond films, S.P.E.C.T.R.E. stood for Special Executive for Counter-intelligence, Terrorism, Revenge and Extortion. S.P.E.C.T.R.E. is also known as the Special Executive for Counter-intelligence, Terrorism, Revenge and Extortion. James Bond creator Ian Fleming's abbreviation actually had a slightly simpler meaning: Special Executive for Terrorism, Revenge and Extortion.
- #018
The painting that art dealers sell in Shanghai, China, in Skyfall (2012) hangs in Dr. Madeleine Swann's (Léa Seydoux's) room at the S.P.E.C.T.R.E. desert compound. It is on the wall to her left as she looks at the dress. In real life the actual painting is lost, as it was stolen several years ago.
- #019
- #020
- #021
According to Robbie Collin of The Telegraph in the UK, Bond author Ian Fleming invented S.P.E.C.T.R.E. in 1959 to replace James Bond's usual Soviet adversaries. Fleming believed the Cold War might be coming to an end and wanted to keep spy thrillers current. "Fleming's S.P.E.C.T.R.E. Executive Cabinet included" 21 people, among them former Gestapo members, the Soviet spy group S.M.E.R.S.H., Josip Broz Tito's secret police, and Italian, Corsican and Turkish organized crime gangs; its goals were "to profit from conflicts between superpowers, ultimate world domination," and its methods included "extortion using counter-intelligence, brainwashing, murder and weapons of mass destruction (nuclear, biological and orbital)."
- #022
This is the first James Bond film since Die Another Day (2002) to feature the iconic gun barrel scene at the beginning of the film. The gun barrel sequence was used as part of the title sequence in Casino Royale (2006), while the sequence was shown only at the end of Skyfall (2012) and Quantum of Solace (2008).
- #025
As a joke among the cast and crew, a Viagra prescription for James Bond was placed on the set of the mountaintop clinic. This may have been a response to the conclusion of a study published in the British Medical Journal that doctors in the novels monitored Bond's alcohol consumption. They concluded that Bond consumed an average of 92 units of alcohol a week, which would make him an alcoholic at high risk of liver problems and impotence.
- #026
Dame Judi Dench's appearance in a small role makes this her eighth James Bond film. Dench became the fourth most frequently appearing actor or actress in the series, after Bernard Lee in third place, who played M in 11 films, Lois Maxwell in second place, who played Miss Moneypenny in 14 films, and Desmond Llewelyn, who played Q in 17 films.
- #027
- #030
The huge explosion seen near the end of the film was awarded a Guinness World Record as the largest film stunt explosion of all time. The award was presented to the film's special effects and miniature effects supervisor, Chris Corbould. The explosion lasted more than 7.5 seconds and detonated 33 kilograms (73 pounds) of powdered explosive and 8,418 liters (2,224 gallons) of kerosene, equivalent to 68 metric tons (75 tons) of TNT. The explosion scene was filmed in Erfoud, Morocco, and takes place after James Bond and Dr. Madeleine Swann escape from S.P.E.C.T.R.E.'s hideout headquarters at the bottom of a meteorite crater. The film's production notes state: "Here, the special effects team staged the biggest explosion ever seen in the film. The team brought in over 2100 gallons of kerosene to fuel the massive blast." Chris Corbould has said: "It was certainly the biggest explosion of my career. It was complex to plan and achieve but more than worth it." Guinness World Records editor-in-chief Craig Glenday said: "James Bond films are synonymous with pushing cinematic boundaries. The scene featuring the world's largest film explosion is magnificent and will long be remembered as one of the extraordinary moments of the Bond series."
- #032
- #033
The Rome chase sequence between James Bond's (Daniel Craig's) Aston Martin DB10 and Mr. Hinx's (Dave Bautista's) Jaguar C-X75 marks the first time two prototype vehicles have appeared in a Bond film. It also means this is the first time any prototype car has been used in a Bond film. However, Casino Royale (2006) used a Ford Mondeo sports model that was not on the market at the time of production.
- #034
When James Bond fires at Franz Oberhauser (Ernst Stavro Blofeld) in the abandoned MI6 headquarters, his bullet hits the armored glass and forms the shape of the S.P.E.C.T.R.E. octopus. This kind of cracked-glass octopus image was used in the film's promotions, in trailers and on the film's posters.
- #036
- #037