Sharon Stone, 63, brings Hollywood glamour to the south of France

Sharon Stone brought a touch of Hollywood glamour to the south of France on Wednesday evening as the French principality welcomed a charity screening of new James Bond film No Time To Die. 

The Monte Carlo Opera played host as Stone, 63, joined Prince Albert II of Monaco for a first look at the eagerly anticipated release – Daniel Craig’s fifth and final outing as the iconic secret agent. 

The actress looked stunning in a sequined silver dress as she posed alongside Prince Albert, 63, who was making the latest in a string of public appearances without wife Princess Charlene and his second appearance with the Basic Instinct star in the space of a week. 

When Hollywood Royalty meets actual Royalty! Sharon Stone, 63, tenderly greeted Prince Albert II of Monaco with a kiss while dazzling at the £1,862 a ticket screening of new Bond thriller No Time To Die on Wednesday night

The Sovereign Prince of Monaco looked suitably dapper in a white tuxedo jacket  that even Bond would be proud of as he posed for photos alongside the Stone.

It was their second joint appearance in less than a week, with both having previously attended the 2021 Monte Carlo Gala for Planetary Health on September 23rd. 

Despite the event being held in honour of Princess Charlene’s environmental trust, she was notably absent on the night after contracting a ‘sinus infection.’ 

A vision: Sharon looked jaw-dropping in the dazzling dress designed by Dolce & Gabbana 

A-list: Sharon brought Hollywood glamour to the south of France as the new Bond movie screened in the French principality 

Excited: The Monte Carlo Opera played host as Stone, 63, joined Prince Albert II of Monaco for a first look at the eagerly anticipated release

A good cause: Wednesday’s charity screening was organised by the Princess Grace Foundation to support emerging talents in theater, dance and film 

It comes just weeks after Prince Albert hit back at rumours of a rift in his marriage – insisting Charlene ‘didn’t leave in a huff’ and remains in South Africa only because of ‘medical complications’ following a ‘severe ear, nose and throat infection’.

The royal told People that the speculation over the state of his relationship with the Olympic swimmer, 43, has ‘affected’ them both, but that he didn’t address it early because he ‘was concentrating on taking care of the kids’.

Charlene, who wed her prince in 2011 and has two children, six-year-old twins Prince Jacques and Princess Gabriella, with Albert, has been in her native South Africa for several months after contracting the infection in May.

She is not expected to return to her husband’s principality until October after experiencing complications related to a sinus lift and bone graft procedure she’d undergone before her trip for dental implants, according to the magazine.

The mother-of-two has apparently since had several corrective procedures – including one in late June that resulted in her missing her 10th wedding anniversary on July 1 and a four-hour long operation on August 13.

Hey there! She was greeting the superstar patrons of the event 

Recurring theme: It was Sharon Stone and Prince Albert’s second joint appearance in less than a week, with both having previously attended the 2021 Monte Carlo Gala for Planetary Health on September 23rd (pictured)

On September 1, Charlene was admitted to a local hospital after suddenly ‘collapsing’. She was later released but doctors are ‘still establishing exactly what happened’, according to a statement from Chantell Wittstock, director of the Princess Charlene of Monaco Foundation.

Wednesday’s charity screening was organised by the Princess Grace Foundation to support emerging talents in theater, dance and film. 

For the sum of $2,500 (£1,862) guests were given an exclusive opportunity to attend the event, with a screening of the latest Bond film followed by a dinner in the Monte Carlo Casino lounge. 

The event also pays tribute to Sir Roger Moore, who passed away in 2017 at the age of 89 and memorably played Bond seven times – more than any other actor. 

All set: The Monte Carlo Opera house welcomed two iconic Aston Martin’s ahead of the charitable event

Natural beauty: The actress looked stunning in a sequined silver dress during her latest public appearance 

Main man: No Time To Die director Cary Joji Fukunaga (left) joined Stone and Prince Albert on the red carpet 

Arm in arm: Chloe Green arrived at the Monte Carlo casino alongside boyfriend Manuele Thiella

Safety first: COVID wary guests wore protective masks as they idled together inside the venue 

Other guests included No Time To Die director Cary Joji Fukunaga, who attended just 24 hours after the film’s world premiere at London’s Royal Albert Hall.  

The filmmaker, who has won plaudits for his progressive treatment of the Bond franchise, opted for his own white tuxedo and black dress trousers as he rubbed shoulders with Stone. 

Swedish model Victoria Silvstedt, 47, wowed in a sexy white dress which featured a daring thigh-high split as she posed on the red carpet ahead of the event, organised by the Princess Grace Foundation.

Also joining the party,  Topshop heiress Chloe Green 30, slipped into a stunning silk jumpsuit for the occasion, with the navy piece boasting delicate lace cut-out detailing.

She was accompanied by her yacht broker boyfriend Manuele Thiella, who looked appropriately smart in a navy blue tuxedo shirt, crisp white dress shirt and bow-tie. 

Striking: Swedish model Victoria Silvstedt, 47, wowed in a sexy white dress which featured a daring thigh-high split as she posed on the red carpet ahead of the event

Group shot:  Louis and Marie Ducruet (left) with Camille Gottlieb (far right) and a friend 

The one and only: Dame Shirley Bassey also joined the party on Wednesday. The singer famously provided vocals for three Bond soundtracks – Goldfinger, Diamonds Are Forever and Moonraker 

No Time To Die – Daniel Craig’s final outing as 007 – has been a long time coming after the film’s release was delayed several times due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The film was originally scheduled for release in April 2020, but was pushed back to November before the release was changed once again to April 2021 in light of the coronavirus pandemic.

The release date was finally settled for September 30th in the UK followed by October 8th in the US.

Here he is: No Time To Die is Daniel Craig’s fifth and final outing as James Bond (pictured in the film with co-star Lea Seydoux)

High glamour: Sharon brought the A-list to the red carpet during Wednesday’s charitable event

Side by side: (L-R)  Marie and Louis Ducruet posed for photos as they made their way inside 

No time to say goodbye! Daniel Craig is credited for his ‘extravagantly satisfying’ (and unapologetically woke) Bond swansong… as ‘slick, stylish and emotional’ No Time To Die wins five star reviews

• After an 18-month Covid-induced delay the premiere for No Time To Die – Craig ‘s final outing as Bond – took place at the Royal Albert Hall on Tuesday 
• He was joined by co-stars Lashana Lynch, Lea Seydoux and Ana de Armas to introduce critics, Royals and stars to the Cary Joji Fukunaga blockbuster  
• Daily Mail’s Brian Viner gave Bond’s ‘tense and explosive’ 25th outing four stars, writing that ‘the thunderous ovation that rocked the venue was not misplaced’ 
• Other publications dished out five star reviews including The Guardian, The Telegraph and Time, while The Independent offered a lacklustre three stars

After an 18-month Covid-induced delay the premiere for No Time To Die – Daniel Craig’s final outing as James Bond – took place at the Royal Albert Hall on Tuesday.

Craig stepped out alongside co-stars Lashana Lynch, Lea Seydoux and Ana de Armas to introduce critics, royals and stars alike to the Cary Joji Fukunaga-directed blockbuster – with a thrilling outcome from the other side.

The Daily Mail’s Brian Viner gave Bond’s ‘daring, tense and explosive’ 25th outing four stars, writing that ‘the thunderous ovation that rocked the venue as the end credits rolled was not misplaced’.

Reviews from around the world soon flooded in with a slew of five star accolades for Craig’s swansong – along with gushing praise over the movie’s ‘magnificence, glee, extravagance and bulgingly proportions’. 

Finally here: After an 18-month Covid-induced delay the premiere for No Time To Die – Daniel Craig’s final outing as James Bond – took place at the Royal Albert Hall on Tuesday

Teasing an ending that ‘no one saw coming’, Viner hailed No Time To Die as ‘a triumph’, gushing: ‘[No Time To Die is] an explosive, tense, daring, and most of all surprising adventure, toying with our preconceptions about the world’s greatest secret agent and exploring his personal life more intimately than ever before.’

Addressing the film’s 163 minutes run-time, Viner assured readers that ‘the breathless pace rarely slackens’.

On the fact that Craig’s fifth and final outing as Bond was filmed in a post Time’s Up era, Viner notes: ‘Is there now a danger of the character tilting too far away from the callous ladykiller of yesteryear, becoming 00-woke?… 

‘Yes, there is. However, not least of the achievements of this exciting movie is that it feels progressive, while staying faithful to the spirit of Bond. This is a serious film, and it will leave you seriously blown away.’

Four stars: The Daily Mail’s Brian Viner gave Bond’s ‘daring, tense and explosive’ 25th outing four stars

Leading man: Daniel, 53, oozed sophistication ahead of his final outing as James Bond when he walked No Time To Die’s world premiere red carpet on Tuesday 

Other critics were equally roused by Craig’s final performance as Bond, with The Guardian awarding the blockbuster five stars and critic Peter Bradshaw hailing the film as ‘startling, exotically self-aware, funny and confident’.

He wrote: ‘No Time To Die is startling, exotically self-aware, funny and confident, and perhaps most of all it is big: big action, big laughs, big stunts and however digitally it may have been contrived, and however wildly far-fetched, No Time To Die looks like it is taking place in the real world, a huge wide open space that we’re all longing for.’ 

Empire offered an impressive four stars, branding No Time To Die an ‘exciting entry’ into the 007 universe and urging viewers to ‘raise a martini’ because ‘it was worth the wait’.

Four more stars came from the Evening Standard while The Times offered up five thanks to Craig’s ‘extravagantly satisfying’ final portrayal of Bond.

The Evening Standard’s Charlotte O’Sullivan observed: ‘Fukunaga serves up derring do that’s iconoclastic on so many levels. He couldn’t have done it without Craig.

‘Nobody’s puppet, Craig helped produce No Time to Die. After Spectre, he famously said he’d rather slash his wrists than play Bond again. Instead, with the help of a talented team, he’s taken a razor blade to the idea of Bond.’

Glamourous: Daniel joined glamorous co-stars Lashana Lynch, Ana de Armas and Lea Seydoux at the swanky event before critics sat down to review the flick 

Kevin Maher of The Times meanwhile penned: ‘It’s better than good. It’s magnificent. Craig is a towering charismatic presence from opening frame to closing shot, and he bows out in terrific, soulful, style.’

The Sun urged viewers to ‘buckle up’ in its four star review while the BBC also allocated the movie five stars, noting: ‘No Time To Die rounds off the Craig era with tremendous ambition and aplomb.’

However The Independent’s Clarisse Loughrey was less content when the credits rolled, branding Craig’s ‘last hoorah’ as ‘disappointing and strangely anti-climactic’ before mustering up just three stars.

Digital Spy was another publication to award the flick four stars. 

Ian Sandwell wrote: ‘It might have taken its time getting him, but No Time to Die confirms that whoever the next James Bond is, they’ve got some big shoes to fill.’ 

Dazzling: The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge were also in attendance at No Time To Die’s World premiere 

Ahead of the screening Craig chatted away to the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge at the Royal Albert Hall. 

Also at the star-studded premiere were Billie Eilish, Rami Malek, screenwriter Phoebe Waller-Bridge, director Cary Joji Fukunaga and Naomie Harris.

It has been a long road to Tuesday night’s premiere after the film’s release was delayed several times due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The film was originally scheduled for release in April 2020, but was pushed back to November before the release was changed once again to April 2021 in light of the coronavirus pandemic. 

Looking good! The Duchess of Cambridge appeared just as impressed with Daniel’s pink suit as he was with her show-stopping gown

The release date was finally settled for September 30 in the UK followed by October 8 in the US.

Ahead of the release, Daniel and some of his fellow star cast members joined the Chris Evans Breakfast Show with Sky to talk about the movie.

Daniel, who has appeared in five Bond films over 15 years, told Chris: ‘After the last one, I thought that was it. I thought, ‘I can’t do any more of these’. 

‘I got a bit of a rest and we kind of talked about what we wanted to do with this last movie and how big we wanted to go, and it felt right, and I just got really excited about it, and I can’t wait for people to see it.

Team Bond: Finneas O’Connell, Billie Eilish, Rami Malek, screenwriter Phoebe Waller-Bridge, director Cary Joji Fukunaga, Ana de Armas, Lashana Lynch and Naomie Harris all posed on the carpet together

‘I saw a rough cut of it about a month after we finished, which is really rough, because there’s no special effects or anything. When you see that version of it, you just hope and pray that it makes sense, and it did. 

‘Once you get the effects, and you get the music, Hans Zimmer’s done the music, and it’s just incredible. The story holds together.’

‘Everyone is just turning in brilliant performances, and I think it’s quite special.’

Speaking about the enforced delay to the film’s release due to the pandemic, the actor said: ‘It’s odd enough with a movie, when you’ve finished it, and you put it out and you kind of go, ‘Woah, I hope it’s good.’ 

Close bond: Naomi Harris and Lashana Lynch shared a joke at the star-studded event ahead of the much-anticipated screening 

‘But when there is a two-year gap between finishing it and putting it out, it just makes things even stranger.’ 

On where he was when he first found out he had got the role of Bond: ‘I was in Baltimore doing a movie. And I was in Whole Foods, doing my weekly shop, wandering around with a trolley with food in it, and (producer) Barbara Broccoli was on the phone, and she just went, ‘Over to you kiddo.’ 

‘So I got my trolley and I pushed it quietly down an aisle, walked into the booze section and bought a bottle of vodka and a bottle of vermouth, a glass and a shaker, took it home and drank it, and then went out and sat in a bar and drank about three more vodka martinis.

‘It’s really sad, actually, when you think about it. But, I must have had a sort of look on my face, because the barman kept asking me what was going on, and I said, ‘I can’t tell you!’ 

Release: The release date was finally settled for September 30 in the UK followed by October 8 in the US  

Daniel recently addressed the outdated James Bond plotlines of past films in the franchise – such as the idea of glamorous disposable so-called Bond girls.

Speaking to Lorraine Kelly, he said of the spy series – which sees latest movie No Time To Die released this week – that ‘you’ve got to adapt’ with the times.

‘Certainly a lot of what went on in the earlier movies is sort of questionable now… different times, but we didn’t want to lose the essence [in the new film]. It’s still a Bond movie.

‘I’ve been given free range to put my influence on it, but I’ve never forgotten that. We can have all key elements and things people have loved over the years, but you adapt. 

On the franchise, Daniel said: ‘Certainly a lot of what went on in the earlier movies is sort of questionable now… different times, but we didn’t want to lose the essence [in the new film]. It’s still a Bond movie’

‘One of my biggest things is all the characters, especially the women, have to be brilliant and believable.’

Daniel also told Lorraine about becoming overcome with emotion when he shot his final scene as Bond.

‘Everybody turned up – all the heads of department came down, and I thought ‘Oh God, I have to make a speech, this is my worst nightmare.’ It all just came out, I tried to keep it together.

‘All of those people I go to work with every day, particularly on this movie, the collective effort was so huge and meant so much to me that everyone put that hard work in – that’s what I’ll miss so much.’

Changes: The movie was previously supposed to come out on April 2, however its original release was supposed to be in April 2020 (pictured Daniel Craig)

No Time To Die is the 25th film in the franchise, and finds Bond after he has left active service and is enjoying a tranquil life in Jamaica when his old friend Felix Leiter, played by Jeffrey Wright, from the CIA turns up asking for help.

Leaving his seemingly happy life with Madeleine (Lea Seydoux), Bond returns to the field to face Safin (Rami Malek) who is armed with a new dangerous technology that could impact the world.

Producer Barbara Broccoli has already teased what fans can expect and said that the movie will deliver a satisfying ending for Daniel’s Bond.

Speaking on the official James Bond podcast, she said: ‘It’s a culmination of everything that his portrayal of the character has been through and it ties up all the storylines. It’s a pretty epic film, I have to say.’

Daniel took over the role of Bond from Pierce Brosnan in Casino Royale in 2006 and went onto appear in Quantum of Solace in 2008, Skyfall in 2012 and Spectre in 2015.

History: Daniel took over the role of Bond from Pierce Brosnan in Casino Royale in 2006 and went onto appear in Quantum of Solace in 2008, Skyfall in 2012 and Spectre in 2015