Friesland wants James Bond

With additional reporting by Zack Newmark. If Frisian party Koers has its way, the next James Bond will be filmed in the northernmost province of the Netherlands. The faction said on Monday that the province should spare no expense, as bringing the next edition to the movie franchise could bring Friesland massive international exposure. Faction leader Jelle Hiemstra argued that the multi-million euro investment would pay itself back as the shooting of the film alone attracts large crowds. He referred the Swiss village of Mürren that has been earning millions from its tourism industry since it was featured in the 1969 007 movie “On Her Majesty's Secret Service.” Friesland ranks second-to-last among Dutch provinces in terms of population density, and eighth for overall population with just about 650,000 people living there. Among the party platform, Frisia Koers stresses investment in culture, and using large events to boost tourism, thus providing long-term employment gains for the region. The 24th Bond movie will be shot this winter, primarily in Rome. Daniel Craig, Ralph Fiennes, Naomie Harris and Ben Whishaw will return in this installment. The producers are currently entangled in discussions with the Italian film commission about a hair-raising car chase through the capital. The movie is set to premier in 2015.