Mathieu Amalric will play the sinister villain Dominic Greene.
Olga Kurylenko will play the main Bond girl part of Camille. She will nurse Bond's damaged heart after the death of Vesper.
Gemma Arterton will be assisting Bond. She plays the part of Agent Fields. This most likely will lead to a double entendre when Bond mentions to 'M' that he has been 'working in the field'.
A set of stamps to mark the centenary of James Bond creator Ian Fleming's birth have been launched.
They feature cover designs from six of Fleming's famous 007 novels. These are Casino Royale, Dr No, Goldfinger, Diamonds Are Forever, For Your Eyes Only and From Russia With Love.
Actress Samantha Bond, who played Miss Moneypenny in several Bond films alongside Pierce Brosnan, posed beside an Aston Martin DB6 to publicise the new collection.
Royal Mail head of special stamps Julietta Edgar said: "It is estimated that over half the world's population have heard of James Bond which is an incredible testament to the imagination of his creator, Ian Fleming.
"I'm delighted to see that the most famous super-spy is once again in the service of Queen and country and will be appearing on millions of items of post."
The Ian Fleming collection of James Bond stamps has gone on sale in Post Office branches and online.
In 1990, before he passed on the reins of the James Bond franchise to his daughter Barbara and her half-brother Michael G. Wilson, the legendary movie honcho Albert “Cubby” Broccoli offered this piece of advice: “This is the golden goose, and don’t let them screw it up. It’s fine for you guys to screw it up, because it’s your baby, but don’t give in to someone else.”
Barbara, now 47, says that she found this advice, this emphasis on family and on daring to change, ultimately liberating.
The proof of this creative freedom can be found in a reinvented action brand that has ridden the waves of rumour and speculation to produce a 21st-century movie series – one that began with Daniel Craig’s tougher introspective Bond in Casino Royaleand will continue on November 8 with the release of the follow-up, currently titled Bond 22. Bond-watching is, of course, a mildly hysterical media pursuit and every snippet of news reported with gusto: Bond girls revealed! Bond shoots in Barbican Centre! Bond stamps exposed! This puts the intensely private Barbara in that contradictory position of being both in and outside the spotlight.
Born in 1960, two years before the release of Dr No, she spent much of her life growing up on far-flung film sets. Here was a childhood, it seems, permeated by a man who does not exist. “I thought James Bond was a real person until I was 6 or 7,” she has said. “He was like this mysterious relative who people talked about. You were always waiting for him to arrive at Christmas.” She eventually succumbed to the dream and, after a stint at LA’s Loyola University, devoted her professional life to the task of bringing the childhood phantasm to life.
This emphasis on family, on lineage and continuity is crucial to the Bond franchise and the weight of the Broccoli name. In fact, at times the name seems unduly heavy for her, and she insists on doing all interviews with Wilson – her senior both in age and in production experience. She is reluctant, it seems, to let the name alone do the talking. Which is ironic, considering her brand. “You know the name. You know the number,” ran the tagline for Goldeneye.
Her choices, and those of Wilson, for the rebooted Bond franchise have been impeccable. The hiring of Oscar-winning screenwriter Paul Haggis ( Crash) was a masterstroke. Casting a simmering actor such as Craig was a smart move in a film industry enamoured of a high-kicking hustler called Jason Bourne. But torturing Bond on camera, in particular thwacking his exposed gonads with a rope, showed that the franchise had emerged in our geopolitical reality. “The world has become a more dangerous place,” said Barbara, who’s married to the producer Frederick Zollo and has a 15-year-old daughter. It is, it seems, the job of the Bond franchise to reflect that, to entertain us and to prove that nobody does it better.
Olga Kurylenko attending a red carpet event.
Vic Flick working in his studio (Courtesy of www.flicks.com).
The title is taken from one of a collection of short stories in the book FOR YOUR EYES ONLY, published by 007 creator Ian Fleming in 1960.
The new film, which will see Daniel Craig reprise his role as the iconic British agent, will also feature Ukrainian actress Olga Kurylenko. The next outing is the 22nd in the Bond franchise, and is partly being shot at Pinewood Studios.
At a press conference at the facility, reporters were shown a minute of
footage from the new film, including Bond swinging on a rope after an explosion
at an art gallery in Siena, Italy. Another scene showed
him meeting M - played by Dame Judi Dench - outside in the snow.
Daniel Craig is back as James Bond in Quantum of
Solace
Co-producer Michael G Wilson said "We thought it was an intriguing title and referenced what is happening to Bond and what happens in the film," he told reporters.
According to the synopsis, Bond girl Camille, played by Ukrainian-born Olga
Kurylenko, leads the secret agent to Dominic Greene, member of a mysterious organisation called "Greene Planet" and a ruthless businessman, seeking to control huge natural resources.
The plot follows on directly from "Casino Royale", as Bond aims to uncover the truth about Vesper, the beauty who betrayed him. He discovers that she was blackmailed by Greene's
organisation.
"James Bond is after revenge, and Camille is after revenge. They have slightly different goals, but in the end they are going to have to collaborate," Kurylenko told reporters. Kurylenko is currently still in training for her role, but has yet to shoot any scenes. "I'm doing weapons training and body flight training for aerial scenes and stunt work for fighting," she continued. "My days are so long, and it's very physical. She's a fighter. This girl is going to kick ass. She's on her own mission and she's driven by revenge.
Wilson said "Quantum" contains about twice as many action sequences as "Casino
Royale" which was praised for relying less on gadgets and special effects and making Bond more realistic and vulnerable.
The villain Greene is played by Frenchman Mathieu Amalric, who starred in the Oscar-nominated "The Diving Bell and the Butterfly". He said he drew inspiration from several European political leaders.
"I was trying to see the smile of Tony Blair, maybe Nicolas Sarkozy -- it's the worst villain we ever had," he said.
British actress Judi Dench is back as Bond's boss M. "The thing about James Bond, isn't it that it appeals to an incredible cross section of people?" she said. "The appeal for my grandson's is fantastic and ... for their fathers too."
On a tour of the main Bond set at Pinewood, journalists were shown 3 stages, all of them set in the Italian city of Siena. In the largest, two actors including Craig's stunt double, swung from ropes and fought in an old art gallery.
The title most likely will get fans to look up the definition of "Quantum" which means "a large quantity and "Solace" which means "comfort in sorrow, misfortune, or trouble; alleviation of distress or discomfort".
The original story by Fleming actually has OO7 attending a dinner party and listening to a story about a married couple and the sorrows they brought on to each other. It is the only Fleming short story where Bond is literally a third person and does not partake in any form of the adventure.
For nearly 25 years, Bond fans wondered if other short stories by Fleming would ever be used in the film series. Short story titles such as The Hildebrand Rarity, Risico, and Quantum of Solace seemed too ignoble to pass for a Bond movie. However, with the popularity of Casino Royale, the centennial of Fleming's birth, and perhaps the brilliance of Barbara Broccoli and Michael Wilson, Quantum of Solace is more acceptable today than droll titles such as Tomorrow Never Dies.
James Bond could be set for a dressing down if new 007 star Daniel Craig has anything to do with it.
The hunky actor, 39, who is current filming the
new James Bond film "Quantum Of Solace", is apparently a huge fan of
baseball boots - and thinks they would give the action hero an edge when
escaping the baddies. Daniel
is quoted in the Daily Express as saying: "Put me in a pair of Converse All
Star baseball boots and I'm happy. They're great for working out in; they make
you run better."
And
it seems his obsession knows no bounds, as he admitted his collection was quite
extensive: "I have them in every colour and pattern imaginable. But just
plain and simple cream ones will always be my favourite."
Fans should maybe keep an eye out for a new look 'casual' Bond in the
forthcoming installment, currently codenamed Bond 22.
Sony released the first of perhaps many promotional posters for the OO7 film "QUANTUM OF SOLACE". The poster is getting some mixed reviews around the Internet but overall has been received favorably.
The shadow effect is supposed to tell us that Bond is still not completely the man we have come to know and love. That there is some unfinished business left to be done.
I personally love the shadow effect since that is what you see at the end of Casino Royale before he says his famous line, "My name is Bond, James Bond."
Daniel
Craig hates camera phones - because he can never go to the toilet in peace.
The
James Bond star is happy to meet fans and sign autographs but draws the line at
being photographed when he is trying to relieve himself.
Daniel
said: "People try to take pictures of me when I'm having a p**s and it's
not welcome and never will be.
"I
have to keep hold of my sense of humour, because you can lose it very quickly
and start retreating into yourself - then you can't go anywhere unless you're
with armed guards."
Daniel
has a history of griping about his fans.
The
'Quantum of Solace' star recently revealed he wears a false beard to the pub to
stop people recognising him.
He said: "I wish, sometimes, I could just go sit and spend the afternoon in the pub. Well, you know, if I'm quiet and I wear a hat, a pair of sunglasses and a false beard, I could probably get away with it.
Connery had problems with the press during the making of You Only Live Twice. One photojournalist snapped his picture while he was sitting on the toilet. This prompted the producers to get more security.
He'll be driving around town in his Aston Martin but when it comes to jetting off to different countries, James Bond will be catching Virgin Atlantic
Sir Richard Branson confirmed that his airline carrier will be featured once again in the new 007 movie Quantum of Solace
“Virgin Atlantic and James Bond make a great partnership -
slick, smooth and renowned the world over. Casino Royale propelled Bond to
greater success and we’re certain that Quantum of Solace will set an even
higher standard,” the Daily Snack quoted him, as saying.
Branson himself appeared in the last 007 movie in a cameo
role.
Virgin will also be a global partner for the new flick and will be supporting its release with a series of promotional and marketing initiatives.
The spy who flied with me.
Actress
Gemma Arterton may have bagged a lucrative deal to play Bond girl, but she is
still struggling to repay the loan she took as a student.
The
actress is set to play Agent Fields in the 22nd James Bond flick 'Quantum of
Solace'.
She,
however, insists that she will not change her spending habits, despite the fact
that she may make a lot of money on the back of the fame her latest role will
earn her.
"I
still have student debts to pay off. And I think I've used most of my earnings
buying bits from (budget clothing store) Primark," Contactmusic quoted her
as saying.
Ah, the world of the rich and famous.
Amy
Winehouse will get to write the new James Bond theme as well as croon it - but
ONLY if she stays off drugs for two months.
The
Rehab singer - back to her best and appearing neither shaken nor stirred by her
spell in an addiction clinic - has been told she must still be clean in April to
make the record.
A
source confirmed last night: “That’s when the Bond people make a final
decision on who sings the theme. If Amy is clean then, it’s hers.”
Amy
yesterday took a trip out of the London clinic where she is being treated, and
has been given the boost by film bosses despite some people around her doubting
she would be fit to even sing the song let alone write it.
The
insider said of Daniel Craig’s new 007 film Quantum Of Solace: “It will have
a dark and moody feel so Amy would be absolutely perfect.
“It’s
another fantastic carrot being dangled to encourage her to give up drugs.”
Last
night shamed Amy, 24, was still waiting to learn if she will be allowed a US
visa to attend Sunday’s Grammy awards in Los Angeles - where she is up for six
gongs.
The
Sun revealed yesterday how police quizzed her at North London’s Capio
Nightingale clinic over our pictures of her smoking crack cocaine.
During
a few hours out yesterday, Amy visited husband Blake Fielder-Civil in prison,
where the 25-year-old is awaiting a court appearance over assault and
trial-fixing allegations.
She
also went to a restaurant with her cab driver dad Mitch, 57, and pals.
At one point she headed for the bar, telling staff: “I’ve just got out of rehab - I’m dying for a tequila.”
Why do I have this suspicion
that Amy is not going to make it to the recording studio?
It has been a month since I updated this news forum and yet there does not seem to be too much news. I mean nothing that demands the flashing BREAKING NEWS that has become so common in our media outlets. So far the production of Quantum of Solace has moved to Panama with barely a leak or spoiler. However, a few days ago MGM and Sony Pictures released the plot with this presser:
Pursuing his determination to uncover the truth, Bond and M (Judi
Dench) interrogate Mr. White (Jesper Christensen), who reveals the organization
which blackmailed Vesper is far more complex and dangerous than anyone had
imagined. Forensic intelligence links an MI6 traitor to a bank account in Haiti
where a case of mistaken identity introduces Bond to the beautiful but feisty
Camille (Olga Kurylenko), a woman who has her own vendetta.
Camille leads Bond straight to Dominic Greene (Mathieu Amalric), a ruthless
business man and major force within the mysterious organization. On a mission
that leads him to Austria, Italy and South America, Bond discovers that Greene,
conspiring to take total control of one of the world’s most important natural
resources, is forging a deal with the exiled General Medrano (Joaquin Cosio).
Using his associates in the organization, and manipulating his powerful contacts
within the CIA and the British government, Greene promises to overthrow the
existing regime in a Latin American country giving the General control of the
country in exchange for a seemingly barren piece of land.
In a minefield of treachery, murder and deceit, Bond allies with old friends in
a battle to uncover the truth. As he gets closer to finding the man responsible
for the betrayal of Vesper, 007 must keep one step ahead of the CIA, the
terrorists and even M, to unravel Greene’s sinister plan and stop his
organization.”
If you are like me this is old news. James Bond websites like commanderbond.net and MI6 have been reporting on the plot for over a month. One wishes that some of these news media outlets would at least check into the fan sites and get their info. They might even scoop the competition by weeks.
Still, I am impressed with Eon for keeping a tight lid on the production and behind-the-scenes. Entertainment Tonight was on the set with Daniel Craig offering exclusive interviews that were absolutely mind-blowing. You have to tip your Oddjob bowler to the pure genius who came up with clever questions such as "Will James Bond be having any sex in this film?" One wonders if Daniel Craig should ask Entertainment Tonight "Is there any intelligent people still working at ET?"
On a positive note, the new James Bond book DEVIL MAY CARE has revealed the U.S. artwork. Not exactly revolutionary but it is better drawn than the old John Gardner covers from the 1980s.
As an added bonus the website for devil may care has been conducting a contest for anyone who can come up with a James Bond song for the audio book of DEVIL MAY CARE. The judges have been hard at work in the last few weeks and they have narrowed it down to five songs. Now it is up to the fan to help decide the winning song. You can link to the website and pick your favorite. However, be warned, the last five songs are all good and deciding will make it very difficult.
My personal favorite is by Chantel & Dry Martinis.
The British get an early fright when the new OO7 thriller "Quantum of Solace" opens on Halloween, October 31st. That is one week earlier than the unfortunate American movie going public.
Meanwhile, Eon Productions continues to film worldwide and several videos have made their way onto the Internet. Reelzchannel.com has a nice behind-the-scenes of an aerial dogfight preparation in Baja California with a DC3. The location is difficult to get film equipment, crews, and actors transported to, and second unit director, Dan Bradley, says "It's an arduous task." Cameras are mounted on various aircrafts and on the ground with crews who also have to be in great shape to move the DC3 into place since the landing field is not flat like most tarmacs.
Back in Panama City, and the infamous Panama Union Club that is now just a shell of a building is given a face lift for a pivotal nightclub scene. One shot has actor Anatole Taubman playing the sinister henchman, Elvis, falling down a large stone stairway. Another quick shot has Bond and Felix
Leiter, played by Jeffrey Wright, standing at a bar with Bond jumping over the bar top while Felix looks on and gun shots are blazing all around.
Quantum of Solace is looking better and better with each new video highlight.
''It's just not very Bond-like,'' he said. ''Bond should be
able to do ten press-ups, then smoke 60 cigarettes, and then drink a bottle of
something and pop a pill, I think.''
Kurylenko, a 28-year-old Ukranian-born model-actress with few films to her
credit, said her character also has ''a masculine spirit.''
''When she meets Bond, it clashes,'' she said. ''She's careful and she doesn't
trust that easily. So basically with men, she either uses them, or if they're no
use, and she sees that they can't serve her, then she throws them away.''
There have been several noteworthy confrontations around on the Bond production
so far. In Panama, riots near the set forced a shift in schedule. And in
Chile, a local mayor interrupted production claiming producers didn't get his
permission.
National media has reported on Chileans' disappointment in not seeing more of
Craig during his stay in their country. And in a separate controversy,
Chile-as-Bolivia has not been a popular choice, either: Hurt feelings remain
between the South American neighbors over an 1879-84 war in which Chile took
Bolivia's Pacific coastline. The two have not had diplomatic relations since
1978.
''We knew there was a war 100 years ago, but we didn't know it was still an
issue,'' Wilson said.
Next, the eternal question: What's next for Bond?
Wilson said he expected Bond production to pause for at least a year following
''Quantum of Solace.''
''I need a break for a little while,'' he said.
Forster said he won't be back for Bond 23.
''If I would ever do a big movie again in that size,'' he said, ''it has to be
my own franchise, which I would create from scratch, which I would cast, create
the look and really create the franchise on my own.''
And Craig, who turned 40 while filming in Panama, said he'd keep playing Bond --
so long as the quality remains high.
''I want them to stand alone and be good films,'' he said. ''As long as that
continues, then we'll keep making them. And if it doesn't, then we'll stop.''
After a week of mysterious mishaps, including the destruction of 007’s Aston Martin, the rumours are starting to fly that the latest Bond film has been hit by a jinx.
Shooting by Lake Garda, in northern Italy, of Quantum of Solace was suspended yesterday after a series of near-fatal accidents to a driver and two stuntmen.
The first occurred early on Saturday when Jonathan Dunn Fraser, an employee of Aston Martin, was delivering the DBS sports car to the film set. As he was driving along the gently winding lakeside road he inexplicably lost control of the car, which smashed through a guardrail and into the lake.
In a second accident, on Monday, during shooting of a car chase, a stuntman was injured.
On Wednesday, in the third and most serious accident, two stuntmen were badly injured during filming of a chase scene involving a lorry and a car. The driver of the car is in a critical condition at a hospital in Verona.
The scene was being filmed by the production’s second crew, and neither Marc Foster, the director, nor Daniel Craig was present.
Shooting was immediately suspended and it was decided to stop filming yesterday as well, to allow police to investigate the accident.
A week ago there was another calamity when a man on a bicycle who had stopped by the set to watch filming suffered a heart attack and died.
Dunn Fraser said that he did not know why the Aston Martin had skidded off the road. “I was at the wheel and I remember the road was wet,” he said. “I wasn’t going fast. Suddenly the car went off the road. Then I sank into very cold water.” In that spot the lake is 52m (170ft) deep.
Dunn Fraser said that he must have lost consciousness because the next thing he knew he was upside down, in the car, at the bottom of the lake. “I was shaken but not stirred,” he wryly told the media, and said that he had been able to kick one of the doors open and swim to the surface. He was then taken to hospital.
Drowning was not the only concern for Dunn Fraser. He needed to exhale all his air in his lungs as he ascended to the surface otherwise he would suffer from the bends which can be fatal.
“I’m very lucky to be alive,” he said. “I thought my lungs would burst before I reached the surface, and my chest still hurts. Apart from that I just have a few bruises.”
The Aston Martin, which sells for £134,000, was one of six being used for the film and was to have been used the next day for a press conference to promote the new 007 film.
Accidents on the OO7 productions through the last 46 years is nothing new. In 1967, cameraman Freddie Young had his leg cut off by a helicopter blade while shooting the aerial scenes. In 1980, a member of a bobsled team was killed during the ski chase in the film For Your Eyes Only. 1983's Octopussy had a stuntman injured during the climatic train chase. 1989's Licence To Kill had some spooky moments during the climatic truck chase. A man was injured by the rocket-propelled Stinger missile prop that is seen launched by villain Sanchez. The rocket hit a man who was working on a telephone pole miles away. Many who worked on that set felt the area was haunted.
Bond stars have suffered from one form of injury or another. Connery received a karate chop from Oddjob actor Harold Sakata in 1964's Goldfinger. Connery has claimed he still feels the affects to this day. On Her Majesty's Secret Service star George Lazenby injured his ankle while jumping from rooftop to rooftop, only to have the scene cut from the final film. Roger Moore was severely burned from Stromberg's table rocket in 1977's The Spy Who Loved Me. Pierce Brosnan had his lip cut opened while performing a fight scene in 1997's Tomorrow Never Dies and Daniel Craig had his capped tooth knocked out while performing a fight scene for 2006's Casino Royale.
Please keep the stuntmen in your prayers since one is suffering from a severe head injury.
Well, not quite. But the city across from Washington, DC known as Crystal City, Virginia is sponsoring a 'free' outdoor movie series every Monday night from May 5th thru Sept 22nd. Every Eon produced OO7 film will be shown from 1962's Dr. No to 2006's Casino Royale.
For more information, click on 21 Weeks of James Bond OO7.
This film festival is across the river from my place of work, so I will be showing up for some of these films.
"But the stakes are a lot higher on this movie especially as there are a lot more action sequences," the source added. But for Craig, it all seems to be a walk in the park, and he admits that he loves every minute of it. "I love having that adrenaline rush. It makes you realise that you are mortal and that life must be enjoyed," Craig said.
And to think that $10 million dollars was the budget on the first Star Wars film.