James Bond Headliners of 2002

Brosnan Agrees To Fifth 007 Film January 11, 2002 - BBC News Actor Pierce Brosnan has extended his contract to play James Bond for a fifth time. The Irish performer told reporters at the launch of his fourth 007 adventure he was keen to make one more film, but admitted it would probably be his last.

The 20th James Bond movie - as yet untitled - starts shooting officially at Pinewood Studios, Buckinghamshire on Monday before taking in locations including Hawaii, Iceland, Spain and London.

The movie marks the 40th anniversary of the series that began in 1962 with Dr No, starring Sean Connery.

Brosnan, 48, said he was delighted to be continuing in the role. "I will do another one. Time has gone by so quickly. It seems like only yesterday I was sitting here for GoldenEye," he said.

But he said he might be too old for a sixth appearance as the British spy. "It takes stamina to play this role. I would like to get off the stage with grace. I am honouring my contract here but it would be wonderful to do another one. After that, I do not know."

The 20th film will be directed by Lee Tamahori, whose previous successes include Along Came a Spider and The Edge.

Swordfish star Halle Berry and newcomer Rosamund Pike will be Brosnan's glamorous female co-stars.

Berry, who also worked on X-Men, said it a dream come true to be playing opposite 007. She said: "I hope I will fit in and do as fine a job as the women before me."

Pike, who has never starred in a movie before, admitted she was not keen on Bond when she was growing up, but said she was looking forward to an "electrifying" experience.

British actor Toby Stevens will play the villainous bad guy.

Other stars returning include Dame Judi Dench as M, Samantha Bond as Miss Moneypenny and John Cleese in the role of Q following the death of Desmond Llewelyn.

Bond will once again drive an Aston Martin, after a deal with the manufacturer. The V12 Vanquish will be the fourth Aston Martin that Bond has driven since the association began in 1964 with the film Goldfinger - when the DB5 was fitted with ejector seats and rockets.

Co-producer Barbara Broccoli is the daughter of Cubby Broccoli, the producer who originally brought Ian Fleming's spy to the big screen, and who died in 1996.

Broccoli and fellow producer Michael G Wilson, will receive a special award from the London Film Critics' Circle. The award will be presented at the Circle's 22nd awards ceremony on 13 February. It is being given to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the James Bond films, and the organisers say they expect some familiar Bond faces to be among the guests at the event. - Unfortunately, there isn't a title as of yet. Although many speculate that it could be COLONEL SUN or ICEBREAKER. We will just have to wait and see.

Pierce Brosnan Is James Bond In DR. NOTITLE January 14, 2002 - DSBG What is going on at Pinewood? After Friday's press conference, Bond fans around the world have been told that Pierce Brosnan is going to do a fifth Bond movie. Well, that stops any rumors as to who will play 007 in Bond 21.

However, the conference does not stop there. We are introduced to actress Halle Berry who will play Jinx. She is suppose to be 007's match in every way. Will she be a good girl or a bad one is a question yet to be answered.

Enter 22 year old Rosamund Pike who earlier had been slated to play the part of MI6 agent Gala Brand. But according to The Hollywood Reporter, her character's name is now Miranda Frost. Who? Many fans were confused over this revelation. Is she playing two roles? This of course is another question added to the already sky high pile of questions floating around the Internet since The World Is Not Enough was shown at the local cinema.

Another revelation is the introduction of two actors playing the same role. Toby Stephens and Rick Yune are playing the role of Gustav Graves. At least that is the name The Hollywood Reporter has mentioned. Apparently Graves is a villain who has the capability of changing his appearence. One moment he can be a dashing British citizen, the next he can be an Asian military colonel.

Now there are reports about surfing scenes in Hawaii, ice chases in Finland and hovercraft escapades in Korea. But still no title. Lee Tamahori, the film's director has told Bond20.com that EON is hoping the fans will help in creating a great Bond title. - This is exactly the way Tomorrow Never Dies began. I just hope if they do not use a Fleming title (and there are some unused ones), we may have a title every one will hate.

Goodbye Gala Brand, Hello Miranda Frost January 15, 2002 - DSBG Reuters interviewed actress Rosamund Pike on Friday. Several weeks ago on JamesBond.com it was revealed that Ms. Pike was to play the part of Gala Brand. A character that originally came from Ian Fleming's third novel MOONRAKER. During her interview she mentions that her character is 'cool and smart' and goes on to say 'that is why she is called Miranda Frost'. As she says this her eyes drift to one side as if she could not believe she was saying this.

So with that in mind and the villain having an 'ice palace' as his headquarters, one can only speculate that Miranda Frost will be a double agent working for the bad guys. - With a name like Miranda Frost. I wonder if 007 will find her positively frigid?

COMMENTARY: Suggested Bond Titles - Be Afraid, Be Very Afraid January 15, 2002 - by Stuart Basinger Ain't It Cool News has reported that a focus group was held in Marina Del Ray in which they asked a group of people what title would be good for the 20th James Bond adventure. Four titles were offered but only three were memorable. They were IF LOOKS COULD KILL, DOUBLECROSS and BLACK SUN. The group was also shown campaign teaser posters for consideration. One poster had a silencer on a block of ice with smoke rising from it. Inside the smoke was an image of Brosnan.

Now from my point of view, this information is disturbing to me. I cannot help feeling that some high level executive in Follywood is in charge of choosing the next title. When I read about titles such as these being considered, Fleming must be rolling in his grave.

EON this is your 40th year. The title of the film should be based on a Fleming element such as SHATTERHAND, THE PROPERTY OF A LADY, RISICO or MY ENEMY'S ENEMY. The suggested titles proposed to the focus group are too lame and certainly would never have been considered by Mr. Fleming. And since the theme of the film is 'Ice' than using John Gardner's third James Bond novel title ICEBREAKER would still be ten times better than the ones from the focus group. - As with most Focus Groups, this one is out of focus.

Bond On Ice January 15, 2002 - IcelandReview.com Location scouts working for the production company for the 20th ‘James Bond’ film have expressed interest in Iceland. However, initially the interest arose not in the island’s striking landscape, but in its rescue helicopters.

According to the rescue services, the production company called to enquire whether it would be possible to hire their powerful TF-LÍF helicopter for a day or so. Spokesman for the rescue team, Halldór Nellett confirms this report in daily ‘Fréttabladid’, and jokes that “ordinarily the service does not hire out its vehicles, but will make an exception for Mr Bond”.

Daily ‘Fréttabladid’ reports that locations under consideration include the area around the Jökulsárlón glacial lagoon and the Skálafellsjökull glacier. - See Iceland and Fly.

Legalities Slow-Up Bond 20's Title January 16, 2002 - DSBG According to JamesBond.com legalities have caused the delay in officially naming the new 007 film. Yarborough, EON's Internet press secretary, explains:

"You'll have noticed we aren't yet able to confirm a title. This is not for lack of ideas. These days, nearly every title is either already on a film or owned by somebody else and the process of checking out each one is laborious. I took a moment out during Friday to catch up with Rob and Neal, our writers. They've been working long hours recently with director Lee Tamahori putting a final polish on an already excellent script and there are several good title ideas in that which are being investigated. Rest assured, once a title is agreed, you'll be the first to hear about it."

He also goes on to explain that the rumor of both Toby Stephens and Rick Yune playing the same 'face changing' villain is false. Stephens will play the part of Gustav Graves and Rick Yune will play his, 'partner in crime', Zao. - Well, that kills potential titles such as ICEBREAKER and SHATTERHAND.

The Art Of Choosing A Bond Title January 17, 2002 - DSBG What's a film production company to do. Word from JamesBond.com is that finding a title for the 20th Bond film is very time consuming because most titles have been used or bought. So what should the film makers do for their 40th anniversary epic. Borrow words from previous 007 films. Here are a few examples I came up with by simply using the words from the other titles:

01. The Spy Who Lived Enough

02. For You Loved Me Forever

03. Only Your Secret Service Dies Twice

04. The Goldenball Is Not On Her Finger

05. From The Eyes On The Moon With Diamonds

06. Licence To Love Her Majesty's Doctor

07. Worldraker

08. Never View The Daylight With Thunder

09. Are You Living With A Gold Octopussy?

10. To Kill Tomorrow And Die A Man

11. No, Let Russia Live With Her Gun

As you can see the process is very difficult. So with that in mind we can only hope that the title EON chooses will be better than the ones offered above. - Don't give up your day job..

Scotland Forever For 007? January 17, 2002 - DSBG James Bond could be heading for Scotland in his latest adventure. One of the country's most famous shipyards is in line for a starring role in the secret agent's next movie. Producers have looked at Clydebank's disused John Brown shipyard, Scottish Screen said yesterday. And star Pierce Brosnan could film a hovercraft chase or a confrontation with villains there.

Scottish Screen spokeswoman Celia Stevenson said: "The producers have looked at John Brown and Rosyth naval base but they have been looking at lots of places.

"There will be the usual boat chase or running alongside a train scene. They did ask us for a picture of a large dockyard."

Scenes for Bond adventures From Russia With Love and The Spy Who Loved Me were also shot in Scotland. - Hmm, the hovercraft chase scene is suppose to take place in Korea but could be shot in Scotland.

Olympic Gold Metalist Miranda Frost January 18, 2002 - DSBG Dr. Shatterhand has received more information about the character Miranda Frost. During the interview with actress Rosamund Pike from last Friday's press conference, she tells the interviewer that her character has many action scenes. Apparently her character is 'a sportsman' type who has won an Olympic gold medal.

Unfortunately, the audio was a little garbled when she says this but as the weeks go on and more information comes out, Dr. Shatterhand's Botanical Garden will report on it. - Perhaps she's an Olympic sword fighter or fencer?

Toys For Boys January 22, 2002 - The Beanstalk Group The Beanstalk Group, the world’s leading licensing and promotional products agency, has been appointed to manage key aspects of the licensing program for James Bond as the franchise enters its 40th anniversary and releases the new Bond film, “Bond 20”.

“James Bond has captured the world's imagination for 40 years as the most famous secret agent of all time, becoming a truly powerful brand,” explained Keith Snelgrove, SVP of Bond Marketing Inc., the licensing arm of Eon Productions. “In the past year more than 15 licensing partners have signed on with the new program through Bond Marketing, including Mattel, Corgi, Boxtree Publishing, Sideshow Toys, and Swatch.”

In an effort to expand the licensing program further, Bond Marketing will be working with The Beanstalk Group to source licensees in a number of lifestyle product categories, including electronic ‘gadgets’, luxury barware, men’s grooming products, leather accessories, outerwear, collectibles and toys such as board games and action figures. “After a review of potential agencies, Beanstalk was the one company that understood that we are marketing a long term brand not a short term movie property. We knew they would be the ideal partner to ensure that our already successful 2002 licensing program could reach even higher levels,” Mr. Snelgrove noted.

The Beanstalk Group will also be developing the “Bond 20” product catalog of promotional merchandise to accompany the film’s much anticipated November 2002 release, for direct-to-retail sales as well as use by promotional partners for the movie.

Linden Nelson, CEO of The Beanstalk Group, commented: “With 19 movies and more than $3 billion in box office sales, James Bond is the most successful franchise in motion picture history. There are simply tremendous opportunities for this program and we look forward to celebrating Bond’s 40th year as the world’s greatest secret agent.”

Bond Marketing Inc. is the licensing arm of Danjaq, LLC and Eon Productions Limited owned by the Broccoli family who have produced nineteen James Bond films since 1962. The Bond films make up the most successful franchise in film history and include recent blockbusters films, GoldenEye, Tomorrow Never Dies, and The World is not Enough produced by Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli. Danjaq, LLC and its affiliate Eon Productions Limited, control all worldwide merchandising of the James Bond franchise. Bond 20 (working title) commences filming on January 14, 2002.

The Beanstalk Group, with more than 250 employees around the globe, is the world’s leading trademark licensing and promotional products agency and consultancy. With offices in New York, Detroit, Los Angeles, Toronto, Vancouver, and London, Beanstalk offers clients the opportunity to execute strategic licensing programs with global reach. Current Beanstalk clients include AT&T, The Coca-Cola Company, Harley-Davidson, Ford Motor Company, The Stanley Works, Mary-Kate and Ashley, McDonald’s, and Master Lock. For more information, please visit www.beanstalk.com. - Do we get to see Bond toys in Happy Meals?

Behind The Scenes Of Bond 20 January 22, 2002 - By Kevin McElderry for The Age In a chilly, cavernous hangar outside London, an ice palace is taking shape to host a centrepiece stunt of the 20th, as yet unnamed, James Bond epic. Builders hammer, saw and nail away, columns of fake ice wait to be hoisted into position and planks form the floor of a balcony encircling the colonnaded arena. In the movie, due for release in late November, the debonair British secret agent gets drawn into a spectacular car chase inside the palace as 300 guests mingle at a party.

The latest adventure will have all the traditional elements of the 19 previous Bond movies in the popular series which began 40 years ago with Dr No: fast cars, beautiful women, reality-defying stunts and lots of pyrotechnics.

So the mood was light, the sense of anticipation palpable, as Bond's current incarnation, Pierce Brosnan, breezed onto stage to launch full shooting. "Thank you ladies and gentlemen, good morning. Here we go again," he said, promising "wall-to-wall action" for his fourth outing as agent 007. "This one feels good."

The movie's makers have block-booked space at Pinewood studios, set in the English countryside about 30 minutes' drive from London, for 24 weeks until mid-June. Of course they could have sent everybody off to Iceland for the ice palace scenes, "but it was minus 15 and we couldn't really have 250 people there for six weeks," a spokeswoman said.

Bond must unmask a traitor to prevent a war of disastrous consequences, and will use all the charm and skills which have become loved by fans in the four decades since the famous spy first took to the big screen. No one is revealing too much about the gadgets likely to feature on screen. "That would spoil the surprise," says director Lee Tamahori. But producers promise that fans will not be disappointed when gadget-man Q, played by ex-Monty Python star John Cleese, takes our hero through his hi-tech aids.

Early drawings from the art department give a hint of what to expect. There's a Robocop-style armoured suit, complete with a firepower brassard and removable wrist control panel. Another design is for an ice yacht, inspired by real-life versions used in Michigan, in the United States, to skim across a frozen landscape. There are various designs for night-vision goggles; a Polaris satellite; a hovercraft; and, of course, cars. In fact, in a nearby workshop, mechanics are working on four Aston Martins and four Jaguars. After three movies where Bond controversially drove a German BMW, he is back behind the wheel of a luxury British car.

Sean Connery was the first Bond to drive an Aston Martin some 38 years ago in the film Goldfinger. On that occasion, the DB5 was fitted with extras such as ejector seats and rocket launchers. Makers of the new movie have refused to reveal what gadgets will feature in the new V12 Vanquish. Suffice to say, that with all the chases Bond gets involved in, eight cars - four Aston Martins and four Jags - will have been written off by the time shooting ends. Such is the secrecy over the exact design of the cars that they cannot be photographed Gadgets have always played a big role in previous Bond films. - Cool! An ice yacht is to be featured.

Studio Says 20th Bond Film Will Be "Pretty Good" January 25, 2002 - The Brains Trust The world's favourite secret agent will be back in action for a 20th instalment of the enduring James Bond franchise. Shooting began this month near London and a movie producer says it will be "pretty good."

We're not going to fool ourselves," said Evan Snelson of EON, the company producing the latest 007 film. "In the past year, we've seen Pearl Harbor, Planet of the Apes, Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings. Then we have Star Wars episode two coming up. We think the Bond film will be pretty good, but it's not really going to compare to any of those pictures."

Pierce Brosnan will bring Bond to life for a fourth time in the as-of-yet untitled film. He, too, is reserved in his assessment of the film. "The role is a lot of fun," Brosnan said. "But let's be real. After 40 years, you get the point. The studio isn't going to pump a lot of money into sequel number 20. Bond is a reliable franchise, but we're not talking about a breakout piece of work. Still, it pays the rent, doesn't it?"

Snelson also confirmed that by casting Halle Berry as the female lead, the studio remained true to the proven formula of casting a woman 15 years Bond's junior who is physically fit and nice to look at but with marginal martial arts skills. "This isn't The Matrix," said Snelson. "If she looks good in a white shirt that accidentally gets splashed by a passing speedboat, all she really needs to be able to do is perform a half-decent judo chop. We have a stunt team who we've been working with for years. We'll make sure the bad guys fall down really well. Or well enough at any rate."

Also back in action is John Cleese as the lovable and quirky inventor Q. "Well," huffed the former Monty Python member, "I don't have much of a say in the scripts, you know. I changed the face of world comedy, but on these films, I just show up in a white coat, say the lines and try not to break any of the gadgets. Then I have to read awful publicity pieces about myself in the run-up to the film. And why do they always refer to me as a 'former Python'?"

Snelson summed up the film saying, "We think you'll get something along the lines of A View to a Kill or maybe even Man with a Golden Gun. We think the tag-line on the poster will be something like 'Quite a lot of explosions and a fair amount of running and jumping', or possibly 'Well worth eight bucks and you won't have to think too hard'.

Then there's the vexed question of title. With no more Ian Fleming novels left, the producers have to come up with fresh ones for each new movie. "Somehow," mused Snelson, listlessly toying with a copy of the script marked "fairly secret", "'Shaken not Stirred' seems oddly appropriate." - The Brains Trust is a website that specializes in news parodies. I just thought this was funny enough to break up the monotony of the day.

Kilmarnock Location For Bond 20 January 25, 2002 - The Kilmarnock Standard KILMARNOCK, Scotland could be the location of the new James Bond movie. Three Ayrshire businessmen are behind a major coup to bring the new 007 film to town. The men, who own 3YA Media, have persuaded James Bond creators EON Productions to view a secret location. EON have already staked out several outdoor sites on the west coast of Scotland and need an indoor base.

The trio discovered what they believe to be an ideal venue for the indoor filming of the yet un-named 20th Bond movie. And Ayr-based Stuart Pollock, Kevin McMonagle and Robin Archibald are confident Pierce Brosnan and Co will be coming to Ayrshire.

Stuart revealed he believes 3YA's bid is currently the favourite to land the new Bond film. He said: "There are security risks at the moment and all we can say is that it is in the Kilmarnock area. But this place is tailor-made for a sound stage and all post-production work like indoor sets for the film. We are very excited at being involved in this and the indications from EON have been very encouraging. They said they had one or two other options but I got the feeling they were impressed by the location's plans."

This week EON told 3YA they will arrive in Scotland in a few days to personally inspect the Kilmarnock site. Earlier this month they stated the latest film, which co-stars Hollywood stunner Halle Berry, will be set in Scotland or Iceland.

They decided to stay closer to home after the September 11 atrocities increased security risks for the stars. And after 3YA's London contact's tipped them off on EON's intentions, they set about finding a location.

Kevin explained: "We heard what EON needed and immediately began sourcing a suitable site. We heard they had been looking at shipyards but our place has had £5M spent on it and is perfect for them. If we pulled this off the kudos for the Ayrshire area would be tremendous and it would be a massive boost to the economy."

An EON Productions spokesman confirmed on Tuesday: "We are in the middle of negotiations with 3YA for an indoor location on the west coast of Scotland." Remarkably, 3YA was only formed a few months ago primarily to design web sites and offer internet service providing and multi-media marketing. But already they are on the verge of a huge deal for the Ayrshire, if not Scottish, business world.

Robin said: "The Bond deal would be a great way to start, but we won't make that much if the deal comes off. But we didn't just meet each other last week, we've been doing business together for about ten years now." - Not too bad if you're primarily an Internet company.

Will Yun Lee Joins Cast Of James Bond 20 January 25, 2002 - Ananova Will Yun Lee has been added to the cast of the new James Bond film. He has previously appeared in Face/Off. A spokeswoman for Bond's producers Eon confirmed to Ananova Lee will be in the new film.

According to www.commanderbond.net, he will play a character called Colonel Moon. But EON Productions have so far refused to reveal the name of his character. - I am personally not to fond of the name Colonel Moon. Perhaps Shatterhand or even Colonel Sun would be better? Gee, I'm beginning to sound like a broken record.

007 Dis(Gold)members Austin Powers January 28, 2002 - by Marcus Errico for E Online Forget Dr. Evil and Mini-Me, it's apparently James Bond that poses the biggest threat to Austin Powers. The International Man of Mystery has been shaken, stirred and otherwise dismembered by 007. Or make that dis-Goldmember-ed.

MGM and Danjaq, the British company that controls the Bond film license, have obtained a cease-and-desist order against New Line Cinema that prohibits New Line from calling the latest installment of Mike Myers' shagadelic spy series Austin Powers in Goldmember.

Apparently, the 007 folks weren't too keen on the double entendre of Goldmember--a takeoff on the 1964 Bond classic, Goldfinger--and released the legal hounds to force the name change.

"MGM/UA and Danjaq have a zero-tolerance policy towards anyone who tries to trade in on the James Bond franchise without authorization," says an MGM spokesperson.

Over the past 24 hours, New Line has begun frantically recalling all promotional materials--posters, trailers, photos and anything else that bears the name Goldmember--from movie theaters, TV stations, Websites and other media outlets.

"We are currently in the arbitration process and trying to resolve this matter under the MPAA guidelines," the studio says in a statement. "Until that time, we will be referring to the film as the third installment of Austin Powers."

The suddenly untitled flick, which began shooting late last year, could require some serious tweaking if New Line can't get the Bond folks to budge. In addition to playing Powers, Dr. Evil and Fat Bastard, Myers was reportedly going to add a new character to his repertoire. The name? Goldmember.

One of the most anticipated films of 2002, the latest Austin Powers misadventure will costar Michael Caine as Austin's dad and Destiny Child's Beyoncé Knowles as the love interest. Returning cast members include Michael York, Robert Wagner, Seth Green, Mindy Sterling and Verne Troyer. Jay Roach once again mans the director's seat.

New Line is banking on the film's success. The first installment Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery grossed $88 million worldwide and its sequel, The Spy Who Shagged Me more than tripled that sum, earning $310 million, making it the highest grossing film in New Line's history. Myers reportedly netted $25 million for the third episode.

MGM and Danjaq have been fiercely protective of their multibillion-dollar Bond cash cow over the years. They successfully sued Sony in 1997 after the studio tried to launch its own 007 film. - Mr. Myers, does the name Kevin McClory mean anything to you?

Goldfinger Vs. Goldmember January 29, 2002 - by Steve Gorman for News24.com Los Angeles - Suave secret agent James Bond may have won the first round in his battle with bucktoothed super-spy Austin Powers, but the international man of mystery isn't giving up his mojo without a fight.

New Line Cinema on Monday vowed to appeal an industry arbitration panel ruling that forced the studio to withdraw movie trailers, posters and online promotions for its upcoming third installment of the hit comedy franchise starring Mike Myers, Austin Powers in Goldmember.

The Motion Picture Association of America panel last week ruled that the Goldmember title was inadmissible, in response to a complaint by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, home of the Bond films.

MGM claims that Goldmember, a spoof on the title of 1964's Goldfinger, the third in the Bond series that starred Sean Connery as agent 007, infringes its copyright.

Studio executives also object to Goldmember promotional materials that send up various Bond characters and posters.

MGM vice chairperson and CEO Chris McGurk said the studio and the production company behind the Bond films, Danjac LLC, "have a zero-tolerance policy toward anyone who tries to trade on the James Bond franchise without authorisation".

But officials at New Line, a unit of AOL Time Warner, insist that last week's ruling dealt with a "procedural infraction" involving the studio's attempt to register the movie's title.

"The issue that is currently in dispute does not pertain to the title or content of the film," New Line said in a statement.

A studio spokesperson said New Line would take its appeal to the MPAA on Thursday. In the meantime, the film will be referred to as "the third installment of Austin Powers".

The decision forced New Line to recall about 11 000 trailers it had in circulation in theatres across the country, many of them attached to its hit fantasy epic, The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, the spokesperson said. She added that "teaser" posters for the film "would be coming down about this time anyway".

The movie, set for release next July, co-stars Michael York, Michael Caine, Heather Graham (reprising her role as Felicity Shagwell) and Beyonce Knowles from the soul trio Destiny's Child as Foxy Cleopatra.

It's the third in a series, following 1997's Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery and the megahit 1999 sequel, Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me, in which Powers resorts to a time machine to recover his stolen "mojo", the secret to his incredible libido.

Myers, who co-wrote the script and shares producer credits, again plays an assembly of roles, including Austin Powers, the villainous Dr Evil and a new character, Goldmember.

As a legal matter, New Line could easily defend its use of Goldmember as a parody protected under the "fair use" doctrine of copyright law, as the rap group 2 Live Crew successfully did in a US Supreme Court case involving a parody of the Roy Orbison song Pretty Woman, legal experts said.

The Goldmember flap is not the first between MGM and New Line over Austin Powers titles. MGM initially challenged the use of The Spy Who Shagged Me, an obvious play on the 1977 Bond title The Spy Who Loved Me.

But that dispute was settled when New Line agreed to include trailer play for MGM movies on its Austin Powers sequel. - At the bottom of the first quarter the score is Bond 20 - Austin Powers 3.

Universal "Furious" With MGM January 30, 2002 - by Josh Grossberg for E Online Call it a race to the bottom line. Universal is going full speed ahead with plans to take MGM to court over advertising linking MGM's upcoming action thriller Rollerball to last summer's blockbuster Universal hit The Fast and the Furious.

Universal filed a cease-and-desist request against MGM in U.S. federal court Monday, accusing the rival studio of false advertising and unfair competition. At issue: That MGM deceived the public by linking Universal's Furious with Rollerball--a movie whose checkered past could potentially harm a franchise Universal is trying to develop.

An update of Norman Jewison's 1975 cult classic, the new Rollerball, costarring LL Cool J, Chris Klein, Jean Reno and Rebecca Romijn-Stamos, generated such bad buzz last summer that the film was pushed back until February 8 so filmmakers could tweak it.

Even Ain't It Cool News' critic Harry Knowles, invited by the filmmakers to view a roughcut, rode roughshod over the movie, calling it "the worse conceived series of nonsensical action I've ever seen."

And reviews like that haven't exactly made Universal feel comfortable with MGM hyping the sci-fi flick as "from the filmmakers that brought you the Fast and the Furious and Die Hard." While the latter claim is certainly true (Die Hard director John McTiernan helmed Rollerball), the former link is tenuous at best. According to Universal reps, the only relationship Furious has to Rollerball is through screenwriter John Pogue, who was an uncredited ghost writer on Furious and is a cowriter on Rollerball.

"An ad describing John Pogue as an executive producer of The Fast and the Furious would mislead the public to believe he contributed significantly to the creative process of the film when in reality he rewrote some of the dialogue and didn't contribute significantly at all," an unnamed Universal source tells the Hollywood Reporter.

Universal says that, after failing to get a screenwriting credit for rewriting bits of dialogue, Pogue received executive producer status on the street-racing flick as a "consolation." But the studio stressed that Pogue was not one of the key creative forces behind the actual making of Furious, something which MGM claimed in its promos.

Universal reps accuse MGM of using the Pogue connection out of context to capitalize on Furious's demographic and dilute one of the studio's biggest franchises in years. After being contacted by Universal, MGM reportedly offered to clarify Pogue as an "executive producer" in its ads rather than one of the "filmmakers," but Universal rejected the overture.

MGM reps had no comment, citing pending litigation. However, the Hollywood Reporter quotes a January 23 letter addressed to Universal from MGM marketing chief Bob Levin saying Pogue was cited in Universal's own press kits and Website as one of Furious' filmmakers and that MGM did nothing wrong.

"John Pogue is a credited executive producer of Fast and the Furious. Therefore we are in our rights with our current usage in referencing the film Fast and Furious in our promotion of Rollerball," Levin wrote.

An unnamed MGM source is quoted in the Reporter suggesting Universal wants to undermine Rollerball's potential box office because it has a Frankie Muniz comedy, Big Fat Liar, opening the same day. Universal calls the accusation "ridiculous" and "ironic," given that MGM is currently embroiled in a dispute with New Line Cinema to protect the rights to its James Bond franchise.

MGM won an arbitration ruling last week from the Motion Picture Association of America forcing New Line to drop the word "Goldmember" from the title of the third Austin Powers movie because it infringes on MGM's copyright and too closely resembles the 007 title, Goldfinger. - I'm beginning to see a pattern here. Perhaps this is why Bond 20 does not have a title yet. MGM may be reluctant to announce one until they have a title that cannot be arbitrated by other studios and screenplay writers. Well, there's no business like show business.

Amateur British Spy Gets 11 Years In Jail February 1, 2002 - Reuters LONDON, A security guard whose knowledge of spying came from James Bond films was sentenced to 11 years in jail on Friday for stealing NATO defence secrets with the aim of selling them to Russia.

London's Old Bailey court heard how Rafael Bravo, 30, a poorly-educated, disillusioned and bored employee of the Crusader security company working under contract to BAE Systems, was "no sophisticated spy".

Bravo admitted to police that all he was interested in was a possible deal with the Russians and that he stole files about defence systems from the west London office where he worked purely for financial gain.

He was arrested in August 2001 after a police operation in which an officer in the MI5 security service posed as a secret agent seeking the documents.

Bravo told detectives after his arrest: "All I know about spying comes from James Bond films, novels and newspaper articles I have read."

"I had no idea this was so serious. I just came up with this crazy get-rich-quick scheme.

The court heard that although Bravo had posted secret information to the Russian embassy there was no evidence that British or NATO security had been compromised.

A defence source said the documents contained information related to systems used in Apache helicopters and Harrier jump jets.

Other information referred to design specifications for Prophet Asic, an electronic warfare surveillance system.

- Perhaps it was the way he said his name to the MI5 agent, "Bravo, Rafael Bravo".

Sean: Still The Only One February 5, 2002 - by Alan Veitch for The Age The 20th James Bond movie has just started shooting at Pinewood Studios in London - just on 40 years since Melburnians eagerly queued to watch Dr No, the very first 007 epic.

This prompts two obvious questions. How did the Bond phenomenon begin and why is Sean Connery, the original screen James Bond, still infinitely more popular than any of the four other actors who followed him?

An Internet poll on the United Kingdom’s Sky News website recently found that Connery attracted more votes than the total for all the other Bond actors - Roger Moore, Pierce Brosnan, Timothy Dalton and Australia’s George Lazenby.

In 1999, another poll named Connery the sexiest man of the 20th century. Over the years, countless film critics have theorised on the Bond phenomenon, but no one knows why the Bond movies have gone on to have the longest legs in cinema history.

Bond, James Bond became famous in 1961 through President Kennedy’s admission that, for bedtime reading, he loved the spy novels of Bond’s creator, Ian Fleming. That was probably the defining moment when the Bond phenomenon began. And, it’s fair to add that everything then depended on the little-known Scottish actor. Connery, born in Edinburgh in 1930, was only nine when World War II broke out, and he came close to being evacuated to Australia.

"It was a touch and go decision by my family right up to the last minute," he revealed recently, "and I’ve often pondered over what might have happened if they had put me on the boat to Australia.

"I like to think I would have become a professional sportsman, probably a rugby player or maybe I would have been a tennis player - certainly not an actor. I only got into acting by a fluke."

He wasn’t kidding about the fluke. Connery, a former milkman and undertaker’s assistant, only became an actor because the producers of a 1955 London stage production of South Pacific needed a tall, young guy with muscles to play one of the American sailors in the chorus. The muscles resulted from weight-lifting exercises; he even came third in the 1954 Mr Universe contest.

"I couldn't play an American sailor in South Pacific with my broad Scottish accent then," he recalls, "So they told me to just mouth the words while the other sailors did all the singing. Bloody Mary was the main song and on that first night I was so nervous I forgot the words I was supposed to mime."

But by then, Connery had been bitten by the acting bug. He went on to join a repertory company, and landed bit parts in British and American movies, eventually playing a clownish Scottish soldier in a brief scene in Daryl F. Zanuck's D-day epic, The Longest Day. He was then the surprise choice to play Bond in Dr.No.

While the reception from film critics was only lukewarm, the fans loved it and it was re-released in America for a healthy run at the box office. This encouraged producers Harry Saltzman and Albert "Cubby" Broccoli to proceed with a second Bond movie, From Russia With Love, arguably the greatest of them all.

Privately, Connery hated the prospect of being stuck with the 007 image, so he made other movies, as different as possible from the Bond genre. It was during Connery's first absence from playing Bond that Australia's George Lazenby was chosen to become the next 007.

In 1970, the sixth movie scheduled for the series was On Her Majesty's Secret Service. Lazenby, a former car salesman from Queanbeyan, NSW, had never acted, but still managed to land himself one of the most coveted roles in the history of the motion picture industry.

Lazenby, who was in his late 20s, had arrived in London for a working holiday. Within 18 months he had been signed to take over from Connery as the new James Bond. Tall and smoothly handsome with a pleasant smile and charming manner, Lazenby quickly picked up a trans-Atlantic accent and had no trouble landing part-time work. To make some extra money, he tried his hand at modelling.

Dressed in a tailor-made suit, Lazenby - looking not unlike a potential 007 - made a series of commercials that were shown constantly in the UK. He had also heard that Saltzman and Broccoli were looking for a new Bond.

"One afternoon I'd gone to have a haircut at my usual hairdresser's salon in the London Hilton and while I was waiting my turn I happened to glance at the appointment book," Lazenby said in an interview several years later.

"I noticed the name Broccoli was booked for an appointment the following day and when I queried the hairdresser he confirmed that it was Cubby Broccoli. I really don't know what the heck I was thinking about, but I slipped the hairdresser a big tip and got him to change my appointment to the same time so that we would be sitting in adjoining chairs.

"And from a simple spur-of-the-moment little thing like that the whole mad circus took off."

As luck would have it, Broccoli recognised Lazenby from the commercials. Although Lazenby had never even acted in a high school play, he produced a performance worthy of an Academy Award.

Striking up a conversation, Lazenby unleashed a stupendous porky - that he had made several movies in Australia and was that country's highest-paid actor. The Hollywood producer was taken in, and as they say, the rest is cinema history.

But, Lazenby was dumped after just one Bond movie. He didn't do too bad a job, considering his complete lack of acting skill, and he even went on to make a comfortable living as an actor in America. Now, at 62, Lazenby is still kept busy with a variety of acting work and recently announced his engagement to former tennis star Pam Shriver. Looking back on his James Bond experience, Lazenby says: "If I only knew 30 years ago what I know about acting now. If I only knew 30 years ago what I know about life now."

The next Bond was Englishman Roger Moore, who had earlier attained recognition as the star of TV's long-running series, The Saint. Moore, an extremely witty man, tried to inject a lot more light-hearted humour into the Bond roles, possibly to make up for his lack of rugged sex appeal. The boyish-looking Moore made seven Bond movies, starting with Live And Let Die in 1973 and ending with A View to a Kill in 1985.

Next came the Shakespearean-trained actor Timothy Dalton, best known for his critically acclaimed performance in a 1983 BBC TV version of Jane Eyre. Dalton's serious acting background always made him seem uncomfortable as the action man, and after two movies he was replaced by the current 007, Pierce Brosnan.

Most critics agree that all the actors who played James Bond after Connery have been competent but hardly charismatic. Connery, with his powerful physical presence and laconic humour, was undoubtedly the driving force who set the James Bond juggernaut on its relentless journey. May be the other four Bonds have merely been passengers. Perhaps Ian Fleming knew the clue to Connery's widespread appeal, and why he was the greatest Bond of them all: "Sean Connery is as close to the character James Bond as I envisaged him".

The latest Bond movie, to be directed by New Zealand's Lee Tamahori (Once Were Warriors), is still untitled, but the storyline is believed to concern the ongoing cold war between North and South Korea. Halle Berry is playing Jinx, the female villain, and Brosnan is 007 yet again, but says it's probably for the second-last time. As for Russell Crowe, he continues to deny he'll be the one ordering shaken, not stirred, vodka martinis when Brosnan calls it quits.

- My money is still on Hugh Jackman.

Bond's Cold Comfort February 6, 2002 - Empire Online Pierce Brosnan may not have known what he was in for when he signed up for Bond 20. If Rosamund Pike has anything to do with it, her Bond girl will show 007 a thing or two about bringing his attitudes into the 21st century.

Pike, who turned up at the Empire Awards, spoke exclusively to Empire Online and told us that her character has already undergone a name change. 'She's called Miranda Frost, which is a good name. It was going to be Gala Brand, and then we created this new one. She's an MI6 agent, which is a cool thing to be, sent to work alongside Bond by M and not very happy about it. She would rather go it alone and doesn't quite approve of Bond's methods. He seems to be all fire where she's all coolness and reserve. And then she keeps showing different sides all the way through. It's a lot of fun.'

Currently on a three week break from filming, Rosamund was thrown in at the deep end when production first began. 'It's like doing a 9-5 job because I'm in training and kind of building up this character through every angle – through sport, hair, through clothes.

As Miranda is a top-notch agent and sportswoman, the role meant a total change from Pike's previously girly roles. 'It couldn't be further from anything I've done. It's a great way into a part because she's a top sportswoman, so I've got to turn myself into that. She's got one skill that I'm not allowed to tell you about – but it rivals Bond girls in the past – it's something new and exciting for Bond to have this particular sport in play.'

So will she be travelling the world to heaps of exotic film locations? 'Not until we distribute it – the second unit are going everywhere, the first unit get a bit of a raw deal.'

- Nothing new here since I have reported it weeks before. But if there is room to speculate and Miranda is a "OO" agent, what number would she be? Might she be the elusive OO8, whom Bond has been threaten by 'M' in the past if he did not complete the mission? Stay tuned.

Madonna In Talks To Sing OO7 Song February 8, 2002 - ITV Madonna has been approached to sing the next James Bond theme tune and appear in cameo role, it has been reported.

The Queen of pop made a secret visit to the set at Pinewood studios, London, for talks on Wednesday, the Mirror newspaper said.

It also claims that of the Material Girl said she is delighted at the chance to record the track for the 20th Bond film.

Pierce Brosnan and co-star Halle Berry are already filming the new £100 million production, which has yet to be named.

Madonna's Bond tune would see her join legends such as Shirley Bassey, Paul McCartney, Sheena Easton and Duran Duran.

Her 1999 Austin Powers' sequel theme tune, Beautiful Stranger, reached number two in the charts.

A spokesman for the 42-year-old said: "Nothing has been confirmed yet."

- Well one thing for certain, you won't have her reprising her "Like A Virgin" song for Bond 20.

Eon Refuses To Confirm Madonna February 14, 2002 - Ananova The producers of the new James Bond film have refused to confirm reports Madonna will sing the theme tune. Barbara Broccoli says the Madonna link-up remains "a possibility." A spokeswoman for the singer has already said Madonna will record a song for the film.

As for the competition next fall, Broccoli says the Bond team are not worried about going head to head with the second Harry Potter movie. Bond 20 is expected to be released at about the same time as Harry Potter And The Chamber Of Secrets.

Barbara Broccoli says having two major British movies out at the same time is good new for the film business. "We're proud of ours being a British film and there are so many other great British films out there that are so well regarded,"

- Truly keeping the British end up.

Cornish Beach To Double As Korean Battlefield In New Bond Film February 14, 2002 - Ananova & ITV.com One of the more exotic locations to feature in the new James Bond film will be the golden coastline of Cornwall - one of the counties famous surfing beaches will star in the yet untitled film.

Holywell Bay beach, near Newquay, is set to be transformed into a North Korean battlefield for the film's opening sequence. Production personnel are in the area getting ready for the two nights of filming that will take place later this month.

Holywell Bay surf lifesaving club chairman Peter Herman said he had been told their headquarters would be turned into a pill box for the sequence. A small forest of trees will be planted behind the dunes for the scenes, which would involve explosions and a commando-style assault.

It is understood that a stunt double will stand in for Pierce Brosnan, starring in what will be the 20th Bond spectacular to be made.

Eon Productions have already said they will be using the Eden Project - the £86m multi-environment greenhouse complex near St Austell, for some scenes. Holywell Bay is no stranger to the film-making world - it was the setting for part of the Val Kilmer film Top Secret 20 years ago. All that can be hoped is that the film makers leave the location just as they found it - makers of the film The Beach, starring Leonardo DiCaprio, got in trouble in Thailand after alterations they made to a beach caused severe erosion.

- Actually, the film makers of THE BEACH left the location in better condition than it was found. The area was littered with trash.

Brosnan Injured During Filming Of Bond 20 February 19, 2002 - Ananova Pierce Brosnan has been forced to stop work on the new James Bond film after suffering a knee injury. Doctors have told him to take two weeks off.

The film's producers Eon are refusing to reveal exactly how he sustained the injury. "Pierce Brosnan has always pursued the character with extreme physicality. Brosnan sustained a knee injury during an action sequence involving water," the company said in a statement.

The film's release date, which is expected to be in November, has not been affected by the injury.

- Actors have an old saying in theater and film - "Break a leg." Obviously Pierce Brosnan has taken it too literally.

UPDATE: Brosnan's Injury - Worse Than Expected? February 20, 2002 - JamesBond.com The people at JamesBond.com have left a message explaining in more detail Pierce Brosnan's injuries.

********************************

MGM and producers, Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli of EON Productions, issued the following statement concerning the filming of Bond 20 at Pinewood Studios:

SINCE ASSUMING THE ROLE OF JAMES BOND, PIERCE BROSNAN HAS ALWAYS PURSUED THE CHARACTER WITH EXTREME PHYSICALITY. ON FRIDAY, BROSNAN SUSTAINED A KNEE INJURY DURING AN ACTION SEQUENCE INVOLVING WATER. HE IMMEDIATELY MET WITH DOCTORS WHO RECOMMENDED THAT HE HAVE SURGERY TO PREVENT ANY FURTHER DAMAGE.

DUE TO THESE CIRCUMSTANCES, BROSNAN WILL BE RETURNING TO THE SET ON MARCH 4TH. THIS INCIDENT WILL NOT DELAY THE PLANNED RELEASE DATE OF NOVEMBER 2002.

********************************

- Ouch! I guess we may be seeing more stunt men filling in for Pierce on this film.

Bond Filmed in Skaftafell, Iceland February 21, 2002 - Iceland Review The producers of the next ‘Bond’ movie have finally reached a decision on filming in Iceland instead of Alaska. Filming will begin at the end of the month near Hornafjördur, east Iceland. Icelandic company Arctic Ice will be renting 30 specially equipped mountain trucks to the crew. All rooms at Hótel Skaftafell have been rented out for the period.

- Too bad, I was thinking of vacationing there in the next few weeks.

OO7 Boat Show February 21, 2002 - Ananova A collection of boats from the James Bond films is going on show at a motor museum. The James Bond Boat Exhibition is being hosted by the National Motor Museum in Beaulieu, Hampshire.

Exhibits include the Q Road Boat from The World is Not Enough, the Bath-O-Sub from Diamonds Are Forever and the Lotus Submarine Car from The Spy Who Loved Me. Also on show will be props from the films. The exhibits have been loaned to the museum by the Ian Fleming Foundation, named after Bond's creator. The exhibition is also one of the many events to mark the 50th anniversary of the National Motor Museum. - Drop anchor!

Bond Girl Sophie Marceau Attacked In Car Park February 22, 2002 - Ananova French actress Sophie Marceau has been attacked by car thieves in an underground car park in Paris. The four months pregnant former Bond girl was assaulted by five attackers, who then stole her car.

Her agent Marise Le Mestique says Marceau was not injured in the incident in Neuilly-sur-Seine. Marceau, 35, played Princess Isabelle in Mel Gibson's epic Braveheart, and appeared in the James Bond film The World Is Not Enough.

- Here's hoping they capture these cowards.

MGM Sells Bond February 27, 2002 - Ananova Three Viacom Inc television units - TNN, CBS and UPN - have bought exclusive two-year television rights to the first 15 James Bond films from Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc for $2.0 million a film or 30.0 million total, the Daily Variety reported, citing industry sources.

The deal is the first time the sibling Viacom television networks have purchased high-profile programming in a single negotiation and could serve as a model for a future deal between the networks and Viacom's Paramount Pictures, according to the report.

Paramount still has first-run television rights available for a number of films, including "Vanilla Sky," "Zoolander" and "Rat Race".

The Bond films become available this autumn after completing their runs on Walt Disney Co's ABC television network and on AOL Time Warner Inc's TBS, both of which did not to renew their deals for the Bond pictures, the report said.

Viacom's TNN plans to air a marathon of the first 15 Bond films as a tie-in to the November release of the latest Bond film that stars Pierce Brosnan and Halle Berry, the report said.

- Perhaps TNN should change their call letters for the marathon to TNA

Bond In Garden Of Eden February 28, 2002 - Ananova The James Bond film crew are shooting scenes at the Eden Project this weekend. Director Lee Tamahori and a team from Eon Productions are already on site at the world's largest greenhouse. They are due to begin filming at Eden on Saturday and are understood to be planning three 12-hour shoots.

Pierce Brosnan is not expected to be at the £86 million project in a former clay pit near St Austell in Cornwall. Toby Stephens, who plays 007's arch-rival Gustav Graves in the film, will be at Eden.

Over the past few weeks, the film crew has been at Holywell Bay near Newquay, transforming the golden Cornish sands into a North Korean battlefield for the movie.

- The Eden Project sure does sound like the Garden of Death from Fleming's novel You Only Live Twice. Could the title of Bond 20 be one of the chapter headings called THE DEATH COLLECTOR - ?

Roger Moore Backs Ewan McGregor March 4, 2002 - Ananova Roger Moore says Ewan McGregor would make a good James Bond. The former 007 star said McGregor had "the right characteristics" for the role. He described him in an interview with American magazine TV Guide as "a fine actor" and "good looking".

Moore is to play a flamboyant gay man in his next film. He will star with Cuba Gooding Jr in Boat Trip, which will be released this summer. The former Bond actor says he hopes it will make the audience raise their eyebrows a little. Before then he will appear as British spy Edward Poole in the US show Alias. "I think they were trying to drum up a little news that I might still be alive," said Moore.

- Just a side note, Moore also backed Pierce Brosnan as his successor after A View To A Kill. He refused to see any of Timothy Dalton's 007 films for personal reasons. Ewan McGregor will be free from his Star Wars/Obi Wan role in three years at about the same time Pierce will be completing his last film as Bond.

How Garden Of Eden Became Bond Villain's Lair March 5, 2002 - by Steven Morris for The Guardian Unlimited During daylight hours it is a place of tranquillity where awe-struck visitors drink in the beauty and the sheer scale of the tropical rainforest. But as dusk approaches and the tourists leave, the mood at the Eden Project in Cornwall changes.

Huge lights which had been hidden in the lush undergrowth are quickly wheeled out and set up, and film cameras wiped down and checked. The vast dome-shaped "biome" which houses the Eden Project's collection of tropical plants is efficiently transformed into a spectacular villain's lair for the next James Bond film, the 20th in the canon.

The Eden Project, near St Austell, has been inundated with calls from fans wanting to know if they can watch the filming, and keen to know if Pierce Brosnan is there (they can't and he isn't - he has injured his knee and has been in Los Angeles having an operation).

The bosses at the Eden Project, which opened almost a year ago, are confident that the movie's release at the year end is certain to boost visitor numbers and have a knock-on benefit for the local economy.

The impact of Bond films on locations is undeniable. The tourist industry in Jamaica for example - where the first Bond, Dr No, was set - still benefits, 40 years on.

But there are also doubters who believe that the success of attractions such as the Eden Project draws attention away from deeper social problems in Cornwall. There is also local concern that a rise in visitors could cause problems for the local environment. In the summer, St Austell's roads are choked with traffic.

And some cynics believe that allowing a Hollywood blockbuster to be filmed at the Eden Project, which is run by a charitable trust, could compromise its ethos.

As soon as the two biomes - the second contains plants native to warm, temperate zones - were built in a 34-acre disused clay pit at St Blazey, it was clear that they would make fantastic film sets.

The writers of the new film, currently known only as Bond 20, decided they would make an excellent den for the film's villain, Gustav Graves, who is played by Toby Stephens, the son of Maggie Smith. Worries that the attraction's image could be tarnished were allayed and a deal was hammered out.

The director, Lee Tamahori, best known for the gritty story of a Maori family set in Auckland, Once Were Warriors, was thrilled. "It's a fantastic space, it's pure James Bond," he said.

There have been practical difficulties. The Eden Project would not allow the attraction to be closed, so the film-makers can work only early in the morning, before the visitors arrive, and at night.

The camera operators have found that it takes an hour for their equipment to "acclimatise" to the humidity. Security has been increased to keep away determined fans, some of whom make a career out of trying to get on to Bond locations. Excitement has grown, with thousands of people phoning the project to ask about the filming.

Others have turned up to watch the crew work a few miles away, on Holywell beach in Newquay. Part of the beach has been mocked up as a Korean base for the film's opening sequence, which involves a hovercraft chase. But it is the £86m Eden Project which is bound to benefit most from its starring role. On Saturday, after a local paper revealed that there was going to be a press conference at Eden, 7,000 people visited - 2,000 more than the Saturday before. Gaynor Coley, managing director of the project, said: "We couldn't buy this sort of PR." She has no problem with the project's association with Hollywood. "Eden is about learning, but having fun at the same time," she said.

John Cork, of the Ian Fleming Foundation, who is writing a book on the cultural impact of Bond, said: "People will see this movie for decades to come. The Eden Project will be tied in with a great legacy of film-making."

Eden Project officials say that in its first nine months, the project brought in an extra £111m to the local economy. The film, it says, can only boost this. Not all are so sure. Bryan Rawlins, a county councillor for St Austell, said: "I believe attractions like the Eden Project give a gloss to the image of Cornwall but do not contribute to understanding of the place. Cornwall remains one of the most deprived areas in Europe." Many local people point out that visitors might use hotels and restaurants in the region, but rarely use the facilities in St Blazey, an area which has been badly hit by the steady decline of the China clay industry.

On Saturday night, however, as the press were allowed on to the set, it was all about glamour. The foliage of the tropics biome was bathed in eerie white light as Tamahori directed a shot in which a stunt double for the film's female lead, Halle Berry, dropped 55m from the roof of the biome on to the "forest floor". Eleven-year-old Michael Williams, a pupil from the nearby St Mewan school whose mother paid £340 in a charity auction to get him on the set, was convinced. Michael (whose favourite Bond, somewhat controversially, is Roger Moore in Moonraker) said: "It's brilliant - it looks like another planet."

- No, it is not another planet, but I am convinced that this is the Garden of Death lifted from the pages of Ian Fleming's You Only Live Twice. I cannot wait to see what this will look like on film. Roll on Eon!

Doctor Spies On OO7 Star March 5, 2002 - by Gary Jones for The Mirror James Bond star Pierce Brosnan will be shadowed by a doctor on the set of the latest 007 film - on insurance company orders. The 48-year-old actor needed key-hole surgery after tearing a ligament while filming Bond 20.

He insisted on flying to Los Angeles to see his own doctor who performed a two-hour operation on his damaged knee. He was off the set for two weeks.

His insurers, who had to pay for his treatment and the delay to the movie which is due out in November, say a doctor must be at hand when Brosnan is on camera. A production source said last night: "Pierce likes to perform a lot of his own stunts but his insurers believe he'll look after himself better if a doctor watches his every move."

- I've got it. Bond 20 should be titled SHATTERLEG.

ABC Digitally Covers Up Plenty March 7, 2002 - DSBG Diamonds Are Forever first aired on ABC-TV in September 1975. Many shots were censored due to it's adult content. Especially the scene where sexy Plenty O'Toole and OO7 prepare for a night of passion. ABC cut from the shot where Bond is kissing Plenty to him switching the table lamp on and revealing the gangsters sitting in his living room. A cut that would have deleted 10 seconds of footage.

This past Saturday night, ABC aired Diamonds Are Forever again. This time leaving in the deleted 10 seconds but with a different form of censorship. ABC digitally added a black bra to Plenty's bare back and colorized her skin colored panties to match her newly added bra.

The Disney-owned ABC--which has had no problem showing off Sipowicz and other NYPD Blue character's backsides, not to mention the prime-time flesh-capades of the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show--refused to comment on why the Bond change was deemed necessary. Also mum was MGM, the studio that owns the rights to all the Bond flicks.

- I guess the Disney owned ABC network didn't feel the scene was for your eyes only.

When The Snow Melts... March 11, 2002 - DSBG A show business firm that makes artificial snow has won an order... from Iceland. Snow Business in Nailsworth, Glos, flew snow-making machinery to the set of the new James Bond movie after real snow melted. Snow Business has supplied fake snow and ice for movie and television sets since the early 1980s. They have provided enviromentally-friendly snow for the last three Bond films and Bond 20 plans to offer them more exposure (northern, that is).

Their website snow-business.com has a section where they comment about their relationship with Eon Productions. It says: "After completing several tests for the Bond 20 Action Department we start filming this month. Bond is produced by Eon Productions who although being an internationally known company are very friendly and co-operative with a human touch."

- And when it comes to working with the Bond people I would have to say a 'golden touch', too. Congratulations on nearly 20 years of film magic.

Best Actress For Berry March 11, 2002 - Empire Online The last big awards of the season before the Oscars happened in America this weekend and the big winner from the evening it was Robert Altman's Gosford Park. Altman's period drama brought awards for Best Supporting Actress for Helen Mirren and Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble Cast.

There were no real surprises in the main acting categories. Halle Berry picked up Best Actress, while the querulous antics of Russell Crowe failed to dent his appeal, winning him Best Actor for A Beautiful Mind. Britain held the lead in the Supporting categories with Sir Ian McKellen taking home the glories for Best Supporting Actor and Helen Mirren taking Best Supporting Actress.

The awards are the only ones in which actors are honoured by their peers - more than 98,000 members of the Screen Actors Guild cast their vote in thie year's awards.

- I guess Halle Berry had a Monster Ball after the ceremony.

Bond Museum Opens March 11, 2002 - Ananova An exhibition commemorating the 40th anniversary of the first James Bond film is set to open. The show, at the National Museum of Photography, Film and Television in Bradford, includes items from all 19 of Bond movies, including Oddjob's lethal bowler hat from Goldfinger.

One of the Aston Martins that Bond drove will also be on display as will the mini jet that he used to escape at the beginning of Octopussy.

Actress Eunice Gayson, who appeared in the first two Bond films - Dr No and From Russia with Love - will help launch the exhibition which opens on March 23 and runs until September 1. The organisers are hoping that Richard Kiel, who played "Jaws" in two of the 007 films, will appear at the museum in May.

Visitors will be taken on a tour which will involve travelling through a gun barrel tunnel to receive a briefing in the office of Bond's boss M. They will then tour Q's gadget workshop and visit the villain's lair based on the one used in The Man with the Golden Gun in which the bad guy was played by Christopher Lee.

Michael Harvey, the museum's curator, said: "The aim of the exhibition is to show how the Bond films are constructed and how they have endured over four decades." To support the exhibition, the museum also hopes to host a season of Bond films.

- Sounds promising.

007 Lives to "Die Another Day" March 12, 2002 - by Joel Ryan for "E" Online James Bond has done it again--outwitting fans, obsessing with death. MGM and producers of the latest 007 flick today announced that the suave secret agent's 20th big-screen adventure (for MGM/United Artists, anyway) will be called...Die Another Day.

Thus ends speculation that the film would be called Double Cross, Beneath the Sea, Beyond the Ice, the too easy Bond XX, Final Assignment or (our favorite) the Beatles-esque Colonel Sun.

Die Another Day stars Pierce Brosnan in his fourth Bond outing after GoldenEye, Tomorrow Never Dies and The World Is Not Enough. And before you ask, no, we don't know how one can "die another day" if, assuming another day is tomorrow, "tomorrow never dies." Unless, of course, you only live twice.

The official word from producers Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli is that the Die Another Day "carries on the tradition of the Ian Fleming stories and reflects the excitement and mystery of our latest script."

That's the fancy way of saying the title is "cool and enigmatic," which is exactly how one fan on Ain't It Cool News today posted all good Bond titles should be. (And, in case you were wondering, that one fan thinks Die Another Day meets both standards.) Reaction, overall, from 007 diehards has, yes, been mixed. But there also seems to be genuine relief that the Little Mermaid-y Beneath the Sea proved to be a false lead.

As for the new movie itself, other than the title, there aren't a lot of specifics. Things we do know: The plot involves North Korean baddies; Madonna is in talks to record a soundtrack cut (but not necessarily the title song); Halle Berry is the proverbial Bond girl, and, depending on how the rest of her month shapes up, perhaps the first Oscar-winning Bond girl.

Shooting began in January in Hawaii and England (and Brosnan suffered a knee injury in February). A November 22 release date is set.

While this project has been known unofficially as James Bond 20, it's really the 20th Bond produced by the Broccoli clan for United Artists and, later, MGM. Complicated rights issues meant that the Bond character also starred in the non-MGM/UA films Casino Royale, with Woody Allen spoofing 007, and Never Say Never Again, with Sean Connery returning to his roots and remaking Thunderball.

Confused? Good. Then you're in just the right state of mind to come up with the next Bond title.

- Don't worry. I'm sure speculations have already begun.

Bond 20 Title Officially Announced March 12, 2002 - DSBG Eon Productions has finally announced the title of their 20th OO7 film adventure. The statement was posted at www.jamesbond.com. Here is what the statement said:

EON PRODUCTIONS LTD
PINEWOOD STUDIOS
DIE ANOTHER DAY
The Twentieth James Bond Adventure

MGM and producers Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli of EON Productions announced today that the twentieth film in the legendary James Bond series will be called DIE ANOTHER DAY.

Wilson and Broccoli said, “DIE ANOTHER DAY carries on the tradition of the Ian Fleming stories and reflects the excitement and mystery of our latest script”.

DIE ANOTHER DAY is the twentieth installment of the most successful film franchise in cinema history. Starring Pierce Brosnan (in his fourth film as James Bond) and Halle Berry, the film will be released in the US and the UK on November 22, 2002. Directed by Lee Tamahori, the script was written by Neal Purvis and Robert Wade. DIE ANOTHER DAY also stars Toby Stephens, Rosamund Pike, Rick Yune, John Cleese and Judi Dench.

The film will be released by MGM Distribution Company in North America and through its international distributor, 20th Century Fox.

- Although I would have loved it if the title was Shatterhand, but I must say I like this title. It has a Fleming feel to it and can easily be made into a title song. Well done Eon.

The Ice Man Cometh March 13, 2002 - by Edward Weinman for The Associated Press Hoefn, Iceland - No snow. No 007. No matter. A film crew moved trees, flew in some snow, and got on with work this week on the next James Bond movie, "Die Another Day." Star Pierce Brosnan was recovering from knee surgery and couldn't make it. He was injured a few weeks ago during filming of a hovercraft stunt scene.

"I wanted Pierce to be here, but we couldn't get him," said second unit director Vic Armstrong, adding that images of Brosnan filmed back in England could be inserted into the Icelandic scenes later.

Roughly 200 crew members were shooting at the dramatic Joekulsarlon glacial lagoon in southeast Iceland for a five-minute chase sequence in the 20th Bond film.

"It's the climax to the middle of the movie. Bond is being chased and he must escape to save Halle Berry from the Ice Palace that's about to sink," said Armstrong. "It's the scene with all the guns and gadgets."

In "Die Another Day," set for release Nov. 22, the villain's henchman, Zao (Rick Yune), lives in Iceland. The chase involves a convertible green Jaguar and a gray Aston Martin racing across the frozen lagoon with turquoise icebergs as obstacles. The eight cars used in production were modified to drive on ice. Armstrong said he aims to "keep the cars flowing, spinning. It will be like a ballet."

Joekulsarlon is on the edge of the Vatnajokull glacier, the world's third-largest ice cap. The lagoon, 240 miles from Reykjavik, was formed mostly after 1950 when the glacier began receding. It is about 330 feet deep in places, and is one of Iceland's most popular tourist attractions. It has appeared in numerous films, including the Bond film "A View to a Kill" and last year's "Tomb Raider."

Ice on the lagoon must be at least a foot thick to support the crew and cars. To strengthen it, the filmmakers blocked the inlet to keep out warmer sea water. "We hired two bulldozers and dammed the enclosure using only natural materials," says Leifur Dagfinnsson, unit manager. "We basically enhanced what nature does every year."

Nature also failed to oblige the film's need for snow in a scene set in a forest. So the action was moved to a glacier, snow was flown in, and a forest was manufactured from 225 Norway spruce taken from the Hallormsstadur National Forest in eastern Iceland. Iceland has few trees - woodlands cover just 1.3 percent of the land - but Throestur Eysteinsson, general director of the Forestry Service, said the sacrifice caused no pain. "The trees were mainly the small young ones and needed to be thinned out of the stands," he said.

- I'm sure the Sierra Club will be keeping an eye on this part of the production.

Madonna Will Die Another Day March 15, 2002 - DSBG Word from Eon Productions has confirmed that singer Madonna will be performing the new Bond title song. Here is the statement that was posted at jamesbond.com:

Los Angeles, CA – Madonna will be composing and performing the main title song for Die Another Day, the newest James Bond adventure, it was announced today by producers Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli and Anita Camarata, EVP of MGM Music. Die Another Day stars Pierce Brosnan and Halle Berry and will be released on November 22, 2002, in conjunction with the 40th anniversary of the Bond films.

Wilson and Broccoli said, “We are thrilled that Madonna, who is recognized as the world's most exciting songwriter and performer, has agreed to compose and sing the song for the first James Bond movie of the new millennium."

“Madonna is a brilliant artist who continues to have enormous appeal,” says Camarata. “She has an excellent feel for writing and performing music in films and we are proud she will contribute her talents to Die Another Day.”

Over the years, the James Bond films have spawned an incredible array of hit recordings, including “Goldfinger” and “Diamonds Are Forever” sung by Shirley Bassey, “We Have All the Time in the World” sung by Louis Armstrong, “Live and Let Die” performed by Paul McCartney and Wings, “Nobody Does It Better” sung by Carly Simon, “For Your Eyes Only” sung by Sheena Easton, “A View to a Kill” by Duran Duran, “Goldeneye” sung by Tina Turner, and “The World is Not Enough” by Garbage.

Throughout her extraordinary career, Madonna has recorded and written several hit songs for the big screen, including “Beautiful Stranger” from Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me, which won a Grammy Award and a Golden Globe nomination. She also recorded the Oscar®-nominated “You Must Love Me” from the soundtrack to Evita, and wrote and recorded “I’ll Remember” from With Honors, “This Used To Be My Playground” from A League of Their Own, “Who’s That Girl?” from the film of the same title, “Live to Tell” from At Close Range, “Into the Groove” from Desperately Seeking Susan, and “Crazy for You” from Vision Quest.

- Well there goes my hopes for a Shirley Bassey reunion.

Madonna Records Title Song March 19, 2002 - DSBG According to news sources, Madonna was in London recording her latest song yesterday. It is the title song to the 20th James Bond film DIE ANOTHER DAY. Producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson also were there to greet the diva as she began work with the film composer David Arnold.

- Hmm, I wonder if the song will be released on 'Virgin' Records?

Is There A Sex Change In OO7's Future? March 23, 2002 - Ananova/DSBG A new exhibition celebrating the 40th anniversary of the James Bond movie phenomenon is being unveiled. Barbara Broccoli, daughter of the late Bond producer Albert "Cubby" Broccoli, and Eunice Gayson, who starred as Sylvia Trench in the first Bond film Dr. No in 1962, attended a preview of the exhibition in Bradford, England.

Ms. Broccoli's brother, Michael G. Wilson, also joined other guests at the National Museum of Photography, Film and Television. Both Broccoli and Wilson now head the Bond production company Danjaq.

The exhibition - called Bond, James Bond - features original objects, concept drawings and costume designs from all 19 Bond films released to date. Highlights include "Q's gadget workshop" where displays include the spy's Omega laser watch and drawings of his Aston Martin DB5. Visitors also experience a "death-defying stunt" before entering the villain's lair where they will encounter some of Bond's deadly adversaries.

Ms Broccoli said: "For 40 years the James Bond films have brought excitement and glamour from exotic locations to audiences around the world, making 007 one of the best-recognised and most popular characters ever created. We are pleased to be working with the NMPFT in creating a major exhibition of the Bond films that examines and celebrates this global, but very British, success."

As the evening continued, Michael G. Wilson offered this possibility for OO7 future. He says he wouldn't rule out the idea of a female lead playing James Bond one day. Wilson said, "Bond is a film franchise that moves with the times. People were surprised when they first came up with the idea of having a female M. I suppose nothing is out of the question. Bond films are contemporary, they're a reflection of the contemporary free world."

The James Bond exhibition will open to the public March 23rd. It runs until September. Fans are being given special swipe cards that turn them into secret agents as they enter the exhibition. These allow them to take part in interactive quizzes which will upgrade or downgrade an agent's status depending on how well they do. The swipe cards can also be used to access a special website, where you complete an online mission.

The exhibition includes a number of props from the films such as the mobile phone James Bond uses to drive his car in Tomorrow Never Dies, as well as Jaws' teeth and Scaramanga's Golden Gun. There are also a number of film posters from around the world, plus some that were never used.

- With all due respect Mr. Wilson, I hope you're joking. But than again, Wilson did come up with the idea for James Bond, Jr.

A Jinx At The Oscars March 24, 2002 - DSBG Halle Berry has won the Best Actress award for her role in the film MONSTER'S BALL. This is the first time in the 74 year history that an African-American has won the coveted award. Miss Berry was very surprised with the announcement by Russell Crowe, who presented the Oscar to her. After a teary beginning, she finally composed herself to give thanks to the people who have inspired her acting career.

In Monster's Ball, Halle Berry portrays Leticia Musgrove, a woman struggling to raise her son alone following her husband's execution.

- Congratulations from this website.

Sad Times For Brosnan March 27, 2002 - The Sunday People The son of James Bond star Pierce Brosnan was just 60 minutes from death this week after overdosing on the outlawed dance drug GHB, the Sunday People can reveal.

Wayward Chris Brosnan, 29, fell into a coma at a nightclub owner's home. He is thought to have mixed the drug - which has also been used in date rapes - with booze in a potentially lethal cocktail.

A friend says Chris was an HOUR from dying when paramedics were called to the flat in London at 6am. The pal, who would not be named, said: "Chris was very close to pegging it. He was very drunk and was then given GHB by another mate.

"He just lost it completely. We thought he was a goner. He was in a really bad way." An ambulance rushed Chris to the intensive care unit at St Mary's hospital, Paddington, West London, in a serious condition.

Doctors frantically worked to revive him and at one stage they feared he might have suffered brain damage. But he recovered and incredibly was able to be discharged later that day.

Chris had spent the evening at trendy China Whites in Soho before returning to an apartment with a friend and two girls. Police searched the property after the drama but have decided to take no further action. The episode has horrified 007 heart-throb Pierce, 48, who is filming the latest Bond epic Die Another Day at Pinewood Studios, Herts.

Chris, the son of Pierce's late wife Cassandra Harris, has been a source of worry for the star. Pierce adopted him and sister Charlotte before Cassandra died of ovarian cancer in 1991, aged 39. He has tried his best to keep him on the straight and narrow but has become alarmed at his hell-raising ways.

In 1996, Chris was fined £1,000 for drink-driving in America. The next year he served seven months at London's Wormwood Scrubs for driving three times over the limit. Last year he checked into a rehab clinic weeks after Pierce wed his long-term love Keely Shaye Smith, 37. At the time pals said he was desperate to lead a life free of drink and drugs. But his latest flirtation with GHB shows he is still struggling.

The substance - gamma hydroxy butyrate - is also known as Heaven, Easy Lay and Blue Juice and is popular on the rave scene. At least four people have died using it at raves after slipping into comas. It is not currently a controlled drug but it is illegal to sell and deal in it.

Film producer Chris's latest crisis comes on top of problems Pierce has had with his other son Sean, 18. Two years ago he nearly died in a car crash and only last week Pierce had to visit him several times in hospital after he suffered a stomach injury during a gym work-out. A showbiz insider said: "Pierce loves his children but they are adults now and he cannot watch them 24 hours a day. "He sometimes wonders when all of this trouble is going to end."

- Our prayers are with the Brosnan family during this difficult time.

OO7 Dies - At ABC-TV March 27, 2002 - Variety Secret agent James Bond has finally encountered one predicament even he can't escape: cancellation. After weeks of progressively lower ratings, ABC has lived and let its Saturday night "Bond Picture Show" franchise die.

ABC had been airing the Bond movies in chronological order (except for the George Lazenby starrer "On Her Majesty's Secret Service") starting with "Dr. No" Jan. 26. But viewers were neither shaken nor stirred by the programming strategy: in eight airings, the "Bond Picture Show" averaged only 6 million viewers. The second Bond flick, "From Russia With Love," pulled the most viewers (7.1 million).

There were four pictures-- "The Spy Who Loved Me," "Moonraker," "For Your Eyes Only" and "Octopussy" -- yet to air. ABC originally purchased the Bond movies as fall 2001 contingency programming in the event of a writers or actors strike. With no strikes, coupled with the events of Sept. 11, the network pushed 007 to midseason.

ABC will revert to more recent repeat theatricals on Saturday nights. The leftover Bonds may show up sometime on ABC this summer; after that, Viacom networks TNN, CBS and UPN paid $30 million to take over broadcast rights of the classic features starting this fall.

- All I can say is "Typical". ABC did a lousy job promoting the Bond Picture Show. It was a bad move to make them into 3 hour showings with at times boring filler by celebrities. Anyhow, the movies have done better since released on DVD with the Special Editions. Perhaps it would be better to put the movies on moratorium after their TNN debut. Give viewers a few years of not seeing the films may make them more inticing.

Bond Reads Bond March 28, 2002 - DSBG JamesBond.com has new updates on Die Another Day and also has a little quicktime movie with Pierce Brosnan saying that this film will have past references from the other films and Ian Fleming. One scene will have Brosnan picking up a book in a study and noticing it is titled BIRDS OF THE WEST INDIES by James Bond.

For those who don't know the origin of Ian Fleming's famous character's name, he coveted it from the very same book he had on his coffee table when he began to write Casino Royale in 1952.

- Obviously this film will have more tongue in cheek.

Revlon To Team Up With James Bond April 2, 2002 - Ananova Revlon cosmetics are to help promote the new James Bond film. Halle Berry, who co-stars with Pierce Brosnan in Die Another Day, already acts as Revlon's spokeswoman. The cosmetics company is to create a global marketing campaign in conjunction with the film.

A spokeswoman for MGM said: "Revlon is a legendary brand with worldwide recognition. Especially with Revlon spokesperson Halle Berry as Bond's new co-star, it's a perfect partnership."

- So when it comes to the love scene, Bond and Jinx will kiss and 'make-up'.

Press Conference In Cádiz, Spain April 4, 2002 - APTN OO7 rolled into Cádiz, Spain Wednesday as Eon Productions prepared to change the beautiful coastal town into another Bond historical location. Pierce Brosnan, Halle Berry, Rick Yune were on hand to answer questions, as well as producers Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli.

Brosnan, who looked dapper in his light colored sport jacket, sat next to his co-star Halle Berry. Speaking to the press about the developments of his character in the 20th OO7 epic, "Die Another Day".

"Well thanks to Barbara and Michael I have always been allowed to speak to the screenwriters," said Brosnan. I think you will find in this film that we have gone into areas of the Bond character persona that we have never seen before. We have pushed the envelope out. We have a director, Lee Tamahori, who is, dare I say it, ‘cutting edge’, and has the same veracity of film making that Martin Campbell had in GoldenEye"

Halle Berry, who plays Jinx, went on to say, "I hope to get some really good food. Because I have heard that Cadiz has the best seafood and fish here. And beside that I hope to learn about the city, get a little bit of culture. And, if I am brave enough, get to swim in the sea, maybe?"

Brosnan gave a little smirk at Halle since the scene she is referring to is where Bond and Jinx meet. Similar to the beach scene in Dr. No where Honey Ryder meets OO7, Bond and Jinx also exchange loving glances at each other in the surf.

“You look at me and the fireworks begin,” said Brosnan referring to their love scene.

Producer Michael G. Wilson, sitting next to actor Emilio Echevarría, who plays Cuban gangster Raoul, also explained why they chose Cádiz. "We were going to look for a location in Cuba, but unfortunately, we couldn’t film there. And we looked throughout all of Spain and Europe and even Mexico itself but we ended up coming here because this is a beautiful place and we can make it look like Cuba.

- I guess Jinx is looking around the Cuban beach for more than just seashells.

Halle Speaks About Oscar and Jinx April 5, 2002 - Reuters More details about Halle Berry's character 'Jinx' spilled out during the press conference in Cádiz, Spain Wednesday. Here is what she said when asked about her historical Oscar win.

Halle: "Sometimes, especially women that win Oscars, they get what’s called the Oscar curse. They win an Oscar and then they sort of fall off into obscurity and you don’t hear about them anymore. So the fact that the next movie out, after I was so lucky to win an Oscar, is a James Bond movie that is bigger than life, that is huge all around the world, is probably the best thing that I could be doing. Being in Bond is a wonderful opportunity for me to be just a woman. And my color did not precede me in the casting of this project. And the fact that I am black isn’t why I am in it. I am just able to be a woman and be a formidable opponent and match for Bond." (turns and giggles at Brosnan)

Brosnan: "You are baby! You are, you are, you are."

- So Jinx is a lover and a foe. Interesting.

Face Mutation For Yune April 8, 2002 - APTN According to the Associated Press, the reason actor Rick Yune is sporting a shaved head is because his character, Zao, has the capabilities of changing identities with a computerized device that fits onto his face. Unfortunately for his character, the device fails and leaves him literally mutated.

- Gives a whole new meaning to Bond having a 'face-off' with his nemesis.

John Cleese IS 'Q' April 8, 2002 - by Kevin Williamson for The Calgary Sun While his new series, Wednesday 9:30 (8:30 Central), just got cancelled by ABC, the veteran performer of Monty Python and Fawlty Towers fame always has Harry Potter and James Bond to fall back on.

"I am Q now -- I actually have a name," says Cleese, 62, of his role in the new Bond flick, Die Another Day, which stars Pierce Brosnan and Halle Berry and will be in theatres in November. Cleese takes over the role from the late Desmond Llewelyn.

"It was terrific fun. I like the new director and I always got on with Pierce. He's a very clever actor. He's fascinating because when you're working with him he seems to be doing nothing at all, but then you see him on-screen and he's fantastic."

Cleese, who hopes to do a Bond movie every couple years, will also be seen as Sir Nicholas 'Nearly Headless Nick' de Mimsy-Porpington in the sequel Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, also due in November. "I think my participation is going to be minimal, but I'm still extremely happy to be part of it. The kids are just wonderful."

Ironically, the day before Wednesday 9:30 (8:30 Central) got nixed, Cleese lamented to the Sun that U.S. networks don't give new shows enough of a chance to find an audience. "At the old BBC, they made decisions on gut instinct. There were people like (former NBC entertainment president) Brandon Tartikoff who kept Cheers on air because he liked the show. Nowadays, executives have no idea. They're all scared. They know the axe is going to fall, so the only way not to get axed is for them to try to not make a decision -- or just speak at the same time as everybody else."

Which is what appealed to Cleese -- who played the head of a fictional TV network on Wednesday 9:30 (8:30 Central) -- about the satire. "When I did The Human Face, I was depressed to discover how audience-oriented (British television has become). In the old days, you hardly bothered with that. You asked, 'Was it a good show or not?' Nobody was saying, 'We've got so-and-so' and 'We're 300,000 up from last week.' I know I sound like all old farts, but I just don't think it's as good. It's not just that I'm a curmudgeon. It's a marketing world run by people who think they know what they're doing, but those of us in the creative community don't think they have any idea. I was talking to Steve Martin. He told me about a woman he ran into. He asked her what she did, and she said, 'I go to focus groups. I know the sort of answers they like.' That's when the whole marketing culture collapsed for me."

- It seems ABC is heavy into cancelling anything that has a Bond link attached to it.

Goldmember Lives! April 9, 2002 - by Dana Harris & Claude Brodesser for Reuters Hollywood - If you can't beat 'em, join 'em.

That seems to be the operating principle behind MGM and United Artists' 11th-hour negotiation that could allow New Line Cinema to use the Austin Powers in Goldmember title for the third instalment of its snaggletooth spy franchise.

Although no deal is in place - ultimate approval has yet to be gained from the Broccoli family, which holds the James Bond licence - New Line is expected to receive permission to use the title, which spoofs the 1964 Bond film Goldfinger.

In exchange, the upcoming Bond picture Die Another Day and other MGM titles will be trailered on both the Austin Powers film and The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring. The trailers would be spliced onto the films at New Line's expense rather than put on a separate reel, which allows the option of using alternate trailers.

It's a deal that easily could have been reached nine weeks ago, when the "Goldmember" fracas reached its apex.

The Bond-spoofing sensibility of "Austin Powers" has always annoyed the MGM and UA camps, and never more so than after its creator-producer-star, Mike Myers, rejected the studio's offer to star in The Pink Panther after many months of talks.

In the end, however, it seems cooler and more practical heads prevailed. While MGM and UA can block "Goldmember", parody law provides them with no control over any number of other Bond-spoofing titles. Among the approved titles waiting in the wings are Live and Let Shag, You Only Shag Thrice, Never Say Member Again and License to Shag.

With any upside in Bond-licence protection thus destroyed, there seems little reason for MGM and UA to pass on the opportunity to benefit at New Line's expense. The title of the blockbuster second instalment in Myers' franchise, Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me, was a play on the 1977 Bond film The Spy Who Loved Me. The third film in the Austin Powers series is slated for release on July 26. It features Myers in four roles, including that of the villain Goldmember. New Line would not comment for this story and MGM did not return calls for comment.

- Keep July 26th open for the Die Another Day teaser.

Press Release From Eon April 10, 2002 - JamesBond.com Eon Productions has released an announcement explaining the real story behind Ms. Berry's accident.

Following recent reports in the media that Halle Berry had sustained an injury whilst filming the 20th James Bond 007 adventure, "DIE ANOTHER DAY", in Spain; MGM and the Producers, Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli, have issued the following statement:

"Ms Berry experienced some discomfort when a gust of wind blew some dust into her eye during filming of an action sequence on Saturday. Contrary to media speculation it was not as a result of debris from a smoke grenade. As a precautionary measure the production sought medical attention for what was a slight inflammation. We are happy to report that Ms Berry suffered no lasting ill effects and returned to work immediately.

Safety considerations are of primary importance to the 007 Production and all necessary precautions are taken for the benefit of both the cast and crew to ensure their personal welfare."

- All she saw was 'dust in the wind'. All kidding aside, I'm personally glad it wasn't anything serious.

'Eye' Another Day April 10, 2002 - The Mirror Just a few days ago she was smiling sweetly and chatting to us on the set of the new James Bond movie in Spain. But now, one day after 3am returned to London from the £100 million production set in Cadiz, disaster has befallen Oscar-winning beauty Halle Berry.

We are sad to report that Halle is now sporting a heavily inflamed eye after an accident that could have been so much worse. It was a classic 007 explosion stunt which was just that bit too realistic. Halle - who plays the part of Jinx in the movie - was filming a risky scene which involved Bond star Pierce Brosnan shooting down a helicopter flown by Rick Yune who plays baddie Zao.

But during the spectacular series of explosions, a piece of debris from a smoke grenade flew into the unfortunate actress's left eye and she had to be rushed to hospital amid fears for the worst. Aides sped the 33-year-old Hollywood star - still dressed in her pink and white costume from the scene - to the nearby Nuestra Senora de la Salud clinic on Saturday afternoon.

"The fragment was removed from Halle's eye during a half-hour operation," says a source. "She now has a very inflamed cornea which has left her with a bright red eye."

Halle was given Sunday off and left the clinic with various creams and lotions to soothe her eye. "It looks really painful, but she was so professional about the whole incident. She didn't make a fuss at all. Her husband Eric Benet flew out with her from London and is looking after her."

Dr Antonio Fernandez, who dealt with the actress, said: "It could have been much more serious. She had been quite lucky in fact."

A spokesman for the film said yesterday: "She is much better now and was back filming today."

- This incident certainly was for her eye only.

To Be Or Not Toby April 11, 2002 - DSBG Toby Stephens, who plays OO7 baddie Gustav Graves, was asked what makes the James Bond films so popular:

"People really need stories of good versus evil where good triumphs. That is archetypal, and humanity requires that, and this gives humanity that. They also want to see somebody they would love to be, getting out of the most ridiculous situations, and James Bond does that. He’s the guy who always gets away. Somehow manages to turn things around and how is he going to do that, how is he going to get out of this situation. It’s like the old style cliffhangers it fulfills all of those things and people always want to see that."

- Can't argue with that.

Halle Berry's Character Is A Feminine James Bond April 12, 2002 - Ananova Halle Berry says her character in the new Bond film is "the feminine James Bond." Berry plays Jinx in Die Another Day, which is currently filming in Spain. She says the character is a modern and intelligent villain.

"She's the next step in the evolution of women in the Bond movies" said Berry. She's more modern and not the classic villain." Berry says she has filmed some love scenes with Pierce Brosnan but she doesn't take her clothes off. "I've been there and I'm not looking to do that again!"

- That's alright, the bathing suit will do just fine.

Chitty Chitty Bang Bang Flies Again April 16, 2002 - Ananova The first major stage version of Ian Fleming's Chitty Chitty Bang Bang opens in the West End tonight. The musical is based upon Albert R. Broccoli's film production of the same name. Michael Ball plays the lead role of inventor Caractacus Potts in the musical production at the London Palladium. The role of The Child Catcher, who lures youngsters away from their parents and locks them up in dungeons, is played by Rocky Horror Show star Richard O'Brien. Brian Blessed, Anton Rodgers, Nichola McAuliffe and 18 year old West End newcomer Emma Williams as Truly Scrumptious also make up the cast.

The musical promises stunning special effects as the car appears to leave the stage and take to the skies. It is directed by Adrian Noble, artistic director of the Royal Shakespeare Company.

Roger Moore was on hand at the gala performance representing UNICEF. "My memories of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang go way back to when it started. And I always wanted a car like that but they would only give me an Aston Martin or a Volvo."

- The production looks great. I hope it does well and makes a tour of the United States. I have always enjoyed this show and look forward to taking my kids one day.

StagecoachFinger April 17, 2002 - Ananova The stunt co-ordinator on the new James Bond film says its opening scene was inspired by a John Wayne film. Vic Armstrong says Die Another Day will begin with Bond in a hovercraft. He says he always imagined the film's first stunt to be like John Wayne in Stagecoach.

"I wrote a little sequence and I always visualised Stagecoach with John Wayne going down with the Indians climbing on, and turning round and attacking the guy. We were basically doing that chase with lots of incidents with hovercraft to keep the action moving without getting too repetitive."

- "The names Bond, James Bond, pilgrim. Whaha".

Experiments Leave Scientists Shaken Not Stirred April 17, 2002 - Ananova Scientists are trying to find out how to make the perfect martini as enjoyed by James Bond. They are researching why martinis which are shaken not stirred are colder and have a different taste.

The Royal Society of Chemistry decided to investigate after a member of the public asked for an explanation of the science behind the Bond cocktail. Scientists have scoured the books of Bond creator Ian Fleming for tips on how 007 liked his dry martini - shaken, not stirred, served ice cold in a deep champagne goblet with a large thin slice of lemon peel.

The Royal Society commissioned Quest International, a fragrance and flavour company with expertise in the chemical and physical make up of drinks, to research the Bond martini.

Dr Francis Scanlan, from Quest, told the Daily Mail: "We are drinking lots of martinis for sensory evaluation in our beverage laboratory and it is clear from our experiments that the way the drink is prepared is very important.

"The version that Mr Bond particularly appreciates is where the ice is shaken in the mixer, then poured. Our experiments show that it is colder. The surface area of the ice in contact with the alcohol is much greater. Chemically it is the same drink as one that has been stirred. But it gives an entirely different sensation in the mouth."

Brian Emsley of the Royal Society of Chemistry, based in Piccadilly, London, said: "Our headquarters are at the heart of James Bond territory - we are opposite Ian Fleming's old clubs Boodle's and White's - so it seemed particularly appropriate."

They believe they've come up with the definitive 007 martini. It consists of three measures of Gordon's Gin, one measure of vodka and half a measure of Lillet, a French aperitif originally known as Kina Lillet dating back to 1887.

- I wonder if after a long hard day at the office, these scientist need a cold martini to relax with?

Author, William Boyd On Ian Fleming April 17, 2002 - The Times In October 1963, Evelyn Waugh spent the weekend with Ian and Ann Fleming in their house near Sevenhampton. Waugh wrote up the occasion in his journal: “A two day visit to see what Ann has been up to. The full horror of her edifice did not appear until the next day . . . Ian Fleming, near death, in a woollen sweater drinking heavily the whisky forbidden him by his doctor.” Fleming was only 55 and suffering from a chronic heart condition. Waugh continued in the same vein a few days later in a letter to Nancy Mitford: “Looks and speaks as though he may drop dead any minute. His medical advisors confirm the apprehension.”

Fleming carried on disobeying doctor’s orders for another ten months, enduring ever-increasing ill-health. In his drawn out demise Fleming managed to sum up much of the character of his life: contrary, foolhardy, perverse and — somehow — very English. He was looking forward to dying and didn’t see why, until that moment arrived, he should be denied his booze, cigarettes and games of golf. Interestingly enough, Fleming’s key companions in his last months were other writers: William Plomer, Alan Ross and Cyril Connolly. He and Waugh were cordial but one senses that they didn’t much like each other. Waugh — another eccentric Englishman who drank, smoked and drugged himself to an early grave — was much friendlier with Fleming’s wife, Ann, a vivacious and somewhat terrifying society hostess. I once met a female contemporary of hers and asked what Ann Fleming had been like: “One of those women who didn’t much like women,” came the reply.

Ann Fleming was the great love of Fleming’s life but by the 1960s the passion had long gone. Fleming was having an affair with a divorcée in Jamaica and Ann was dallying indiscreetly with the Leader of the Opposition, Hugh Gaitskell, but in their brittle, worldly way she and Fleming kept up appearances. But Waugh and Ann Fleming were disdainful of Fleming in their letters and conversation, referring to him as “Thunderbird” — Waugh, as ever, choosing to mock someone he probably would naturally envy.

For, on paper, Fleming seemed to possess everything that Waugh felt he lacked. Fleming was born (in 1908) into a rich and famous Scottish banking family. He went to Eton, where he excelled as a sportsman, and then Sandhurst. He was tall, dark and vaguely handsome. After Sandhurst he followed family tradition and went into the City, becoming, in his terms, “the world’s worst stockbroker”, and led a stereotypical playboy life — pretty girls, fast cars, foreign holidays. He then had a “good war” in the celebrated Naval Intelligence Division, where he was perhaps at his happiest, at the centre of a highly efficient espionage network, with the power to plot and scheme, to travel on clandestine business, to flirt with genuine danger (he accompanied the Canadians on the disastrous Dieppe raid in 1942, for example). The war ended and he became a senior executive and occasional journalist on The Sunday Times And finally came the invention of James Bond, the huge sales, the money and the movies.

Like most people, I first encountered Fleming through his famous creation. I remember, aged 11 or 12, reading From Russia with Love with a real illicit thrill. The book was passed around my pre-adolescent coevals as if it were some form of rare samizdat pornography. So this was what the adult world was like, we remarked to each other, utterly captivated by the now familiar blend of snobbery, sex, violence, exotic travel and superior consumer goods.

The scales fall from your eyes pretty quickly, but the allure of Bond and Bondiana is potent while it lasts. Bond’s world was Fleming’s fantasy: a comic strip version of a life he almost lived. But when, after his death, Fleming the man began to crop up in the memoirs and biographies of his contemporaries I found my attention began to focus more on the author himself than his works. As a case study he provided rich material. To such an extent, in fact, that I have now inserted him as a minor character in my latest novel.

It’s hard to say what fascinates and intrigues about Ian Fleming. My own hunch is that it has something to do with his torments, his personal demons. At first glance he appears to be the man who has everything but who, in some way, is simultaneously fundamentally unhappy. The Fleming I write about is the Fleming of the late 1930s and the war years, when the useless stockbroker turned into the avid spymaster. Notwithstanding his business ineptitude, Fleming, thanks to his inherited wealth, was able to live in some style before the war: with his specially decorated apartment, his red sportscar, his regular orders of 1,000 custom-made monogrammed Morland cigarettes (he was a dogged 60-a-day man). When he joined the Naval Intelligence Division in 1939 he became the assistant to its chief, Admiral John Godfrey. He was awarded an honorary rank in the Royal Navy Volunteer Reserve and had a uniform made by his tailor. Yet when he was teased by his friends about being a “chocolate sailor” he took offence and sulked. It’s a telling anecdote, testifying to his insecurities, his vanity and childishness. His behaviour displays the very opposite of Bondian cool self-esteem. And the more one reads about Fleming, as he appears in the two biographies thus far written, in his wife’s published letters and in the comments and observations made by his friends and associates, the more complex and flawed he appears. He seems to be one of those emotionally closed Englishmen, incapable of fully engaging with the women he took up with. Time and again his girlfriends complain of being used and then discarded. His seduction technique rarely varied. First the girlfriend would be invited to peruse his collection of erotica (heavy on flagellation), then a Viennese waltz would be played on the gramophone while dinner was served — kedgeree or sausages with copious alcohol — then to bed. The common complaint was that Fleming was clearly far more interested in himself than he was in his companion.

Fleming described himself thus: “I’ve always had one foot not wanting to leave the cradle, and the other in a hurry to get to the grave. It makes rather painful splits of one’s life.” And, one might add, provides a field day for the amateur psychologist. Am I wrong in thinking that this curious blend of the infantile and the world-weary is most commonly found in a certain type of upper class Englishman? One can mention any number of soldiers and explorers, industrialists, aristocrats and politicians who all too easily fit this peculiar bill. James Bond now seems a kind of hopelessly remote role model, a Platonic dream — the juvenile defects replaced by expensive hobbies, the emotional failings by carnal ruthlessness: the ultimate form of wishful thinking.

His “hurry to get to the grave” recalls Waugh again, another man eager to meet his maker. What was it about Fleming’s gilded life that prompted this death wish? My supposition is that it is fostered by a sense of the bogus and the sham. “To thine own self be true” is not a bad aphorism to guide you through your life but neither Fleming