Who Will Direct Bond 22?
Source: Latino Review
The rumor and possible big news that I am trying to confirm is that James Bond 22 is out to Marc Forster to direct. Supposedly Marc Forster, Tony Scott, Alex Proyas, and Jonathan Mostow all met on it for the job of directing the next Bond flick.
Tony Scott would be the interesting choice. He hasn't made a film that was conventional in a while and I don't know if he would sacrifice his style to the pressure of the producers. All the other filmmakers, while two of them are quality, have been able to transition.
Word is that Marc Foster is the front runner. The best to hope from him is he will keep a handle on the script.
the best hope for him is he will sink this franchise into the ground once and for all.
and revive the "Carry On" series.
Quote from: Pubrick on May 22, 2007, 11:36:48 AM
and revive the "Carry On" series.
With Chris Columbus directing.
Haggis has Bond's number -- again
Source: Los Angeles Times
Paul Haggis, the Oscar-winning writer-director of "Crash" and co-writer of "Casino Royale," is cementing a reputation for ruthless efficiency and resourcefulness as distinctive as 007's. Sony has finally lured Haggis back to work on the script for the "Royale" follow-up, temporarily titled "Bond 22," which is slated for release on Nov. 7, 2008.
Haggis is currently in the editing room finishing up "In the Valley of Elah," a drama inspired by real events that he wrote and directed about a career officer investigating the disappearance of his soldier son after he returns from the most recent Iraq conflict. He has additional projects lined up as producer, director and/or writer, so the Bond producers must have dangled, shall we say, very seductive creative and financial incentives for him to return to the Bond juggernaut.
Haggis has more than earned whatever he's being paid to rework the "Bond 22" screenplay by regular Bond writers Neal Purvis and Robert Wade ("The World Is Not Enough," "Die Another Day"). His rewrite of Purvis and Wade's "Casino Royale" script helped to revitalize the aging franchise and give it the edgier credibility it needed to hook a new generation of fans and score the franchise's biggest box office — $588 million worldwide. (Don't cry for Purvis and Wade; they keep getting the Bond assignments and they're writing the new "Barbarella" screenplay that Robert Rodriguez just signed on to direct for Universal on Monday.)
Last year, director Roger Michell ("Venus") and screenwriter Ted Griffin ("Ocean's Eleven") were briefly attached to the "Bond 22" project, and Haggis had turned down the offer to helm it. Now, there are whisperings that four directors are in the final running for the gig — action vets Tony Scott ("Déjà Vu," "Spy Game"), Jonathan Mostow ("Breakdown," "Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines"), Marc Forster ("Monster's Ball," "Stranger Than Fiction") and Alex Proyas ("I, Robot," "Dark City").
After 20 years in television, writing for shows such as "The Facts of Life," "thirtysomething" and "L.A. Law," Haggis jumped from the TV gravy train to become the first screenwriter to write successive best picture winners, "Million Dollar Baby" and "Crash." He's pushing hard to deliver his cut of "Elah," which bows in September as a potential Oscar magnet, to Warner Bros. as he prepares to careen back into Bond's world, which is on its own insistent timeline (the producers had to bump the release date once already).
But, like the famed British superspy, Haggis is unlikely to buckle under the pressure — even the heart attack he suffered during the "Crash" shoot slowed him down for only two weeks. In any case, it's nothing some well-shaken martinis and exotic locales wouldn't cure.
I hate Haggis. He should do a project with Tarantino and Ratner so that a hitman can go and just eliminate them all together.
Quote from: kal on May 23, 2007, 12:12:24 PM
I hate Haggis. He should do a project with Tarantino and Ratner so that a hitman can go and just eliminate them all together.
Did you like Casino Royale? The only difference with that one is that Haggis came in and made the necessary edits to save the script. It would have likely been terrible without him.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070619/ap_en_mo/people_marc_forster
Marc Forster to direct next Bond film
Tue Jun 19, 3:50 PM ET
LOS ANGELES - James Bond has a new handler.
Marc Forster will direct the next Bond adventure, due out Nov. 7, 2008.
"I have always been drawn to different kinds of stories and I have also always been a Bond fan, so it is very exciting to take on this challenge," Forster said in a statement Tuesday from Sony Pictures, one of the studios behind the Bond franchise.
"The new direction that the Bond character has taken offers a director a host of fresh possibilities," said Forster, director of last fall's Will Ferrell comedy "Stranger Than Fiction," "Monster's Ball," which won
Halle Berry the best-actress Academy Award, and "Finding Neverland," a best-picture Oscar nominee.
Daniel Craig will return to play Bond after his debut as the British superspy in last year's "Casino Royale," a hit with critics that became the top-grossing Bond movie with nearly $600 million worldwide.
The not-yet-titled 22nd Bond movie begins shooting in London this December.
Forster worked with Sony on "Stranger Than Fiction," which starred Ferrell as a meek tax accountant suddenly able to hear the voice of a mysterious narrator in his head recounting his life and foretelling his death.
"He's an actor's director," said Amy Pascal, co-chairman of Sony Pictures. "He approaches material with intelligence and taste. What makes him the perfect choice for `Bond 22' is that he will bring to this film all the elements Bond audiences expect — action, humor, suspense and thrills."
The Bond films are produced by Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli for Sony and MGM.
While I'm sure this will be the best of the Bond films in quite some time... I'm still disappointed. I don't think of Forster as a studio shill in the slightest, and I think that's really the best kind of director for these films at this point.
They have the potential to be something really great, but there are too many commodities on the line. Too many endorsement deals, too much revenue... I really don't think the director gets much of a voice in these, because it's studio rule. Forster has a voice that I think gets more interesting every film. I'd rather see it grow than get muted.
Eh, maybe I'm just not that big of a Bond fan to begin with.
The positive for Marc Foster over the others is that he better control of his scripts. Proyas is a great visualist, but as far as I, Robot is concerned, he can be happy with mediocre stories. Scott would get into a fist fight to over-indulge the story with his style. Marc Foster, a filmmaker able to move from story to story, has shown the best ability to keep the scripts tight and interesting.
It's true that the director will have little control in the big picture. He will not be able to change big stunts and action scenes. The producers will make sure they are there, but in the day to day work of filming scenes and rewriting them, he will be best to keep the quality control going. Haggis will do a lot of good with his rewrites, but Foster will make them make sense in a filmmaking capacity.
Martin Campbell had laughable black and white shots at the beginning of Casino Royale. All directors who try to mimic the "art film" style, do so first with just awkward angles. It felt like that is what Campbell was doing. And in normal scenes I felt he tried to do too much with editing. I think Foster will simplify the storytelling and make the scenes work better.
i dont care about this one way or the other, though tony scott would have been badass but incredibly improbable, marc forster is a director who is definitely not above a misfire. watching Stay or even Stranger Than Fiction its clear that while a decent visualist, he does not neccesarily know how to tell a story.
You can throw Monster's Ball in there too.
I'm less skeptical that he'll turn out a decent film than I was about Casino Royale being good with Haggis writing. Forster will probably turn out an OK movie, though maybe not as good as Casino Royale, since Campbell had previous experience as both an action director and a Bond director.
This is like when Mike Newell got the job directing Harry Potter 4. It's just kind of like... him?
I haven't seen Stranger than Fiction, but Stay is another matter. It was a pretty experimental work and its success depends little on a film like Casino Royale working. They are two different beasts.
Monster's Ball is fine, but it is correct to assume Haggis will be the main factor. Like I said, Foster will clean up the filmmaking from Campbell's clunkiness and be better to survey the quality of the scenes than Campbell ever could. Campbell was an everyday director. Foster at least has some talent.
'Bond 22' Set In The Alps?
Marc Forster talks about possible location
Source: CommanderBond
In an interview with Swiss newspaper SonntagsBlick, Bond 22 director Marc Forster has revealed that he plans to use the Swiss Alps as a location for the upcoming Bond film.
"There can't be any better place than the alps", Forster said. "No matter if you plan to do romantic scenes or hard action, the alps will be the perfect background for a Bond movie." Anyhow, definite decisions are yet to be made. The Swiss alps have already served as a location for 1969's On Her Majesty's Secret Service.
While Forster has already talked to Daniel Craig about the film, no decisions concerning the Bond girls have been made. "To cast the girls for a Bond movie gives pleasure", the director said.
Forster also revealed that he was surprised when he got the offer to direct a Bond film. He asked himself if the producers hadn't called the wrong number, but he understood their motives after their first talk about the film: "They certainly did not want to hire an 'action director'", he said. "They pretty much knew what they wanted: a young and unconsumed 'drama director' with his own visions."
Quote from: MacGuffin on June 26, 2007, 08:50:47 PM
"There can't be any better place than the alps", Forster said. "No matter if you plan to do romantic scenes or hard action, the alps will be the perfect background for a Bond movie."
"To cast the girls for a Bond movie gives pleasure", the director said.
"They certainly did not want to hire an 'action director'", he said. "They pretty much knew what they wanted: a young and unconsumed 'drama director' with his own visions."
haha what the fuck? i see why GT loves this guy, they speak the same language. especially the bit about the bond girls. i imagine him saying that in Conan's geek voice and readjusting his glasses at the end. what a dork.
Writer & Director Discuss Bond 22
Source: MI6
The Los Angeles Film Festival event last week was a meeting of minds for the 22nd James Bond film due out on 7th November 2008. Both the recently announced director Marc Forster and returning writer Paul Haggis were in town for the festival, and spoke to the press and fellow movie makers about Daniel Craig's second outing as 007. In separate interviews at the festival's Coffee Talk forum, Forster and Haggis discussed their respective workloads and how Bond 22 is shaping up.
Forster is not known for directing big action-packed blockbusters, but when asked whether this would be an issue for Bond 22, he said "I've been trying to look into it for a while and been looking for the right project, I just haven't found it until now so I always had the fascination. I just always enjoyed them very, very much, loved the whole Indiana Jones series, the old Bonds, all those movies."
Haggis, who directed the Oscar-winning picture "Crash" before coming onboard "Casino Royale" for a script polish, was offered the job of helming Bond 22 - but turned it down. "There are certain things you can write and there are certain things you can direct. I just felt that it takes a big commitment to direct a Bond film. It's a 120 day shoot. It's a two year commitment basically to do it. If you do that on top of writing, it's almost a three year commitment. So I just didn't want to dedicate that much time. It's going to take me six months to get the script into shape as it is. I think I'll do that and then I'll go off into the next project."
Although a mammoth 007 project is looming, both are busy completing their current projects: "The Kite Runner" for Forster and "In the Valley of Elah" for Haggis - both are directing.
Although Haggis is still busy with "In the Valley of Elah", he said he was scheduled to work on the Bond 22 script as soon as the event wrapped at noon. Several crew members have commented that the film will be a 'direct continuation' of Casino Royale, but Haggis does not deem it so black and white. "I wouldn't describe it as such," said Haggis. "I think it's going to stand on its own although it does follow right on the heels of Casino Royale". One of his tasks is to mould cutting-edge action sequences in to a character-driven script, like the construction site chase in Casino Royale. "I didn't come up with the chase sequence in the beginning. That was Martin Campbell who came up with that and it was presented to me. But just the stairwell scene and things like that, I'd come up with, so I've got a couple of those planned."
Forster explained he has not really addressed Bond 22 yet. "I'm just literally mixing The Kite Runner in July and then sometime in August or September, I start [Bond]," he said. "To be honest, I haven't put any thought because really, my mind is in The Kite Runner and scoring and finishing that up. I haven't really spent any time with that stuff. I wish I could tell you. Maybe in a later period." One of his first jobs will be to screentest the cast that will compliment Craig as 007. "Yes, I think finding Bond girls will always be an interesting task but again, not something I have dealt with at this point.
DANIEL HINTS AT COMIC BOND
Source: Daily Express
HAVING toughened up the character of James Bond for Casino Royale to huge critical acclaim, Daniel Craig has surprisingly revealed that the next Bond outing will mark a return to the comedy that Roger Moore brought to the franchise in the Seventies.
Craig, 39, says of his forthcoming second outing as 007: "They [the producers] just want more gags. The next one's going to be a lot funnier. Octopussy and Pussy Galore style gags. They're all great names – but that's the thing, the Bond jokes will be flipped on their heads."
The Cheshire-born actor is keen to make Bond his own creation and that will apparently mean showing a softer, less macho side to the character.
"Bond is supposedly the most male moment [in film] but to me he's never been macho. That Bond is something that Sean Connery created in Dr No," he says.
"I don't know Sean but I wouldn't want to meet him in a dark alley – he was a big strong guy and he had a big male presence about him.
"Everybody was in an uproar when he was going to be James Bond. He got flak because he was basically an Edinburgh bricklayer. And everyone who read the books thought how can he possibly do it? But he created a style that was unique and kind of sexy."
Not that Daniel wants to imitate Connery or any other preceding Bond, adding: "There's no point in trying to compete with every Bond that came before. You manage to make it your own."
Just as long as he dons those very fetching tight blue swimming trunks...
well, it was fun while it lasted
Paul Haggis Talks Bond 22
Source: ComingSoon
Oscar winner Paul Haggis is returning to the Bond series to write the 22nd adventure of Agent 007, starring Daniel Craig with Marc Forster taking the reigns as director. For the time being, the movie is being referred to merely as Bond 22.
During press for his latest film In the Valley of Elah, Haggis mentioned that writing Bond is very rewarding. "Bond is just pure imagination; you just get to have fun. It's escapism and it's fun, but I try to ground him as a human being."
But he does say that his version of James Bond is different than the others. "My Bond is an actual assassin; when he kills someone, he kills them with a knife, they're bloody and he pays a price. He denies that he pays a price, but he does. When he sees a woman who witnesses something horrific, and he sees her taking a shower, he doesn't just go in there and f*ck her, like the old Bond would have done. He sits there with her, and she says, 'I can't get this blood from my fingernails.' So he helps her get the blood from her fingernails; that's what he does, that's my Bond. So it's a different guy; it's a guy who's much more like these guys, these heroes (in 'Valley of Elah')."
As for the storyline, Mr. Haggis wasn't giving anything up including any possible shooting or setting locations, however he would say, "It picks up 2 minutes after the last one, and it's going to be fun."
He is sticking with the creation of Bond closer to the vision of author Ian Fleming, he said. "Yeah, I hope so because I really loved his books and his movies. That stuff was really close to his books, and most of them aren't."
He disproved the rumor about Carice van Houten, star of Paul Verhoeven's Black Book, being in Bond 22 as one of the vixens. "She's great, isn't she – but she's not going to be in this one."
He also added, "Everyone says they know what the ending is, and they're wrong. Everyone thinks they know about the Bond Girls, and they're wrong."
Bond 22 is scheduled to hit theatres on November 7, 2008.
Quote from: MacGuffin on August 25, 2007, 10:08:25 PM
He also added, "Everyone says they know what the ending is, and they're wrong. Everyone thinks they know about the Bond Girls, and they're wrong... I'm PAUL HAGGIS goddammit!" .
i wonder why they cut that part out.
Bradley tapped to aid Bond stunts
Source: Hollywood Reporter
Ever since the "Bourne" movies have come on the scene, the makers of James Bond have been in the line of fire for having a dusty, lethargic spy on their hands -- "Casino Royale" notwithstanding.
But it looks like EON Prods. and Columbia Pictures might be kicking it up a notch for the next Bond film.
Taking a page from the "If you can't beat 'em, join 'em" handbook, the production has hired "Bourne Supremacy" and "Bourne Ultimatum" action designer Dan Bradley as the film's second unit director.
Bradley plotted out and directed the acclaimed fight sequences and car chases as the stunt coordinator and second unit director of the two Paul Greengrass-helmed "Bourne" sequels and will service the working-titled "Bond 22" in much the same capacity. The producers want him to continue and build on the more realistic and gritty approach to the veteran British spy begun in last year's "Casino Royale."
While no date has been set, "Bond 22" is eyeing a start date in the winter.
Bradley is coming off of working on the latest Indiana Jones movie. His recent credits as second unit director include the two "Spider-Man" sequels, "Superman Returns" and "Seabiscuit."
I thought jeff imada was the choreographer for the bourne movies, with bradley more as a stunt coordinator. I guess they won't be using bourne choreography for bond though.
Daniel Craig boosts Bond franchise
Actor invigorates long-running action film series
Source: Variety
LONDON -- The name of the production company behind the phenomenally successful James Bond franchise, EON, is an acronym that stands for "Everything Or Nothing." Suitably, the inferred notion of huge risk was never more apparent than two years ago, when the legendary brand, then recently acquired by Sony after a long association with MGM, underwent a radical transformation.
Daniel Craig was cast as the sixth incarnation of the death-proof superspy -- replacing the popular (and profitable) Pierce Brosnan -- causing an uproar from hardcore fans who balked at the prospect of a Bond who lacked the suave, handsome elegance a la Brosnan and Roger Moore (and sports blonde hair, no less). Rumors that the franchise would also make a concerted withdrawal from its signature gadget-driven fantasy (which some critics saw as having reached its apex with 2002's "Die Another Day") caused further discord among the faithful.
However, the result, "Casino Royale" -- the series' 21st film and the first proper adaptation of Ian Fleming's 1953 novel that introduced 007 -- saw the gamble pay off in magnificent style: Critics hailed the grittier-than-ever, character-driven film as one of the very best of the series, resulting in nine BAFTA nominations; Craig was feted for his dynamic performance; and, most pertinently, audiences were enthralled, giving the film a franchise-best financial haul of just under $600 million worldwide.
Moreover, "Casino Royale's" success highlighted a valuable realization for production partners Sony and EON: "What we found is that you can strip away a lot of the bells and whistles, but it still feels uniquely like a Bond film," notes Sony co-chairman Amy Pascal. "Throughout the history of the franchise, the actors, tone and style of the films have changed, but the fundamental essence of what makes Bond endures."
Notably, Craig managed to capture that essence while radically departing from his predecessors. "He is a key factor in all of this," says EON head Barbara Broccoli. "We were very excited that the response to Daniel was so strong." Consequently, adds the producer, "'Casino Royale' has set a new standard, and it's now a question of meeting those expectations for the next one and delivering a film that is emotional and dramatic as well as action-packed."
Currently in pre-production for a December start date and a targeted November 2008 release, Bond 22 will retain "Casino Royale's" trio of scriptwriters -- franchise vets Neil Purvis and Robert Wade along with Oscar winner Paul Haggis ("Crash," "Million-Dollar Baby") -- who will fashion an original script that, according to Broccoli, "will continue the path of Bond trying to find out who was behind the Le Chiffre operation. That's as much as we're going to say."
Haggis elaborates, but only slightly: "I can tell you it starts right where 'Casino' left off. Yes, Bond will be going after the organization that we hinted at." So, Bond 22 will be part of an arc, but will the hero now be the fully fledged 007, or will he still be growing into it?
"It will be the same Bond you saw in 'Casino,' " Haggis says, "a very human and flawed assassin, a man who has to navigate a morally complex and often cynical world while attempting to hold onto his deep beliefs of what is right and wrong."
Craig, speaking recently to the Chicago Sun-Times, echoes Haggis: "He also has to deal with revenge because he has lost the girl. Bond is still maybe too headstrong, and he doesn't make all of the right decisions."
As with "Casino," the absence of traditional supporting elements like gadget-master Q and Miss Moneypenny will continue: "Certainly, there may come a point where those beloved characters return, but," Broccoli says, "at the moment, they're not in 22."
If original Fleming material has run dry, the author's spirit is very much present. "You're always looking back at Fleming for inspiration," notes Broccoli's EON partner Michael G. Wilson, "all the writers do. Without getting specific, maybe there will be references to certain episodes. The approach to it is that Fleming is very much in the fabric of it."
To shepherd the new installment, Sony and EON have settled upon Marc Forster, director of such intimate dramas as "Monster's Ball," "Finding Neverland" and the upcoming "The Kite Runner." "I've always been a fan of Bond," the filmmaker says, "so this has been a childhood dream of mine. Daniel Craig is a fantastic actor, and it becomes more character-driven just because of him. That inspired me to be part of this. It's important that the action is good, because I want it to be exciting, but it's important to me to never lose that connection to Bond and the emotional arc he goes on. "
"We have always believed that great filmmakers can always work in multiple genres," Broccoli says. "(Forster) is certainly a great filmmaker and a great storyteller. ... It will not only pack a dramatic punch, but also deliver on the action."
Adds Pascal: "Marc is an incredibly sophisticated filmmaker with great visual style and a lot of energy. The pairing of Marc and Daniel is very exciting, and it was in keeping with the new direction of the franchise to bring in a fresh and original talent like Marc."
Certainly, the pervading air of confidence confirms that the relationship between Sony and the world's most famous film franchise has started out on firm footing.
"What's great about Sony is that they are truly with you through thick and thin," Broccoli observes. "They really want to be partners and are a valuable part of the whole enterprise. They have the passion for it, but will also spend the time when it's needed and do whatever needs to be done. They are very committed to the partnership. We couldn't ask for anything better."
Quote from: MacGuffin on September 07, 2007, 11:52:50 PM
"It will be the same Bond you saw in 'Casino,' " Haggis says,
stop saying "Casino". you've already ruined the title of one great movie.
Quote from: Pubrick on September 08, 2007, 12:45:03 AM
Quote from: MacGuffin on September 07, 2007, 11:52:50 PM
"It will be the same Bond you saw in 'Casino,' " Haggis says,
stop saying "Casino". you've already ruined the title of one great movie.
If Bond was in Casino, Nicky Santoro would beat the shit out of him and bury him in the desert with his tuxedo. So... yeah
Royale Return
Casino baddie to reprise role for Bond 22.
*CONTAINS SPOILERS*
Mr. Bond isn't done with Mr. White just yet. Danish actor Jesper Christensen, who played the mysterious Mr. White in Casino Royale, has informed the Danish press that he'll be reprising his bad guy role for Bond 22.
Both MI6.co.uk and CommanderBond.net point out that Christensen confirmed in an interview with Denmark's vip.tv2.dk that Mr. White will be back. Looks like 007 (Daniel Craig) didn't kill him at the end of Casino Royale after all.
Mr. White was part of the shadowy terror-funding network that Le Chiffre (Mads Mikkelsen) worked for. Mr. White killed Le Chiffre during Royale's infamous torture scene, and was later seen absconding with the British funds that Vesper Lynd had stolen. Casino Royale ended with Bond ambushing White at his lakeside villa, shooting him in the knee before finally introducing himself as "Bond, James Bond."
Bond 22 screenwriter Paul Haggis has revealed that the sequel will pick up mere moments after Casino Royale ended, while Daniel Craig and the filmmakers have acknowledged that Bond 22 will see 007 go after the head of the network that used Vesper and Le Chiffe. Filming begins this December.
Exclusive: Marc Forster Gives a Bond 22 Update
Source: ComingSoon
Director Marc ("Finding Neverland") Forster's sixth movie, an adaptation of Khaled Hosseini's The Kite Runner, is about six weeks away from being released, but he's already well into prepping to shoot his most ambitious project yet, the 22nd installment of the James Bond franchise, currently known simply as Bond 22.
He took a break from pre-production to do some press in New York for Kite Runner and when ComingSoon.net talked to him, we made sure to leave a bit of time to ask him about the upcoming Bond flick, which is scheduled for release in just over a year. Either Forster really doesn't have many answers just yet and has an insanely busy month of preparation ahead of him or he's just been trained well to keep everything a secret until the inevitable press releases from the Broccolis and Sony/MGM.
He told us why he decided to take on something as challenging as trying to follow-up the best-received Bond movie in many years. "After doing 'Kite Runner' and being in this world and being in tents in Western China in the hardest conditions where obviously, you don't have any stars, so you're limited with your budget and what you can do," he began. "Ultimately, the studio has to watch out for the commercial possibilities of the films, so doing a Bond film next is just a new challenge, something different. I always like—if you look at my films—I always like to do the opposite of what I just did."
It's surprising how little we've heard about casting for the movie, and when we asked him about that, he responded, "No, I still have to do it all. I've been really focusing on 'Kite Runner' as well, so there has been no casting news, nothing." He also said that they don't know where they're going to be shooting first, despite early reports of the movie shooting in Panama.
The budget for the next Bond film is likely to be a good deal greater than Forster's last few movies, even Finding Neverland, but that doesn't worry him. "I assume that probably with every movie and movies in general, you always have to deal with budgetary concerns, but we will see."
Despite the larger budget, Forster says he's approaching the movie like any other movie and he thinks it's hard to judge whether the impending guild strikes may have on the production of the movie. "I hope if there's a strike, it will be short," he said. "It'll be hard to judge if it's a long strike. It's all up in the air."
Quote from: Marc Forster
"I always like—if you look at my films—I always like to do the opposite of what I just did."
so he only does two things.
Daniel Craig Talks Bond 22
Source: ComingSoon
This weekend, ComingSoon.net has been in London for the international press junket for New Line's The Golden Compass based on the first book in Philip Pullman's "His Dark Materials" series, and we had a chance to talk to Daniel Craig, who plays the evil Lord Asriel in the film. Of course, talk quickly turned to Craig's more famous role as the newest James Bond 007, because everyone wants to find out what we can expect from the follow-up to the blockbuster Casino Royale, which is scheduled to start shooting very soon.
ComingSoon.net: How have you been coping with your post-Bond fame?
Craig: I run away. Having a sense of humor is really key. You have to have a sense of humor with these things and I've just tried to remain who I am. My life has changed. It's changed in the fact that I don't have the freedoms I did before, but I've also got a huge amount of other freedoms that have come along.
CS: How apprehensive were you to take Bond on originally?
Craig: Very resignated. I was against it, very much against it.
CS: What changed your mind?
Craig: The script and the fact that it seemed to me that I would be able to sort of dedicate and get involved with and make something of. I've always been a Bond fan. I've always wanted the films to be good. When it came along and I read the script I thought there was genuinely an opportunity to make a good movie with one of the most classic icon figures in movies.
CS: What sort of sensibilities does Marc Forster, a non-Brit, bring to the Bond franchise?
Craig: If you look at Marc Forster's current body of work, that in itself makes me very excited. If you look at "Monster's Ball," "Finding Neverland" and then "Kite Runner," which is just stunning, it's such a diverse look at the world, I'd want us to have that. Marc is very solid. That for me is crucially important because this movie needs to jump on from "Casino Royale" and take it somewhere else. Marc is totally inspired and is really just keen to get started.
CS: Is the next script based on Ian Fleming's work at all?
Craig: There's nothing left as far as I know.
CS: Have they decided not to adapt any of the John Gardner's novels?
Craig: I don't think they ever would, because they don't own them. I don't know what the deal is with that. We're taking the original idea. The funny thing is if you read Fleming's (novels), which I try to plow through occasionally, there's an awful lot of story lines that have never been used because obviously the films are based on the books. There are still ideas that we can sort of pluck from.
CS: This new movie starts right after "Casino Royale" ends?
Craig: That's the plan.
CS: How difficult is it for you as an actor to develop the character because of his iconic status?
Craig: Not difficult at all really. Paul Haggis is involved. We've got someone who can take on story and take on a character and take them to a different place. It's always a struggle, but you've got to find themes, you've got to find reasons for doing it and you've got to put them all in the right place. The same rules apply.
CS: Will the writers strike affect production on the next film?
Craig: We'd basically have to start now. The SAG strike starts in July. The writers strike doesn't affect us because we have a script. As it stands at the moment, it doesn't affect us.
CS: I read somewhere you're going to inject a bit more humor into the next movie.
Craig: I was lying. I said, "Yes, it's going to be funny." I don't remember saying that, but if I did, I'm not going to shy away from the fact the occasionally there should be humor. I just don't like gags. I don't like written gags. That's not the way I've ever liked working and I don't think that's funny myself.
CS: "Casino Royale" marked a welcome return to the style and sensibilities of the earlier Bond movies, rather than the jokey more recent movies.
Craig: The idea of having jokes in Bond I don't think is completely wrong, but I think the jokes to need to come out tension. There needs to be moments of humor because we've all been sitting on the edge of our seat. I don't think you should write gags in Bond.
CS: I understand there's already a script for a sequel to "The Golden Compass." Have you read it yet?
Craig: There's an outline. It's a pretty good outline. I haven't looked at it. I've seen bits of it, but haven't looked at it.
CS: Assuming "Golden Compass" is a hit and they make a second film, and you're already signed up to do the next Bond, are you looking ahead to work both into your schedule?
Craig: That will be the plan, but it just depends on how well we do here. I try not to count chickens. I really don't because there's no point. You'd go crazy. We're in good shape and I'm very happy with the way this is working out. I'd love to get involved with it. If they do another movie, I'd love to do it. We'll fit it in. It's not my job to make that work. I pay people fortunes to make that.
CS: How important is it for you to have the freedom to do riskier projects?
Craig: Oh, completely. I've completed a film this year with a close friend of mine called "Flashbacks of a Fool," a movie which he wrote about five or six years ago and we've been trying to get it off the ground. I play a movie star who goes through a huge change in his life. It maybe sounds a bit arrogant to sort of do something like that, but the story is about growing up and what we learn when we're children and how we formed as adults. We shot it in South Africa. It's a very simple story.
CS: What do you think will happen in July if SAG decides strike?
Craig: That's a good question. Really, good question. I don't know what the latest news is on the writers strike, but I know it's not settling. It needs to be sorted and people need to come to the negotiating table.
Quote from: MacGuffin on November 26, 2007, 11:57:48 PM
CS: Will the writers strike affect production on the next film?
Craig: We'd basically have to start now. The SAG strike starts in July. The writers strike doesn't affect us because we have a script. As it stands at the moment, it doesn't affect us.
Not a completely done script....
Bond 22 - 22-11-07 Writer Paul Haggis reveals he was polishing Bond 22 second draft when strike started Source: http://www.mi6.co.uk/news/index.php?itemid=5597&catid=106
Writer Paul Haggis has commented on the state of the Bond 22 script in a video interview with iKlipz. Haggis, who handed the first draft of the upcoming James Bond film to producers shortly before the Writers Guild of America kicked in, revealed that he was in the midst of polishing a second draft.
"I just finished the second draft of the Bond movie and was doing the polish when this thing stopped", Haggis said. "And I don't want that movie shooting where it says "something happens here." I'm sure they can figure it out for themselves. It sort of does that at one point. Whatever, I can't tell you what it is, but it says "something is like that," and I'm sure they can figure it out for themselves.
Haggis went on to say that he has been contacted by the production during the strike, but would not break picket lines to help out Bond 22. "I get calls from Amy (Pascal), I get calls from Michael (Wilson). They hope this thing resolves. They're really, really good people."
Exclusive: Bond 22 Villain Confirmed
Mathieu Amalric to face off with 007
Source: Empire
There were rumours last week that Sony was zeroing in on a villain for Bond 22 and that it was likely to be Mathieu Amalric, star of the upcoming The Diving Bell And The Butterfly. We can now 100% confirm it, having spoken to Almaric earlier today.
Amalric would not be drawn on details of the character, but said that, yes, he will play the bad guy in the 22nd Bond movie. "I will, it's true. I play the villain, yes. James Bond," Amalric said. "It has to do with childhood, you know? To be a villain in James Bond is just so funny. I never dreamt about that. It's not what I want to do with my career. It's just that I have kids and it's so funny to do that. But it doesn't mean that I'm not going to do a very small French film for free with my friends."
He seems perfect Bond villain casting to us, possessing foreignness, a slightly crazed look in his eye and a lot of acting talent (watch The Diving Bell And The Butterfly to see for yourself). Eva Green has dropped hints in the past that the villain of the next film would be her boyfriend referenced in Casino Royale. Could that be who Amalric will be playing? And are we going to be getting peeks at Bond's childhood?
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Next Bond Entitled Simply "007"?
By Garth Franklin
Friday December 14th 2007 12:45am
Online rumours are spreading like wildfire thanks to a UK TV interview with Daniel Craig this week.
According to AICN, Craig was asked about the title to which he said "It's more of a number. Because the first movie dealt with him earning his 00 status and now he is 007 for the first time."
Asked if 007 is actually the title, he responded that he might have said too much. If true it would be a major shake-up for the franchise, and the shortest title since the first film - 1964's "Dr. No".
Also comes word today from the British tabloids that British actress Gemma Arterton has landed one of the lead Bond girl roles.
Arterton cast as new 'Bond' girl
Source: Hollywood Reporter
British newcomer Gemma Arterton has been cast as the new Bond girl for the latest installment of the James Bond franchise, currently filming in London for Columbia Pictures and MGM, the film's production companies said.
Arterton will play "Fields" in the Marc Forster-directed movie, which has the working title of "Bond 22" and stars Daniel Craig as Agent 007.
Talk of Arterton's casting has been swirling around the blogosphere and in British tabloids since mid-December, but have remained unconfirmed by the producers. On Friday, Eon Prods. in London and Santa Monica-based Danjaq Prods., as well as Arterton's agent, ICM in London, confirmed the casting. Details of her character were not available, but a Danjaq rep said "it's a nice-sized role."
The film will take up where 2006's "Casino Royale" left off.
Arterton's credits include the recently released comedy "St. Trinian's," where she played schoolgirl Kelly, opposite Colin Firth and Rupert Everett. The movie, about the madcap adventures of a group of unruly girls at a boarding school, is an updated version of a movie franchise from the 1950s and '60s.
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Kurylenko lands lead in Bond film
Ukrainian actress the latest love of 007
By VARIETY
Ukrainian actress Olga Kurylenko has been cast as the female lead in the new 007 movie, which will start principal photography under the working title "Bond 22."
Returning from "Casino Royale" are Judi Dench as M, Jeffrey Wright as Felix Leiter and Giancarlo Giannini as Mathis. Newcomer to the Bond franchise, Gemma Arterton, will play MI6 Agent Fields.
Marc Forster directs Daniel Craig in his second outing starring as James Bond. MGM and Sony share distribution worldwide, with Columbia Pictures and Sony Pictures Releasing Intl. distributing worldwide on Nov. 7.
Producers are Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli of EON Prods., Sony Pictures Entertainment and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios.
Kurylenko recently co-starred in "Hitman" and with Elijah Wood in a segment for "Paris, Je T'Aime."
As previously announced, Mathieu Amalric stars as the villain.
Bond 22 Is "Quantum Of Solace"
By Garth Franklin
Source: Dark Horizons
Thursday, January 24th 2008 8:05am
The title for the upcoming twenty-second James Bond film has just been officially announced at a press conference in London and it's a head scratcher - certainly the most confusing title of the franchise's five decade long run.
"Quantum of Solace" is its name, the same title given to a short story in Ian Fleming's 'For Your Eyes Only' collection and one of the few Fleming titles not already used by the film franchise.
The new adventure sees James Bond (Daniel Craig) out for revenge on a mission that takes him to Austria, Italy and South America. Camille (Ukrainian-born Olga Kurylenko) leads the secret agent to Dominic Greene (Mathieu Amalric), member of a mysterious organization and a ruthless businessman, seeking to control huge natural resources.
Kurylenko confirmed she hasn't filmed any of her scenes yet, but is doing "weapons training and body flight training for aerial scenes and stunt work for fighting." She claims her character is "a fighter, this girl is going to kick ass. She's on her own mission and she's driven by revenge."
Secondary Bond girl, 21-year-old Gemma Arterton, says she has done many of her scenes including a sex scene with Bond. Her MI6 agent character is "fresh and young, not sultry and a femme fatale."
Reporters were shown a minute of footage from the new film, including Bond (Daniel Craig) swinging on a rope after an explosion at an art gallery in Siena, Italy. There's also a scene with Bond and M (Judi Dench) having a meeting in the snow.
The original short story bears no relation to the plot it seems. In the original Bond attends a dinner at Government House in the Bahamas and the local Governor regails him with a story about the tragic love affair of two people who turn out to be fellow dinner guests.
Other short stories in the same collection have been made into other films ranging from the dreary Miami Vice-esque Timothy Dalton flop "Licence to Kill" (based on The Hildebrand Rarity) to Roger Moore's most serious, low-tech, and arguably second best adventure "For Your Eyes Only".
'Only' used much of its plot from the story 'Risico' - a title mentioned in conjuction with this film before. Certainly Olga's Camille character sounds similar to the Melinda Havelock character from 'Only' who was memorably played by French actress Carole Bouquet.
I wanna know how they're gonna make a song of that title.
all i could think of when i read that was "the rural juror"
Quote from: MacGuffin on January 24, 2008, 10:14:39 AM
I wanna know how they're gonna make a song of that title.
Only Thom Yorke can make something remotely listenable out of that title.
Or they'll pull an Octopussy and name the song something else.
and the Chris Cornell song was You Know My Name not Casino Royale.
I actually like the title. It makes thematic sense for the story after Casino Royale and is stylized, but not in a bad action movie way. It shows some sophistication. It also will likely have more bearing on the story than even Casino Royale did.
Lots More Details On 007's "Solace"
By Garth Franklin
Friday, January 25th 2008 12:19am
Loads more details have come out from the press conference yesteray for the upcoming twenty-second James Bond feature entitled "Quantum of Solace".
First off the title, which is drawing a lot of derision but mostly just plain confusion in press circles. Even actor Daniel Craig admits at first he was unsure - "It's grown on me. I was unsure at first."
Craig says that it refers to his search for closure over Vesper's death and betrayal - "Ian Fleming says that if you don't have a quantum of solace in your relationship then the relationship is over. It's that spark in a relationship that if you don't have you might as well give up" says Craig. He adds that "It ties into the plot, it's not some random title" and that there's also an "element of revenge" too it.
After the change of pace with 'Royale', 'Solace' will return to a more "classical Bond movie. There's a touch of Ken Adam (the production designer behind the giant villain lairs of the early Bond films) and '60s spy movie." Bond himself will be "misbehaving more this time" and going on the offensive, with the 'action quotient' said to be double that of 'Royale'.
Producer Michael G. Wilson has officially confirmed that neither Miss Moneypenny or Q will be involved because "moments would have to be carved out for them which would not have felt 'organic'." Wilson says they may come back in the future "but only if the story demands it." Producer Barbara Broccoli says that Eva Green won't be cameoing in the film as Vesper - "There are no flashbacks in the film, but she's certainly on Bond's mind."
Mathieu Amalric confirms that his villian character Dominic Greene will not have any facial scars or physical deformities like some famed past Bond nemeses. Rather, Greene has 'the smile of Tony Blair and the crazy eyes of Nicholas Sarkozy'. He was picked because "The director saw something in me that had to do with the devil. That was a compliment."
Judi Dench confirms her 'M' has a much bigger role this time around and thankfully her relationship with Bond will remain 'pretty prickly'. Kurylenko says of her role that she starts out as an opponent of 007 but reluctantly is forced to work together with the secret agent - "James Bond is after revenge, and Camille is after revenge and they have slightly different goals, but in the end they are going to have to collaborate."
Finally today, the official site has launched and revealed a full and in-depth synopsis of the film. Some minor spoilers ahead so beware:
"'Quantum of Solace' continues the high octane adventures of James Bond (Daniel Craig) in 'Casino Royale'. Betrayed by Vesper, the woman he loved, 007 fights the urge to make his latest mission personal. Pursuing his determination to uncover the truth, Bond and M (Judi Dench) interrogate Mr White (Jesper Christensen) who reveals the organisation which blackmailed Vesper is far more complex and dangerous than anyone had imagined.
Forensic intelligence links an MI6 traitor to a bank account in Haiti where a case of mistaken identity introduces Bond to the beautiful but feisty Camille (Olga Kurylenko), a woman who has her own vendetta. Camille leads Bond straight to Dominic Greene (Mathieu Amalric), a ruthless business man and major force within the mysterious organisation.
On a mission that leads him to Austria, Italy and South America, Bond discovers that Greene, conspiring to take total control of one of the world's most important natural resources, is forging a deal with the exiled General Medrano (Joaquin Cosio). Using his associates in the organisation, and manipulating his powerful contacts within the CIA and the British government, Greene promises to overthrow the existing regime in a Latin American country, giving the General control of the country in exchange for a seemingly barren piece of land.
In a minefield of treachery, murder and deceit, Bond allies with old friends in a battle to uncover the truth. As he gets closer to finding the man responsible for the betrayal of Vesper, 007 must keep one step ahead of the CIA, the terrorists and even M, to unravel Greene's sinister plan and stop his organisation."
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Looks fan-made. Please say that's fan-made.
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Gemma Arterton Q&A
New Bond girl spills the beans on Quantum of Solace.
Gemma Arterton has only been acting for six months, but the 22-year-old has already won plum parts in Brit flicks St. Trinian's, 3 and Out and Guy Ritchie's forthcoming RocknRolla. If that wasn't enough, she's also playing a Secret Service agent in new Bond film Quantum of Solace, and IGN interviewed her on set last week to discuss landing one of cinema's most sought after roles.
You've been a Bond girl for a little while now - is it still exciting or is the novelty starting to wear off a bit?
Gemma Arterton: No, every day there's something exciting that happens, like I just got asked to present at the BAFTAs, which I can't do because I'm filming this, but little things like that. I've only just left drama school and have been working professionally for six months, so all of this is out of this world. It doesn't feel real still. That's why I wasn't too nervous on the first day because I just felt like it was a game. The size of it hasn't hit me yet but I'm sure that it will.
Tell us a little bit about your character?
Arterton: She's called Agent Fields and she's not a typical Bond girl. She's actually quite funny, and very real, and someone that you could know from down the road. There's something very fresh about her. For me, she's got stuff that all women can identify with.
How did you get the part?
Arterton: I went to two auditions. I was in a play at the Globe in London and the casting directors came to see me in it. I was playing a very Bong girly type of role, but Shakespeare. It was Rosaline in Love's Labour's Lost, and she's very haughty and sharp. They asked me in for an audition, which I never thought I'd get. Then I got a second audition where I met the director and everyone, then I had a screen test which was petrifying, then I got the part.
Did you screen test with Daniel Craig?
Arterton: Yes. I had to do a scene from this Bond. I hadn't read the script so I didn't know anything about anything, which was quite nice actually, and it was such a bizarre day. You go in and have all your hair and make-up done, and I was so scared. They make you look as great as they can and then you go on set and there were literally about 60 people looking at you and thinking 'could she be a Bond girl?' Everyone's eyes are on you and everyone's whispering and looking. It's so uncomfortable, but you have to do it because the producers have to see what you look like. Then I acted a scene with Daniel and it was very brief. He said 'Hello, how are you' and I said 'I'm really scared' and he said 'Don't worry.'. We did the scene and he said 'Well done' and that was it. Then the director Marc Forster said. 'OK... good luck.' And I thought 'No, I've lost it'. But I didn't, so that was great.
How did you find out you had the part?
Arterton: I was filming a British film called 3 and Out and me and Mackenzie Crook were doing the last scene in Gibraltar on a diving boat in the middle of the ocean, in scuba gear. The producer got a phone call from my agent and passed the phone over and he just sang the Bond theme down the phone to me. And I was like 'Nooo! Oh my god.' And Mackenzie shed a tear because he'd witnessed such a big moment in my life, which he found very emotional. Then I had to dive off the boat. I had to pretend that I wasn't overflowing with happiness because of the scene. Then we had dinner and lots and lots of champagne to celebrate.
Why did you want to be a Bond girl?
Arterton: You grow up watching them and they're so glamorous. It's such a huge part of British filmmaking – it's just a privilege. And more than anything, it's so that my grandkids can say their gran was a Bond girl. They'll be like 'Look at her now, you'd never know!'
Who are your favourite Bond girls of the past?
Arterton: Honour Blackman is my favourite Bond girl – she's pretty and sharp and sexy – everything that you think of when you think of a Bond girl. Diana Rig too, but I love her anyway.
To what extent is your character a real Bond girl? Do you get to kiss Bond?
Arterton: Yes I do, though I don't know if I'm allowed to say that. I'm actually an agent and I work with him, though I think I'll automatically be called a Bond girl. But in that way I suppose you could call M a Bond girl. She's very typically Fleming, because in the last Bond, and this Bond with Olga [Kurylenko's] character character Camille, they're very independent and strong women out there for themselves, but my character's very, very cute. It's nice, because these Bond's are so different - there's something much more edgy about them, and my character's like an homage to the '60s Bond girls, which I love.
Is that reflected in your outfits?
Arterton: Not really. I think my hair is remioniscent of Diana Rigg's hair, and there's a scene which is an homage to something iconic, but I cannot tell you what that is. But it will be remembered.
Is it an homage to something Bond?
Arterton: Yes, it's Bond-related.
So what's up next?
Arterton: Well we're going out to Panama soon, and I've never been to South America. So all these things are very exciting. And there's some great banter between me and Bond which will be fun.
Are you going to all the locations?
Arterton: No, only London and Panama.
Are you a fighting Bond girl?
Arterton: No. I do have fight in me, and I have a little bit of a fight, but Olga's character is the fighting Bond girl.
Is your boyfriend jealous of the attention you'll get as a Bond girl?
Arterton: I think he's wary – you know, who wouldn't be? But I love him very much so I'm not interested. But I think Olga will be the one that eveyone's pining over. I met her for the first time today and though 'Oh my god – she's gorgeous.' I had no make-up on either!
Are you worried about being stereotyped as a Bond girl?
Arterton: Even though she's got this Fleming thing going on, there's something very different about my character – she's not a femme fatale and there's lots of facets to her. I've had such varied parts so far, and I've only been acting for six months, but I think I've already proved that I'm a versatile actress. I've had offers, even before I got Bond, for future work that's really different, so I'm not worried about it. There are so many actresses that's it's not hindered their career at all. If people want to typecast you, they're not very imaginative, and that's too bad for them.
Has Daniel Craig give you any words of advice?
Arterton: No – it's always brief when we're on set together. But he did re-assure me by saying 'Be confident, you look great.' Because I just don't think I'm Bond girl material, or I'd never be able to pull Bond in real life. I have to get my head round the fact that I am doing this. But it's all quite surreal.
Quote from: polkablues on January 28, 2008, 09:49:57 PM
Looks fan-made. Please say that's fan-made.
I'm gonna go with fan made. Check out this (http://img180.imageshack.us/img180/1738/iqc7xfnf4.jpg) new cast photo and see the way the title is going to be displayed. I like the O in of and Solace lining up with the 7-gun
Quote from: edison on January 29, 2008, 11:34:19 AM
Quote from: polkablues on January 28, 2008, 09:49:57 PM
Looks fan-made. Please say that's fan-made.
I'm gonna go with fan made.
According to Cinematical:
QuoteIt hasn't been long since the title for Bond 22 was finally announced (is it me, or does Quantum of Solace sound too sci-fi for a Bond flick?), and already we have a poster and some tasty behind the scenes footage. That's the poster above, first unveiled over at The Daily Mail, and now a larger version has come to us via JoBlo (via Toxicshock). Honestly, I'm not all that crazy about it -- the thing looks too damn busy. And what's up with calling it Marc Forster's Quantum of Solace? I'd prefer it if they removed the names and simply said James Bond in Quantum of Solace. That brings an old school flavor to the advertisement, and it doesn't look as crowded. But what do I know; I'm just the idiot internet writer.
Is there any question about it being a fake? I don't care what Cinematical says, they've been had.
I remember seeing the "Digitally Processed" logo in the bottom left there only on VHS tapes in the 1980s. As well as that old MGM/UA logo.
If this came from a credible source, then they got it from a bad one.
totally fake. good call on the details sparrow.
Yeah, the original source of this poster, www.toxicshock.tv, clearly labels it as a fan-made poster. JoBlo and Cinematical just missed it, apparently.
UPDATE: Here's the deviantART page (http://thehorrorsofwar.deviantart.com/art/Quantum-Of-Solace-Concept-58178827) for the guy who originally made this poster (he posted it back in June! No idea how he knew the title way back then, unless it was a damn lucky guess).
Looks like he reposted it after the title was announced.
Quote from: MacGuffin on January 29, 2008, 10:40:30 AM
Arterton: She's called Agent Fields and she's not a typical Bond girl. She's actually quite funny, and very real, and someone that you could know from down the road. There's something very fresh about her. For me, she's got stuff that all women can identify with.
seriously, i've been reading this same fucking quote ever since the tomorrow never dies days. if i were a bond girl i'd say ' my bond girl's a pretty standard bond girl. there's absolutely no new layer of character depth in her. she's not very real, and hopelessly stupid, even though she knows a few fancy words and the name of drinks you've never dreamed of. she's very sexy and married to a rich dude, but then she has sex with bond. women all around the world will probably be mad because of the way bond treats her.'
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and a Behind the scenes clip (http://movies.aol.com/movie/quantum-of-solace/26922/video/behind-the-scenes-clip-no-1/2067725)
Quantum Of Solace - 07-02-08
Source: MI6
Tabloids tout Amy Winehouse for Bond theme again, Craig slams rumours
Daniel Craig insists rumours about Amy Winehouse being lined up to write and perform the theme song to the new James Bond film are "way off".
Reacting to press rumours that resurfaced this week,Craig said, "Why is everybody ramming [the name] Amy Winehouse out? It's just way, way off that."
"Everyone's speculating about it but we've got other things to deal with - there's no point in writing the song for a movie when we haven't got a movie," Craig told MTV.
Tabloid newspaper The Sun claims that Winehouse will get to write the new James Bond theme as well as sing it - but only if she stays off drugs for two months. The paper claims she has been told she must still be clean in April to make the record.
A "source" confirmed for the paper last night: "That's when the Bond people make a final decision on who sings the theme. If Amy is clean then, it's hers."
"It's another fantastic carrot being dangled to encourage her to give up drugs", said the paper's "insider".
Possible Spoilers
Al Pacino - 007's Next Blofeld?
By Garth Franklin
Source: Dark Horizons
Thursday, February 14th 2008 12:36am
If you go back to the first seven James Bond films and watch them in order, you'll find a serialised consistency to the criminal organisation SPECTRE - the bad guys throughout all the Sean Connery (and George Lazenby) films of the series.
In "Dr. No", the film's villain only mentioned the organisation. In the second and fourth ("From Russia with Love," "Thunderball") you saw more of SPECTRE, though the head of the group was only a cameo by a man who never showed his face - only his arms, lower torso, and white Persian cat. In the fifth ("You Only Live Twice") he finally revealed his face and name (Ernst Stavro Blofeld) and served as the main villain right through til the end of the seventh ("Diamonds are Forever").
Played by the likes of Donald Pleasance, Telly Savalas and Charles Gray, the character's distinctive cat, Nehru jacket, and at times bald head and facial scarring became icons of supervillainy and inspired many copycats and homages - most notably Mike Myers' Dr. Evil in the "Austin Powers" films. Due to rights issues, the character never came back after 'Diamonds' short of an unnamed appearance where he was killed off at the beginning of 1981's "For Your Eyes Only", and a short appearance by Max Von Sydow in the unofficial Bond feature "Never Say Never Again" in 1983.
Now the series may follow a similar pattern this time around. 2006's unofficial restart with "Casino Royale" had only mentions of an organisation that the villain LeChiffre worked for and was ultimately killed by one of its members Mr. White. As previously reported, the upcoming follow-up "Quantum of Solace" has Bond (Daniel Craig) finding out more about this group and tackling a villain named Dominic Greene (Mathieu Amalric) who's another member.
An interesting story today however at AICN reports that the film will also feature a cameo by the head of this organisation who will possibly serve as the larger villain overall throughout Daniel Craig's stint as 007 (Craig is said to be signed on for five films in total so far). Here's what they said about the role and who may be playing it:
"The big news that he leaked was that Al Pacino would be taking part in filming. I was a little shocked as the cast has been revealed aready, but he said Pacino would play the head of the terrorist group introduced in 'Casino Royale' and 'Quantum of Solace'. Al is said to come to Pinewood in April-May to film what is said to be a brief cameo."
The news is surprising considering the Bond films are more notable for casting mostly unknown actors rather than household names - there's always exceptions though in case of the Bond girls like Denise Richards & Halle Berry, but the villains tend to be proven European & American thesps that are hardly known by the public at large at the time. AICN however states the rumor is unconfirmed as yet even through their regular sources so be aware it's still very much up in the air.
The news has received decidedly mixed reaction with only those newcomers who jumped onboard with 'Royale' and ignore the rest seemingly approving. Personally as much as I like Pacino I hope it's not true - this is more the role for a talented British veteran actor, a well enough known name but one that can disappear into a role. In other 007 news, video is up of shooting underway in Panama City where the National Theatre stage was converted to a scene set in the Bolivian jungle.
Amy Winehouse won't record track for new James Bond film
Amy Winehouse has abandoned recording the theme to the latest James Bond film because the singer is not ready to work, her producer said Friday.
Mark Ronson, who produced much of Winehouse's Grammy-winning "Back to Black," said the soul diva is "not ready to record any music."
Ronson said the two started work on the track for the upcoming Bond movie "Quantum of Solace" but it would take "some miracle of science" to finish it, he said in an interview with Sky News.
Winehouse's troubles with drugs, law enforcement and her rocky romance with her jailed husband Blake Fielder-Civil have kept the singer in the spotlight.
Police gave her a formal warning last week after she scuffled with two men during a raucous night out.
Teaser Trailer here. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GBlLG9h3Xyk)
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Jack White, Alicia Keys to 'Bond' for 'Quantum of Solace'
The next James Bond film has its theme song. Jack White and Alicia Keys have tag-teamed to record "Another Way to Die" for the November release "Quantum of Solace," the second Bond flick to feature Daniel Craig in the lead role.
It had been speculated for a few weeks that Keys would be tapped to the perform the song, and now she has a drummer. White will provide the rhythm for the cut and serve as its writer-producer, confirmed in a release today from Columbia Pictures. "Another Way to Die" is hyped as the first duet for a Bond film.
White and Keys are the latest Americans to tackle a main Bond song, following Chris Cornell, who did "You Know My Name" for "Casino Royale" in 2006. And like the latter, "Another Way to Die" will be one of the rare Bond theme songs to not actually feature the name of the movie in the title.
The announcement brings to end months of speculation as to who would sing the latest Bond theme. Rumors earlier this year had Amy Winehouse doing the honors, but her producer-collaborator Mark Ronson declared her "not ready." Newcomer Leona Lewis had also been rumored to be in the running.
The soundtrack to "Quantum of Solace" will be released by J Records, Keys' record label, on Oct. 28.
'Solace' moves closer to Turkey Day
Rescheduling of Bond film tied to 'Harry Potter' departure
Source: Hollywood Reporter
Sony's Columbia Pictures and MGM said Thursday that the next James Bond film, "Quantum of Solace," will move back one week to Nov. 14. That move is closely tied to the previous departure of Warner Bros.' "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" from its Nov. 21 release berth.
Just last week, the sixth "Potter" film newly planted its domestic flag on July 17 as executives sought to fill a hole in Warners' summer 2009 slate. The most immediate response to that move was Summit Entertainment moving its youth-targeted vampire film "Twilight" up three weeks into the vacated "Potter" slot.
Now Sony execs -- who have had been wishing for a release date closer to Thanksgiving and the holiday boxoffice season for their next Bond release -- have taken "Solace" to a suddenly much more attractive slot. After all, Bond's previous perch on Nov. 7 was intended to maximize pre-"Potter" playtime.
Scratch that worry.
" 'Harry Potter' moving out gave us an opportunity to get a little closer to the holidays, which has always been the traditional Bond spot," Sony worldwide marketing and distribution chairman Jeff Blake said. "Bond has a really good history of not only playing through Thanksgiving but going deep into the Christmas holidays."
Sony unspooled the most recent Bond film, "Casino Royale," on Nov. 17, 2006, and the Daniel Craig starrer still was playing in about 1,100 theaters between the following Christmas and New Year's, Blake noted.
Sony, which is a minority stake owner of MGM, holds worldwide theatrical rights to the two most recent Bond movies, with longtime Bond franchise co-owner MGM controlling all post-theatrical windows. (The other co-owner of the Bond oeuvre is the Broccoli family's Eon Prods.)
Three other domestic wide releases are set for Nov. 14: Fox's Baz Luhrmann-helmed adventure "Australia," starring Hugh Jackman and Nicole Kidman; the MGM comedy "Soul Men," toplined by Samuel L. Jackson and Bernie Mac; and Overture's Freddy Rodriguez starrer "Nothing Like the Holidays."
Universal's comedy "Role Models," with Paul Rudd and Seann William Scott, also had been set for Nov. 14. But just a few hours after word spread of Sony's move with its Bond film, Universal moved the comedy up one week to Nov. 7, where the Paramount-distributed DreamWorks Animation sequel "Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa" now represents its sole wide rival.
Besides "Twilight," two other domestic wide releases are set for Nov. 21. Those include "Bolt" from Disney -- which always has a big release bowing over the Turkey Day play period -- and DreamWorks/Paramount's "The Soloist," a drama about the relationship between Los Angeles Times columnist Steve Lopez (Robert Downey Jr.) and a violin-playing homeless man (Jamie Foxx).
Internationally, Bond films tend to get an earlier jump in the U.K. So "Solace" will get a world premiere Oct. 29 in London, followed two days later by its U.K. opening.
Sony said Prince William and Prince Harry will attend the world premiere.
New Trailer here. (http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/1809961074/video/9655524)
Bad ASSSS!
I am pretty excited right now. That shot of him falling through the roof. Suck on that, Bourne.
I'm going to watch this movie a million times. I already forsee that. It was easy to claim Casino Royale the best Bond film ever because no previous Bond film even had its ambition. Now, mind you, Royale was nowhere near perfect, but it was too refreshing to pass up. Quantum of Solace looks good enough where it could overtake Royale in my mind. I'm worried about the exuberance of action scenes in the film. It could drown out the potential great storyline, but I'm hopeful.
White 'disappointed' over Coke ad
Source: BBC
White Stripes frontman Jack White has reportedly spoken out against the use of his Bond theme duet with Alicia Keys on a Coca Cola television advert.
An instrumental version of Another Way To Die, from new Bond film Quantum of Solace, is featured in a 007-themed advert for the Coke Zero drink.
He reportedly says in a statement he is "disappointed" the song is being heard for the first time on an advert.
He wrote the song for the film, "not for Coca Cola", the statement adds.
"Any other use of the song is based on decisions made by others, not by Jack White," NME.com quoted the statement as saying.
Last month, White said he had wanted to collaborate with R&B star Keys for "a couple of years".
White, who also performs with The Raconteurs, said: "Alicia put some electric energy into her breath that cemented itself into the magnetic tape - very inspiring to watch."
He said the the collaboration "gave me a new voice and I wasn't myself any more".
Quantum of Solace will receive its world premiere on 29 October in London, two days before its UK opening.
Prince William and Prince Harry will attend the screening.
It is due to hit the big screen in the US on 14 November.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qudg396YCqc
Link to hear the new Bond theme song in its entirety:
http://www.darkhorizons.com/news08/080918i.php
Different than other Bond songs, but I like it. I never expect much from these theme songs but the energy and weird mix of vocals (with putting together two singers who are total opposites) makes a for a good dynamic. It's a more combustible song which I think will work well for the energy of the film.
Another Way To Die music video here. (http://new.music.yahoo.com/videos/--201553123)
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Bond Meets Hellboy
Del Toro, Cuaron reportedly make Quantum cameos.
Hellboy director Guillermo del Toro and Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban helmer Alfonso Cuaron reportedly have cameos in the forthcoming James Bond movie Quantum of Solace.
IESB points out an interview that QoS director Marc Forster did with the El Universal newspaper wherein he revealed that the Mexican filmmakers have voice roles in the film.
The site says Forster "knows both directors and asked them to portray members of a fictional Bolivian army." Del Toro reportedly provided multiple voices, while Cuaron voiced the role of a helicopter pilot.
Quantum of Solace opens stateside Nov. 14.
Hmm, I wish I had been aware of the Cuaron and Del Toro things.
UH, SPOILERS MAYBE? NO SPECIFICS BUT GENERAL DISCUSSION OF HOW THE FILM PLAYS OUT.
Anyway, I thought this was okay, but I should state that I didn't particularly fall head over heels for Casino Royale and haven't been much of a fan of Marc Forster's direction. There were a lot of directorial cliches (i.e., scenes in the desert that include long dissolves and shots of the sun bearing down on them), and personally I felt that the action sequences were uninspired. The very first scene is kind of exciting, but also confusing because it's of the very cutty and disorienting sort, and the subsequent action scenes are kind of a blur. There are a couple of attempts at artsyness that made me wonder for a minute whether or not it was actually interesting before deciding that it wasn't. So basically that's just me not caring for a great many of the decisions of Marc Forster. I usually don't judge directors in that way, but I left with a strong feeling that I would be able to do a better job of directing if I were as experienced a director as he is.
That said, it's enjoyable enough as a less emotionally involving extension of Casino Royale, with a less vulnerable Bond. The Bond girl is somewhat more interesting than most Bond girls (but not really as interesting as Vesper from Casino Royale), and the villain is pretty unthreatening as well. It is almost as if the real villain was the threat of "who can you trust?" rather than Dominic Greene, who's kind of just some business dude with a plan to make some money and happens to be okay with killing people.
I still like the reboot, of which this film is a part, better than the Brosnan films that had no bite. But I'm kind of done thinking about this film and ready for the next, with just enough of a taste to begin to imagine what a more interesting director and team of writers can do with this new Bond.
Exclusive: Marc Forster Finds His Quantum of Solace
Source: Edward Douglas; ComingSoon
ComingSoon.net has spoken to director Marc Forster a couple times in the past few years, so there weren't many people who were more excited when he signed on the dotted line to direct the 22nd James Bond movie Quantum of Solace. If you watch Forster's extensive body of work, it might not be obvious which of his films led to the decision to direct a blockbuster action movie, whether it's Monster's Ball, which got Halle Berry an Oscar, his 2004 follow-up Finding Neverland, which also got a lot of Oscar recognition, or any of his movies since. Probably the movie that gave the best example of Forster's ability to do a large film on a global scale was last year's adaptation of The Kite Runner, which sadly went mostly unnoticed in this country.
Quantum of Solace follows right after the events of Casino Royale with a car chase through the streets of Italy, as Daniel Craig's James Bond tries to find those responsible for Vesper Lynd's death, ending up at Dominic Greene, a wealthy ecologically-minded industrialist played by Matthieu Amalric (The Diving Bell and the Butterfly) and meeting Camille (Russian beauty Olga Kurylenko), a South American woman looking to get revenge for a tragedy in her own past.
With the release of the action-packed sequel, it seemed like a good opportunity for us to catch up with Forster and find out his take on James Bond and what he wanted to bring to the 46-year-old film franchise.
ComingSoon.net: What was the original pitch as far as getting this job? Did they come to you or did you pitch for it?
Marc Forster: No, my agent called me and said, "Look, they wanted me" and I said, "No, say, 'Please, no thank you. I'm very honored but I don't want to do it.'" Then he called me back and said, "Look, just out of respect, why don't you meet them? You don't have to do the movie obviously." Of course we knew it was Barbara Brocolli and Michael Wilson, and it's fascinating just to sit down and have a conversation with them. I then met them and thought they were charming and liked the ideas, but wasn't so interested. Left, had thought about it, and then came back again, met with them again because in between that, there were a couple incidents. My DP and my editor mentioned how much they loved Bond and they tried talking me into it and other people, too. I talked to other people too and I realized how many Bond fans out there, diehard Bond fans, loads of them, like people I wouldn't expect. I see they don't like action particularly or they're more the arthouse people and they say, "No, Bond is different."
CS: It's also an age thing, especially among guys over 35.
Forster: Yeah, so then after I met Daniel Craig, I felt like that guy really inspires me, so I thought, "Okay, let's go on this adventure" and really, it was one.
CS: I liked the fact that the movie deals with a lot of real world issues like the corporations monopolizing water. Was a lot of that in the script when you signed on originally or was that stuff you wanted to instill or bring to the mix?
Forster: No, Purvis and Wade wrote a bit of a different script, it was very different, and then I brought Haggis in, and I said, "Let's make it about natural resources and let's make it that water's the new thing and make it so that not everybody who's green is necessarily a good guy. Let's bring in all these elements." I thought the more real we make it even when M talks to the foreign minister and said, "Look, we have to make business with them just for economic survival," is I think an interesting concept. The more we set it in reality, the more Bond will come across real.
CS: You've done adaptations before, but in this case, you're working on a franchise, working with producers who are known for having their fingers in everything. When you threw these ideas out to the producers, what was their reaction?
Forster: To my surprise, they were open to anything. For instance, they say, "Oh, but don't make it too political." I said, "Look, they hired me. Obviously, Bond is not a political movie but we have to settle it in a political surrounding."
CS: There are elements of the real world, but you don't have any of the existing world leaders, as it's set in a different universe. But they were open to all these things as long as they were in budget?
Forster: Yeah, the main thing for them, I thought, "Okay, I'm going to do the film; now they're going to hand me a Bond rulebook" and the only rule they said to me was, "Look, be free to create your version of it, but Bond can't kill any innocent people." I thought that was very reasonable; I don't want to do that either, but that was the only rule that was mentioned to me. Even with product placement, I was never pushed to shoot anything.
CS: I didn't really notice any at all. Was there any in the movie? I didn't notice anything obvious like the Sony cell phones and laptops in "Casino Royale."
Forster: No, that's why I just sort of threw it out.
CS: Until you mentioned that, I didn't even notice or realize that. One of the constants for this movie is composer David Arnold, who's composed the score for the last five Bond movies. I was curious how it was working with him, because at a certain point, he does the Bond movies in a way that's been successful. How did you approach working with him?
Forster: Basically, I exchanged the entire crew, everybody I switched out except for David Arnold, and I kept him because I think he's doing a really good job with those, and he was a great collaborator. I sort of had ideas with the temp track and my editor as we were shooting was playing that to David, and David was writing music during the time we were shooting based on the script. I just wanted to hear his ideas, and I thought I didn't want to go too orchestral with a lot of things. I was like, "Let's try to keep a little bit away from that, keep it a little more modern" and I think the score, for him, is a little bit more of a departure from the previous Bond scores. I just loved collaborating with him. He was just smart, and the way I imagined the Bond theme. I wanted the Bond theme to come in and play but I didn't want it to be over the top and on the nose, because that can easily happen really quick like when John Williams did with the last "Indiana Jones."
CS: Yeah, you'd think that David has done so many of these movies, he'd know exactly what has to be done. One thing about your other movies is that the soundtracks have always been very distinctive—"Stranger Than Fiction", "Stay"—which is why I wondered about that.
Forster: No, I just thought let's move him in the direction I want to go, and even with the action sequences, I thought let's just try to steer away from the typical thing. Let's just see what we can do a little different.
CS: Earlier you mentioned the boat chase you weren't able to do because of the location, because in the movie, the boat chase is the one thing that seems very typical to older Bond like we've seen before. Was it important for you to create your own distinctive car chase or boat chase that we haven't seen before?
Forster: Yes, and that's why with the boat chase, it was the one place where I felt like I had to make a compromise, because the boat chase I had in my mind would have blown people's mind, and it would have been so incredible, but I had to shoot it all in that harbor. It was still important to have that chase there, but it wasn't as interesting or as spectacular as it could have been.
CS: I think the dogfight with the cargo plane made up for that, as that's something I've never seen before. Going into designing the action sequences, like one of the simpler ones with them fighting while hanging from the ropes. Do you lay all of this out very closely beforehand?
Forster: Yeah, first, it was the idea of them coming in from the bottom and fighting up the scaffold, and I never liked that in the script, so I thought I'd have them crash in from the top and then crash down and then climb on these ropes and then have this effect where it's all 3-dimensional. We basically built a little model and we discussed it with the stunt coordinator, because we had to rehearse everything. Chris Corbould, the special FX guy, we all literally walked through and "This happens, then this" then we did a pre-vis of the entire scene, and everything was so planned to the detail. You sort of almost have to because that scene is so complex, that it doesn't work any other way.
CS: There are so many different elements in that scene, and I didn't think you could just go onto that set and figure things out there.
Forster: No, that was all pre-planned to the detail. I mean, once we came to the set, it's just execution.
CS: You did some of this in "Kite Runner" but what about doing these action scenes where you have thousands of extras just there, especially in Italy, where you have a scene where Bond is chasing the bad guy through this huge crowd. How do you manage that? Were you able to use some of the things you learned while making "Kite Runner" in a scene like that?
Forster: Yeah, and I think it's just that usually, you need a really good AD (assistant director) team who's in charge and has a lot of great P.A.s (production assistants), especially in foreign countries, where they don't speak the language and that's really crucial. That one actually went pretty smooth. I mean, "Kite Runner" was ten times more difficult with those extras because nobody spoke the language, and sometimes I felt in "Kite Runner," I felt we had these scenes of footage where you felt like you were in "Night of the Living Dead" with people just walking around like that or didn't know what to do. It was crazy.
CS: I read somewhere that they asked you to do another Bond movie and you didn't want to do that or another action movie right away. Is there anything that you might consider challenging at this point?
Forster: No, I'd still love to do a sci-fi movie, I'd love to do a musical, I'd love to do a big sort of epic love story, so those are the subject matters I'd still like to do.
CS: You've really covered a lot of ground with the last five or six movies, which not a lot of directors can say about their body of work.
Forster: No, but it's funny; people say, "So what is a typical Marc Forster movie then?" If you look at them actually very closely, if you forget the world they're set in, but if you take the characters, they're all very similar. They're all very emotionally repressed, sort of closed characters, like Bond himself and what he's going through, like Will Ferrell or Johnny Depp in "Finding Neverland," they're always very similar male characters.
CS: Also the visual style I tend to notice since you've worked with the same visual FX guys on so many movies. There's a movie called "The Jury" written by Peter Morgan on your roster, is that something you're still interested in doing?
Forster: It's very early in development. Peter Morgan wrote the series set in the early '90s in London and another writer is writing the screenplay now, but I'm not sure. I haven't read the draft yet and it's still early in development.
CS: After doing the Bond movie, would you be interested in doing another franchise, either existing or a new one?
Forster: If I would do it, I would have to sort of create my own, not necessarily action, but it could also be like fantasy.
CS: Do you read a lot of that stuff or follow the genre?
Forster: Yeah, I do, but nothing really jumps to mind at this point. I'm still looking and being open and seeing what sort of comes.
And here's more with Forster from a group interview done earlier that same day:
CS: A big thing about the movie was when the title was announced which left people scratching their heads. There isn't a lot of "solace" in the movie, so who came up with the title and what's that about?
Forster: When I first found out the title, Barbara and Michael, our producers asked me in their office, and there was sort of this board, and "Quantum of Solace" was there. They said, "So, what do you think of the title?" And I said, "'Quantum of Solace'? What's that about?" Basically, it's a short story from Fleming and it's one of the last few titles left. There are only like two more left after that that Fleming ever used, and the short story has nothing to do with the movie. There's a nice little paragraph in the short story where a governor explains to Bond at this ball, he explains to Bond what "Quantum of Solace" means to him. That in a sense, in the beginning it took me a little while to get used to it, but now the title grew on me. I really like it and I tried to include it. Yes, Bond gets him "Quantum of Solace" at the end of the movie and Quantum is the organization.
CS: I don't think people realized it was from the title of an Ian Fleming short story, which is what threw them off.
Forster: Yeah, but still, it's like an odd -- I mean, who would come up with a title like that? It's very odd to me.
CS: What did you want to do to put your own stamp on this Bond movie?
Marc Forster: It was crucial to include my sensitivity. I basically thought, "Okay, what is the "Bond" film I always wanted to see?" I thought first in reference I included very specifically all the visual sort of styles from the sixties, some of the retro stylistic references I liked from Ken Adams' designs, and then in the Bond films I thought the MI6 offices were always outdated, so I wanted to recreate the entire MI6 look – completely new and modernize that with the graphics and use a new artist for the title sequence. Started to think what was the influence in the early "Bond" movies, which I always thought came a little bit from Hitchcock. Looking at Hitchcock movies, what could be the influence to those early "Bond" movies and started from "The Man Who Knew Too Much" in that opera sequence was an influence and started thinking, "Okay, stylistically, how do I want to tell those action sequences?" Then I thought because it's a Bond film, I should set them in the four elements, the big action sequences are fire, water, air. I felt I wanted to tell a story within them that they move like the character, forward, especially with Camille and Bond in a boat sequence, a plane sequence, and then at the end, a fire sequence. Then the technique of the intercutting was something which I wanted to do because I thought it would be more interesting than just purely having action sequences, it was more my sensitivity and storytelling. I felt I wanted to dive further into the pain of Bond to create an emotional texture of Bond to get a little bit more under the skin. I felt I wanted to also go back to specifically like those '70s thrillers. The movie should feel really fast I thought. It should start like a thriller and keep you on the edge of your seat until the last frame, so I started developing the entire movie. When I first came, the producers in a way had a script, but an unfinished one, then I brought Haggis in, and as I brought Haggis in, I was scouting all of the world for locations and chose locations according to what I saw and sort of insert them in the script and just try to make it my vision.
CS: What was the plan for approaching the movie as a direct sequel to "Casino Royale" since it starts literally where that ends?
Forster: When I first met Barbara and Michael, the producers, they said, "Look we want to start half an hour after 'Casino Royale' and it should be a direct sequel." In a sense, I thought it was interesting because I thought I don't have to deal with Bond fresh after he lost the love of his life in the last one, but now we have a Bond again, "Oh, where are the next ten women I can consume?" It's like literally a Bond who is in pain and who is dealing with this emotional texture. That's why I created this character of Camille to have a mirror to Bond, that she is sort of after revenge as well, that was the idea.
CS: Sequels often use flashbacks to the previous movie for people to know what happened, but there are none here. Was that a conscious decision?
Forster: The producers first wanted flashbacks, but I was very against it, and I wanted to have this sort of sequel without it. Also, you know I feel like even in certain movies sometimes when I see it and they explain things, I feel like it just doesn't feel right to me, so I decided against it.
CS: Could you talk about what Daniel Craig brings to all of this?
Forster: I think first, his interpretation of Bond, he humanized the character. He plays the character I think closer to the way Ian Fleming wrote Bond than anybody ever has done before. I also think he's just a really smart actor and it was the reason why eventually I signed on because I felt like he's a real collaborator and would help me in the process that we could really create the movie as I envisioned and he really was that.
CS: It's interesting to see what Dame Judy is bringing to this, too.
Forster: Yeah, I wanted to make her part bigger because I think she's such a brilliant actress and she's always underused in those "Bond" films. I just love her, like she could read the phone book and I would watch her.
CS: Can you also talk about Mathieu and how you had him be a bad guy after he's played all these quite, nice guy protagonists in so many French films. Can you talk about how you came up with him?
Forster: I just always loved his French movies and I think he's such an interesting actor, so I brought him in and the first thing he said to me, "So can I have a scar or a hook or something?" And I said, "What?" He said, "No, I need a crutch to play the villain. I'm playing a Bond villain, I want some scars and hooks and stuff."
CS: Like a cat maybe?
Forster: Exactly. Yeah, I love Blofeld, he's a great villain. So I said to him, "Look, I think it just doesn't really work. I think you should just play this sort of totally straight, nice guy. At the beginning, he was a little bit insecure about it, but then he trusted it and said, "Okay, let's try that." I just thought it would be interesting to play it differently than all the other "Bond" villains.
CS: In this movie and in "Casino Royale", we've established a different kind of "Bond" girl. It's not the brainless beauty and that's it, and Camille is definitely not your typical "Bond" girl.
Forster: I thought in the last movie he lost the love of his life. I felt you can't have him fall in love again. I thought you need a sort of mirror image to him to sort of create a character. A "Bond" girl these days it just can't be an object of beauty. I think it should be a three dimensional character and I thought it would be an opportunity to create an equal to Bond and that's what I did with Camille.
CS: The casting of "Bond" girls is always a big part of the movie, so what was it about Olga that interested you in her for this role?
Forster: After hundreds of tapes, and a couple of people reading for me, I brought four or five girls in to read with Daniel himself and see what the chemistry is like. Olga just had the best chemistry and was best suited for the role, but it's just a hard process because you're just looking for so many qualities and you just want to make sure that Daniel and her visually look good together and there is a chemistry, and so on and so forth.
CS: You stripped Bond down from all the gadgets and stuff even more than "Casino Royale" did, too.
Forster: I just felt like we have so many gadgets in our lives these days and also gadgetry in general reminds me of superheroes these days and take away a little bit from reality. And I feel like I didn't want to go in sort of this more comic, super hero world because it was more, I thought, interesting I thought to set Bond in reality, in a sort of background that is slightly politically accurate what's happening today and I thought it would be more believable to follow him.
CS: There's so many action sequences but at any time did anyone look at what you wanted to do and said, "There's no way we can do this"?
Forster: Basically, when I first set up those sequences I thought, "Okay, this is going to be tricky and crazy." Like with everything, with every dramatic sequence, you just start to break them down. I had a very clear idea of what I wanted to do with Sienna (in Italy). That was a very hard sequence to achieve. It's basically step by step you just put them together and it needs a lot of patience and just lot of preproduction, but the main bubble for the movie for me is in pre-production. That's where I set the vision, where I break everything down, and once I start shooting, it's more of an execution.
CS: Since this was a sequel to an action-packed movie, did you feel you had to up the ante in terms of the action?
Forster: Not really, but I did feel like there is an enormous amount of expectations and the pressure to really deliver something special, because people loved "Casino Royale" so much. I just felt like, I'm doing an action film, so I really want to do some really great action, and tried to figure out the most interesting way I would like to see action. That sort of was the goal.
CS: So, what are the things you got out of it doing action that you really think you'll carry on with you in whatever you are doing?
Forster: I just learned a lot about action. I felt like it's so essential that action needs to tell a story and there always has to be also in an action film what I realized, if you're not connecting with your lead character, than even the most spectacular action is sort of empty. I feel like in a small movie you always have to connect emotionally to your lead character, but what I also learned is shooting in six countries, juggling an enormous amount of crew. The first time I'd ever shot with second unit, really communicating to people what you want and what they should get for you. The clarity of communication is crucial to get to that end result because you have crews that are always working ahead of you. Even my production designer, if I'm in London, he's in Panama. When I get to Panama, he shows me the sets and moves onto Chile. When I choose the locations I come into this room and say, "Oh, I want the wall green," and you decide what the color green is you want. When you get there, often it's really different from what you wanted and things like that, you can go crazy, or at least I can, because it's all in the details for me.
CS: Can you talk about some of the injuries and incidents that happened on the set? Some called it the "James Bond jinx," so did you feel that ever?
Forster: No, I thought actually opposite that we were very lucky. We had one bad accident. That first Aston Martin going into Lake Garda wasn't owned by production and had nothing to do with us. It was a separate car owned by Aston Martin and an engineer drove it to a press conference for Aston Marin not even linked to us and he was going to breakfast in the morning and put it in the lake. We were shooting on the other side of the lake so they linked it to us. So then the second, the accident that had something to do with us was a stuntman named Alfra Romeo, and there was a horrible accident. Thank God, the stunt guy's back is to almost 100 percent. He went after six weeks and was able to be out of the hospital and he's fine again. Then we had two minor injuries with Daniel where he cut his finger in a fight scene, and he got a tiny hit here with the micro stitches. I mean he was working the next day on both occasions. But that was it, and so from the one bad accident to the minor things with Daniel, I think no, I didn't feel that way. On the one hand, it was important for me to feel his sort of physicality and his pain, but at the same time that you feel like he is spent, and he has endurance to keep going. I think that's a sort of Bond characteristic that he has to have a sort of endurance though. There is an emotional tissue which is slightly damaged.
CS: Even though you won't be doing a "Bond" film again, do you have a sense of where the character is going to go next and did you try to set up anything that might pay off in future movies?
Forster: I think he's sort of set up that he finds "Quantum of Solace," the story's completed, and either if they want to do a trilogy, they can follow into the heart of "Quantum" and follow that organization and go further up the ranks to find it, or they can start anew with a sort of different story line.
CS: Having made a movie with the biggest budget you've had so far, does it kind of spoil it for you to go back to doing smaller movies?
Forster: No, you have to make compromises on this movie as well as any other movie, and in a sense yes, you get all the much more toys you want, and much more freedom than in other films, but ultimately I had to make compromises and cut the two scenes, and slim things down. I think it's the usual thing you have to do with pretty much every film.
CS: So what then for you is next? "Monster's Ball 2"?
Forster: (laughter) Yeah, probably. That film was two people at a table talking.
fucking terrible.
I enjoyed the car chase at the beginning that led into the opening credits, which I also liked, and from then on it was a total piece of garbage. Be sure to look out for the longest airplane free fall with the shortest parachute opening before landing safely on hard dirt. Glad to have you back Haggis....oy vey.
Oh and the theatre I saw it at didn't play Watchmen or Star Trek trailers...We got The Day The Earth Stood Still and Seven Pounds. What a night.
boring and unsexy.
I thought it was pretty amazing and I enjoyed every second of it. I'm already a big Bond fan and think Daniel Craig proved himself the best Bond with just one film, but this was a much needed redirection for the series. It's sorta like the way the change Supremacy brought to the Bourne series, but the filmmaking here has a lot more breath and lucid style references. The action sequences were loud and intense, but they were each fashioned after well known styles. I saw a fantastic ode to Peckinpah amongst other European styles.
It was slimmer on story than other Bond films, but it had a lot more of Bond's personality on screen. It just enveloped it within a tougher,more action packed story.
three word review: elegant and precise.
Meh...
I was never a fan of the Bond series but I was forced to see this today with some friends. Unfortunately, I didn't care much for the action sequences and when you're not buying into the action, don't expect the plot to keep you awake. But to give credit where it's due, I really did like some of the 'montage' esque cuts during and after the action sequences. Specifically, keeping descriptions general, after the boat sequence you have a sudden drop of sound and this helps you draw your undivided attention towards Bond in the moment. Also the ballroom/restaurant... maybe these are some of the stylistic references Gold Trumpet is talking about?
Quote from: omuy on November 15, 2008, 10:54:59 PM
Meh...
I was never a fan of the Bond series but I was forced to see this today with some friends. Unfortunately, I didn't care much for the action sequences and when you're not buying into the action, don't expect the plot to keep you awake. But to give credit where it's due, I really did like some of the 'montage' esque cuts during and after the action sequences. Specifically, keeping descriptions general, after the boat sequence you have a sudden drop of sound and this helps you draw your undivided attention towards Bond in the moment. Also the ballroom/restaurant... maybe these are some of the stylistic references Gold Trumpet is talking about?
I completely understand the review. I've loved Bond my entire life and I always knew the films were horrible. They were cheesy and ridiculous, but the appeal was always Bond for me and the hope a good film about him could be made. Quantum of Solace is the most impressive Bond film by far. It far out reaches what even Casino Royale did, but it's still just a well manufactured rendering of a pulp figure. If you weren't into it then you never will be.
About the stylistic references, I've seen the film a second time and it's all clear to me. The stylistic references are European based, specifically in European art cinema. Bond isn't tredding new ground by trying to introduce these stylistic references, but he is doing a lot of good with keeping the references surface level and for action effect mainly. Quantum of Solace is still a Bond film with genuine Bond ideas. I think when a lot of other Hollywood try to take on structured ideas like these they also try to bend the narrative and meaning of the film to suit the European style. The result is a psuedo bullshit intellectual Hollywood film pretending to be something it isn't. Quantum of Solace uses the references as just a new flavor for the standard cake.
But, I like that references are from European cinema. Bond is the European counterpart to Jason Bourne. The film exemplifies Europe with the picturesque settings and lovely women, so the film should make its stylistic references home oriented. When the Bourne series transitioned in Supremacy the series took on a lot of documentarian tendecies with the handheld camerawork. Documentary cinema has existed in every major country for as long as the United States, but this country has the most famous documentarians. I also believe we produce the most documentarian features of any country. I can't explain exactly why I feel this way, but the gritty handheld look to the Bourne series feels inherently more American. With the changes Quantum of Solace brings to the series actually makes Bond feel more European.
I prefer Bond because I can see the stylistic thought between the action sequences. The fighting and chase sequences all look the same, but I see the differences in how they are filmed. There are different tools being used to record and interpret each action sequence. The filming of the sequences got a little bland with the later ones in the film, but I saw some wonderful expressions in most of them. With Bourne it is all at one level of documentary intensity. That term may be a little simplistic, but Greengrass never truly got lyrical with his style until United 93. The way the story and filmmaking built up to a perfect storm in the final moments was incredible. In the Bourne Ultimatum he tamed the style to make it better readable to the viewer, but the style lacks a certain variety. Forster was using different things in all of the action sequences.
was the action all chopped up and incomprehensible? that's all I'd like to know.
Quote from: pete on November 16, 2008, 03:02:27 AM
was the action all chopped up and incomprehensible? that's all I'd like to know.
Sometimes, yes it was, unfortunately. That's my major problem with this movie, but there are some other action scenes that succeed. I'm not even a Bond fan, I didn't care about Casino Royale at all, but I did like this one.
Bond finds 'Solace' in $70.4M box office debut
James Bond's quantum of the weekend box office: $70.4 million. "Quantum of Solace," with Daniel Craig returning as Bond for the first direct sequel in the spy franchise, pulled in nearly $30 million more over opening weekend than its predecessor, 2006's "Casino Royale," according to studio estimates Sunday.
The debut also topped the previous opening-weekend record for a Bond flick, $47 million for 2002's "Die Another Day."
Adjusting for inflation, Sony's "Quantum of Solace" easily drew a bigger audience than that installment, the last Bond adventure featuring Pierce Brosnan. Based on 2002 admission prices, about 8.1 million tickets were sold for "Die Another Day" in the first weekend, compared to 9.8 million for "Quantum of Solace."
Two years ago, Craig was an unknown quantity as Bond, a stage-trained actor with little action experience and a resume that tended toward small, artsier films. Many fans were unhappy with the casting choice, but the critical and commercial success of "Casino Royale" silenced the critics.
"Quantum of Solace" picks up where "Casino Royale" left off, with Bond seeking to avenge the death of his lover.
"With 'Casino Royale,' people were rediscovering the franchise in a way with Daniel Craig as James Bond," said Rory Bruer, head of distribution for Sony. "Quite frankly, they loved it. They loved the movie, and they loved him in the role, so I think by the time `Quantum of Solace' was ready, audiences in the U.S. as well as the world audience was way ready."
"Quantum of Solace" began rolling out overseas two weekends before its U.S. debut, and its worldwide total now stands at $322 million.
Quote from: pete on November 16, 2008, 03:02:27 AM
was the action all chopped up and incomprehensible? that's all I'd like to know.
Chopped up and incomprehensible. The camera is shaky as hell.
I think it borrows way too much from Bourne, but I enjoyed it. Craig is great as Bond, and the villains are always the biggest douchebags. In Bourne the villains are not as bad and they develop into interesting characters, but here you want to break his neck before he even speaks a line and every scene with the bad guy is terrible.
Still, it was fun times and that is the only reason why I guess anybody goes to see a Bond film.
Quote from: The Gold Trumpet on November 14, 2008, 08:27:25 PM
I thought it was pretty amazing and I enjoyed every second of it. I'm already a big Bond fan and think Daniel Craig proved himself the best Bond with just one film, but this was a much needed redirection for the series....
I'm with GT 100% on this one, Craig is the best Bond by far. Saw it twice already too.
SOME SPOILSA friend mentioned after the movie that some ppl were complaining there were no more gadgets and I didn't even noticed until he mentioned that, and as much as I like the gadgets of some past films I'm glad they're missing, this Bond feels more real and he doesn't need gadgets, and yeah, that airplane sequence is unrealistic, but still, CR and QOS are exactly what the Bond franchise needed. And I loved Mathieu Amalric as the villain, I even wish he had lived to see more of him in the future.
Anyway, I don't get the bad rap this is getting, this is a great Bond film.
Could've been a lot worse but could've been a lot better. The action sequences are terribly shot, disorienting and made me wish I could sit further away from a smaller screen. We feel little sympathy for Bond in this film, despite the opportunity to explore him seeking revenge. He never seems to be in any real danger and is given too little time appear sympathetic. The Bond girls are completely stock and the whole story seemed to be going through the motions.
I never really got the sense that Bond was purely hell bent on revenge as has been mentioned in reviews I've read. Yes, Vesper's bf was his end game, but I always felt that Bond had MI6's best interest in mind. I do think that that's a credit to Craig and how he plays his Bond; getting across his motives without much use of dialogue. Quantum does excel the action (the Greengrass Bourne's are far more disorienting) from Casino, but Royale fleshed out it's characters more. Camille certainly could have been a bit more three dimensional. Although, I kinda liked that Mr. Greene was a bit of a sissy when fighting because it just made sense that he wouldn't all of a sudden be a lean, mean fighting machine. And this is why I felt this was a worthy follow-up. It picks up where we last left off, and continues the ride.
Also, a very nice nod to Goldfinger. :yabbse-thumbup:
i was asleep for like, 30 minutes of this movie. was it any good?
I liked the storytelling - very linear and well-paced. the airplane scene was really dumb. the dead characters made for very effective plot devices, moreso than any other recent action movie that I can remember.
I've never been a fan of james bond. but I understood the charm of him - it's the duality between this impossibly sophisticated, "british" man and his impossibly action-packed exploits that makes it interesting. gentleman by day, super killing and sex machine by night. but now the gentleman part is entirely gone. he's just some macho dude now, and that's not as fun. it's like seeing a hooker in a porn, when she could've been a librarian. it's as if yoda wasn't cuddly and old. the only thing interesting about this bond is how he's better than the shitty films that came out in the 90's, but it's different from the reboot they're giving batman. this is more akin to bruce willis doing die hard 4, except this franchise has much savvier producers who are doing much more to avert hoakiness, so they've put in shaky cameras, they've put in jack white, pakour, krav maga (that's the isreali style of military fighting techniques) - they've put in everything hip or acceptable by the most number of people possible - and that includes people who are pickier than most action fans, but they're not taking the risk to create something that's truly imaginative and entertaining. only something proper. a proper action movie's gotta kick a bit of ass, but a really good action movie can fuel the imagination of 10 million boys. there's nothing iconic about the latest bond. I thought that stunt where he flips up to grab the gun, hanging by a piece of rope, as seen the trailer, could've been that moment, but it ended being quite average in the actual movie.
but we're also in a era where there's almost a total vacuum for an action movie that delivers more than just passable entertainment - something that can really fuel one's imagination, make one ecstatic, with images, sequences, stunts, and poses that can truly excite. the last one that did was probably the matrix. or maybe ong bak, if more people had seen it. instead it's the same thing over and over, varying only by taste and deftness. thank god good scripts are still being written and good actors are still being tempted by big studios, but good movies and good scripts can't stand in for great action movies. I guess the 80s was the era of those. maybe they're done, like westerns or horror or courtroom drama or erotic thriller, except they're dying a much slower death, due to the size of its operation and the stubbornness of franchise owners. I hope not. too many people love action movies for them to fade in such a slow, tedious, and slick manner.
Pete... I'm so incredibly with you there.
I want good action back. So bad that if I get just a taste of it now, I savor it, leading me to forgive the rest of the movie's blandness.
this was considerably better than casino royale. i actually watched both yesterday b/c casino royale was on showtime, and it is sooo boring. i mean, they literally play poker for like an hour. people are going to be so confused when they watch that 30 years from now, having no idea what a popular fad poker was during this time period.
quantum of solace was so much tighter, more focused, etc.
Quote from: abuck1220 on November 28, 2008, 01:03:50 PM
this was considerably better than casino royale. i actually watched both yesterday b/c casino royale was on showtime, and it is sooo boring. i mean, they literally play poker for like an hour. people are going to be so confused when they watch that 30 years from now, having no idea what a popular fad poker was during this time period.
do you feel this way about westerns or a movie like The Sting?
watching it on Showtime right now myself and i love the overall tone of it. far from boring. plus there's plenty of excitement mixed in during the game. enjoying the movie more so than my first viewing of it and its actually making me wanna get out to see the new one.
took a bunch of teenagers to see it, second viewing gave me a headache. that editing was so obnoxious.
is it universally agreed that the editing through the action scenes were awful?
Quote from: pete on November 30, 2008, 10:37:57 PM
is it universally agreed that the editing through the action scenes were awful?
yep.
Nope.
Quote from: MacGuffin on November 22, 2008, 11:51:57 PM(the Greengrass Bourne's are far more disorienting)
Quote from: MacGuffin on November 30, 2008, 11:00:00 PM
Nope.
Quote from: MacGuffin on November 22, 2008, 11:51:57 PM(the Greengrass Bourne's are far more disorienting)
But Greengrass does it right. It pulls you into the action instead sending you marching out with it's finger pointed like Bond does.
I just watched the Bourne trilogy again this weekend. It wins.
Quote from: RegularKarate on December 01, 2008, 01:12:27 PM
Quote from: MacGuffin on November 30, 2008, 11:00:00 PM
Nope.
Quote from: MacGuffin on November 22, 2008, 11:51:57 PM(the Greengrass Bourne's are far more disorienting)
But Greengrass does it right. It pulls you into the action instead sending you marching out with it's finger pointed like Bond does.
I just watched the Bourne trilogy again this weekend. It wins.
But at least Bond is an interesting character. I'd much rather James make me nauseous and I didn't even mind the choppy editing in QOS, it was just a really crappy story. I did rewatch Casino Royale recently and it does feel really long but then again QOS does too and it's not even two hours.
This was a very very fun revenge flick. It had everything in a revenge film without all the other scary trappings of other ones. Intense moments. Fan-fucking-tastic violence. Repeated viewing essential for me and its great for putting on in the background of a party.
I don't think it was a revenge flick. for one, you don't even get the atrocity in the beginning, but rather, it was narrated to you. for two, it was something about saving Bolivia from water privatization. for three - what violence? the only thing violent was how the camera shook.
It felt violent though...
Quote from: pete on March 28, 2009, 12:13:20 PM
for two, it was something about saving Bolivia from water privatization. for three - what violence?
I've not read the OG script, but I feel like this was a much bigger plot point until the studios cut it. Every film done by hollywood that has taken on water privitization since 'Chinatown' gets (pun) watered down by the studios.
I hate how they are trying to balance on a fine line between having a legit serious story and being really tongue in cheek. They should not even try to touch ''deep espionage'' stuff because they only manage to break the suspension of disbelief.
too much M, too much computer techs, not enough witty one liners, not enough mechanical gadgets.
now that Skyfall is out, can we all agree that this film was a piece of shit?