Cinematical is absolutely stoked to announce a very cool opportunity. In just a couple of weeks, we'll be heading to London to sit down with James Bond himself, Daniel Craig, and Quantum of Solace director Marc Forster. We'll also be taking part in some other super awesome secret activities, but we'll fill you in on all that as time goes on. First, however, we need your help. Yes, you! The dude (or dudette) reading this post, with one hand scratching that annoying mosquito bite while the other hand ...
... Anyway, we need your help with some questions. Basically we're sitting down with Bond and Forster, but the words that come out of our mouths will be from you. Is there anything you've always wanted to know about Daniel Craig, Marc Forster, James Bond or Quantum of Solace? Sure there is, so spit it out now or forever live with the fact that you had a chance to ask Craig where he buys his underwear and you passed it up! [Makes shape of an 'L' on my forehead, then sighs because it's so 2004 of me]
Submit any and all questions you have for these boys in the comments below. If you want to keep it private (those are my kind of questions!), then feel free to send an email to leads AT Cinematical DOT Com, and title it JAMES BOND QUESTION. We'll choose our favorites, chuck 'em out to Craig and Forster, then post their answers (with credit to the brilliant readers who asked said questions) when we get back from our trip across the pond. Quantum of Solace hits theaters on November 14.
Sound off below (and thanks for helping us out with this -- your next virtual martini is on us)!
In what appears to be part of a most thorough campaign to botch Entertainment Weekly's Fall Movie Preview, a recent press release wholly admits that the North American opening of the 22nd James Bond film, Quantum of Solace, back from November 7th to the 14th marks an effort to capitalize on last week's sudden Harry Potter shift.
Although the removal of the 007th from any coming marketing blitz sure is a shame, it does place this film closer to the release of its predecessor, Casino Royale, which opened on November 17, 2006 to the tune of almost $600 million worldwide. Solace will still premiere in the United Kingdom on October 31.
For those keeping track at home, this now leaves Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa and the just now shifted Paul Rudd comedy Role Models on November 7th, and the 14th is now between Bond, Baz Luhrmann's epic drama Australia, and Bernie Mac's final film, Soul Men.
So we already know that White Stripes' frontman Jack White and Alicia Keys are all set to record the latest Bond song, titled Another Way to Die, but what about those folks who missed the cut. Ya know, the songs that almost were ... or tried to be ... or pretended to care? Case in point: You simply have to check out Joe Cornish's proposed version of theQuantum of Solacetheme song up above because it's just ... fabulous. Seriously, not only does he work in a number of plot points that bring us up to date on the story and the characters, but he also works in the title of the movie. I mean, sh*t, shouldn't the theme song for a movie include the title of the movie? If not, you might find people who like the name of the song (ie: Another Way to Die) better than the film's title (ie: Quantum of Solace).
But enough babbling from me -- check out the video above, listen real closely to those captivating lyrics and maybe we can get enough people together to convince Bond producers to use this somewhere in the sequel.
Further ensuring that the band Pulp should have new fans in the future, front man Jarvis Cocker continues to seek younger listeners. This time, in an interview with Time Out Chicago, he claims to have written a few tracks for Wes Anderson's stop-motion-animated film The Fantastic Mr. Fox, which is based on the novel by Roald Dahl. He says there are three or four songs and then some music that could become part of the film's score. Additionally, in response to questions regarding his solo track "Disney Time", he notes that writing music for a kid's movie is his chance to "do better" than Disney films, at least in terms of corrupting young minds.
A few years ago, Cocker contributed to the soundtrack for Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fireand even appeared in the movie as a member of the fictional group The Weird Sisters, performing the songs he composed, "This is the Night", "Do the Hippogriff" and "Magic Works." Pulp has also written songs specifically for movies in the past, including a rejected theme song to the 007 movie Tomorrow Never Dies (both the original version of "Tomorrow Never Dies" and a retitled version called "Tomorrow Never Lies" were later released as a bonus track and a B-Side, respectively). In the interview, he suggests that Quantum of Solacecould now use his solo effort "Quantum Theory", to which he'd change the lyrics appropriately.
When QOS arrives in theaters this fall, don't be surprised if Cocker's song isn't heard. As for Fantastic Mr. Fox, we'll have to wait until November 2009 to see if the man's music makes its way to impressionable ears.
"When you can't tell your friends from your enemies, it's time to go."
The first trailer for Quantum of Solace(aka the next James Bond film) has just arrived online (watch above or over on Moviefone in glorious HD), and I'm totally hooked. First thing I noticed is there seems to be quite a bit more action this time around, including what looks to be a pretty slick speedboat scene. Like in Casino Royale, Quantum of Solace (which picks up right where Royale left off) appears to leave us with a Bond (Daniel Craig) who still can't differentiate between what's personal and what's simply business. Once again, M (Judi Dench) continues to chase after Bond, who's still somewhat of a loose cannon.
Starring Mathieu Amalric, Olga Kurylenko, Gemma Arterton and Jeffrey Wright, Quantum of Solace finds Bond on the hunt for the organization responsible for the death of his shady ex-girlfriend, Vesper Lynd. His mission eventually leads to an environmentalist (Amalric) hell bent on taking over the country's water supply. Those interested can check out the full, official synopsis after the jump.
Quantum of Solacearrives in theaters on November 7th, 2008. What do you think of the trailer?
Okay everybody, gird your loins. MGM is unveiling the theatrical trailer for Quantum of Solace -- a.k.a. James Bond 22, if this is your first time on the internet -- at 9 a.m. Pacific on Monday, June 30th. The trailer will be attached to Hancock, which comes out a mere two days later, but you'll be able to see it early over at Moviefone on this page. Of course, we'll let you know as soon as it's up.
I remember that the start of the good buzz on Casino Royale roughly coincided with the release of its terrific teaser trailer -- the one that began in black and white, with a Judi Dench voiceover -- so I trust they're putting a lot of love and effort into this one in the hopes of having another runaway hit on their hands. The project has taken a bit of a beating in the press, what with the on-set tragedies and much-ridiculed title, but I suspect once people see footage, they'll come around. The blogosphere's love affair with Daniel Craig is far from over.
Now, if only they can get this business about the song sorted out. I say they throw caution to the wind and go with Meat Loaf.
The producers of the latest Bond movie, Quantum of Solace, may want to just pack it up and give us what they've got, whether or not the thing will make any sense. First they lost an Aston Martin. Then a stuntman was seriously injured during a crash. Then another. Last week, Daniel Craig (aka 007) was treated for a facial injury (requiring stitches). Over the past weekend, there may or may not have been a fire at Pinewood Studios, where the film is currently shooting. And finally (let's hope), on Tuesday, Craig went to the hospital after cutting his hand. Who knows what else will go wrong before principal shooting finishes next weekend? Oh, and there's always a chance that accidents can happen during post-production, too.
According to the BBC, Craig's hand injury was minor enough that he returned to the set Tuesday afternoon, and he only received medical treatment "as a precautionary measure." Other reports claim that he actually sliced off the tip of his finger, which probably sounds worse than it actually is. Regardless of how serious, this incident is being viewed as just the latest evidence that the film is cursed. Some of the stories coming out that I hadn't previously read about include Craig suffering a rib injury in Panama and a technician being stabbed by a woman at a bar in Austria. Wow.
As long as nothing too serious prevents its scheduled release, Quantum of Solace hits theaters November 7.
Would you like that shaken or stirred, Leo? Writing in Los Angeles Times, Jay A. Fernandez reports that Leonardo DiCaprio's Appian Way company recently came on board to produce a biopic about Ian Fleming, the creator of James Bond, based on an original script by Damian Stevenson. Fernandez speculates that DiCaprio might play Fleming: "During the writers' strike, DiCaprio showed interest in Fleming and his world, but he's looking to take the script in a different direction with a new writer."
Leo has produced other films in which he did not appear (The Assassination of Richard Nixon, Gardener of Eden) and already has a very full plate of upcoming projects. Still, it's fun to speculate because Fleming was such a fascinating character. According to Wikipedia, Fleming was a journalist first, including time in Moscow in 1933, then a stockbroker, before working in Naval Intelligence for Britain during World War II. He personally directed an intelligence-gathering unit that employed "lock-picking, safe-cracking, forms of unarmed combat, and other techniques and skills." He published his first Bond novel, Casino Royale, in 1953. Stevenson's script started on the eve of Fleming's wedding in 1952 before flashing back to his years as a journalist, playboy and spy planner.
Fleming sounds like it could be a good, thrilling drama. What do you think? Could Leo pull off the part? If not, who would you like to see as Ian Fleming?
A whole new batch of images from the next James Bond flick, Quantum of Solace, have just arrived online. So, in honor of a badly beaten-up Daniel Craig, we've decided that now is definitely the right time to launch our official Quantum of Solace photo gallery -- complete with good guys, bad guys and women who may or not be good or bad. (Can I just say that I absolutely love this photo above. Obviously they've had a long night -- and even though he's all sorts of damaged, Bond has that "I bet I could still tap that" look on his face.)
What do we know about Quantum of Solace? Well, it picks up right where Casino Royale left off, and it follows 007 on a mission to figure out which moron came up with the name for this film. I kid, I kid. Actually, we're with Bond as he attempts to figure out more about the organization that blackmailed Vesper -- a mission that ultimately leads him to several countries and to a couple of men; one of which, Dominic Greene (Mathieu Amalric), is conspiring to take total control of one of the world's most important natural resources. There's double the action, double the intensity and (we hope) double the love-making.
Quantum of Solace arrives in theaters on November 7. Check out our brand new gallery below.
Last weekend brought the tragic news that the Aston Martin featured in the upcoming 007 movie Quantun of Solacewas wrecked beyond repair. It turns out that's not the only danger on the set of the film, currently shooting in Italy: On Wednesday, a James Bond stuntman crashed while performing a chase scene in the area, and is currently in critical condition. suffering minor injuries It's probably better that this stuff is happening now, considering how many people were ready to pounce on the last film in order to prevent Daniel Craig from taking the reins from Pierce Brosnan. Now that the franchise appears to have a newfound groove, Quantum has a lot of positive buzz. So why does it seem like the set is suddenly cursed?
Accidents of varying degrees are commonplace on large scale film shoots, but the sense of peril can impact the final result in different ways. In the Twilight Zone movie, the helicopter accident during the John Landis-directed sequence killed three actors, causing Hollywood to avoid similar stunts for many years to come. The stuntman who suffered burns on 60% of his body on the Mission: Impossible IIIset, however, couldn't affect that movie, even when he decided to sue Tom Cruise. In the case of Quantum of Solace, subversively, the accidents might be a positive indicator of the sheer intensity that director Marc Forster hopes to bring to the film.
Brace yourselves for some horrific news from the set of Quantum of Solace, the new James Bond film due in theaters this fall. In a tragic accident early Saturday morning, the film's star plunged into Italy's Lake Garda and was destroyed. No, not Daniel Craig, silly. I mean the real star: the $250,000 Aston Martin DBS that 007 drives.
Yes, this is terrible news, even worse than the news that the movie would be called Quantum of Solace. As a stuntman was delivering the car to the northern Italy set in rainy weather, he lost control of the vehicle on a curve, went through a guard rail, and plummeted into the lake. (That's the recovered vehicle in the picture.) The stuntman, who wasn't named in any of the news reports I found, escaped with just some scratches and bruises; his job experience probably means he knows how to react in an auto-related crisis. It sounds like it would have been a spectacular sequence for a movie, if only there had been cameras rolling.
The reason this is such a big deal is that Aston Martins ain't exactly cheap, nor are they plentiful. It's not like it was a Honda Civic and the producers can just go grab another one off the lot. London's Sunday Mirror says the film had acquired five Aston Martins for the Lake Garda sequence. Two were already sprayed with bullet holes (on purpose), and it was the third one that went into the lake. The filmmakers presumably had other intentions for the remaining two cars; no word yet on whether they'll have to adjust their plans, or whether they'll be able to make do. Obtaining a replacement car on short notice doesn't appear to be an option.
My favorite news story of the week comes courtesy of The Times, which reports on an Ian Fleming/James Bond-themed exhibition at the British Imperial War Museum. Apparently, when Fleming was an intelligence officer in the Royal Navy -- in 1940, 13 years before Bond began -- he concocted a harebrained scheme to seize the decryption code used by the German navy to send messages.
He proposed to take a captured German plane, fill it with German-speaking Brits, crash it into the English Channel, wait for a German rescue boat to come by, board it, sabotage it, and run off with the loot. (Or, in Fleming's brilliantly terse formulation: "Crash plane in the Channel after making S.O.S. to rescue service. Once aboard rescue boat, shoot German crew, dump overboard, bring rescue boat back to English port.") Even better, he was able to put together a team and await the opportunity to put his plan into action -- but one never came up, and higher-ups started to worry about the crew being killed in the crash or drowning.
We all know 007 hops continents with ease... so where is he finding action these days? Antofagasta, Chile, home to the driest desert in all the world. Moviefone sent a spy down to set of the new Bond flick Quantum of Solace (OK, fine, we were invited by Sony Pictures) to dig up dirt from Daniel Craig and company. You can find a full report from the set of Solace Tuesday on Moviefone.com -- including rumors confirmed and debunked, and a full Q&A with Craig -- but here are a couple nuggets to whet your appetite.
--Why Chile? Antofagasta is home to the headquarters of the European Southern Observatory (ESO), which stands as the lair of Bond's latest adversary, Dominic Green (Diving Bell and the Butterfly star Mathieu Amalric). But even the ESO's funky digs (a domed, modern building which will, thanks to special effects, be blown up in the finished film) take second billing to the gritty landscape. "I think what attracted us is the beautiful landscape, which contrasts with all the other landscapes in the film," producer Michael G. Wilson told our reporter. "It reflects Bond's inner feelings."
It wasn't Darby O'Gill and the Little People that brought Sean Connery to superstardom. It was his many gigs as James Bond, stretching from Dr. No in 1962 to Never Say Never Again in 1983. But that era is over. These days, Daniel Craig is 007, and he's gearing up for the 22nd Bond installment with Quantum of Solace. So, what's that have to do with Connery? Well, according to Ace Showbiz, a new press release says that the actor has considered returning to the franchise as the big baddie.
Connery is quoted as saying: "I wouldn't mind coming back as a Bond villain. But I don't think they would pay me enough. They don't pay the money for other parts, only for the Bond character, although that wasn't the case when I was doing it." Ouch! I would think they might want to add Connery in to at least save some face. Sure, things change, but what production wants to be considered penny pinchers that only care about Craig?
Ace goes on to say: "Allegedly, the 77-year-old Academy Award-winning actor has been involved in negotiations to land a villain role with the film's producers since Daniel Craig has been tapped to bring Ian Fleming's agent back to the big screen with Casino Royale."
Could this be true? Would they ever pay enough for this to really happen? We'll have to wait and see. But in the meantime, what do you think? Should Connery return to the world of James Bond?
If you were looking for a reason to go see Daniel Craig's next James Bond film, Quantum of Solace, in the UK, here's your reason -- BBC reports that the film's release date has been moved up from November 7 of this year, to October 31 -- Halloween. So far, however, this means no change for us in North America. Variety reports that the film is still scheduled to roll out on the 7th.
This time around, Bond sets out for revenge against those who took out the lovely Vesper Lynd (the gal who betrayed him in Casino Royale) and travels to Austria, Italy, and South America. In Haiti, he runs into Camille (Olga Kurylenko), who has her own vendetta and leads the superspy to Dominic Greene (Mathieu Amalric). I guess Bond gets sidetracked by this dude, because he "discovers that Greene, conspiring to take total control of one of the world's most important natural resources, is forging a dastardly deal with an exiled Latin American general (Joaquin Cosio)."
But what about the title? It seems to be sticking, but I can't say that I'm entirely into Craig's reasoning why. He says it's all about relationships: "When they go wrong, when there's nothing left, when the spark has gone, when the fire's gone out, there's no quantum of solace." I actually liked the title more before ...
In what appears to be part of a most thorough campaign to botch 
Further ensuring that the band Pulp should have new fans in the future, front man 
Okay everybody, gird your loins. MGM is unveiling the theatrical trailer for 
The producers of the latest Bond movie, 
Would you like that shaken or stirred, Leo? Writing in 
Last weekend brought 
Brace yourselves for some horrific news from the set of 
My favorite news story of the week comes courtesy of The Times, which 
We all know 007 hops continents with ease... so where is he finding action these days? Antofagasta, Chile, home to the driest desert in all the world. Moviefone sent a spy down to set of the new Bond flick 
It wasn't Darby O'Gill and the Little People that brought 
