Director Marc Forster

WARNING: Spoilers

Speaking from the floating opera stage set in Bregenz, Austria, director Marc Forster spoke to MSN Movies about how the production eventually ended up at the location and what’s next for Quantum of Solace.

A Metaphor For Bond

While a performance of ‘Tosca’ will be taking place in the finished film as 007 tracks down villains at the location, the producers were originally interested in the set for the previous production, Giuseppe Verdi’s ‘The Masked Ball’ (which featured a giant skeletal hand turning pages of a book). However, this particular opera had just finished its two-year run at the Seebühne stage and the sets had been destroyed.

As a lucky turn of events, the next production, Giacomo Puccini’s ‘Tosca’ struck a similar chord of interest with its giant moving eye.

Floating Stage with ‘Tosca’ Set at Bregenz

‘I just loved the location, and I think the eye just has a great metaphor for Bond,’ said Forster. ‘Eyes and titles of Bond films and the gun barrel in the circle at the beginning. And I liked that it was “Tosca.” And Puccini’s opera is also a metaphor of what is going on as well. I thought the whole thing was convenient.’

As previously reported, Bond comes across a meeting between villains Dominic Greene, Mr. White and others during a performance at the film and ‘after realizing that the organization is speaking to each other through earpieces, steals one and brazenly tips off his foes that he can hear them.’

A confrontation between Bond and Greene reportedly follows in the nearby festival house.

Next Stop: Pinewood

It may be hard to believe, but filming on Quantum of Solace is actually heading nearing the end. With work at Panama and Chile completed, and filming in Italy and Austria moving along steadily, the next major stop is also the last one: Pinewood Studios back in the UK.

Forster commented that he was looking forward to the editing process in post-production. ‘I saw the trailer the other day and went, “Wow. Did we do that?” So, I’m feeling good.’

‘Quantum’ Rumour Control

A few recent rumours were also put to the test with the film’s cast and crew.

Daniel Craig denied the first one which stated that this film would see 007 behind the wheel of a Ford Bronco. That pleasure belongs to Bond girl Olga Kurylenko, he said.

The never-ending Amy Winehouse title song issue was also brought up. Forster wouldn’t comment specifically on the singer, but did confirm a new search was under way. ‘We are looking, seeing what is out there. It’s a tricky one because it has to be right,’ he said.

Head over to MSN Movies for more Quantum rumour control.

Keep your eyes on the CommanderBond.net main page for the most up-to-date and complete overage of Quantum of Solace.