MGM Issue Press Release Confirming Some Cast And Conference
MGM have today issued a press release confirming several aspects of James Bond 20.
To begin with the press release has confirmed that both Toby Stephens and Rick Yune will star in Bond 20. Both, especially the latter, have been strongly rumoured as appearing in Bond 20. The press release has also confirmed that actor John Cleese will return to the film as "Q" something that Cleese himself had cofirmed early last year.
LONDON, Jan. 9 /PRNewswire/ — A press conference will be held at
10:45 a.m. GMT on Friday, January 11, 2002, at Pinewood Studios in England to
mark the start of filming for EON Productions and MGM's newest James Bond
adventure (currently untitled), produced by Michael G. Wilson and Barbara
Broccoli. Filming will commence Monday, January 14th, on the 20th film in the
James Bond series, with Pierce Brosnan set to continue his record-breaking run
as secret agent 007 and Halle Berry set to star as fierce female lead Jinx.
Both stars will be on hand for the press conference, as will producers Wilson
and Broccoli, director Lee Tamahori, and cast members Toby Stephens, Rick
Yune, and Rosamund Pike."We're thrilled to start filming on what promises to be one of the
greatest Bond films ever," say Wilson and Broccoli. "Making the 20th Bond
film is a great milestone for EON Productions, as well as for the Broccoli
family. We're extremely proud to be continuing the Bond tradition."
"The James Bond films are an institution in the industry," says Robert
Levin, president of worldwide theatrical marketing and distribution for MGM
Studios, Inc. "To be working on a new 007 adventure in the 40th anniversary
year of the franchise is terrifically exciting for all of us."
The James Bond series is the most successful film franchise of all time.
The newest installment will be released on November 22, 2002, in conjunction
with the series' 40th anniversary. The script was written by Neal Purvis and
Robert Wade. In addition to Brosnan, Berry, Stephens, Yune, and Pike, the
cast includes returning stars Judi Dench as "M," John Cleese as "Q," and
Samantha Bond as Miss Moneypenny.
The principal cast and filmmakers will be on hand for the press
conference. Following the press conference, the producers will host a
40th anniversary celebratory lunch for media, filmmakers, and selected
invitees.
A 15-minute edited video newsreel will be accessible via satellite after
the press conference and will include soundbites and footage. The video
newsreel downlink will be broadcast from 11:00-11:30 a.m. EST (8:00-8:30 PST,
16:00-16:30 GMT) on Friday, January 11th:Satellite: Telstar 6
Transponder: 3
Downlink Frequency: 3751 MHz
Downlink Polarity: Vertical
Symbol Rate: 6.111319 Msymb/sec
FEC: 3/4
Modulation: QPSK
Standard: MPEG 2 4:2:0/525 NTSCThe newsreel will run twice during the downlink. For questions regarding
the VNR, contact Colin Burrows at Special Treats Productions in London
(011-44-7802-605940). If you're unable to downlink the VNR, contact Joe
Whitmore in MGM Publicity at 310-586-8990 for a hard copy of the footage. The
footage will also be available on JamesBond.com .
Eon Productions/Danjaq, LLC, is owned by the Broccoli family and has
produced nineteen James Bond films since 1962. The Bond films make up the
most successful franchise in film history and include the recent blockbuster
films GoldenEye, Tomorrow Never Dies, and The World Is Not Enough, produced by
Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli. Eon Productions and Danjaq, LLC, are
affiliate companies and control all worldwide merchandising of the James Bond
franchise.MGM Pictures is a unit of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc. Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Inc. (NYSE: MGM), through its Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. subsidiary, is
actively engaged in the worldwide production and distribution of entertainment
product, including motion pictures, television programming, home video,
interactive media, music, and licensed merchandise. Its operating units
include MGM Pictures, United Artists Films, MGM Television Entertainment, MGM
Networks, MGM Distribution Co., MGM Worldwide Television Distribution, MGM
Home Entertainment, MGM Consumer Products, MGM Music, MGM Interactive, and
MGM.com .
In addition, MGM has acquired a 20 percent ownership interest in four of
Rainbow Media's successful national cable networks — American Movie Classics
(AMC), Bravo, The Independent Film Channel (IFC) and WE: Women's Entertainment
(formerly Romance Classics), and holds equity interests in 14 television
channels internationally. For more information on MGM, visit MGM online at
http://www.mgm.com .
You can discuss the press release in this thread of the Bond 20 Forums.
Thanks to 'ppk' for the tip off!