Chris Cornell Reflects On 'Casino Royale' And Daniel Craig As 007

In a recent article posted at This Is Nottingham, singer and songwriter Chris Cornell reflects on how he became associated with the world of James Bond through last year’s Casino Royale.

‘I was surprised to be asked,’ he recalls. ‘And I had some reservations about it. Guys like me resist stuff like that. Then I heard about Daniel Craig being James Bond.’

‘I’d actually seen him in several films and was starting to pay attention to him. I knew he was an accomplished actor, and James Bonds tend to be the people’s actor–you like them because that’s who they are.’

‘Sean Connery is always Sean Connery,’ Cornell adds. I’m a huge fan, but he doesn’t transform for roles. So I imagined that this could be an amazing twist … I was a fan of [Daniel Craig] already and I thought, if they do this right, it could be genius. Then they showed me the opening sequence where my song was going to be, and I was really excited to be the guy to make that song.’

‘But the biggest trepidation really is that you’re on a list with bands like Duran Duran, and A-ha, and Paul McCartney. Oh and Lulu, whoever that is, I don’t know who that is.’

Cornell’s title song for Casino Royale, “You Know My Name,” was just recently nominated for the award for Best Original Song Written Directly For A Film at the 2007 World Soundtrack Awards. Winner announcements will take place in this upcoming October.

To read the entire article on how Cornell bonded with success, visit this page from This Is Nottingham.

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'You Know My Name' Nominated For World Soundtrack Award

The accolades for Casino Royale just keep on coming. The film’s title track, “You Know My Name”, was last week nominated for the award for Best Original Song Written Directly For A Film at the 2007 World Soundtrack Awards.

The song, which was performed by Chris Cornell and written by Cornell and James Bond composer David Arnold, is up for the award alongside four other tracks nominated by the World Soundtrack Academy.

Vying for the title of Best Original Song Written Directly For A Film are:

• “Le Festin” from Ratatouille (music and lyrics by Michael Giacchino and performed by Camille)
• “Falling Slowly” from Once (written and performed by Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova)
• “I Need To Wake Up” from An Inconvenient Truth (written and performed by Melissa Etheridge)
• “When You Taught Me How To Dance” from Miss Potter (written by Mike Batt, Nigel Westlake, and Richard Maltby, Jr. and performed by Katie Melua)
• “You Know My Name” from Casino Royale (written by Chris Cornell and David Arnold and performed by Chris Cornell)

The winner will be announced on 20 October, on the closing evening of the Ghent International Film Festival, and is selected by the World Soundtrack Academy’s voting members.

The World Soundtrack Academy was established in 2001 as a way of promoting music in film. The Awards are distributed annually to celebrate outstanding achievement in music in motion pictures. More information about the World Soundtrack Awards can be found on their website.

“You Know My Name” was previously nominated for an International Press Academy Golden Satellite Award in the Best Original Song category, which it won.

Order the “You Know My Name” CD single from Amazon.co.uk.

Order the “You Know My Name” CD single from Amazon.com.

Stay tuned to CBn for all the latest Casino Royale coverage.

Martin Campbell On The 'Casino Royale' DVD And Turning Down 'Bond 22'

In an interview posted at Hollywood In Hi-Def, director Martin Campbell sat down to discuss the success of Casino Royale on DVD (and its eventual special edition release with even more extras), how James Bond and Blu-ray work well together and turning down Bond 22.

‘I was impressed. It does look phenomenal; you can’t get away from it. It’s simply staggering, the difference,’ said Campbell of the Blu-ray disc of Casino Royale–which was the first high-def title to sell more than 100,000 copies.

‘I watched the whole film from top to bottom, which is unusual; I don’t normally. But I watched it because the quality was so terrific. I think that just about every scene transfers wonderfully. Even on the dullest scenes, you know, like office scenes, which are normally pretty boring to actually shoot and really they are functional scenes. They stand out incredibly. You see detail.’

When asked if he had worked on any of the special features that will accompany the eventual special (ultimate perhaps?) release of Casino Royale, he said: ‘All I’ve done is watch the movie. I’m fascinated by the quality of it. But that’s about as far as I’ve gone. I’m sort of busy at the moment looking at other projects.’

‘Certainly I have to OK the scenes that have been cut out. That’s good. I think people are fascinated by scenes that are cut out and I put most of them back into the disc. I hope there’s going to be an extended documentary because they (documentary film crews) are with us all the time, doing interviews all the way through. The documentary on the existing movie (DVD/Blu-ray discs) is just a little short. I just wanted more. Whether anybody else wants more, I don’t know. It fell a little short for me. They are there every day so it could just be a little longer. Even the Goldeneye, I think, one was more detailed and longer. So I hope they are going to extend that.’

Campbell also commented on the marketing strategies to release a bare-bones DVD and then eventually follow up with a more substantial release. ‘Bond is peculiar in that they release every other title, just before Casino Royale came out, they released, in England anyway, a sort of silver suitcase, with all the digitally remastered Bond films. They all looked fantastic, by the way. So they have editions and then special editions and special editions of the special editions. So they milk them, and why shouldn’t they? People buy them and that’s great.’

And what about Daniel Craig’s return as 007? ‘I feel that after the Pierce Brosnan one, I sort of said that was it, I didn’t want to do anymore. Then, because it his was based on the book, this one, and it meant there was a change of tone, then I did this one. But, really, the problem is, you sort of then start to repeat yourself. The character’s pretty much set and you just feel you’re sort of doing the same thing again, only different, you know. How Sam Raimi does Spider-Man is beyond me.’

Be sure to head over to Hollywood In Hi-Def for the complete interview.

Stay tuned to CBn for all the latest Casino Royale and James Bond coverage.

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Casino Royale DVD Overview

CBn rounds up all the latest news regarding the DVD release of Daniel Craig’s first James Bond 007 film, Casino Royale…

Originally posted on 7 March 2007. | Updated on 7 August 2007.

Overview

Like the original DVD release of 2002’s Die Another Day, the Casino Royale DVD will be a two-disc collector’s edition. Releases on the PSP and Blu-ray DVD formats are also included. The region 1 release date is scheduled for Tuesday, 13 March 2007 with the region 2 release date on Monday, 19 March.

Plot Synopsis

Casino Royale introduces James Bond before he holds his license to kill. But Bond is no less dangerous, and with two professional assassinations in quick succession, he is elevated to “00” status. “M” (Judi Dench), head of the British Secret Service, sends the newly-promoted 007 on his first mission that takes him to Madagascar, the Bahamas and eventually leads him to Montenegro to face Le Chiffre, a ruthless financier under threat from his terrorist clientele, who is attempting to restore his funds in a high-stakes poker game at the Casino Royale. “M” places Bond under the watchful eye of the Treasury official Vesper Lynd. At first skeptical of what value Vesper can provide, Bond’s interest in her deepens as they brave danger together. Le Chiffre’s cunning and cruelty come to bear on them both in a way Bond could never imagine, and he learns his most important lesson: Trust no one.

Ordering Details

Region 1:

• Release Date: 13 March 2007
• Retail Price: $28.95 (DVD)
• Retail Price: $28.95 (PSP)
• Retail Price: $38.95 (Blu-ray DVD)
• Format: DVD / Blu-ray DVD / Sony PSP
• Two-Disc Collector’s Edition
• Anamorphic Widescreen Presentation
• English Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound
• French Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround Sound
• Spanish Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound
• Subtitles: English, French, Spanish
• Order (Widescreen DVD) – Amazon.com
• Order (Full Screen DVD) – Amazon.com
• Order (PSP) – Amazon.com
• Order (Blu-ray DVD) – Amazon.com

Region 2:

• Release Date: 19 March 2007
• Retail Price: £19.99 (DVD)
• Retail Price: £12.99 (PSP)
• Retail Price: £24.99 (Blu-ray DVD)
• Format: DVD / Blu-ray DVD / Sony PSP
• Two-Disc Collector’s Edition
• Anamorphic Widescreen Presentation
• English Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound
• French Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround Sound
• Spanish Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound
• Subtitles: English, French, Spanish
• Order (DVD) – Amazon.co.uk
• Order (Single Disc DVD) – Amazon.co.uk
• Order (PSP) – Amazon.co.uk
• Order (Blu-ray DVD) – Amazon.co.uk

Region 3:

• Release Date: 15 February 2007
• Two-Disc Collector’s Edition
• Anamorphic Widescreen Presentation
• English Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound / DTS 5.1
• Subtitles: English, Thai, Korean, Chinese
• Order (DVD) – CD WOW!

Region 4:

• Release Date: 4 April 2007
• Retail Price: $39.95 (DVD)
• Two-Disc Collector’s Edition
• Anamorphic Widescreen Presentation
• English Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound
• Italian Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound
• Subtitles: English, Italian
• Order (DVD) – Atlantic DVD

Special Features

• Becoming Bond: An intimate look at how Daniel Craig became the newest James Bond
• James Bond For Real: A look at Casino Royale‘s action and stunts
• Bond Girls Are Forever: A look at the leading ladies of the film
• Chris Cornell ‘You Know My Name’ Music Video

Earlier reports indicated the addition of ‘5 news wraps’ and a ‘Death In Venice’ featurette, but it appears these were ultimately not included. The initial DVD release of Die Another Day contained over seven hours of special features, including two seperate audio commentaries: one with Michael G. Wilson and Lee Tamahori and the other with Pierce Brosnan and Rosamund Pike. In the case of Casino Royale, there is no audio commentary and a grand total of roughly 90 minutes of special features.

The ‘Bond Girls Are Forever’ featurette is the same documentary (hosted by Bond girl Maryam d’Abo) released around the time of Die Another Day, but with the addition of new interviews with Eva Green (Vesper Lynd) and Caterina Murino (Solange).

Unlike the original DVD release of Die Another Day, the region 1 and 2 releases of Casino Royale will feature the exact same listing of special features.

Cover Artwork & Menu Screen Caps

The region 1, 2, 3, and 4 DVDs all use the same cover arwork–the international ‘A’ poster. The back cover artwork includes the quote “Daniel Craig is the best Bond in the franchise’s history.” – Joshua Rothkopt, TIME OUT NEW YORK.

Front Cover Artwork / Back Cover Artwork / Menu Screen Caps

Click here to view the promotional flyer for the DVD.

DVD Sales & Records

As with the phenomenal theatrical release of Casino Royale, the DVD and Blu-ray sales have been equally as successful:

On 13 March it was reported that the Blu-ray edition of the film cracked the amazon.com top 10 list of the best selling DVDs–a first for a high-definition release–peaking at #8. Additionally, the Casino Royale Blu-ray disc outsold its nearest competition, The Departed, by 9-to-1.

As of 27 March, the Blu-ray edition had already sold more than 100,000 units and was breaking records for the greatest number of high-definition copies sold in one day, said SPHE Worldwide President, David Bishop. ‘As a point of comparison, the first DVD title to ship 100,000 units took approximately 11 months (Air Force One in early 1998),’ said Bishop. ‘Casino Royale on Blu-ray has done it in far less time and is clearly demonstrating the format’s robust growth in the marketplace.’

Director Martin Campbell was equally impressed, and commented ‘It’s just unbelievable. Clearly, it’s fantastic. The comparison between standard def DVD and Blu-ray is quite stunning and quite transparent to the master. It’s precisely what would make me want to buy a copy.’

Reuters reported that the DVD edition quickly soared to the #1 spot for DVD sales in the US after being released on 13 March. The film pushed Borat to the #3 position on the Nielsen VideoScan’s First Alert sales chart, while The Holiday opened in the #2 position.

For rentals, Casino Royale was again in the top spot; generating an estimated $9.2 million in revenue. The Holiday opened in the #3 position with $8 million.

In the UK, the Casino Royale broke the record for the fastest week one UK DVD sales, selling an impressive 1,622,852 copies since its release on 19 March (region 2).

DVD Exclusives (Region 1 & 2)

Several retailers (both online and in-store) are offering exclusives to those who purchase the Casino Royale DVD. Full details:

Wal-Mart Stores (Region 1): Accompanying the two-disc special edition of Casino Royale is a set that includes poker cards and a collectible chip. Order – Walmart.com (Also available instore).

Target Stores (Region 1): Accompanying the two-disc special edition of Casino Royale is a 40-page mini-book version of Bond on Set: Filming Casino Royale by Greg Williams, which features many photographs from the film. This DVD exclusive was initially advertised as special ‘making-of’ DVD.

Best Buy (Region 1): The Double O Section reports that Best Buy stores will be offering a small Corgi Aston Martin DBS vehicle as the extra that will accompany the Casino Royale DVD. BestBuy.com – Further details and pictures.

Circuit City (Region 1): Circuit City stores will be offering a collectible coin (modeled after one of the Casino Royale poker chip designs) to those who buy either the DVD or Blu-ray edition.

HMV (Region 2): Accompanying the two-disc special edition of Casino Royale is a 40-page mini-book version of Bond on Set: Filming Casino Royale by Greg Williams, which features many photographs from the film. Order – HMV.

WHSmith / Virgin Stores (Region 2): For those who pre-ordered from WHSmith, the Casino Royale DVD comes with a movie tie-in edition of Ian Fleming’s original 007 novel of the same name. Virgin Stores are offering a series of art cards for those who purchase the DVD as well.

Reviews

Several reviews of the Casino Royale DVD have appeared online:

The Blu-ray DVD version of Casino Royale earned eight out of a possible 10 points at IGN. Earning high points for video and audio, the 007 film is let down mostly in the extras category. ‘The disc’s got it all: a great transfer, a powerful soundtrack with a great dynamic range, and even a few worthwhile extras to boot. Of course, it doesn’t hurt that Martin Campbell’s new take on the long-running 007 franchise served up some killer action and drama…’

The region 3 edition of Casino Royale earned similar praise at DVD Active. ‘Casino Royale is an excellent movie that surpassed my expectations and among all of the reinventions Bond has undergone down the years, this is the most ambitious. On this DVD it is presented very well, in particular the sound quality, and it is a good decision to put the extras on a separate disc so their inclusion doesn’t impact the disc space used for the movie…’

Casino Royale earned four out of five stars in the video category in the DVD Talk review. The Bond film scored perfectly in the audio category, but only managed two and a half stars in the special features category.

The Casino Royale DVD earned an overall score of A- at UGO, with the extras being the only major drawback. ‘As a DVD, Casino Royale doesn’t kick as much ass as the movie, but it does offer a great dose of action to tide fans over until the inevitable ultimate and extended editions.’

ZAP2it was somewhat more pleased with the bonus features–they ‘complement but don’t overwhelm’ according to the reviewer. ‘It’s appropriate then that the 2-disc DVD is similarly restrained, classy and informative. The bonus features generally celebrate Bond as an iconic figure with only one extra, “James Bond: For Real,” geared towards behind-the-scenes action on the film itself…’

The Blu-ray edition also scored well in the DVD Talk review. This edition earned four or more stars (out of a possible five) in every category, with the exception of–yes, big surprise–the special features, where it earned three. The final thought: ‘Casino Royale is a terrific revitalization of the James Bond franchise, and this Blu-ray edition has excellent picture and sound, as well as a couple of interesting supplements. How could it not come highly recommended?’

Sebastien Foucan Signing

Sebastien Foucan, who played the free-running villain Mollaka in the opening scenes of Casino Royale signed copies of the DVD at the HMV store at 150 Oxford Street in London at 1:30pm on 19 March 2007 (the date of the region 2 release). Click here to view photographs from the event.

DVD Giveaway (Region 4)

The Herald Sun offered a competition to Australian 007 fans to win a Casino Royale DVD, (region 4 edition) plus the mini-edition of the book Bond On Set: Filming Casino Royale.

Playstation 3 Tie-in

According to a report from Three Speech, Sony Computer Entertainment Europe has announced that the first 500,000 purchasers of Playstation 3 system who registered on the Playstation Network would receive a Blu-ray disc of Daniel Craig’s first James Bond film, Casino Royale.

Explaining the offer, Darren Carter, VP Brand and Consumer Marketing said, ‘The Playstation Network unlocks the broad range of interactive entertainment features of Playstation 3. It’s easy to set up, offers free online gaming, has great tools for staying in touch with friends and family, and includes a wide variety of content for download through the Playstation Store.’

‘All this, and more, will enable users to experience a whole new world of interactive entertainment, and that is why we are offering the phenomenal incentive of Casino Royale, on Blu-ray disc, to PS3 owners who register on the Playstation Network. Casino Royale not only makes the most of the features and capabilities of the Blu-ray format, but is one of the most exciting and entertaining movies to debut on Blu-ray this year.’

Stay tuned to CBn for all the latest Casino Royale DVD coverage.

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'Casino Royale' Single-Disc DVD To Be Released In UK

A single-disc edition of Daniel Craig’s debut James Bond film, Casino Royale, is set to be released in the UK on 17 September 2007.

Listed for the retail price of £9.99, this edition will include the feature film, but none of the special features that were part of the original DVD release earlier this year.

While this is somewhat of an odd release by Sony Pictures Home Entertainment considering there were hardly any substantial extras on the original DVD release, this may be the perfect buy for some 007 fans who are only interested in the film itself.

Pre-order ‘Casino Royale’ DVD (Single Disc) from Amazon.co.uk.

Click here for CBn’s Casino Royale DVD overview: release dates, special features, cover artwork, menu caps, instore exclusives, reviews, product tie-ins, and much more…

Stay tuned to CBn for all the latest Casino Royale and James Bond coverage.

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Barbara Broccoli Included in Variety's 2006 Women's Impact Report

Producer Barbara Broccoli has been included in the 2006 Women’s Impact Report from Variety as a result of her key role in successfully reinventing the James Bond franchise…

It’s a law of nature that when the children take over the business their father built up, there’s a good chance they’ll mess it up.

Fortunately, no one told Barbara Broccoli. Along with her stepbrother Michael G. Wilson, she inherited the James Bond franchise from her legendary father Cubby after he passed away in 1996, and has taken it to even greater heights.

The remarkable success of Casino Royale last year means Broccoli has reinvented Bond not just once, with the commercially blockbusting Pierce Brosnan incarnations, but twice.

The second achievement is the more impressive of the two. Brosnan was still Cubby’s choice, somehow the perfect summation of his vision for the role — dark and suave, Celtic and wisecracking. But Daniel Craig was the inspiration of the younger generation, controversially blond, rugged, rough around the edges and the purest actor ever picked for the job. Gone were the jokes, the gimmicks and gadgets. In came something grittier, darker, more emotional, more dramatic — and more real.

It was audacious, and it worked. Broccoli proved herself far more than just the lucky daughter of a brilliant father: She was a great producer in her own right, worthy of the family name. Yet she remains diffident about her achievements, shunning the spotlight that she feels should rightfully shine on the talent.

Perhaps that’s where her family background shows. Having been born into the Bond franchise, she never had to promote herself in order to get the movies made, which has enabled her to remain an unusually private person in an industry of showmen and hucksters.

Vocation: “Whatever it takes to keep the Bond franchise healthy.”

Recent breakthrough: Casino Royale — not just for its box office, but for being the most critically acclaimed of the 21 Bond movies, earning nine BAFTA noms.

Career mantra: “We have a responsibility to change and move with the times.” (Ugo.com)

Role model: Cubby Broccoli. “My father had a very simple philosophy, which was: Don’t shortchange the public. Give them what they want, and put the money on the screen.” (Crave Online)

What’s next: Bond 22, directed by Marc Forster, due [November 7], 2008.

Variety

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James Bond Weekend At North Carolina Museum Of Art

007 fans will be treated to two doses of James Bond at the North Carolina Museum of Art later this month.

Sean Connery’s first Bond film, Dr. No and Daniel Craig’s debut in last year’s Casino Royale will be screened on 24 and 25 August, respectively, as part of the museum’s Movies on the Lawn series.

• Dr. No – Friday, 24 August
• A young Sean Connery sets the standard as Agent 007 in the first entry in the longest running franchise in cinema history. An eye-popping Ursula Andress adds spark to this innovative thriller set in Jamaica.

• Casino Royale – Saturday, 25 August
• Forty-four years after the premier of Dr. No, critics and fans alike agree that director Martin Campbell and actor Daniel Craig have brought Bond back to the heights achieved during Connery’s heyday as the world’s most sensational spy. Cause for celebration.

The cost for general admission is $3 per person. There is no cost for North Carolina Museum of Art members and children under six. All movies begin at 9 PM, unless otherwise noted.

The North Carolina Museum of Art is located at 2110 Blue Ridge Road, Raleigh, NC 27607-6494.
To purchase tickets for the James Bond weekend, phone the box office at 919-715-5923 or visit the official website for further details.

Keep watching CBn for all the latest James Bond news and events.

Discuss this James Bond 007 news in this thread on the CBn Forums, the largest James Bond 007 forum on the internet.

Related Articles

• Dr. No – Film Articles
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'Casino Royale' Scoops Blu-ray Award

Casino Royale has increased its awards haul by one more, after winning the Blu-ray Title Of The Year at last night’s Entertainment Merchants Association’s Home Entertainment Awards in Las Vegas.

It is the first year the category has existed.

The latest James Bond film was nominated for the category by the Entertainment Merchants Association’s (EMA) committee and its win determined by EMA retails and distributor members. To be eligible, titles must have been released between 1 April 2006 and 31 March 2007.

The Casino Royale Blu-ray disc was an enormous commercial success when released earlier this year.

Additionally, the remastered James Bond DVD box set scooped the Remastered Title Of The Year Award.

A full list of winners can be found at the Home Media Magazine website.

Discuss this news in this thread on the CBn Forums, the largest James Bond 007 forum on the internet.
With thanks to “Qwerty”.

Chris Cornell Opens With 'You Know My Name' For Live Earth

Chris Cornell was one of the musical performers at the Live Earth concert at HSH Nordbank Arena in Hamburg, Germany on 7 July 2007, and opened with the Casino Royale title track, ‘You Know My Name.’

Cornell followed up ‘You Know My Name’ with performances of ‘Arms Around Your Love’, ‘Wide Awake’ and ‘Black Hole Sun’ at the event. James Bond fans can view the performance online at YouTube.

Keep watching CBn for all the latest James Bond news.

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Casino Royale Wins Twice At World Stunt Awards

As previously reported on CBn, Casino Royale had earned several nominations for the 2007 Taurus World Stunt Awards. The show took place this past Sunday in Los Angeles, California and Daniel Craig’s debut James Bond film came away with two wins.

The first award went to Ben Cooke, Kai Martin, Marvin Stewart-Campbell and Adam Kirley in the ‘Best High Work’ category. This was primarily for the crane sequence between Bond and Mollaka in Casino Royale.

The second award, presented by Harrison Ford and with a special congratulations from Craig, went to Gary Powell in the ‘Best Stunt Coordination and/or 2nd Unit Direction’ category.

Other nominations for the film included ‘Best Fight’ and ‘Best Work With A Vehicle.’ Casino Royale lost to Pirates Of The Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest and Talladega Nights, respectively in these two categories.

For the full list of winners or for further information, visit the official website here.

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