O'Lachlan Confirms Screen Test, Details

Alex O’Lachlan has confirmed for The Daily Telegraph that he was one of four actors who auditioned last month for the role of James Bond in Casino Royale.

“I’m spinning out of my brain about it,” said the 28-year-old. “I flew to London, stayed on Piccadilly and was looked after beautifully. [I was] fitted out at Hugo Boss for a tuxedo, had my hair cut and filmed two scenes.”

The Telegraph reaffirms previous reports that O’Lachlan was up against ER’s Goran Visnjic, Henry Cavill and Scotsman Ewan Stewart. Fans and media have dubbed these “the Final Four.” The candidates filmed a series of screen tests at Pinewood Studios for director Martin Campbell.

The article confirms that the producers are looking for a relatively unknown actor who can take over the role from Pierce Brosnan.

O’Lachlan says he expects to hear the final decision within the next 20 days.

“The reality is I may not get the role, which is the conundrum for all actors, but at the end of the day, I’m incredibly grateful just to be considered.”

“It’s James Bond, need I say any more?”

Keep watching CBn for all the latest news on Casino Royale .

To discuss this news visit this thread on the CBn Forums.

Related Articles:

• Names on “Bond Shortlist” Revealed
• The list has been whittled down to four.”
• Sources: Eon, Sony Considering Young Bonds
• LICENCE REVOKED

Fiat Claims Panda Will Be Bond's Car in 'Casino Royale'

Last week an article in the International Herald-Tribune leaked the news that Fiat’s new 4×4 “Panda” will make an appearance in Casino Royale, the 21 James Bond adventure due out next year. Bond fans (and CBn) figured the car would get a “cameo” in the film, or perhaps be driven by Bond Girl Vesper Lynd. As recently as two months ago CBn reconfirmed that Bond’s main car in Casino Royale would be the Aston Martin V8 Vantage.

However, according to the Italian website ANSA.it, Fiat has today made the surprising announcement that the Panda will be driven by James Bond himself, replacing the Aston Martin!

Fiat Panda 4×4

“The Turin automaker has confirmed the startling news that in his next film, Casino Royale, the legendary seducer and undercover agent will be driving one of its budget utility vehicles. By taking the wheel of one of Fiat’s bottom-of-the-range models, the original 007 will be breaking a tradition of flashy, high-performance autos that goes back to the Aston Martin DB5 in 1964’s Goldfinger. The Fiat Panda to be driven by the new James Bond – the actor to replace Brosnan has not yet been named – takes 20 seconds to get from 0 to 60 mph and its top speed is not even half that of the Aston Martin.

Interestingly, the article goes on to quote “sources close to the production company” as saying Bond’s Panda “will be a fully armed miniature fortress, as indestructable as the other Bond cars. Details of the special gadgets have not yet been decided.”

Can this be true? What happened to Eon’s deal with Ford/Aston Martin? Or will both cars somehow be featured in the film?

As always, stay tuned.For more photos and information on the Panda, CLICK HERE.

Discuss this latest news in this thread on the CBn Forums.

Related Articles:

• Fiat Panda Fets Cameo in ‘Casino Royale’
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Fiat Panda Gets Cameo in 'Casino'

According to an article in the International Herald-Tribune, Fiat’s new “Panda” will make an appearance in next year’s Casino Royale.

The Panda is described as a “versatile, practical and stylish small car” just over 3.5 meters long. The Panda won the prestigious “Car of the Year” award for 2004. It has also won a variety of other awards, especially in the UK. The styling (mostly the work of Bertone) has been influenced by the popular SUV culture of recent times. A Panda 4×4 was recently launched, and will most likely be the model featured in Casino Royale.

But Bond fans need not worry that 007 is trading in his Aston Martin for a Fiat. It’s been confirmed (and reconfirmed) that James Bond will be driving Aston Martin’s new V8 Vantage in Casino Royale. Perhaps the Panda will be the car driven by Bond Girl Vesper Lynd?

Range Rover’s new 2005 Range Sport has also been rumoured to have a part in Casino Royale, although it’s possible the Panda may have won the role over Rover.

For more photos and information on the Panda, CLICK HERE.

Discuss this latest news in this thread on the CBn Forums.

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Names on "Bond Shortlist" Revealed?

"The list has been whittled down to four", Celia Walden from "The Telegraph"
reported
four days ago. CBn then confirmed that Martin Campbell interrupted
his post production work on The Legend of Zorro for a duration of two weeks
and jetted off to London. Now, today,
The Sunday Mirror claims to know the names of
the final four contenders.

Those "hunks", as the British tabloid calls them, are: Goran Visnjic (32),
Henry Cavill (22), Alex O’Lachlan (28), and Ewan Stewart (47). According
to the "Mirror", all of them had to play out love scenes with actress
Camilla Power. In the past, both Timothy Dalton and Pierce Brosnan, had to
replay the famous bed scene from From Russia With Love, originally cast with
Sean Connery and Daniela Bianchi.

The tabloid quotes "a movie insider", who reportedly said: "All four are
among the most impressive would-be Bonds we’ve ever encountered. They show
style, sophistication and have a natural air of the shaken-but-not-stirred
secret agent – and the ability to make women swoon."

While the names of Goran Visnjic and Alex O’Lachlan have been rumoured over
the past few weeks, the names of Henry Cavill and Ewan Stewart seem to be
surprising.

Really?

Two months ago, CBn
reported
that Eon and Sony were considering young Bonds:

The 007 youth movement rolls on. If a series of Young Bond novels wasn’t
enough for fans, CBn has learned that Eon Productions and Sony are considering
some VERY young actors for the role of James Bond in Casino Royale. Some of the
actors being considered are unknowns in their mid and early 20s. One hot
contender is only 22.

CBn (May 2005)

Well, guess who that "hot" 22 year old was? Yep. Henry Cavill. At that point
in time Cavill had not been mentioned anywhere in the press, and CBn didn’t want to be the site
to publicly "out" him as a candidate. But the inclusion of Cavill’s name suggests there may be some legitimacy to The Mirror’s list.

According to a CBn source, there should be some official news soon.

Stay tuned!

Discuss this latest news in this thread on the CBn Forums.

Related Articles:

• The list has been whittled down to four.”
• Sources: Eon, Sony Considering Young Bonds
• LICENCE REVOKED

"The list has been whittled down to four."

The race to don James Bond’s dinner jacket has entered the final stages, claims Celia Walden in her SPY column in today’s Telegraph. Walden says those on the shortlist have been summoned to Pinewood studios for final auditions.

“The list has been whittled down to four,” says what Walden’s calls a well-placed source. “The auditions have reached their most important stage: how the actors fare in the sack. So stand-in Bond girls have been hired to act out select love scenes from past Bond films with the final four actors.”

While the Telegraph’s record on Casino Royale news has been somewhat spotty, CBn has reason to believe there may be some truth to this report. CBn has learned that director Martin Campbell — who has been busy test screening and fine tuning The Legend of Zorro in California — jetted off to London late last week for a two week stay.

Is this an indication Campbell is directing “the final four” in their final tests? Could we have our new 007 in two weeks time?

Bond fans shouldn’t get their hopes up just yet. Even if a new 007 comes out of this last round of screen-tests it may still take some time to work out contracts, especially if the new Bond is a star in his own regard. So an “official” announcement may still be some time away.

Nevertheless, this is an exciting indication that we may be a step (or four steps?) closer to learning the identity of the “man in the silhouette.”

Keep watching CBn for all the latest news on Casino Royale

Discuss this latest news in this thread on the CBn Forums.
Thanks to lorna99 for the tip.

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Baird May Board 'Casino Royale'

While no official deal has been made, CBn has learned that high-profile editor Stuart Baird is the top candidate for editor of Casino Royale, the twenty-first James Bond film due to start production in early 2006. Baird is currently working with director Martin Campbell on The Legend of Zorro.

The English-born Baird has edited such blockbusters as the first Christopher Reeve Superman film, Lethal Weapon, Mission: Impossible 2, and Lara Croft: Tomb Raider (for which he also received an executive producer credit). He also directed the last instalment of the Star Trek franchise, Star Trek: Nemesis.

Christian Wagner, who worked with Lee Tamahori on Die Another Day, has long been rumoured to be the editor of Casino Royale. He was even listed for a period of time on the IMDb‘s Casino Royale listing. However, directors usually name the editor they want to work with, and for Campbell it appears that man is “Baird, Stuart Baird.”

With the recent confirmation that GoldenEye‘s Phil Meheux will be returning as Director of Photography, Eon and Campbell appear to be assembling an impressive A-list crew for James Bond’s latest adventure.

There is still no actor cast in the role of 007.

Keep watching CBn for all the latest news on Casino Royale .

To discuss this news visit this thread on the CBn Forums.

Related stories:

• Phil Meheux to Lens ‘Casino Royale’
• February 11, 2004: EON CONFIRMS CAMPBELL AND ‘CASINO ROYALE’!

'Casino Royale' a One Location Bond?

“I’ve always fancied a trip to South Africa.”

-James Bond
Diamonds Are Forever

CBn has received word that Casino Royale‘s shooting schedule in Prague will be confined to studio soundstage work with no exterior filming in the city. All exteriors and location shooting will take place in South Africa.

Is this an indication that Prague doesn’t feature in the storyline? Is it possible Casino Royale will be a “one location” James Bond film in the spirit of Dr. No (Jamaica) and You Only Live Twice (Japan)?

Further circumstantial evidence supports this. It’s been reported that Eon considered Budapest before settling on Barrandov studios in Prague, indicating that economical studio space is the reason for the Czech Republic location and not any of Prague’s historic sites. This is reminiscent of Eon’s move to France in 1978 for the filming of Moonraker (also for tax reasons). All of Moonraker‘s interiors were shot on soundstage in Paris, yet the French capital was not featured in the storyline.

A one location Bond film would be a refreshing change and would be in keeping with the spirit of the original Ian Fleming novel, which is set entirely in France. Prague has also been a bit “done to death” in recent films (Mission Impossible, xXx, The Bourne Identity, Blade 2) so avoiding it as a major locale might be advisable.

Of course, no Bond film is strictly a one location story as 007’s home base of England usually receives at least a cameo. Despite reports that the filmmakers have “abandoned” the UK, CBn has learned that Casino Royale will shoot for at least a week in England, presumably establishing shots of MI6 or some other essential UK-based Bond locale (Bond’s flat in Chelsea?). Post-production work will also be done in the UK.

While a one locale Bond film is still speculation at this point (but, hey, news has been slow, what else are we going to do?), with details of the Prague filming revealed, there now seems at least a possibility that in late 2006 we will see a South African James Bond adventure instead of a globetrotter.

Back to basics indeed…

A one location Bond film? Do you like this idea? Or is “globetrotting” an essential part of the 007 experience? Sound off in this thread on the CBn Forums.

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Vic Armstrong Not to Return?

According to
The Hollywood News, Vic Armstrong has been signed up to
direct a new film titled Shooting Stars, which,
thanks to computer magic, brings the stars of yesteryear back to cinemas –
including Marilyn Monroe, James Dean, and Humphrey Bogart. Filming will start
when Vic has wrapped up work Mission: Impossible 3. So is it possible that Vic
Armstrong will not be working on Casino Royale?

Armstrong, who started working for the Broccoli
family as a stuntman in 1967’s You Only Live Twice and who acted as Second Unit
Director for Tomorrow Never Dies, The World Is Not Enough and Die Another Day,
has reportedly wrapped up his 2nd Unit work on Steven Spielberg’s War of the
Worlds. Anyway, and this is new and not yet confirmed information, Armstrong is
said to head the 2nd Unit of Tom Cruise’s 3rd outing as Ethan Hunt. Both, Cruise
and Armstrong, got to know each other at the set of War of the Worlds.
Additionally, Armstrong is an experienced action choreographer and has worked in
Shanghai for The Great Raid. Shanghai will supposedly feature as a location in
M:I3.

Shooting of the latest Cruise movie will start in
Italy on July 18th, 2005 and is expected to last several months, because it
seems locations are set all around the globe. This means that the film will not
wrap before late autumn or early winter. After this, his work on Shooting Stars
could commence. It will only be Armstrong’s 2nd movie (after Joshua Tree, 1993)
where he acts as Director, which means that Armstrong will be involved in
pre-production, shooting and post-production. In case Casino Royale really
starts filming in January 2006, Vic Armstrong could not work on the 21st James
Bond film. Since Armstrong never was offered the Director’s chair for a Bond
movie, it is possible that he prefers Shooting Stars to Casino Royale.

Of course, this is all speculation and not based on
confirmed information. A big thank you to ‘Clopin’!
To discuss this news visit
this thread
in CBn’s Casino Royale forums.

Phil Meheux to Lens 'Casino Royale'

We may not be getting any closer to knowing the answer to the big question of who will play James Bond, but the pieces of the puzzle are slowly falling into place for Casino Royale‘s behind-the-scenes stars.

The IMDb has updated its cast and crew listing for the twenty-first Bond picture to include Phil Meheux as the film’s cinematographer. Meheux’s addition should come as no surprise to followers of Campbell’s films, as the duo have worked together on every feature film Campbell has made since 1988’s Criminal Law (with the exception of Vertical Limit, which, curiously, was lensed by Die Another Day‘s director of photography, David Tattersall), including Campbell’s first Bond outing, GoldenEye.

Although the IMDb’s listings should be taken with a grain of salt (the website still lists John Cleese’s involvement in the film, despite the fact that the last we had heard, the current Casino Royale script did not feature the character of Q), Meheux’s past involvement with Campbell’s movies strongly indicate that Casino Royale will, too, be added to their joint resumé.

The IMDb’s listing is currently rounded out by the usual Bond suspects, including costume designer Lindy Hemming, production designer Peter Lamont, casting director Debbie McWilliams and post-production supervisor Michael Solinger.

Cameras are set to roll on Casino Royale early next year for a November 2006 release.

Slowly, but surely, ‘Casino Royale’ is coming together.
Discuss this latest news in this thread on the CBn Forums.

UPDATE (30 Jun, 2005): CBn can now confirm that Phil Meheux is locked in as cinematographer for Casino Royale.

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Sources: Eon, Sony Considering Young Bonds

The 007 youth movement rolls on. If a series of Young Bond novels wasn’t enough for fans, CBn has learned that Eon Productions and Sony are considering some VERY young actors for the role of James Bond in Casino Royale. Some of the actors being considered are unknowns in their mid and early 20s. One hot contender is only 22.

Clive Owen, who many feel would make an ideal 007, recently expressed puzzlement that he hasn’t been approached for the role. In an interview with UK Cosmopolitan, Owen states, “I’ve always wanted to be James Bond. I’ll pour it all out right now. Why won’t they offer it to me?”

A source had the answer for CBn, “He’s too old.”

The search for a young Bond is justified by the comments of director Martin Campbell that Casino Royale will portray Bond’s first mission as a double-oh agent (leading some to dub the 21st Bond film “Bond Begins”). But is it conceivable that a man could reach the rank of Commander in the Royal Navy and achieve 00 status in the British Secrete Service all by age 22?

This isn’t the first time Eon has considered a radically younger 007. Timothy Dalton was first approached to play Bond when he was only 26 (some sources put his age 24), but told Cubby Broccoli that he felt he was just too young for the part. Most Bond fans agree, saying Bond should be in his 30s at the very least.

However, many don’t realize that we’ve already had a twenty-something 007 in George Lazenby who was only 29 when he slipped on the tux for On Her Majesty’s Secret Service. And some shrug their shoulders at age, saying it’s all about the individual actor and how he plays the part. As long as the actor has the gravitas of a Sean Connery, they could accept him as 007.

Bond fans need not panic (or celebrate) just yet. The search for the new 007 is far from over and anything can happen. Despite almost daily tabloid reports of a new “frontrunner,” it’s possible the short list is still very long and final screen-testing may not get underway until Martin Campbell is finished with The Legend of Zorro in mid-summer.

But as it stands at the moment, the idea of a very young 007 is definitely “on the table.”

Discuss this latest news in this thread on the CBn Forums.

Related Articles:

• ‘Royale’ Revelations from Purvis & Wade
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