Daniel Craig Talks 'Quantum of Solace' On The Today Show

Daniel Craig appeared on NBC’s Today Show this morning to discuss his second time around as James Bond in Quantum of Solace, which hits US theatres this Friday.

Speaking with Matt Lauer, Craig talked about the intense pressure on this film following up the massive success of Casino Royale two years ago.

He said: ‘Nothing’s a guarentee. You hope [the films are] going to make money and you hope that they’re going to make the right amount of money so that you can make them again. But we did very well last time [for Casino Royale] unfortunately, or fortunately… it’s a good pressure to have.’

The actor also brushed off the suggestion that he might have felt at all vindicated by the recent Bond success in spite of several harsh words the media had for him around the time of his announcement as 007 #6.

‘I genuinely don’t think that way. I mean, by the time the criticism started coming, we were halfway through the movie and it was too late by then. I had to just continue. And then comes the premiere in London and people ask me the same question, “you must feel great with the success of the movie, you had good critics, you had a good box office…”, I felt food about it then and I feel good about it now.’

Lauer than brought up the point that Quantum of Solace represents a very different, darker Bond than what fans may have been accustomed to in the earlier Roger Moore and Pierce Brosnan entries. He asked Craig: ‘Do you think it’s the same audience? Is it still the escapism?’

‘Put it this way,’ Craig responded, ‘We make fantasy movies and this is a huge fantasy movie and happens to be a Bond movie. I’m hoping we’ve got some of the old audience; I think we have and I think we’ve also got some new audiences too.’

‘I still maintain that there’s an audience out there that hasn’t seen a Bond movie and you have to treat them as well.’

Craig agreed immediately with Lauer’s summation of Quantum as a grittier, meatier, more story-driven movie. ‘Yeah, it is,’ he said. ‘But I don’t know another way of making a movie like this. If you expect an audience to go along with this fantasy world and expect them to enjoy the spectacle of a Bond movie, then you’ve got to give them a story, you’ve got to get their teeth into emotionally because I think that makes it just a much more complete experience.’

Par for the course of any Quantum interview was a discussion of the stunts and media scrutiny regarding the incidents during the production.

‘I think the thing has been blown out of proportion, really,’ said Craig. ‘We had one serious injury and thank the Lord that the guy who got hurt is OK. I mean, if I scratch myself, it hits the press’–Lauer interjects with a laugh: ‘But you cut off the tip of a finger, I mean…’–‘it’s fine, it’s fine. I mean, I’m not trying to sound all macho at all. The fact is that it’s part of the process. It’s part of doing the movie. You know, we’re doing the movie and we’re doing stunts.

‘The joke of it is that the injuries I get are from doing the simple stuff. I got them during fight sequences. When I’m jumping off buildings or driving the car, I’m safe.’

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'Quantum of Solace' Premieres In New York

Quantum of Solace made its US gala premiere last night in New York, reports the BBC News.

Daniel Craig attended the red carpet event at AMC Lincoln Square, which benefitted Robert De Niro’s Tribeca Film Institute.

Joining Craig at the premiere was De Niro and Jeffrey Wright, who stars as Felix Leiter in the 22nd James Bond adventure. Debra Messing (Will and Grace) and Julia Stiles (the Bourne series) also turned out for the screening.

Quantum of Solace goes on general release throughout the US and Canada this Friday. The film has already been a box office phenomenon elsewhere around the world.

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'Quantum of Solace': Bond Done Differently

The one thread that seems to tie all opinions about Quantum of Solace together – be it those of fans or critics – is that the latest James Bond film is very different from those that have preceded it.

Trade paper The Hollywood Reporter has today published a terrific look at the film’s production, revealing that “different” is precisely what the filmmakers had in mind.

The title

Perhaps the biggest stir caused by Quantum of Solace was its title. Columbia president Doug Belgrad told the Hollywood Reporter that the studio bigwigs were not sold on the name until they realised “007” could be integrated into the film’s logo as it was on Casino Royale.

“It’s not the stickiest title,” Belgrad said. “With the title treatment and the graphics, people would know exactly what we needed them to know, which is: This is the next installment of the Bond franchise.”

The storyline

One curious snippet in the Hollywood Reporter piece mentions that the ongoing storyline was the brainchild of 007 writers Neal Purvis and Robert Wade, who intended “a multifilm arc that could play across the five films for which Daniel Craig was contracted” (Craig’s contract is most consistently pegged as a four-film deal).

Producer Michael G. Wilson said, “We realized that we’d left Bond in a very interesting place emotionally. There was still story left to be told. His relationship with Vesper [in Casino Royale] was so intense that to suddenly forget about it wouldn’t have done the first [film] justice.”

The result is that Quantum of Solace is the first direct sequel in the series’ 22-film history.

The script

The script was hurriedly turned in due to the impending Writers Guild of America strike that left Hollywood at a standstill for 100 days earlier this year.

Reports also suggested an early draft was thrown out during pre-production.

Neal Purvis told the Hollywood Reporter, “The timing [of co-writer Paul Haggis turning in the script] was excellent. They’d have been in real trouble otherwise.”

The director

Marc Forster is one versatile filmmaker; each of the six pre-Bond films on his curriculum-vitae are starkly different. Quantum of Solace is no exception.

“There was a quote [Orson Welles] made at the end of his life,” Forster told the Hollywood Reporter. “His biggest regret was that he never made a ‘commercial movie’ or a ‘mainstream movie.’ So I thought I would like to make a movie more people will see than any of the six films I have done put together.”

The look and the sound

Forster remained adamant that Quantum of Solace would be a totally unique entry into the James Bond canon. “I’ve tried to photograph this film as more of an art house film,” Forster said, “not as a typical Bond.”

Supervising sound editor Eddy Joseph said that mandate also extended to the movie’s soundtrack: “[Marc Forster] said, ‘I don’t want it to sound like a Bond film.”

The locations

Quantum of Solace brought with it its own set of challenges involving the picture’s locations. The film’s shoot ran at 23 weeks, over half of which were on-location, including regions as far-flung as Chile, Italy, Austria and the UK. Some scenes required up to 1,500 extras.

Forster had to cut a Peru location, which he described as “fabulous” and “romantic”, while he almost had to scrap a rooftop chase in Siena, Italy.

“Originally, the rooftops were supposed to be built in the studio, but they were too expensive,” the director recalled. “They said, ‘Why don’t you cut the whole sequence?’ and I said, ‘Why don’t we shoot it on the real roofs?'”

The cast

“Being able to hire leading actors and actresses from other countries in the world to play the roles and not just go for Hollywood actors – that’s one of the exciting things about these movies,” producer Barbara Broccoli said.

Quantum of Solace‘s cast included Ukrainian Olga Kurylenko, French Mathieu Amalric, American Jeffrey Wright, Italian Giancarlo Giannini and, of course, British Daniel Craig.

“Daniel’s a very physical actor,” Forster says of the film’s star. “It’s great for the director, because you can get an honesty and intensity. But there’s a certain amount of danger involved.”

The production

One aspect that was “business as usual”, claims Belgrad, was the hectic timeframe for the movie’s production. He said, “Historically, the Broccolis have always started in January, shot through to the early to mid part of summer, released around Thanksgiving. That’s the normal rhythm of things.”

Nevertheless, Forster found the quick turnaround, particularly in post-production, a particular shock. “There was just way too little time,” Forster said of the six week post-production period. “That kind of stress, I’m not really used to. I don’t ever want to do that again.”

The director also had to contend with intense media scrutiny. “It’s much nicer to work under the radar,” Forster said. “To be constantly scrutinized and under such microscopic observation is really not so much a pleasure.”

The release schedule

Curiously, Quantum of Solace has, to date, opened in 61 territories around the world, and North America is not one of them. Belgrad said, “Unlike many other films, on a relative basis its American performance doesn’t drive international performance. Bond is a worldwide franchise.”

But it’s a franchise Forster won’t be returning to any time soon: “When you do a movie of this size, it has an incredibly strong impact. I would do a movie of this size again, but not right away. Doing films of this size back-to-back, I wouldn’t recommend.”

More on Quantum of Solace‘s production can be found in the full Hollywood Reporter article.

Keep watching CommanderBond.net for the most up-to-date James Bond news on the web.

'Quantum of Solace' – Official Blog Report #34

The official Quantum of Solace blog has been updated one final time today with some closing remarks from producer Michael G. Wilson.

If you missed any of the previous 33 James Bond blog entries, simply scroll down to the ‘Related Links’ section of this article to check them all out.

As always, stay tuned to the CommanderBond.net main page for continued coverage of Quantum of Solace as 007 finally debuts in the US this Friday.

Dressed To Kill: New Look For 'Quantum of Solace'

Quantum of Solace has developed a bit of reputation as the James Bond film that seemingly stops at no limits to set itself apart from the others: it’s the shortest yet, but perhaps packed with the most action, gone are the ‘Bond, James Bond’ and ‘shaken, not stirred’ lines, Olga Kurylenko (Camille) definitely sets herself apart from past Bond girls, the gunbarrel… well, if you haven’t seen the film yet, I won’t spoil it for you.

As the Telegraph reports, the costume design department was one area that definitely did not go unaffected by this essence of change. Led by Louise Frogley, who took over from series regular Lindy Hemming, the department aimed for a sleek look for Quantum of Solace.

Naturally, Daniel Craig dressed as 007 was the key look to get correct from the beginning.

‘Daniel’s Bond is unlike all the others,’ said costume supervisor Lindsay Pugh. ‘Before him, Bond was becoming a parody of himself. Daniel is not quite as tongue-in-cheek–he’s more real and gritty. The script, too, is more realistic. So it followed that there wouldn’t be any parodies in the costume.’

The first big change came in selecting leading American designer Tom Ford over Brioni, who had dressed Bond in GoldenEye through Casino Royale.

‘The Brioni suits were too relaxed,’ explained Pugh. ‘The way that Daniel wears his clothes required something sharper. For us, it was the perfect partnership–Tom Ford understood exactly what we needed, and worked hard to give us what we wanted, while staying within his own design.’

However, keeping in line with director Marc Forster’s wish to echo back to the early Bond films in Quantum of Solace, ‘there are a lot of nods to Connery’s Bond–we styled Daniel in a slightly Sixties way for this film.’

‘I was very excited when I was approached by [producer] Barbara Broccoli,’ said Ford. ‘Bond is a British style icon and to dress him is a huge privilege. As Daniel had been one of our customers in real life from the beginning, it was not hard to imagine what would look good on him and what he would like. I wanted Bond to be like the Tom Ford customer–chic, well-dressed, polished, yet leading an exciting life.’

According to Pugh, the new look for 007 certainly met expectations. ‘It is a stylised look,’ she said. ‘We wanted to strengthen Bond’s image and, with variations on the monochrome theme, gave him a sharper look–it’s a sort of uniform.’

However, Bond wasn’t the only character that received wardrobe makeover. According to Pugh, blacks, whites and silvery-greys were an integral part of the Quantum costume design for the film’s leading ladies, including Olga Kurylenko (Camille), Gemma Arterton (Agent Fields) and even Dame Judi Dench (‘M’).

‘For them we wanted toned-down starkness with unfussy lines and no frills,’ she said. ‘We didn’t want costume pieces. We just went to the shops. It turned out that Prada had most of the solutions.’

Click here for more about the costume design for the Bond girls.

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Marc Forster Talks Martinis, Girls And Gadgets

A hallmark of the Daniel Craig James Bond era so far has been the minamilistic approach taken towards the spy’s world famous gadgets, ditching the ‘Q’ scene for a more realistic interpretation.

Quantum of Solace director Marc Forster discussed his thoughts on the proper way to incorporate gadgets in a 007 film, as well as the new opening title sequence in an interview with the LA Times.

‘People might say there are no gadgets in this movie,’ said Forster, ‘but to me the idea of carrying around five or six gadgets, that seems very old school to me. People have iPhones now and we are all accustomed to devices that consolidate different technologies. A suitcase full of gadgets seems odd and also reminds me of all these superhero movies now. We wanted Bond to be more believable and realistic.’

Despite the move away from the gadgets and similar trademarks of the series such as the ‘Bond, James Bond’ line, Quantum of Solace still includes several Bondian elements where Forster felt appropriate.

One example from the film is when Daniel Craig’s Bond has a martini, shaken not stirred of course, prepared for him during a Virgin Atlantic flight by a bartender who recites all the key ingredienets. ‘That was a fun way to show he is becoming the Bond that is familiar,’ Forster said.

More shaking and stirring of the franchise followed on when it came time to create the main title sequence, which some fans describe as a mini-Bond film on its own.

Passing along series regular Daniel Kleinman in favour of MK12, Forster explained that he wanted the sequence to harken back to the early Bond films, bring back the silhouetted girls that were absent from the previous Casino Royale.

Said Forster: ‘We wanted those iconic images, the women and the guns, the retro look. The design company MK12 did the work and it is in the tradition but it’s also new and bold.’

Stay tuned to CommanderBond.net for all the latest Quantum of Solace news and information.

Jeffrey Wright On The James Bond-Felix Leiter Relationship

Jeffrey Wright now joins David Hedison as the only actors to have portrayed the role of ally Felix Leiter twice in the James Bond franchise.

In a new interview with blackfilm.com, Wright discusses his return in Quantum of Solace, working with Daniel Craig once again and whether he’ll be back for Bond 23 and beyond.

‘I was excited to be part of the first one and then to carry on the role and pick up where he left off was just a pleasure,’ said Wright in regards to returning from Casino Royale.

Quantum of Solace goes on to develop the relationship between Leiter and Bond,’ he states. ‘There is a kinship between the two of them that we continue to discover because they are similar in many ways. They are guys who are very much alone in their world. It’s a murky environment in which they operate and there are few people that they trust. They found a trust in one another and we try to explore that further. Outside of MI6, Leiter is Bond’s only consistent ally. He’s played a critical throughout the history of the Bond films.

Lending itself nicely to the onscreen relationship between Bond and Leiter was the fact that the two had worked together in past on Casino Royale (obviously) and The Invasion.

He says: ‘This is the third film that Daniel and I have worked on together and I enjoyed working with him as an actor and I enjoyed his company. We both look at acting in similar. We’re serious about it and we enjoy it and when we work together, we try to create interesting scenes. People seem to respond to the friendship between Leiter and Bond and we try to build on that.’

‘Leiter is a mysterious character and he moves in the shadows and I like that,’ Wright added. ‘The fact that the character is unknown gives him a mysterious quality. I enjoyed coming in during fragments of the film. It’s Bond’s story and Felix is supporting.

When asked to compare the directorial styles of Martin Campbell Royale and Marc Forster Quantum, Wright said: ‘Marc comes from a different type of filmmaking to some extent with films like Monster’s Ball and The Kite Runner but he brings his own signature to the Bond franchise in a way that’s fresh and original. There’s a stylistic quality to this film that is contemporaryand edgy and that’s a result of Marc’s vision. At the same time, he was going for realism in the acting surrounded by the high flying action adventure in the Bond films and the combination is quite stunning.’

He also stated that if the producers wanted him back once again, he’d have no hesitations.

‘I enjoy doing these films. They are big budget films, but there is a quality of humanity on the set that I like. There are very little egos involved and it’s a very comfortable environment to work in; and I’ve been a fan of the Bond franchise since I was a boy. As long they want me to continue as Leiter, I’m open to returning.’

Keep watching the CommanderBond.net main page for the most up-to-date coverage of Quantum of Solace on the net.

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USA Today: Daniel Craig Focuses On James Bond

USA TODAY: Daniel Craig focuses on James Bond

James Bond needs a day off.

In the latest 007 thriller, Quantum of Solace, Daniel Craig continues to explore the depths of the iconic superspy, this time (his second) revealing a man consumed by his job.

It just so happens that his work is saving the world.

“It’s no moral judgment,” Craig says, sitting with his right arm in a sling, the result of 007 action work aggravating an old injury. “If there’s ambiguity to the character, then you’ll have a better time. It’s as simple as that.

“There’s no kind of self-conscious idea to make him a deep, meaningful human being. I just think, well, he’s a spy and kills people for a living. There might be some consequences for him — and everybody around him.”

By now it’s well known that Quantum (opening Nov. 14 in the USA) picks up moments after the conclusion of 2005’s Casino Royale, which rebooted the franchise.

In the sequel, Bond nearly self-destructs in his quest to uncover the Quantum organization behind the money-laundering in the original story. The lines of justice and revenge become so blurred, his own MI6 handlers fear he is too wrapped up in the mission to pull it off.

Even this film’s Bond girl, Camille (Ukrainian-born model Olga Kurylenko), is so devoted to her own quest for vengeance that together they are all business — no time or energy for any between-the-sheets action.

Craig, 40, jokingly compares his Bond’s big flaw — total immersion in his duties — to the e-mail-checking, cellphone-addicted, always-on-call culture of the modern workplace.

“You’re never away from the office. That’s very true of people, isn’t it?” he says. “We’re driven to do that, and maybe that’s wrong. Maybe we should all step back, put it down for an hour a day and be out of the office.”

Craig adds: “That said, it is a Bond movie.” His day job involves high-speed, cliff’s-edge car chases, speedboat escapes and exploding desert hotels.

After six Bonds and 22 films, audiences still dig it. Casino Royale ultimately grossed $594 million worldwide, topping Die Another Day’s $431 million record. Quantum already had a record-breaking debut in Europe, with about $40 million.

With this installment and future ones, Craig’s challenge is to keep the fan base rejuvenated.

Thomas Huffner, who runs the fan website BondMovies.com, says he wants the franchise to continue Bond’s anti-hero qualities. “He’s human, and the more human you make him, the more believable the character and the more successful the movie,” he says. “He’s far from perfect, but that’s what makes him interesting.”

International man of mystery

For all the exposure 007 has given Craig, his own life remains a kind of secret identity. [Click here to continue reading…]

By Anthony Breznican, USA TODAY

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'Quantum of Solace' Rules International Box Office

Quantum of Solace struck gold at the international box office yet again.

In its second weekend, the 22nd James Bond film went on general release in 58 new markets around the world and opened bigger than 2006’s Casino Royale in every single one of them (13 of Quantum‘s international opens even managed to double what Royale did two years ago).

Variety reports that Daniel Craig’s second 007 entry grossed a whopping $106.5 million this weekend at 9,870 playdates in all of its current 61 territories, making it the 11th biggest international weekend ever. The film grossed more than triple the combined foreign take for the next four entries on the list: High School Musical 3, Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa, Body of Lies, and Saw V.

Average gross per location was a very strong $10,790. Despite not having opened in the US, Australia, Japan, Mexico and Spain yet, the 10-day cumulative total for Quantum of Solace stands at $160.3 million.

The global success of Quantum propelled it to the #2 spot of largest international weekends of 2008, behind the $146.6 debut of Indiana Jones and Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.

The record breaking continued as well with Bond posting the top opening ever in Switzerland at $3.8 million, Finland at $1.7 million and the United Arab Emirates at $1 million along with Nigeria, Romania and Slovenia. The film also managed the second best ever in both China and India for an international film with its $9.1 million and $3.7 million deubuts, respectively.

Overall, Quantum of Solace did the best business in the UK for the second straight week, declining just 40% from it’s stunning opening last weekend to take in $15.1 million (10-day cumulative of $50.3 million). Germany followed with a $15 million debut, Russia and China with $9.1 million each, South Korea with $4.5 million, Italy with $4.3, Switzerland with $3.8 million, India with $3.5 million, Denmark with $2.9 million, Norway with $2.3, Holland with $2.2 million and Austria with $2.1 million.

Bond held strong for the second weekend in France and Sweden as well, declining 46% to $5.7 million (10-day cumulative of $20.5 million in the former) and 42% to $1.4 million in the latter.

Mark Zucker, Sony’s president of international distribution, stated that the box office prowess of Quantum of Solace has far exceeded internal forecasts, demonstrating unexpectedly strong traction among teens.

‘I thought we were headed toward $80 million, but clearly I was wrong,’ said Zucker. ‘Saturday (business) was just beyond anything, just gangbusters everywhere.’

The film is expected to stay strong internationally going in these upcoming weeks with its main competitors (Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa, Twilight, and Bolt) opening gradually around the world.

This upcoming weekend sees 007 debut in the US, Mexico, Hungary and Vietnam.

Click here for the complete box office details.

Stay tuned to the CommanderBond.net main page for all the latest details as Quantum of Solace continues to open around the world. We’ll have all the latest fan and critic reactions, box office news and much more.

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A Quantum of Solace For Sony

If the recent reports regarding the undeniable success of Quantum of Solace at the box office are anything to go by, then Sony can breathe a sigh of relief.

The company has been counting on the 22nd James Bond film to deliver after the ailing euro and strong yen took a bite out of their recent quarterly profits–reports the Financial Times.

Thankfully, 007 is breaking records left and right once again, as was the case two years ago when Daniel Craig’s first Bond film, Casino Royale, was released.

Furthermore, the film has yet to even open in several key markets, such as the US, Spain, Australia and Japan.

‘I don’t want to predict what will happen in the US,’ said Michael Lynton, chief executive of Sony Pictures Entertainment. ‘But in these difficult economic times it’s nice to have a hit and the film certainly worked in the UK and elsewhere.’

‘It’s profitable for the studio, which means it’s profitable for Sony corporation,’ said Mr. Lynton, adding that the film is also important ‘from a morale standpoint.’

The problem for Sony is that the lucrative 007 franchise is expected to revert back to Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) for Bond 23, the result of an agreement struck when Sony formed a consortium to buy the rival studio four years ago. Both Casino Royale and Quantum of Solace were MGM/Columbia Pictures co-productions).

However, the Financial Times points out that the credit freeze has hit MGM’s plans to raise money to produce the film. While MGM continues to explore financing options, Mr. Lynton declined to comment on whether the two studios have had discussions about Sony staying on board for Bond 23 and beyond.

‘All things being equal, we’d love to stay in the James Bond business’ he said.

Stay tuned to the CommanderBond.net main page for all the latest details on both Quantum of Solace and Bond 23.

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