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  1. Marc Forster: Creating His Own James Bond

    By Devin Zydel on 2008-10-11

    It may be hard to believe, but less than three weeks from now will see Quantum of Solace hitting theatres around the world.

    Director Marc Forster

    Director Marc Forster

    While the many months of waiting for the 22nd James Bond film may have been hard for 007 fans, it’s director Marc Forster–who speaks about the film in a new Star eCentral interview–that faced the really difficult task: fitting into the framework of the series, while still creating his ‘own Bond’.

    ‘My first reaction was that I didn’t want to do the movie. I wasn’t interested,’ said the Swiss filmmaker. ‘I only did the meeting out of courtesy to the studio. I like Sony, and I’d worked with them before and eventually when I sat down with them I thought Barbara and Michael were very charming and interesting, and I felt like they were very director-driven.’

    ‘And I felt that, yes, there is this framework of the Bond world and one has to make the movie within that, but at the same time I felt like I could have the space to create my own Bond.’

    And judging by the numerous changes in the crew working on Quantum of Solace, it’s evident that Forster was set from the beginning in accomplishing that goal by getting the people he felt best suited the job.

    Panama: One of the many location stops in 'Quantum of Solace'

    Panama: one of the many location stops in Quantum of Solace

    Like any other Bond film, the locations in Quantum of Solace prove that there are no limits to where 007 travels. Panama, Chile, Italy, Austria and the UK were all visited during the shooting schedule.

    ‘It was the longest shoot I’ve ever done, and we did a lot of six-day weeks, so it was tiring,’ said Forster. ‘But now it’s all done, I’m feeling great about the movie and in good spirits.’

    He continues: ‘Actually, one of the reasons why I took it was because I wanted to see how an action film is made. It was a challenge but it was a lot of fun too. I think what I realised is that shooting action is not as difficult as writing action. The key to really good action is writing it. It has to be there on the page so you can figure it out. Because shooting action ultimately is executing what is on the page, and it has to be really detailed.’

    Dame Judi Dench is 'M'

    Dame Judi Dench is ‘M’

    The director also praised the film’s supporting cast in addition to Daniel Craig, commenting first on the return of Dame Judi Dench as ‘M’ in her sixth Bond film.

    ‘Judi Dench is one of the greatest actresses living today,’ he said, ‘and I felt that she was always slightly underused in the other films. I felt like they didn’t give her a large enough part, and personally I could watch her read the phone book. So I wanted to make her part bigger and give her more scenes and have her interact with Bond more because she is the only woman Bond doesn’t see in a sexual context, and I find that really interesting.’

    Forster went on to explain his approach for the film’s hard to classify lead villain, the eco-driven Dominic Greene,’ portrayed by Mathieu Amalric.

    ‘Mathieu Amalric is one of the most brilliant actors working today, and I wanted someone who had this very innocent, friendly and soft demeanour because you know the interesting thing about villains these days is that it’s not like it was during the Cold War, where there were clearly defined good guys and bad guys.’

    Daniel Craig is James Bond

    Daniel Craig is James Bond

    ‘Now the good guys and the bad guys are mixed up and there’s not someone who is just bad or just good. You know, Bond can be as bad as the bad guy can be good,’ he added.

    As for the requisite Bond girl, Forster aimed for a counterpart to 007. And he found Olga Kurylenko perfectly suited for the job. ‘The idea with casting Olga was to find someone who is a mirror image, a counterpart to Bond, who also has lost someone and understands what that feels like and is looking for someone who took the loved ones from her. And at the same time her character is someone who has the same emotional unavailability that Bond has. Because Bond is someone who obviously struggles with expressing his emotions, we wanted to find someone who was like that.’

    ‘We wanted someone who is very physical and strong and knows how to handle a gun. And Olga was just fantastic.’

    ‘And so was Gemma,’ he said. ‘She plays an MI6 agent stationed in Bolivia. Her Agent Fields is the opposite of Camille’s character. Her character feels more quirky and light and funny and vulnerable.’

    ‘The important thing about casting those two is that you see Bond reacting with both of those girls and you can see how he is in both of those situations.’

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

  2. 'Another Way To Die' Promo CD Available

    By Devin Zydel on 2008-10-11

    In addition to the recently released limited edition 7 inch vinyl single, copies of ‘Another Way To Die’ promo CDs have started to show up online.

    This CD single contains the Jack White-Alicia keys theme for Quantum of Solace as well as the instrumental version (which was also released on the vinyl single).

    Since this is a promo CD, there are no listings for it at online retailers such as Amazon, but interested James Bond fans can likely track down a copy on eBay.

    The promo CD features the image of Daniel Craig as 007 from the second Quantum of Solace teaser poster.

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

  3. 'Quantum of Solace' Bath Regional Screening Announced

    By Devin Zydel on 2008-10-11

    Another day and another announcement of an upcoming regional screening of Quantum of Solace.

    Daniel Craig’s second James Bond film will have a private charity screening at the Odeon Cinema in Bath on Thursday, 30 October, one day before the 007 film goes on general release in the UK.

    The Bath Magazine is hosting the invitation-only event on behalf of the Forever Friends Space to Grow Campaign. Tickets will sell for £30 per person.

    As always, stay tuned to the CommanderBond.net main page for the most up-to-date and complete coverage of the announced Quantum of Solace regional charity screenings.

  4. 20 Minutes Of 'Quantum of Solace' Previewed

    By Devin Zydel on 2008-10-10

    WARNING: MAJOR SPOILERS

    'Quantum of Solace'

    Quantum of Solace

    Lucky journalists in the UK and Ukraine were treated to 10 and 20 minute previews, respectively, of Quantum of Solace earlier this week.

    Bond girl Olga Kurylenko attended the Ukraine event, which was held last night in Kiev. The 20-minute James Bond preview was shown to selected journalists roughly an hour before the red carpet party held later that night.

    In an effort to keep a lid on the film, Sony Pictures Releasing International confiscated all digital devices at the screening and enforced non-disclosure agreements which are in effect until 20 October.

    TV-Digest.ru reports that a similar Quantum of Solace press screening is planned for 12 October at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Moscow. Kurylenko will join Daniel Craig, director Marc Forster and producer Barbara Broccoli for a press conference the following day.

    And now for the really good part…

    Mathieu Amalric is Dominic Greene

    Mathieu Amalric is Dominic Greene

    The always eccentric Ain’t It Cool News website has posted a spoiler-filled review of the 10 minutes of footage they saw from the 22nd Bond film.

    Of particular note is a sequence where Bond states ‘this man and I have some unfinished business’ (as featured in the trailer) to a woman named Corinne (played by Stana Katic). As first mentioned on CommanderBond.net back in April, this scene comes at the end of the film and features a confrontation between Bond and Yusef (played by Simon Kassianides), a man who carries an Algerian Love Knot, first seen in Vesper Lynd’s possession in Casino Royale.

    An extension of what was seen in the trailers of the Mr. White interrogation sequence is also featured. After the rather sinister line ‘we have people everywhere’, White then turns to MI6 traitor Henry Mitchell and says: ‘am I right?’–which then results in a gun battle between Mitchell and Bond (this eventually transitions to the action-packed Siena chase between the two).

    Olga Kurylenko is Camille

    Olga Kurylenko is Camille

    Naturally, a little banter between 007 and the unsettling Dominic Greene is also thrown in:

    Greene: ‘My friends call me Dominic.’
    Bond: ‘I’m sure they do.’

    There’s much more, including knife fights, Bond meeting Camille, the concerns of ‘M’, and selected scenes with Agent Fields, Felix Leiter, and Rene Mathis. Click here for the full report.

    Stay tuned to the CommanderBond.net main page for the most up-to-date and complete coverage of Quantum of Solace.

  5. 'Quantum of Solace' Essex Charity Screening Announced

    By Devin Zydel on 2008-10-10

    CommanderBond.net has details on a newly announced Essex regional screening of Quantum of Solace.

    A charity gala screening of the 22nd James Bond film will take place at the Empire Cinema, Festival Leisure Park Basildon on Thursday, 30 October.

    This black tie event will benefit Cancer Research UK. Tickets, which can be purchased at www.empirebasildon.co.uk cost £15 and £25 each.

    Keep watching the CommanderBond.net main page for the most up-to-date and complete coverage of the announced Quantum of Solace regional charity screenings.

  6. Video Report: David Arnold Scoring 'Quantum of Solace'

    By Devin Zydel on 2008-10-10

    A brand new video report with composer David Arnold has made its way online giving James Bond fans their first preview of the musical score in Quantum of Solace.

    As the orchestra plays the instantly recognizable James Bond theme, Arnold sums up what likely every 007 fan is feeling: ‘Ahhh, gets you in the mood.’

    David Arnold

    David Arnold

    ‘A lot of the time, when you’re writing music for a Bond movie, you’re kind of looking at it from a certain distance,’ he says while scoring the action-packed Siena chase.

    ‘For this one, there’s a lot of ambiguety emotionally in the film: the theme of who you can and who you can’t trust. So there’s a lot of kind of internal energy for the first time, so a certain amount of it became designing sounds which felt like they came from somewhere sort of deep inside.’

    The report also includes a piece on ‘Another Way To Die’, the Jack White-Alicia Keys duet that has sparked a wide array of opinions from the Bond fan community.

    ‘What’s intriguing about it is the idea of why would those two ever get together,’ said Arnold, who recently praised the ‘dirty, ugly, but very kind of sexy’ title theme in late September.

    Give it a listen…

    Quantum Of Solace Music Exclusive

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

  7. 'Quantum of Solace' – Cast & Crew Listing

    By Devin Zydel on 2008-10-09

    Article originally posted: 24 January 2008
    Last updated: 9 October 2008

    The Quantum of Solace Cast

    Daniel Craig …… James Bond 007
    Olga Kurylenko …… Camille
    Mathieu Amalric …… Dominic Greene
    Judi Dench …… ‘M’
    Giancarlo Giannini …… Rene Mathis
    Gemma Arterton …… Agent Fields
    Jeffrey Wright …… Felix Leiter
    David Harbour …… Gregg Beam
    Jesper Christensen …… Mr. White
    Anatole Taubman …… Elvis
    Rory Kinnear …… Bill Tanner
    Tim Pigott-Smith …… British Foreign Secretary
    Joaquín Cosio …… General Medrano
    Fernando Guillén Cuervo …… Bolivian Chief of Police
    Jesús Ochoa …… Lieutenant Orso
    Lucrezia Lante della Rovere …… Gemma
    Glenn Foster …… Henry Mitchell
    Paul Ritter …… Guy Haines
    Simon Kassianides …… Yusef
    Stana Katic …… Corinne Veneau
    Neil Jackson …… Mr. Slate
    Oona Chaplin …… Perla de las Dunas Receptionist
    Rachel McDowall …… Anna / CIA Flight Attendant
    Brendan O’Hea …… Forensics Tech
    Rufus Wright …… Treasury Agent
    Kari Patrice Coley …… Hôtel Dessalines Clerk
    Sarah Hadland …… Ocean Sky Receptionist
    Jake Seal …… Bartender on Virgin Flight
    Peñarandam Felix …… Bolivian Taxi Driver
    Emiliano Valdés …… Andean Grand Hotel Receptionist
    Daniel da Silva …… Andean Grand Hotel Porter
    Elizabeth Arciniega …… Mr. White’s Girlfriend
    Alessio Sossas …… Carabinieri on Radio
    Mark Wakeling …… MI6 Agent
    Susana Albornoz …… Woman with Bucket
    Jacques Duckins …… Haitian Gang Member
    Anthony Hansell …… Dockside Valet Flight
    Karin Lanz …… Gift Bag Girl
    Christian Heller …… Man with Gift Bag
    Dante Concha …… Investor at Party #1
    Carl von Malaisé …… Greene’s Driver
    Raffaello Degruttola …… Alfa 2 Driver
    Robert Braithwaite …… Speedboat Captain
    Antonio Gil …… Marchetti Pilot
    Luis Antonio Gotti …… Bureaucrat at Party
    Guillermo del Toro …… Additional Voices (voice)
    Alfonso Cuarón …… Additional Voices (voice)
    Kamil Krejcí …… Quantum Member
    Erosi Margiani …… Quantum Member
    Uygar Tamer …… Quantum Member
    Alexandra Prusa …… Quantum Member
    Shamel El-Salhy …… Quantum Member
    Tsedor Gyalzur …… Quantum Member
    Daniel Stüssi …… Quantum Member
    Karine Babajanyan …… Floria Tosca
    Sebastien Soules …… Baron Scarpia
    Brandon Jovanovich …… Mario Cavaradossi
    Martin Busen …… Sciarrone
    Alexandre Krawetz …… Spoletta
    Dale Albright …… Spoletta
    Katia Velletaz …… Hirtenknabe
    Emilia Pountney …… Hirtenknabe

    The Quantum of Solace Crew

    Director …… Marc Forster
    Producer …… Michael G. Wilson
    Producer …… Barbara Broccoli
    Screenplay …… Paul Haggis
    Screenplay …… Neal Purvis
    Screenplay …… Robert Wade
    Executive Producer …… Callum McDougall
    Executive Producer …… Anthony Waye
    Music …… David Arnold
    Main Title Song Performer …… Jack White
    Main Title Song Performer …… Alicia Keys
    Editor …… Matt Chesse
    Editor …… Richard Pearson
    Director Of Photography …… Roberto Schaefer
    Production Designer …… Dennis Gassner
    Second Unit Director …… Dan Bradley
    Main Title Design …… MK12
    Costume Designer …… Louise Frogley
    Casting …… Debbie McWilliams
    Casting …… Kate Dowd
    Casting …… Carla Hool
    Casting …… Francine Maisler
    Special Effects Coordinator …… Chris Corbould
    Stunt Coordinaor …… Gary Powell
    Supervising Art Director …… Chris Lowe
    Art Direction …… James Foster
    Art Direction …… Mark Harris
    Art Direction …… Paul Inglis
    Art Direction …… Marco Rubeo
    Art Direction …… Mike Stallion
    Set Direction …… Anna Pinnock
    Makeup Designer …… Paul Engelen
    Makeup Artist …… Naomi Donne
    Makeup Artist …… Chloe Meddings
    Makeup Artist …… Clare Ramsey
    Makeup Artist …… Norma Webb
    Crowd Hair Coordinator …… Anita Burger
    Key Hair Designer …… Zoe Tahir
    Production Manager: Second Unit …… Terry Bamber
    Unit Manager: Second Unit …… David Cain
    Production Manager: Panama …… Victor Barriga
    Production Manager: Panama …… Angus More Gordon
    Production Manager: Panama …… Anel E. Moreno
    Production Manager: Austria …… Leonhard Gmür
    Production Manager: Mexico …… Omar Veytia
    Assistant Production Manager: Italy …… Giorgia Passarelli
    Post-Production Supervisor …… Michael Solinger
    [Full Crew Listing Here]


    Daniel Craig is James Bond in Quantum of Solace
    CLICK PICTURE TO ENLARGE

    With the announcement of Quantum of Solace as the title of the newest James Bond 007 film directed by Marc Forster and details on the plot being uncovered, there has also been quite a bit of new information regarding the characters Daniel Craig’s 007 will be encountering in the film…

    According to a report from BBC News, Olga Kurylenko, who plays the role of Camille, stated that she has yet to film any scenes for the newest 007 adventure, but is working hard preparing for her role.

    I’m doing weapons training and body flight training for aerial scenes and stunt work for fighting,’ she said. ‘My days are so long, and it’s very physical. She’s going to be very different from the previous Bond girls.’






    Olga Kurylenko is Camille / Mathieu Amalric is Dominic Greene / Gemma Arterton is MI6 Agent Fields
    CLICK PICTURES TO ENLARGE

    ‘She’s a fighter. This girl is going to kick ass. She’s on her own mission and she’s driven by revenge.’

    As earlier reported on CommanderBond.net, Quantum of Solace sees James Bond out for revenge on a mission that takes him to Austria, Italy and South America.

    According to the synopsis, Camille (Kurylenko), leads the secret agent to Dominic Greene, member of a mysterious organization and a ruthless businessman, seeking to control huge natural resources.


    Marc Forster directs Quantum of Solace
    CLICK PICTURE TO ENLARGE

    Greene is played by Mathieu Amalric, who starred in the Oscar-nominated The Diving Bell and Butterfly. The plot follows on directly from Casino Royale as Bond aims to uncover the truth about Vesper, the beauty who betrayed him, and discovers that she had been blackmailed. ‘James Bond is after revenge, and Camille is after revenge and they have slightly different goals, but in the end they are going to have to collaborate,’ Kurylenko told reporters.

    Gemma Arterton, who has the role of MI6 Agent Fields revealed that she had already completed her love scenes with Daniel Craig.

    She said: ‘I felt like a giggly girl, and I felt so young and inexperienced–but I kissed James Bond!’

    Arterton, who recently starred in the St Trinian’s film, said her Bond role is ‘not so frolicksome’ and her character ‘fresh and young, not sultry and a femme fatale.’ At the age of 21, Arterton is one of the youngest Bond girls in the series yet.

    French actor Mathieu Amalric, who plays the villainous Dominic Greene, told reporters his character had ‘the smile of Tony Blair and the crazy eyes of Nicholas Sarkozy.’


    Dame Judi Dench is ‘M’
    CLICK PICTURE TO ENLARGE

    As previously revealed at Empire Online, Amalric wasn’t planning on portraying the newest Bond villain as a larger than life figure. He said: ‘He’s not an over the top villian… no scars, no metal jaw–he is nude [which Empire assumes meaning no visual oddities].’

    Dame Judi Dench, who returns for her sixth Bond film, said: ‘I get to do more in this one, which is brilliant.’ She hinted that her M’s relationship with Bond would be ‘pretty prickly’ in Quantum of Solace.

    Stay tuned to the CommanderBond.net main page for the most up-to-date and complete coverage of Quantum of Solace.

  8. 'Quantum of Solace' – Official Blog Report #29

    By Devin Zydel on 2008-10-08

    The official Quantum of Solace blog has been updated today with two crew members from the 22nd James Bond 007 film: title sequence directors Ben Randatz and Tim Fisher.

    Referring to the Bond film’s opening main title sequence, Ben Randatz says: ‘We’re co-directing together and we’re from a design collective called MK12.

    ‘”What do you think about naked women and lasers?”–that’s how we pitch every title design that our studio has ever done and then once that’s knocked away, we try and get to something more practical,’ says Fisher with a laugh.

    ‘But this time around, it’s an interesting challenge starting with Casino Royale and then in Quantum of Solace, Bond is reinventing himself, so our challenge is to pay homage to title sequences in the past and be respectful of the ground that’s been covered with the franchise, but also update that and give it some new life and new energy.’

    ‘There’s such a legacy with the Bond titles and it’s proven to be such an inspiration for designers, animators and filmmakers over the years. Being able to contribute to that and expand on that and take it in a new direction is really exciting.

    Click the video link above for your first look at the Quantum of Solace main title sequence.

    Stay tuned to the CommanderBond.net main page for the most up-to-date and complete coverage of Quantum of Solace.

  9. Behind-The-Scenes: Heineken's 'Quantum of Solace' Commercial

    By Devin Zydel on 2008-10-07

    8 October UPDATE:

    The full commercial is now available online. Visit www.jamesbond.heineken.com to view.

    It was announced in August that Heineken would once again be continuing their partnership with the James Bond films in Quantum of Solace.

    As was the case with Eva Green and Casino Royale before, their advertisement campaign will incoporate the film’s lead Bond girl, Olga Kurylenko.

    A behind-the-scenes video of Heineken’s Quantum of Solace commercial, featuring the character of Camille and several scenes from the 007 film, has been released online.

    Click below to view:

    Melinda Eskell, Manager Heineken Brand Communication said: ‘We worked in close partnership with Eon and Columbia Pictures to ensure the global campaign remained authentic to the film and the James Bond franchise. The involvement of Olga Kurylenko combined with the use of other authentic Bond assets provides Heineken the unique opportunity to allow our consumers worldwide to experience the world of Bond.’

    Stay tuned to the CommanderBond.net main page for the most up-to-date and complete coverage of Quantum of Solace.

  10. 'Quantum of Solace' International Poster Revealed

    By Devin Zydel on 2008-10-07

    As the clock continues to count down to the theatrical premiere of Quantum of Solace, 007 fans can check out the newest poster released for the film.

    CanMag have gotten their hands on the international poster for the 22nd James Bond film and fans will immediately notice a striking similarity to the US 1-sheet, which was unveiled towards the end of last month.

    The international Quantum of Solace poster features the same shot of Daniel Craig and Bond girl Olga Kurylenko in the desert with the headquarters of villain Dominic Greene (Mathieu Amalric) burning in the background. The only major difference is that the international poster opts for a vibrant blue backdrop as opposed to the US 1-sheet.

    Click Here To View

    This poster will likely be used by several worldwide markets to promote the film.

    Keep your eyes on the CommanderBond.net main page for all the latest James Bond news and Quantum of Solace coverage.