Olga Kuryenko On Stunts, Bruises And Revenge

WARNING: Possible spoilers

Olga Kurylenko recently spoke about the demands of her role as new Bond girl Camille in Quantum of Solace.

According to The Sun, the newest leading lady in the James Bond series wasn’t quite sure she had the part during the initial auditions.

She said: ‘When Marc looked at me he was so blank. I told my agent, “Forget about it”. I was so sad.’

What eventually followed was an early Christmas gift in a phone call saying she had secured the role. ‘It was Christmas Eve I found out I got the part,’ she said. ‘I was with my friends, it couldn’t have been a better present.’

When Kurylenko first began work on the Bond film earlier this year, she seemed to be fond of the rough stuff that accompanied the role, stating at the time: ‘I like my bruises. When I get one it’s like “Yeah, I have got a bruise, pretty cool”.’ But she has since realized it isn’t a complete picnic.

After just completing a 12-foot jump from a rooftop to a lower balcony, she said: ‘Did you see me doing the stunt? I am very impressed with myself because there was no way I could do it before.’

‘Yesterday, I came to the top, looked down and said to the stunt guys, “No, guys, there is no way I am doing it–I am very scared of heights.” And they just slowly, slowly, very patiently got me to do it.’

‘Certain things are really scary and it always starts with me saying “No”…and I end up doing it. I really overcame my fears.’ – Olga Kurylenko on the many stunts in Quantum of Solace

Further commenting about work at Chile’s Paranel Oberservatory, which will feature in the climax of Quantum of Solace, Kurylenko said: ‘The action we were filming today is happening more towards the end of the movie. Camille is about to get to her goal, which she is trying to get to throughout the whole movie. She is about to get her revenge. After that jump over the balcony she is pretty close. It’s going to be a big fight.’

‘There was another scene where my back was to the balustrade and it moved and I felt I couldn’t do it. The stunts in this film are crazy. They are really tough.’

The scariest stunt yet? Possibly the Panama speedboat sequence according to the actress.

‘We were in Panama and we did this boat chase in the sea. The boat went so fast and when you hit the waves it really jumps up and when you land it is really hard. And we were not sitting safely, we were fighting. The stunt guys fell into the sea a few times. So I had to really hold on. I got bruises. It was for real.’

Keeping in line with what appears to be a completely action-packed Bond film, Kurylenko also mentions that she trained for sky-diving:

‘I learned sky-diving in London. They have this big tunnel where they simulate the air. During a month I was training I was squeezed like a lemon by the air after a few minutes. I said, “I am not doing this”. I couldn’t even lift my arms up. But after a month I was spending a whole day in there.’

And while the onscreen relationship between Bond and Camille might be described as a bit feisty at times, in real life the two actors have hit it off. ‘Daniel is my favourite Bond. He suits the part perfectly and he is a great actor.’

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

Bonding With IGN And Rotten Tomatoes

WARNING: The links in this article contain major spoilers.

When it rains it pours.

Clearly, those in charge of Daniel Craig’s second 007 film, Quantum of Solace, felt it was time to really give fans a sneak peak into the latest Bond production.

Extensive set reports, new photographs, cast and crew interviews, and all the latest plot details have been revealed by USA Today, The Sun, Extra and various other news and entertainment sources over the past two days.

Popular websites IGN and Rotten Tomatoes joined in on the Bond celebration as well with an extensive two-part set report featuring a flood of information on the plot, script, locations, and endless other details. Not to be missed for 007 fans:

PART 1: The Secrets of Quantum of Solace (IGN)

PART 2: Locations, Plot, Directing, Script and More (Rotten Tomatoes)

In addition, be sure to check out the brand new images of the cast, including Craig, Bond girls Olga Kurylenko and Gemma Arterton, villains Mathieu Amalric, Anatole Taubman and Joaquín Cosio, Dame Judi Dench as ‘M’ and more…

Furthermore, a video interview with the cast and crew of Quantum of Solace can be viewed on MySpace TV.

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

Screenwriter Joshua Zetumer Puts The Polish On 'Quantum of Solace'

It’s been no secret that the script for the 22nd James Bond film has gone through several stages from beginning to end.

Despite rewrites, polishes and starting from scratch, the only names associated with the storyline were the same Bond scribes from 2006’s Casino Royale: Paul Haggis, Neal Purvis and Robert Wade … until the brief mention of a ‘new writer’ by actor Mathieu Amalric.

Thanks to a set report posted at Rotten Tomatoes, that new writer finally has a name: Joshua Zetumer.

As director Marc Forster describes the situation: ‘Once I signed on to do [Quantum of Solace], we pretty much developed the script from scratch because I felt that it wasn’t the movie I wanted to make and started with Paul [Haggis] from scratch,’ he said. ‘And I said to him these are the topics I am interested in this is what I would like to say, what’s important to me. And we developed it from there together. Then Barbara and Michael said they liked where we were going and they liked the script.’

Despite worries that the Writers Guild strike would possiby interfere with the Bond script, Forster says that the timing managed to work out in the end. ‘The good thing is that Paul and I and Daniel all worked on the script before the strike happened and got it where we were pretty happy with. Then we started shooting and the only problems I had with the script we were shooting in April, May and June so as soon as the strike was over we did another polish with someone and it worked out with all this stuff coming up. So I was pretty happy with all the work we’d done in January and February so [there won’t be any need for reshoots].’

The man chosen for the job was Joshua Zetumer, a relative newcomer to the screenwriting world (check out Variety’s profile of Zetumer as one of 10 screenwriters to keep an eye out for in the future).

‘He’s a very young writer and he only wrote two or three scripts,’ said Forster. ‘And I read a script of his that I was very fond of and Barbara and Michael liked it. There were a couple of polishes and changes that I wanted to do and I felt that he was very well suited and I thought that he would be good for it and that’s why I hired him.’

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

Extra Interviews Daniel Craig

As CommanderBond.net first alerted readers yesterday, entertainment show Extra was on the set of Quantum of Solace in Chile for an exclusive interview with Daniel Craig.

The report was broadcast on local TV stations today, but an online video is available on the official website for James Bond fans who missed it.

When asked about his return as 007, Craig said: ‘It’s alot more pressure. We couldn’t have expected the success and how people reacted [to Casino Royale].’

As many fans are well aware, the actor celebrated his 40th birthday while filming in Panama in early March. ‘I’m over it now,’ he said with a laugh. ‘It’s going OK at the moment.’

But Craig kept quiet when the subject of his possible engagement with girlfriend Satsuki Mitchell was brought up. ‘I’m not going to tell you’ was his straight-to-the-point response.

In addition, a local video by 24HORAS (available on YouTube) also featured an interview with Craig, director Marc Forster and Mathieu Amalric as the Bond production prepared to depart Chile.

Forster summed up the importance of choosing the right locations for the film: ”That’s ultimately what it’s about. As a filmmaker, you want several locations to serve your purpose and it happened to be here because the Paranal Observatory is here and then everything else fell into place.’

‘It’s a stunning place. We were just lucky to be out there,’ added Craig.

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

'Quantum' Cast And Crew Concludes Filming In Chile

According to a report from El Mercurio Online, filming for Quantum of Solace officially concluded in Chile on Thursday, 3 April.

Filming at the location, which will double for Bolivia in the finished film, included the desolate Atacama Desert and the awe-inspiring Paranal Observatory. For extensive details (and tons of spoilers), check out the full USA Today set report.

Actors Daniel Craig and Mathieu Amalic could be seen at various points as the private plane was prepared for the James Bond production crew.

As many fans are well aware, Italy is the next major location stop for Craig’s second 007 adventure. CommanderBond.net has been covering all the latest news regarding a monumental action sequence to be shot in Siena. Click on the following links for all the latest details: Part I | Part II | Spy Video.

In addition, the action (featuring the return of Bond’s Aston Martin DBS) will also take place at Lake Garda in Italy. Filming is expected to commence in this location in mid-April. Click on the following links for further coverage: Part I | Part II.

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

'Quantum of Solace' – Official Blog Report #1

As with past James Bond films in the series, the official Quantum of Solace website has begun coverage of the newest 007 adventure with its personal blog.

Unlike the set reports from ‘Yarborough’ for past films such as Casino Royale and Die Another Day, it seems like things are going to be little bit different this time around.

As producer Michael G. Wilson mentions in the introductory video blog, over the upcoming weeks, the updates will be coming directly from different members of the Quantum of Solace crew.

It should hopefully prove to be a new and interesting way for Bond fans to get some new details on the film. Click here to watch the entire video blog report.

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

USA Today: A 'Quantum' Leap For The James Bond Series

WARNING: Major spoilers

USA Today has taken an in-depth and extensive look at Daniel Craig’s forthcoming return as 007 in Quantum of Solace.

Antofagasta

Visiting the set at Antofagasta, Chile, reporter Anthony Breznican got a chance to speak with the cast and crew of the James Bond film as well as discover many new plot details regarding the story.

Taking a brief break from an action scene in the Chilean desert, Daniel Craig said: ‘He has his heart broken. The love of his life is killed, and he finds out she’s not who she said she was. He’s out for revenge. But he’s also out to find–and this is what the title is about–a “quantum of solace.” Something has been taken away from him, and he’s out to get that back.’

Filming continues at the Paranal Observatory, located in the Chile’s Atacama Desert–an area comparable to the planet Mars with it’s red sand and lack of vegetation.

Greene Ambition

The site will be featured as the headquarters of villain Dominic Greene (Mathieu Amalric), a ‘jet-setting CEO’ who’s pretending to be concerned with the environment, but is truly set on seizing control of part of South America’s water supply.

‘The villain has taken over this place. Greene is pretending to be “green,” but he’s obviously not,’ said producer Michael G. Wilson.

His ‘eco-hotel’ headquarters will also be the location of the film’s climax, with Craig having recently finished filming a scene where Bond runs full speed across the rooftop of the narrow building while shooting into the mirrored skylights below.

‘It’s f–king hard!’ he says matter-of-factly with a laugh after several takes.

Olga Kurylenko, who plays half-Russian, half Bolivian Bond girl Camille, commented on the high-altitude challenges of working at the location: ‘It’s much easier to work here than in Panama, weather-wise,’ she said. ‘It’s hot in both countries, but in Panama it’s humid, and we were working on the boat and I was sweating. Here it’s dry, it’s different, it’s much easier, but I’m out of breath a little bit.’

Click here for USA Today’s audio photo gallery featuring all-new photos of the Quantum of Solace cast and crew, locations, and more

Eye For An Eye?

Director Marc Forster had particular reasons for setting the Quantum of Solace finale in the Atacama Desert–an isolated location that fuses with the current struggles Bond is dealing with.

‘I chose the desert because it’s isolated, you feel lonely, and that’s what Bond is struggling with himself. In the desert, it’s unforgivable. You’re out there, and you might die.’ – Marc Forster

Continuing the action finale at Greene’s headquarters, Forster explains that after shattering the skylights, Bond will jump down on the fleeing villain.

‘I said, “Look, you’re not shooting Greene, you’re only shooting the glass because you want him alive. You want to crash through and find him,”‘ Forster described. ‘In that moment, facing the impending explosion, Bond must decide whether slaying his nemesis is worth the cost of other innocent lives.’

The director continued: ‘When they have this moment between them, Bond has a decision to make. Bond lost someone he loved. But what does it mean to kill someone, when you just lost someone?’

Changes To The Formula

As it is well obvious at this point, Quantum of Solace continues merely minutes after the conclusion of 2006’s Casino Royale–a move that creates a direct continuation between Craig’s first two Bond adventures.

‘Heart might be the wrong word, but it’s human’ – Marc Forster

‘We set something up in motion in the last one that we need to keep in touch with in this one,’ Craig said.

Producer Wilson mentioned that while they might go back to the stand-alone plots for the next one, for now, the emphasis was placed on ‘evolving Bond.’

‘He has the realization that there’s no place for him in the outside world,’ he said. ‘And also he’s tempted by revenge and tempted by becoming a cynic, by losing his humanity. He has to fight all of these things.’

Not Your Average Bond Girl

Following up Eva Green’s enigmatic Vesper Lynd in Casino Royale, Olga Kurylenko’s Camille seems poised to be equally as mysterious.

With USA Today commenting that she ‘stands apart from past Bond girls as the only one who doesn’t get sexed up by 007’, Kurylenko described her character as someone who is so focused on ‘what she’s doing, she doesn’t care about meeting a boyfriend or something.’

‘We felt Bond could not immediately fall into another relationship. And we needed someone who had her own agenda and probably could not form a relationship either because of her situation.’ – Michael G. Wilson on the character of ‘Camille’

However, Gemma Arterton’s character, MI6 Agent Fields, is a completely different story.

‘He has one relationship in this movie, a kind of fling. It’s mutually beneficial,’ Craig mentioned. ‘I think both parties enjoy it.’

Not Your Average Title

Some news sites and moviegoers will continue to question the title, so the explanations will keep on coming to:

‘The title we thought was appropriate for a couple of reasons,’ said Wilson. ‘The villainous organization is called Quantum [a brand new photo of Greene, featuring the Q lapel pin, can be viewed here in the audio photo gallery], and what Bond is looking for in his life is a measure of comfort, and that’s what a “quantum of solace” is. He’s just trying to find a little bit of comfort because his life is in turmoil.’

Keeping ‘Quantum’ Simple

Summing up the storyline, Craig said: ‘It’s a simplistic story that has been around for a long, long time: There’s one lone hero going after the bad guys. It has been around forever. But you have to apply morals to it, and within that you show somebody’s flaws. That’s what makes them interesting, the mistakes they make along the way and how they adjust.’

‘The fact is he’s hurt. He’s damaged and he wants revenge. And that’s another facet of somebody, and it’s not a good emotion to have. You’ve got to see how he deals with it. Last time around, it was just duty and duty alone. This time around, there’s a sense of revenge. That’s how he’s going to screw up. Because he will–but then he gets up and gets it right.’

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

'Until my joints go I will keep going as Bond…'

WARNING: Major spoilers

If Daniel Craig’s comments in a new interview posted at The Sun are anything to go by, the actor is going to be sticking around as James Bond for quite some time.

Speaking from the Quantum of Solace set in Antofagasta, Chile along with producer Barbara Broccoli, he said: ‘Until my joints go I will keep going as Bond. I have no intention of giving up just yet.’

‘It’s important that we make the best movies possible, so I can hopefully sit back in semi-retirement at some point and look back and think they were wonderful movies.’

When the lighthearted interview moved on to the topic of possible nude sequences in the 22nd 007 film, Broccoli interjected: ‘I’m trying to get him to take his clothes off every day.’

‘It’s not helped by her leaking to the press every day, “He might do, he might do”.’ Craig responds.

The actor then adds: ‘There is a little nudity. It might not be full.’

Having recently finished filming a scene where Bond runs full speed across the narrow rooftop of the Paranal Observatory in Chile’s Atacama Desert, a location which acts as the headquarters of villain Dominic Greene, Craig said: ‘I have been running up and down here all day and it does feel hard at this altitude.’

‘Apparently you feel a ton better when you get back down to sea level, which is something I am looking forward to.’

Craig also commented on the filming schedule in what appears to be one of the most action-packed Bond films yet in the series.

‘We are going from stunt sequence to stunt sequence. We did a body flight thing where you are free-falling in a wind tunnel. That was tough.’

‘I did a two-day fight sequence which we had been rehearsing for two months. That was physically very hard–getting hit, basically.’

Craig continued: ‘We are going to Siena in Italy next week and we are going to be working at heights. The speedboat sequence was also very hard. Filming on water is always difficult.’

Click here for exclusive photos of the Quantum of Solace cast and crew, including Craig, Olga Kurylenko, Gemma Arterton and director Marc Forster.

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

'Quantum of Solace' Exclusive On Next Extra

Keep your eyes peeled for the next episode of entertainment show ‘Extra’.

According to the show’s official website, Extra is promising a 007 exclusive from the set of Quantum of Solace in Chile.

A short preview video, briefly mentioning Daniel Craig and Bond girl Olga Kurylenko, can be viewed online here.

This James Bond exclusive will air on the Friday, 4 April edition of Extra. A detailed “When It’s On” section is available here to let fans know exactly when and where to watch out for it.

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

Spy Video Of 007 Rehearsal In Siena

WARNING: Possible spoilers

A brief 15-second long video capturing the rehearsal of an action sequence to feature in Quantum of Solace has been posted online.

Filmed in Siena, Italy, the video shows James Bond jumping out of open window onto a moving bus in an alley below (for obvious reasons, a harness is being worn).

Watch online at YouTube

Additionally, three videos highlighting the recent filming in Chile have been posted at YouTube as well.

The first shows actor Daniel Craig along with other Quantum of Solace crew members arriving for filming, while the second two are local set reports by 24 HORAS (highlighting the Antofagasta region and the town of Cobija).

Watch online: Video 1 | Video 2 | Video 3

For further, in depth details about the Quantum of Solace filming in Siena, check out CBn’s overview: Part I | Part II.

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