Daniel Craig Says 'Quantum' Will Impress

Daniel Craig is promising that his second turn as James Bond in Quantum of Solace impress 007 fans according to Digital Spy.

The Bond actor has a particularly interesting way of measuring up how he think’s the film will turn out: ‘I can only gauge it by how much pain I’m in, and I think we’re doing pretty good,’ he said. ‘They’ve [the stunts] started to hurt.’

And despite the occasional blank stares that result when fans are told the title of the 22nd 007 adventure, Craig has a different point of view:

‘I’m very happy with it. It encapsulates what the movie is at heart and a lot more which I can’t give away.’

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

State-Of-The-Art Sound Equipment For 'Quantum of Solace'

The 22nd James Bond film, Quantum of Solace, will feature state-of-the-art sound equipment according to 4rfv.

Production sound mixer Chris Munro will be using a PD606 recorder from leading company Fostex.

Munro said: ‘The Bond movies often use innovative techniques and new equipment. It’s fitting that the Fostex recorders have been used on all my Bond movies so far and each new film has seen the release of a new product. On Tomorrow Never Dies, the DV40 was used, The World Is Not Enough, the PD6, Casino Royale used the DV824/PD6 and now Quantum of Solace will be the first to use the PD606 along with the DV824.’

The PD606 takes full size DVD discs for greater recording time and has been redesigned for simpler operation when used on this latest 007 film. According to Fostex, demand was so high that almost all the units of the first allocation were pre-sold.

Munro continued: ‘Despite what the name suggests, the PD606 is effectively an 8 track machine. Whilst it has 6 inputs, there are also 2 mix tracks available.’

‘As the PD6 was design-based on the DV40 the PD606 is design-based on the DV824, an 8 track machine.’

‘What’s more, varying numbers of tracks can be recorded throughout a single disc and track configuration can be changed at will. If only 2 or 4 tracks are required it doesn’t fill the others with blank space, which is a real space and time bonus for editors,’ he said.

Munro will also be traveling along with the Quantum of Solace production around the world: ‘Starting in the next few weeks, I will be travelling to Panama, Peru, Chile, Austria and also Italy. I am confident in the PD606 and know the Fostex design quality won’t let me down. It’s so important to have a machine I can rely on when recording on location away from home.’

Along with Eddy Joseph, Mike Prestwood Smith, Martin Cantwell, and Mark Taylor, Munro won the BAFTA award for Best Sound in Casino Royale at the February 2007 awards event.

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

'I think Bond still carries Vesper in his heart.'

Olga Kurylenko has briefly spoken about her her character, Camille, ties in with James Bond and Casino Royale‘s leading lady, Vesper Lynd.

An ITN video report regarding yesterday’s announcement of the Quantum of Solace release date switch included a short interview with Kurylenko.

The actress said: ‘I think Bond still carries Vesper in his heart. Camille… might be there to distract him… but maybe not.’

Kurylenko earlier said of her character’s relationship with Daniel Craig’s 007: ‘In the beginning they come as opponents, but at a certain point they have to collaborate. They go through a lot of things together.’ According to the 7 January press release, Camille ‘challenges Bond and helps him come to terms with the emotional consequences of Vesper’s betrayal.’

Click here to watch the video online.

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

New 'Quantum of Solace' Newswrap Video

A new official Quantum of Solace newswrap video has made it’s way online at Reelz Channel featuring the cast and crew as well as location highlights for Daniel Craig’s second James Bond film.

Starting things off, director Marc Forster commented on the importance he places on the exotic locales in the world of 007: ‘The locations, I think, are characters themselves. When you choose a location, the location as much as an actor, speaks for itself.’

The video also highlights the Bond production shooting in then desert at Baja Caifornia, Mexico. Several shots of planes taking off and helicopters are included.

‘We’re down here filming the aerial sequence,’ said producer Michael G. Wilson. ‘We’ve had them throughout the career of the Bond films, but this one we wanted to kind of have a retro dogfight. These are propeller-driven planes, not jet planes. It’s the type of plane that drugrunners would have so it fits the location.’

‘For every one camera position up here in the mountains it takes three helicopter trips in and three helicopter trips out,’ said second-unit director Dan Bradley. ‘So it’s a pretty arduous task.’

‘We have aerial cameras. We’ve got two cameras on an Aerostar and spacecams on helicopters. Then we have some very long lens that go on the ground.’

DC3 pilot Skip Evans said of the requirements for this type of filming: ‘To work this airplane in the bottom of the canyons you’ve got to be physically strong just to maneuver the airplane.’

The video then transitions of the Bond production in Panama, highlighting some of the filming in the streets of Panama City, including a brief exchange between Bond and Agent Fields (Gemma Arterton).

‘We’re in Panama City right now and Panama really has a diversity of cities and looks which is really useful for us,’ said Forster.

As earlier mentioned today in the BBC One video, Arterton commented on filming at the location: ‘It was great working on the streets of Panama because you get a sense of what the real Panama City’s like. They’ve got so much life and character to them. It’s a brilliant location.’

‘There’s also the party that will be shot here. It’s sort of a ruin I found that I really fell in love with,’ said Forster. The video shows a before-and-after comparison shot between the initial scouting of the location in October 2007 and it’s current redesign for the Quantum of Solace party sequence.

Arterton also spoke about the party location, calling it a ‘brilliant place.’

‘I think this set is beautiful. It’s stunning; amazing. I really love it. Finally the real fun is starting.’ – Olga Kurylenko (Camille)

In the action sequences with Craig that follow, keen-eyed viewers can also get a brief glimpse at Jeffrey Wright’s Felix Leiter as well.

Watch the full three-minute long Quantum of Solace newsrap online:

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

BBC One Goes Behind-The-Scenes Of 'Quantum of Solace'

WARNING: Minor spoilers

Earlier today, BBC One’s Breakfast programme got an exclusive look into the filming of Daniel Craig’s second 007 film, Quantum of Solace.

The two-minute long video, which can be viewed at YouTube thanks to CommanderBond.net Forum member ‘Royal Dalton’, features the Bond cast and crew in California and Panama.

The video features several shots of Bond in the streets of Panama as well as a helicopter taking off in the California desert, a location ‘so remote that three trips had to be made each time equipment and the crew had to be moved.’ A scene of a plane taking off in the desert is also shown.

Speaking on the Bond set in Panama City, Gemma Arterton, who plays MI6 Agent Fields in the film, said: ‘It was great working on the streets of Panama because you get a sense of what the real Panama City’s like. They’ve got so much life and character to them. It’s a brilliant location.’

Also included is a before-and-after shot of a local ruin that has been transformed into the location of a ‘key’ party sequence in the film that features Mathieu Amalric (Dominic Greene), Olga Kurylenko (Bond girl Camille) and Anatole Taubman (Elvis) in addition to Craig and Arterton.

Lastly, a brief look into an action scene with director Marc Forster and Craig is featured.

Watch the full video online:

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'Quantum of Solace' UK Release Pulled Forward To 31 October

The UK theatrical release date for Quantum of Solace has been pulled forward.

Empire Online reports that according to Sony Pictures, the 22nd James Bond film will now hit theatres on 31 October as opposed to the original 7 November release.

The other worldwide release dates for Quantum of Solace remain unchanged.

007 fans will recall a slightly similar situation for 2006’s Casino Royale when it’s release date moved ahead one day.

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

Daniel Craig To Arrive In Chile On 24 March For 'Quantum' Filming

As reported by CommanderBond.net at the beginning of the month, the Quantum of Solace production was to be heading for Chile to continue filming.

An update posted at Merco Press notes that Daniel Craig is expected to arrive by private jet at the Chilean region of Antofagasta on 24 March.

Along with director Marc Forster, Craig will reportedly be taking part in a press conference for the James Bond film on the 26th of the month.

Filming is expected to begin the next day in Observatorio Paranal, the first of four locations. After those first scenes the 007 crew will then shoot in the nearby towns of Cobija, Baquedano, and Michilla.

The original report from Diario Noticiascadadia earlier this month notes that Olga Kurylenko and Mathieu Amalric are also expected to take part in this filming sequence.

Keep your eyes on the CBn main page for all the latest news and complete coverage of Quantum of Solace.

Mathieu Amalric On Being James Bond's Nemesis

WARNING: Minor plot spoilers

Premiere has scored a fantastic interview with Quantum of Solace baddie Mathieu Amalric.

Discussing his role as James Bond’s new nemesis Dominic Greene, filming in Panama, and past 007 villains, the in-depth interview also elaborates on some of the film’s plot details and makes mention of a new screenwriter.

Taking a small break from filming in Colön, a sea port city located on the Caribbean Sea coast in Panama, Amalric revealed that he had just shot a ‘big scene’ for the film. While keeping quiet about the specifics, he does mention however that he displays the ‘habits of a villain guy’ by showing the corpse of someone he has just executed to Bond girl Camille (played by Olga Kurylenko) to get across the point that she should never consider betraying him. A hint of a relationship between the two, perhaps?

When asked about what it takes to be the newest Bond villain, Amalric states: ‘It’s a lot of work and I’m not allowed to leave for more than one day, unfortunately.’ He goes on to discuss the exception to that case, finally getting a break after several weeks of filming: ‘Yesterday was Sunday so we went to [an island archipelago] called San Blas. It’s absolutely beautiful, beautiful, beautiful! There are 350 little islands, with just sand and coconut trees and Indians that live there. No tourists, or very [few] tourists… So I just spent one day in a postcard, really a clichë of happiness, just eating fish and swimming in blue water.’

Quantum of Solace director Marc Forster also spoke briefly about the film. While several reports have mentioned the storyline picks up roughly 30 minutes after the ending of 2006’s Casino Royale, Forster doesn’t ‘see this necessarily as a sequel because it has within it a story that is self-contained.’

‘Daniel Craig took the franchise in a different direction and he is such a superb actor that I thought there is the possibility to explore something [interesting] with him,’ commented Forster on the opportunity to work with the newest 007 star.

Amalric agreed with the director: ‘With Daniel Craig, you feel this guy is really completely involved in the feelings of Bond. I mean, there’s almost a broken heart in this film. There is the fantasy, of course, of a James Bond film, but there is something that is very, very realistic in the feelings. The James Bond girls are not girls that you just smack and then you kiss and you make love to through the night and then move onto to the next one. It’s not that anymore. It’s completely different. So I think it’s why Mark [Forster] was approached.’

‘We have a lot of stunts. I practice stunts every day. I just love that. I have a big fight sequence of course, with fire and everything. But there are also scenes that have to do with very intimate feelings.’ – Mathieu Amalric

Forster also went on to comment on the ever-changing script for the 22nd Bond adventure. He revealed that the script was never set in stone and continues to evolve even with production moving ahead on the film. ‘Every day there is a sort of “work in progress” spirit on this set.’

‘There’s a new writer that has arrived,’ added Amalric. ‘We have new lines and it’s changed.’

Amalric also commented on Forster’s style of preparing for each new scene in the film: ‘With Mark, with the writers, with Daniel, with Olga, we rehearse before. Something that [Forster] loves to do, for example, is to do two shots in a row without stopping. The camera continues to roll. So that he just grabs things from us. He’s not behind the video [monitor]. He really looks at actors.’

He goes on to explain that while ‘improvisation is a big word’, Forster pushes for character development as opposed to sticking exactly to the script. ‘There’s no storyboard or things like that. So things can change [during] rehearsals or we bring things.’

‘[Marc Forster] has brought a lot of humanity to the characters and makes a very intriguing story to go with the action.’ – Michael G. Wilson

As earlier reported on CommanderBond.net, Amalric reveals that he consulted Heartbeat Detector co-star Michael Lonsdale (known best by Bond fans for his role as Sir Hugo Drax in 1979’s Moonraker) about taking the role of Greene. ‘You always have to be where people don’t expect you to be,’ was the fellow actor’s reply. ‘That’s the pleasure of being an actor.’

Amalric also clarified his statement that he found inspiration for the character of Greene in the smile of former British Prime Minister Tony Blair and craziness of French President Nicolas Sarkozy. ‘Oh, no, no. I didn’t exactly say that. I was saying that he was a villain and that villains today, you can’t recognize them anymore. They don’t have a metal jaw, you know: they’re hidden behind smiles. That’s what I meant. So the smile of Tony Blair had a mystery that could be interesting–that’s what I meant.’

‘It’s scary to be an actor. You have to be afraid. If you’re not afraid, there’s no pleasure … try to act just one day. You will see. You’ll understand. It’s frightening. And a James Bond film there’s a crew of four hundred people.’ – Mathieu Amalric on the need to be afraid when acting

Amalric also jokes about the absence of any distinguishing feature on Greene when compared to Blofeld’s scar and Jaws’ metal teeth. ‘I’m the villain, and I just have my face? Wow, what a responsibility!’

He goes on to describe the multi-faceted Dominic Greene as ‘a nice guy who works in ecology, plants trees and does charity funding for the environmental sciences.’ But at the same time, ‘[Greene has] lots of levels. You don’t know who that guy is. You don’t know what he has in his head.’

The Premiere article states that while international terrorists played a role in Casino Royale, ecology is a prime concern in Quantum of Solace, with Greene playing host to a benefit to stop global warming.

‘Each James Bond [film] says something about the time in which it has been done. And so it’s very realistic about who rules the world. In fact, we don’t know who rules the world. Are politicians just puppets or not? We don’t know.’

There’s much more. Check out the entire Premiere article for further details.

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

'Quantum of Solace' Production Heading Back To Siena

WARNING: Major plot spoilers

Way back in August of last year, news broke on the CommanderBond.net main page that some early filming for Daniel Craig’s second James Bond film (then-titled Bond 22) had taken place at the Tuscan town of Siena, Italy.

At the time, the filming took place during the bi-annual Palio di Siena horse race that is to be included as part of a major action sequence in Quantum of Solace.

As reported then: the sequence sees 007 pursuing one of the film’s villains down narrow cobbled streets, then across the town’s rooftops and through its medieval aqueducts as the horses charge around the Piazza del Campo. The town’s bottini, a tangled network of underground tunnels, are also featured.

Since then, several updates about a follow-up to the Siena filming have been published recently in the La Nazione newspaper.

Preparations for the rooftop filming began on 11 February and are expected to last until early April. According to line producer Guido Cerasuolo of Mestiere Cinema, the Venitian production firm that previously worked on Casino Royale, scenes will also be shot in the marble Fantiscritti and Canalgrande quarries, located in the Tuscan city of Carrara. ‘We agree with the mayor, we will begin shooting in April,’ said Cerasuolo.

A seperate article (click here to read) also shed some light on what to expect in the opening scenes of Quantum of Solace:

The film is expected to open at Lago di Garda (as reported earlier by CBn), the largest and deepest lake in Italy. The sequence will reportedly quickly move into a mountain road chase set against the backdrop of the Apuan Alps, with 007 being pursued by the police. In addition to the special effects, jumps, skids and spins, a ‘helicopter escape’ was also briefly mentioned.

A follow-up article posted at mediatecatoscana.net revealed that it is the film’s villains who send the police after Bond in this opening sequence.

Daniel Craig at the Palio di Siena in August 2007

Indicating that the film’s chase has now moved from Lago di Garda to the quarries at Carrara, the report states that Bond makes his way through the Canalgrande and Fantiscritti quarries, while still being pursued by the police. After eventually shaking off the police, Bond is expected to emerge out of the Miseglia (a frazione, or subdivision in Carrara) tunnel and eventually arrives in Siena.

An article from the February 2008 edition of Il Tirreno also revealed details on the action sequence:

Calling the filming in Miseglia, an ‘extraordinary event’ for the city, the report notes that a Bond production crew of roughly 200 people is expected to arrive on 25 April. Filming will then take place between the Passo del Vestito and Altagnana (with the chase culminating on the Piazza del Campo) from 2 to 9 May. Filming at the Fantiscritti location will follow on the 10th to the 12th.

Furthermore, Corriere di Siena recently published additional details about the portion of the chase sequence that will take place on foot.

A second unit for the film and four stuntmen have been preparing for a section of the sequence that will involve a modified bus. Expected to begin at Siena’s Saint George Church, Bond will reportedly emerge from the building and jump onto a bus driving at breakneck speed against traffic and heading towards one of the city’s bridges.

Lastly, the La Nazione newspaper reported on 15 March on the extensive construction currently going on to prepare for the 007 filming.

In addition, after more than 1500 auditions for roles as extras, 300 people in Siena have already been cast.

Quantum of Solace art director Mike Stalion said: ‘This area is wonderful, it’s ideal for the most fantastic [sequence in the newest Bond film.] About 10 minutes of incredible acrobatics on the rooftops and balconies, it’ll be a memorable scene.’

Daniel Craig is expected to arrive for filming in April.

We’ll keep you updated as more details on this major action sequence are revealed.

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

More 'Quantum of Solace' Photos: James Bond And Elvis

Several photographs from the Quantum of Solace production have been revealed throughout the past two days on the CommanderBond.net Forums.

First up: After fans got their first look at Anatole Taubman in character as the henchman named Elvis in an Insider video report, a brand new photograph of the villain was posted here on the CBn Forums.

Several shots of Daniel Craig filming in Panama were also added on the CBn Forums. The James Bond star can be seen jumping from a moving boat according to The Sun newspaper.

A souce who was at the 007 set at the time of filming said: ‘Daniel is incredibly brave. Most actors have people do this for them.’

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