Craig Gears Up For 'Bond 22'

With The Golden Compass soon to hit cinemas the world over, James Bond actor Daniel Craig will be back in the media spotlight. And with production on the next 007 film on the horizon, expect Ian Fleming’s famous spy to be a hot topic of conversation.

Daniel Craig at the premiere of Casino Royale.

In an interview with The Times, Craig revealed he’s now in training for Bond 22, but won’t be bulking up as much as he did for Casino Royale. “I was big for the last one, and it wasn’t a mistake, it was a definite statement. This guy, when he takes his shirt off, should look like he could kill someone.”

“After it finished, I stopped training,” Craig continued. “I got drunk for three months! No, I didn’t, but certainly relaxed for three months and ate what I wanted, and then it’s hell because as soon as you get back in the gym, you have to work all that off, and it takes much longer than it does to put it on. Last time I did a lot of weights to bulk up because I had to do it quickly. This time I’m going to do more boxing and more running. I need to be physically strong for Bond and, as much as I looked in great shape, I got a lot of injuries, probably due to the fact that I wasn’t doing enough running and jumping, which is what I needed to do in the film. I won’t look physically much different, but I won’t be as ‘no neck’ as I was last time.”

With Bond 22 fast approaching, Craig appears eager to match the success of Casino Royale. “It was surreal,” Craig said of the box office figures for his debut 007 film. “Just surreal. The numbers kept going up and up and up and it was like, ‘That’s it! We’ve done it.'”

Daniel Craig as James Bond

“If we are going to do this, we have to create something that is going to last, that we are going to look at and say, ‘They were different’. It’s a risk, but the last one was a risk just because it was me getting involved, and we seem to have ridden that one out. So now we have to go to the next stage. I want to make sure the next two, three, four, whatever films I manage to do before they chuck me out, or before it goes tits up, sit nicely within this era.”

The actor recently signed for four more James Bond films.

Meanwhile, in an appearance on BBC One’s Friday Night With Jonathan Ross, the actor revealed he is currently rehearsing stunts for Bond 22 in preparation for January start to filming. He also hinted the movie’s title may be locked in.

Keep watching CBn for the most up-to-date Bond 22 coverage on the web.

More Location Scouting Taking Place In Austria

Feldkirch

In July, CBn reported that the Floating Stage in Bregenz in Austria was under consideration as a location for Bond 22. A spokesperson for the Bregenz Festival back then confirmed a report by Austrian ORF Radio Vorarlberg, that “people from Pinewood Studios in London” have visited the location by end of June. In September, further locations in and around Bregenz were visited, namely the Kunsthaus and surrounding villages.

Today, regional newspaper Vorarlberger Nachrichten reports that a team of location scouts has also visited the relatively small town of Feldkirch. Feldkirch is a medieval city in the western Austrian state of Vorarlberg, bordering Switzerland and Liechtenstein. Yesterday evening, the scouting team arrived at airport Friedrichshafen in Germany and went immediately to the ancient city centre of Feldkirch. There, they did not care that the traditional Christmas market was built up when they got there, instead, they were very interested in the historic brick work and the remarkable alcoves.

Today, the location scouts met with the persons in charge of the town of Bregenz. According to ‘Vorarlberger Nachrichten’, no contracts regarding the use of the Floating Stage have been signed so far, but Gerhard Stuebe, executive director of the ‘Bregenzer Seespiele’, the company that produces the opera on the Bregenz Floating Stage, is optimistic about signing contracts as soon as possible. He indicated that they were already negotiating dates, because an extra performance of the current opera "Tosca" would have to take place sometime in spring. Normally, the operas are only performed during summer, but for the Bond people only a filming date in spring is possible.

Keep watching CBn for all the latest Bond 22 coverage.

Stuntman Marvin Campbell Returns For 'Bond 22'

At a collector’s fair in Utrecht, The Netherlands, this past weekend, stuntman Marvin Campbell (not to be confused with the director of GoldenEye and Casino Royale!) confirmed to James Bond Nederland that he would be returning for Bond 22.

Campbell was the stunt double for Sebastian Foucan in Casino Royale and performed in sequences of the jaw-dropping Madagascar chase that was a highlight of the film.

When asked about next year’s James Bond film and if he was returning, Campbell said: ‘Yes, gentleman I’m in. But I can’t tell you more than this: Bond 22 will be more realistic than Casino Royale. Most of the members of the production team will return in the new movie.’

Even more realistic than Casino Royale? Feel free to discuss this 007 news here on the CommanderBond.net Forums.

Keep watching CBn for all the latest Bond 22 coverage.

Report: Mathieu Amalric Cast As 'Bond 22' Villain

According to Fox News’ FOX411 column, French actor Mathieu Amalric has been cast as the villain in the next James Bond film.

Mathieu Amalric

Columnist Roger Friedman claims “that was the word” at a lunch this week for Le Scaphandre Et Le Papillon (The Diving Bell And The Butterfly), in which Amalric stars. Friedman writes, “Even though sources insist it’s true, Amalric would neither confirm nor deny.”

“Anyway, expect a formal announcement shortly. This is a done deal.”

While the source of this rumour is not unquestionable, there are some elements to the report that make it stand out. For a start, 43-year-old Amalric starred in 2005’s Munich, alongside Daniel Craig; he played the son of Moonraker villain, Michael Lonsdale’s character (curiously, in Le Scaphandre Et Le Papillon, he plays the son of Never Say Never Again baddie, Max Von Sydow).

Secondly, Eva Green suggested last year that Bond 22‘s villain would be none other than Vesper Lynd’s French-Algerian boyfriend, something screenwriter Paul Haggis recently refused to deny. Amalric’s age, nationality and appearance all gel with this.

His casting would also continue the practice of hiring relatively unknown European actors, which worked so successfully in last year’s Casino Royale.

Other rumoured candidates for the role include James Bond #6 candidate, Goran Visnjic and Swedish actor, Rafael Edholm.

Jesper Christensen, who played Casino Royale‘s Mr White – last seen confronted by James Bond at the end of the film – is also set to return.

It’s all worth taking with a grain of salt, so keep watching CommanderBond.net for any developments, confirmations or denials on this Bond 22 rumour.

Columbia: 'Bond 22' To Be Unaffected By Strike

Reuters today report that the Writers Guild of America strike, currently in its third week, has taken its first casualty, Columbia Pictures’ Angels And Demons. In their statement, the studio, which also produces the James Bond films, confirmed it did not expect the strike to affect any other films slated for release in 2008, including Bond 22.

The sequel to The Da Vinci Code was delayed until 2009 because the studio was unsatisfied with the script for the picture. “While the filmmakers and the studio feel the screenplay is very strong, we do not believe it is the fully realised production draft required of this ambitious project,” Columbia said.

Some 007 fans had expressed concern that Bond 22 may be similarly delayed after screenwriter Paul Haggis recently claimed the film’s script remained unpolished. The writer turned in a draft for the picture just days before the strike commenced.

These concerns now appear to be unfounded.

Keep watching CBn for the latest news on Bond 22.

"M" Takes Off To Panama

According to a report from Yahoo! News UK, Dame Judi Dench’s “M” will head to Panama in the next James Bond picture.

Dame Judi Dench

The actress said, “‘M’ is off to Panama – there’s a big adventure with James. Mind you, I’ll be too busy flirting with Daniel Craig. He is gorgeous.”

If accurate, the news confirms reports that Panama would feature in next year’s Bond 22.

At September’s National Movie Awards, the actress revealed her character would once again be in the field, having last year briefed Daniel Craig’s 007 in the Bahamas.

Bond 22 will mark Dame Judi’s sixth appearance as “M”.

Stay tuned to CommanderBond.net for the most up-to-date Bond 22 news on the web.

Casting Agency Dispels Certain Bond Girl Rumours

With screentests with Daniel Craig currently taking place and the lists of hopeful Bond girl candidates narrowing down, rumours and reports on who has made it and who hasn’t are flooding the local news in Mexico and surrounding Latin America.

After the recent announcement by Mayrín Villanueva’s husband on a Mexican television show claiming that she landed a role in the James Bond film, the agency who represents Bond 22‘s casting agent Carla Hool in Mexico made a statement to dispel some of the rumours.

According to reports Esmas.com and Blog-mexico.com, representative Ricardo Hernandez said ‘the entire casting process was confidential and the recent statements by some actresses do not have foundation.’

‘Since some actresses have taken it upon themselves to make false statements regarding the casting process and therefore create unsubstantiated news, I see it is necessary to deny several of these affirmations.’

While Mayrín Villanueva and other Bond girl candidates were not specifically mentioned in the statement, Hernandez says that some of the actressses who made the initial casting were not called back again due to ‘poor performances and a weak command of the English language.’

‘It does not seem right to us that someone who had the opportunity to belong in a foreign film and was invited to cast for a role should give up on this chance in order to become more famous.’

Keep watching CBn for all the latest Bond 22 coverage as the Bond girl casting continues.

Bond Girl Casting Buzz For 'Bond 22'

Reports are circulating that the Bond girl casting for next year’s Bond 22 is heating up with screentests of the favourites currently taking place.

According to a source for The Daily Mail, Daniel Craig is now getting involved with the casting process, after having previously supporting Eva Green for the role of Vesper Lynd in last year’s Casino Royale.

‘Daniel campaigned for Eva Green to do Casino Royale and is having a similar input in the casting of the next film,’ the report states.

Additionally, Bond 22 will reportedly feature four Bond girls and Craig is having a difficult time in helping to choose those best suited for the roles.

‘There’ll be four girls, all of whom will look Latin-American as much of the film is set in Panama, and Daniel is having a hard time choosing between those screen testing.’ The New Zealand Herald notes that Brazilian actress Cleo Pires and Israeli actress Moran Atias are two of the top frontrunners.

According to local reports from Brazil, Juliana Paes, Rita Guedes, Guilhermina Guinle join Pires and Atias as the other favourites for the roles.

The report states that casting agents Kate Dowd and Carla Hool have been testing possible candidates since late 2006 in Brazil, Mexico, Venezuela and Argentina. A representative from the Nossa Senhora do Casting company said they were ‘betting the ace cards on Juliana [Paes] and Cleo [Pires].’

Keep watching CBn for all the latest coverage as the Bond girl casting heats up.

Paul Haggis Joins WGA Strike; Comments On 'Bond 22' Script

Bond 22 writer Paul Haggis

After turning in the draft screenplay for Bond 22 almost two weeks ago, the Los Angeles Times reports that the writer has now joined the picket line outside Sony Pictures as part of the Writers Guild of America (WGA) strike.

Calling the heated dispute with Hollywood producers ‘another example of corporate greed,’ Haggis further accused them of trying to ‘shut down the entire town in a very cynical way.’

Haggis said he was prepared to walk the picket line for as long as it takes. Being WGA member since 1975, he explained that ‘it’s my job as a member of the guild to be here.’

While James Bond fans breathed a sigh of relief when the news came in late October that the Bond 22 script was handed in, when questioned about the upcoming 007 film, Haggis replied: ‘They haven’t gotten the polish finished yet.’

In related news, a strike report from Deadline Hollywood Daily notes that Haggis is being paid an estimted $5 million dollars for his work on Bond 22.

Keep watching CBn for all the latest news and details on Bond 22, which hits theatres in November 2008.

MGM To Take Back 007 Distribution From 'Bond 23' On

Variety today revealed MGM would take back distribution of the James Bond films following the release of next year’s Bond 22.

According to the trade paper, the studio will take over distribution from Sony beginning with Bond 23, which is pencilled in for a 2010 release.

News first emerged back in 2005 that MGM may be able to independently distribute its films under a clause in its contract with Sony.

Extensive market research reportedly played a role in Daniel Craig’s new 007 contract

Variety goes on to state Daniel Craig “is locked into a deal” for the first three films distributed by MGM (i.e. Bond 23, 24 and 25), clarifying the pictures covered under the actor’s new contract.

Speaking of which, the Chicago Sun-Times this week reported that extensive market research, reportedly costing almost $100,000, was carried out to verify Craig’s popularity as Agent 007. The producers reportedly carried out the research in “a number of key international markets, including China, India and Latin America”, in addition to Europe and the United States, before inking the deal.

Daniel Craig’s second James Bond film, which remains untitled, begins production in January for release in November next year.

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