Official James Bond Site Updates With 'Quantum' Video And Photos

The official James Bond website, www.007.com, has been updated with video and photos for Daniel Craig’s second 007 adventure, Quantum of Solace.

The video combines sections of the 24 January press conference where the title of the film was first revealed along with interviews with the cast and crew, including Craig, Olga Kurylenko, Gemma Arterton, director Marc Forster and producer Michael G. Wilson.

While these interviews have been available to Bond fans for some time now, this early coverage of Quantum of Solace on the official site is hopefully a sign of good things to come. After the somewhat out-dated and lacklustre production reports for 2006’s Casino Royale on the official site, it seems they’re getting off on the right foot for this one.

Additionally, as earlier reported on CommanderBond.net, the first teaser poster for the film is also available to download as a desktop wallpaper.

Stay tuned to CBn for the most up-to-date coverage of Quantum of Solace.

An Interview with Richard Sammel

Interview by Oliver Bayan

Translation by Heiko Baumann / Photos by Sascha Braun

One of the last cast members of Casino Royale that became known was Richard Sammel, who played the part of Gettler, the one-eyed henchman in service of the mysterious organisation. Oliver Bayan of the German James Bond fan club Bondklub Deutschland (BKD) had the opportunity for an interview with the actor about his experiences on the set of Casino Royale. It first appeared in the December 2007 issue of D-007, the BKD magazine. The translated version is published here with kind permission. To learn more about the BKD and read the original Interview in German, visit their newly designed website at bkd-online.de.

An Interview with Richard Sammel

Virgin Atlantic Back For 'Quantum of Solace'

Virgin Atlantic today announced it will partner with Eon Productions, producers of the James Bond movies, for Quantum of Solace.

The airline previously featured in 2006’s Casino Royale, for which it supplied an aircraft for use during filming. The movie also included a cameo by Virgin Atlantic President, Sir Richard Branson.

The full press release follows.

James Bond’s Favourite Airline – Virgin Atlantic – Is Back For Quantum Of Solace

Virgin Atlantic, one of the world’s leading long-haul airlines, today announced it will be a global partner for the 22nd Bond movie due out later this year.

Produced by Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli for EON Productions and directed by Marc Forster, Quantum of Solace is scheduled to be released on 7 November. Virgin Atlantic will be supporting the release with a series of promotional and marketing initiatives connected with the movie. The alliance follows the success of Virgin Atlantic’s partnership with Casino Royale, in which Daniel Craig made his first appearance as James Bond. The film became the most successful in the James Bond franchise, with record-breaking box office sales.

Sir Richard Branson, President of Virgin Atlantic, commented:

“Virgin Atlantic and James Bond make a great partnership – slick, smooth and renowned the world over. Casino Royale propelled Bond to greater success and we’re certain that Quantum of Solace will set an even higher standard.”

Richard Branson famously appeared in a cameo role in Casino Royale and Virgin Atlantic aircraft were featured in the Miami airport scene.

Quantum of Solace continues the high octane adventures of James Bond (Daniel Craig) in Casino Royale. Betrayed by Vesper, the woman he loved, 007 fights the urge to make his latest mission personal. Pursuing his determination to uncover the truth, Bond and M (Judi Dench) interrogate Mr. White (Jesper Christensen) who reveals the organisation which blackmailed Vesper is far more complex and dangerous than anyone had imagined.

Quantum of Solace also stars Olga Kurylenko as Camille, Mathieu Amalric as Dominic Greene, Gemma Arterton as Agent Fields and Jeffrey Wright who returns to the role of Felix Leiter.

Virgin Atlantic’s involvement in Casino Royale was not without its controversy, though. British Airways cut Branson’s cameo from its in-flight versions of the film, as well as any shot featuring the Virgin logo.

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

Neil Jackson Is 'Mr. Slate' In 'Quantum of Solace'

French 007 site JamesBond-fr.com alerts us to the fact that British actor Neil Jackson has been added to the cast list for Quantum of Solace at the IMDb.

Jackson’s role is listed as ‘Mr. Slate’ and while the IMDb isn’t always the most reliable site for Bond news, fans will also want to take note of the following message posted on Jackson’s MySpace blog on 19 December:

‘I finalized contracts a few days ago to play the role of Mr. Slate in the new, as yet untitled, Bond film. Details are a little sketchy at this point, but I do have a big fight with 007… more to follow.’

It seems like ‘Mr. Slate’ will be another new addition to the villains of Quantum of Solace, which already include Dominic Greene (played by Mathieu Amalric), General Medrano (Joaquín Cosio), Mr. White (Jesper Christensen) and the as-yet-unnamed character to be played by Anatole Taubman.

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

Possible 'Quantum of Solace' Opening Sequence Details

WARNING: Possible plot spoilers

As first reported by CommanderBond.net back in October 2007, Lago di Garda, the largest and deepest lake in Italy, was set to make an appearance in the newest James Bond film, Quantum of Solace.

According to the report from German magazine Gardasee-Zeitung at the time, the opening sequences of the then-untitled 007 film would be shot ‘with the utmost probability’ on the eastern shores of the lake.

Very recently, James Bond Web Italia posted an update on the filming of Quantum of Solace–including some possible opening sequence details.

The report states that the cast and crew of the Bond film are scheduled to Malcesine, in the province of Verona (chosen as the location for the opening of the film), from 15-21 April to shoot some ‘breathtaking’ scenes between the resorts of Malcesine, Tempesta and Navene.

A car chase at Lago di Garda–with speeds of up to 200 km/h (roughly 125 MPH)–will also reportedly be featured with overtaking and manoeuvres in a series of tunnels. An explosion at the end of the sequence will result from several motorists and a truck that try to avoid the cars engaged in the chase.

The Bond production will then move to the village of Limone (this location and others exclusively confirmed by CBn this past month) in order to film a different part of the pursuit.

According to this CBn article, the Limone shoot (as well as Tremosine) are scheduled to take place during the last two weeks of April.

Scenes for Quantum of Solace will also reportedly be shot at the Locanda Punta San Vigilio and in the Grand Hotel Fasano in Gardone.

Lago di Garda, which is located in the north of the country, is divided between the provinces of Verona (to the south-east), Brescia (south-west), and Trentino region (north). The lake is a major tourist destination, with a number of hotels and resorts along its shore.

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

Further Details On Panama Shoot For 'Quantum of Solace'

WARNING: Possible plot spoilers

It was confirmed in early January that Panama woud be featuring in the then-untitled 22nd James Bond film (and first brought up as a possibility way back in September ’07). Now, a Yahoo news report has shed a few more details on what to expect at this particular Quantum of Solace production shoot.

The old port of the Panamanian capital and the historic village of Portobelo on the Atlantic coast will be featured in Quantum of Solace.

The executive assistant of the office of the Old Town, Pitu Jaén, responsible for coordinating filming permits in the area, indicated that after speaking to some of the crew members involved on the 007 film, the scenes in Panama will correspond to the plot that develops in a South American country.

As already assumed, Panama will not be portraying Panama in the film, but rather a South American country the producers did not wish to name at the time.

‘The idea is to give the impression of being an Andean country. I believe that Panama will be Bolivia… not Panama,’ he said.

The office has leased parking lots adjacent to the National Theatre, because this is where some 1000 extras will be located to rest as they film in the ancient building of the National Institute of Culture, which is in the Old City,’ Jaén added.

‘We are providing the parking and the city of Panama, where it was placed before the public market, which will be used as a production centre.’

Filming is scheduled to begin at the National Institute of Culture building on 11 February and is planned to last roughly a week. Shooting is also planned to take place at a few other sites in the area, including the former colonial social club.

Constructed in 1931 as part of the walled area of the city, the National Institute of Culture will be transformed into a hotel for the Quantum of Solace shoot. Featuring refurbished halls and stairs, the building will serve as the location for one of the main action sequences in the film where, according to local press, an assassination attempt is made on Daniel Craig’s James Bond while he is in the elevator.

Furthermore, the local press published a note stating that on 14 and 15 February, ‘shooting will take place in the Patio Rochet’ between 6:00pm and 6:00am. The note was signed by James Grant, the location manager in Panama, who apologised in advance for the ‘degree of disturbance’ that the shooting will likely cause.

Additionally, the district mayor of Portobelo, in the Atlantic province of Colon (north of the captial), Carlos Chavarria, explained that he had already held a meeting with the production crew, and filming on that coast will take place between 1-4 March.

‘They are going to shoot in the town of La Guaira, on Isla de Cabra and in the Túnel del Amor (Tunnel of Love), a place where there is only mangroves and is located between the towns of Garrote and Cacique,’ he said.

Chavarria noted that the Quantum of Solace filming will be highlighting several historic sites of Portobelo and further revealed revealed that hiring of some people for extra work is scheduled, ‘although most are being chosen in (the city of) Colon.’

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

Fernando Guillen Cuervo Joins 'Quantum of Solace' Cast

According to a newly posted article at De aquellas maneras, Spanish actor Fernando Guillén Cuervo will be joining the cast of Quantum of Solace.

The actor, whose role in the upcoming James Bond film was left unspecified, is scheduled to join the 007 production in Panama and London for a few weeks.

Guillén Cuervo has starred in several films and TV series including Los Novios búlgaros, Airbag and Boca a boca. His directing credits include Los Mánagers and Año Mariano.

We’ll keep you updated as further details on his character in Quantum of Solace develop.

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

Olga Kurylenko Discusses 'Quantum of Solace' With IGN

WARNING: Minor character spoilers

Olga Kurylenko, who’ll be starring as leading Bond girl Camille in Quantum of Solace, took some time with IGN to discuss how she landed the role, the ‘feisty’ character, and the rather intense training required for this James Bond film.

‘First I went for general casting in Paris, then I got invited for an audition in London, then I did the final audition with Daniel [Craig],’ said Kurylenko when asked how she had gotten the role of Camille. ‘I just worked very hard. I worked non-stop with an accent coach because I have to speak with a South American accent, as she’s from Bolivia.’

‘[Camille] is a strong, feisty, independent woman. She is out there on her mission, driven by revenge.’ According to the 7 January press release, Camille ‘challenges Bond and helps him come to terms with the emotional consequences of Vesper’s betrayal.’

Describing her character’s relationship with Daniel Craig’s 007, Kurylenko said: ‘In the beginning they come as opponents, but at a certain point they have to collaborate. They go through a lot of things together.’

‘A Bond girl must be a strong and independent woman, but at the same time charming and sensual. Those opposite qualities combined together make her interesting. She must be strong but at the same time feminine.’ – Olga Kurylenko on the perfect Bond girl

Kurylenko had previously stated that her role in the film will be quite physical and requires some fairly extensive training. ‘I’m going to be doing a lot of physical work–there’s so much action involved,’ she said. ‘I haven’t had such heavy training for any other movie before. I’m training non-stop from the morning to the evening. I’m learning a lot of new things that I didn’t know how to do before.’

‘I do fighting, stunts for fight scenes, I do body-flight, which is very physical–everything hurts after that. You come out of the tunnel and your whole body hurts. Work with weapons, car driving–it’s a real action movie.’

When asked if there were any specific weapons for Camille, she replied: ‘I’ve tried a few, but I hadn’t tried an automatic machine-gun before and that’s pretty impressive. But mainly guns.’

‘Who doesn’t want to be a Bond girl?’, was the simple answer to why she wanted the role.

‘Doing Bond is an amazing experience–I’ve seen other Bond movies and I liked them. I loved the last one, and Daniel Craig is my favourite Bond. I was looking forward to participating–it’s got a great plot, great action, and they choose people really carefully. Now that I’ve got here I see that there’s a lot of preparation goes into it and it’s like a family. It’s an amazing experience.’

For more, including how her life has changed since landing the role in Quantum of Solace and the stereotypes of being a Bond girl, visit IGN for the complete interview with Olga Kurylenko.

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

Mathieu Amalric On Being A Bond Baddie

WARNING: Minor character spoilers

Following up their interview with Gemma Arterton, IGN had a chance to speak with Mathieu Amalric on the Quantum of Solace set to discuss how he got the role as villain ‘Dominic Greene.’

‘I prefer to be James Bond in real life. We all try to be him–a great guy, always strong–but since Casino Royale you can see that Daniel is trying to bring James Bond back to humanity. Something that has to do with feelings.’ – Mathieu Amalric

‘We’ve only just started shooting and at the moment I’m doing a lot of rehearsing for the stunts, which means there might be a fight,’ started Amalric. ‘Sometimes the villain sends his bodyguard, but this time, there is a fight. It’s awkward because, what I like when I discover James Bond films is not to know anything, so it would be disgraceful for the public if I tell you who this guy is because it’s part of the suspense.’

Amalric goes on to explain that Greene is a more complicated villain and not merely some bad guy ‘on a secret island who wants to destroy the world.’

‘Well there are a lot of villains around today. We are all villains, no? When you see Casino Royale there’s the fantasy of Bond, but it’s also realistic–it could happen. For example, what’s happening in economics today–where are the villains? We don’t even know. They are more like a gas–you don’t know where it is. Before you had something to help you look like a villain–a jaw full of metal, an eye that bleeds–something, but I don’t.’

‘That’s a mystery also,’ replied Amalric when asked how he landed the role in Quantum of Solace. ‘What am I doing here? I think I’m here because Marc Forster likes actors. We’ve already shot three days and I really feel that the guy is so happy to have these actors. He’s shooting what happens on the faces.’

‘We had this idea that maybe James Bond would be more surprised if the villain doesn’t know how to fight. Sometimes with anger you can be much more dangerous than with skill…’ – Mathieu Amalric on villain ‘Dominic Greene’

When asked if he was at all worried about only being remember for this high-profile James Bond film, Amalric stated: ‘It’s funny you should ask that because I talked with Max Von Sydow, who was in The Diving Bell and the Butterfly, and who was a villain in a James Bond film [Never Say Never Again]. And in Munich I played opposite Michael Lonsdale, who was also a villain [in Moonraker].’

‘I asked Michael, and he continued to play afterwards in very different sorts of roles. He said the pleasure is to be where you’re not supposed to be. I think the pleasure of being an actor is to have the opportunity to use all the facets that we all have in our heads, no?’

Be sure to head over to IGN for the complete interview with Mathieu Amalric.

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

'Quantum of Solace' Natural Resource Revealed?

WARNING: Plot spoilers

While the official plot synopsis for Quantum of Solace detailed the general plot of the film, one line in particular has been a point of discussion for several James Bond fans on the CommanderBond.net Forums:

On a mission that leads him to Austria, Italy and South America, Bond discovers that Greene, conspiring to take total control of one of the world’s most important natural resources…

What exactly is this natural resource? Several unusual ideas have been brought up, but Gemma Arterton may have revealed the answer, according to a Reuters report.

When asked by reporters if she could talk about the plot of Quantum of Solace, the Bond girl gave little away apart from saying her character, Agent Fields, meets 007 in Bolivia, and that there is ‘a lot of oil’ involved.

Arterton also explained how each copy of the script for Quantum of Solace was individually named, so that should one go missing, the studio would be able to identify the guilty party.

‘You have to work out what you can and cannot say,’ she said. ‘It’s quite hard for me who has a bit of a motor mouth. I’ve been learning for the last six months to think before I speak.’

Arterton previously mentioned that her character ‘sort of comes to a sticky end.’

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