CommanderBond.net
  1. 'Bond 22' Unlikely For Campbell

    By righty007 on 2006-07-15

    A friend went down to Pinewood to see a friend who works there – not on the Bond film I hasten to add. Said friend bumped into Campbell near the offices and asked if he was going to return for 22. In no uncertain terms, he said he wasn’t. Reason being, he is very tired and this film has been very hard work. While I realise things can change, if the film is successful and powers want people back, money can be a great inducive. But this is very much ‘of the moment’.

    Simon – CBn Forums

    This news makes the Daily Mail rumour of Roger Michell directing Bond 22 very possible.

  2. 007 Stage Video On Official Casino Royale Site

    By Devin Zydel on 2006-07-14
    Teaser Poster

    Official ‘Casino Royale’ Teaser Poster

    As production continues on the 21st James Bond film, Casino Royale, the official website has been updated with a new video.

    The video (which runs for about a minute or two) covers the construction of one of the new sets to feature in the film at the famed 007 Stage at Pinewood Studios, England. It can be accessed at the official website, click on the left card on the main menu and then ‘Video.’

    Stay tuned to CBn for all the latest news on Casino Royale and all things James Bond 007.

    Casino Royale is the 21st James Bond 007 film produced by franchise holders Eon Productions. The MGM/Columbia Pictures production began shooting in January and is due for release worldwide on 17 November 2006. Starring Daniel Craig as James Bond, it is currently being filmed in the Czech Republic, the Bahamas, Italy and the UK.

    The film co-stars Eva Green, Mads Mikkelsen, Jeffrey Wright, Judi Dench, Giancarlo Giannini, Caterina Murino, Simon Abkarian, Tobias Menzies, Ivana Milicevic, Clemens Schick, Ludger Pistor, Claudio Santamaria, and Isaach De Bankole.

    Related ‘Casino Royale’ Articles

    Casino Royale Main Page

    Casino Royale Latest News

    Casino Royale International Release Dates

    Casino Royale Cast & Production Updates

  3. Pre-order 'Bond On Set: Casino Royale'

    By Devin Zydel on 2006-07-12

    As the premiere of Casino Royale gets closer, so does the release dates for the many 007-themed tie-in books. Bond On Set: Casino Royale is now available to pre-order discounted on amazon.com.

    The book follows the 2002 release of Bond On Set: Die Another Day in that it will feature photography from the James Bond set by Greg Williams. The full blurb follows: ‘Featuring the debut of a brand-new Bond and set in a number of spectacular European locations, Casino Royale is the latest addition to the most successful film series ever made. Working alongside cast and crew, premier showbiz photographer Greg Williams creates a unique visual record of the making of the movie.’

    Running at 128 pages, it will be published by DK and released on 16 October 2006. Cover art can be viewed on amazon.com.

    Keep watching CBn for all the latest news on Casino Royale and all things James Bond 007.

  4. Pierce Brosnan Serves As Ambassador for Lee National Denim Day

    By Devin Zydel on 2006-07-12

    Pierce Brosnan, honorary chair of the Entertainment Industry Foundation (EIF), will be serving as ambassador for Lee National Denim Day. The event helps to bring more awareness to the fight against breast cancer and encourage people nationwide to participate. The full report from Prime Zone follows:

    As honorary chair of the Entertainment Industry Foundation (EIF), Pierce Brosnan, international movie star, producer, artist and activist, has added another title to his list-ambassador for Lee National Denim Day. In this powerful new role, Brosnan will help bring more awareness to the fight against breast cancer and encourage people nationwide to participate in Denim Day.

    Pierce Brosnan, serving as the 2006 Ambassador for Lee National Denim Day and Honorary Chairman of the Entertainment Industry Foundation, encourages everyone to don denim October 6, while pledging a $5 donation to support innovative breast cancer research.

    A photo accompanying this release is available at http://www.primezone.com/newsroom/prs/?pkgid=2712

    In a new public service campaign that kicks off the second decade of Lee National Denim Day, Brosnan urges men and women across the country to don denim on October 6, while pledging a $5 donation to support innovative breast cancer research. The fundraising program has raised more than $61 million to support breast cancer programs, and this next decade brings a chance to do even more.

    “I’m proud to join Lee Jeans and the Entertainment Industry Foundation in this tremendously important battle to eliminate breast cancer from all our lives,” said Brosnan. “Lee National Denim Day is an easy way for friends and colleagues to unite in support of a groundbreaking scientific project to detect breast cancer in its earliest stage.”

    Proceeds from Lee National Denim Day will benefit the Women’s Cancer Programs of EIF. Funds will be used to help accelerate treatment research and increase patient access to some of the most significant clinical trials in the nation, as well as continue to support grassroots programs across the country.

    “Lee National Denim Day participants should be incredibly proud of what we have accomplished together the last ten years,” said Liz Cahill, director of advertising and public relations for Lee Jeans. “We couldn’t be more excited to launch the second decade of Denim Day with our new charitable partner EIF, with a commitment to fund some of the most important early detection and treatment research that exists, and with Mr. Brosnan’s help, we know people nationwide will be inspired to act.”

    Brosnan, who has lost dear friends to breast cancer, has been a longtime supporter of the cause and currently serves as Honorary Chairman of EIF. As the 2006 Lee National Denim Day ambassador, Brosnan will appear in a national public service campaign and program materials with the hope of raising awareness about breast cancer and the exciting new developments that can have an impact on the millions affected by the disease each year.

    Companies, schools or organizations that register by visiting www.denimday.com or calling 1.800.521.5533 will receive a comprehensive participation kit, which includes educational materials about breast cancer in addition to supplies for easy coordination.

    Last year, more than 29,000 companies across the nation participated in the single day fundraiser. More than $8.6 million was raised for the fight against breast cancer.

    Lee(r) Jeans is a division of VF Corporation. (NYSE:VFC). Headquartered in Merriam, Kan., Lee manufactures and markets brand denim, casual pants, shirts, fleece and knit apparel. A brand committed to the community, Lee Jeans founded Lee National Denim Day(r), the largest single-day fundraiser for breast cancer. VF Corporation is a leader in branded apparel including jeanswear, outdoor products, intimate apparel, image apparel and sportswear. Its principal brands include Lee(r), Wrangler(r), Riders(r), Rustler(r), Vanity Fair(r), Vassarette(r), Bestform(r), Lily of France(r), Nautica(r), John Varvatos(r), JanSport(r), Eastpak(r), The North Face(r), Vans(r), Reef(r), Napapijri(r), Kipling(r), Lee Sport(r) and Red Kap(r).

    The Entertainment Industry Foundation (EIF), as a leading charitable organization of the entertainment industry, has distributed hundreds of millions of dollars to support charitable initiatives addressing critical health, education and social issues.

    EIF is committed to saving lives by raising awareness about the importance of early detection of breast and reproductive cancers, and providing funds to advance early detection and treatment research, as well as support to community programs that assist the millions of women and their families at risk of or affected by cancer.

    Through EIF’s National Women’s Cancer Research Alliance and EIF’s Revlon Run/Walk For Women, EIF funds some of the most promising research being conducted today to develop new and more effective approaches to the treatment of women’s cancers. EIF grants have helped accelerate research that has contributed to the development of a breakthrough gene treatment called Herceptin(r), the first successful drug that seeks out a particular gene found in one of three cases of the most aggressive form of breast cancer. EIF grants have also supported other state-of-the-art therapies bringing new and innovative treatment approaches to breast cancer worldwide.

    More recently, EIF launched its Women’s Cancer Research Fund. Focused on early detection of cancer, the initiative is supporting EIF’s Breast Cancer Biomarker Discovery Project — an ambitious, groundbreaking scientific project where a group of internationally recognized scientists and clinicians from some of the best scientific institutions in the world are collaborating to develop a blood test that will detect breast cancer in its beginning stages, when survival rates are highest.

    For questions about EIF’s women’s cancer programs and information about breast cancer, visit eifoundation.org or call 800-426-0010.

    Join Lee Jeans, Pierce Brosnan and the Entertainment Industry Foundation in the fight against breast cancer. Wear denim on October 6th, and make a $5 contribution to benefit local breast cancer prevention services, and advance groundbreaking early detection and treatment research at leading cancer centers nationwide. To sign up, call 1-800-521-5533 or visit www.denimday.com .

    The photo is also available at NewsCom, www.newscom.com, and via AP PhotoExpress.

    Prime Zone

    Keep watching CBn for all the latest news on Casino Royale and all things James Bond 007.

  5. Sir Roger Moore Attends J8 Youth Forum

    By Devin Zydel on 2006-07-11

    Sir Roger Moore, UNICEF goodwill ambassador, attended the J8 Youth Forum in St. Petersburg on 8 July 2006. Pictures from the event can be viewed on the official Roger Moore website and on the CBn forums. The full report follows:

    Ann M. Veneman, UNICEF Executive Director, Carel de Rooy, UNICEF Representative in Russia, Lady Kristina and Roger Moore, the famous James Bond and UNICEF’s goodwill ambassador, went to St Petersburg on July 8, 2006.

    This visit is testament to the significance of the J8 forum: for the first time in its history J8 Summit participants will be able to meet G8 leaders. At last year’s Junior 8 Summit in Scotland participants submitted a communique to the heads of the G8 countries but did not actually meet them.

    Young people from G8 countries opened the “Junior 8” in Pushkin, near St. Petersburg. With an agenda that parallels the G8 itself, they will have the opportunity to share their views directly with the world’s leaders.

    The Junior 8 has brought together more than 60 youths aged 13- 17, representing all G8 countries, to discuss what they think the G8 leaders should do about some of the most serious global issues.

    Hosted by the Russian Federation Government, in partnership with UNICEF, the Junior 8 will focus on the key themes of this year’s G8 agenda: Education, Energy Security and HIV/AIDS. The children will also discuss violence and other issues they see as priorities. Their recommendations will be presented to the G8 leadership.

    ‘The decisions that are made this week by the leaders of the G8 will affect the future, and the future is where we will all live the rest of our lives,’ said UNICEF Executive Director Ann M. Veneman, at the opening of the Junior 8.

    ‘In an increasingly global village, as we are drawn closer together both literally and figuratively, these young people represent not just the J8, but all countries around the world.’

    ‘It is important that the G8 leaders listen to the views of children, because the children will have to live with the decisions those leaders make,’ added UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador Sir Roger Moore, attending the launch of Junior 8.

    The participants include young people from each of the G8 member countries: Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the Russian Federation, UK and USA. The views of children from non-G8 countries, will be included via a series of videoconferences linking the Junior 8 to children from Asia, Africa, the Middle East and Latin America.

    The delegates attending the Junior 8 from all countries except Russia were selected through an essay competition organized by the Morgan Stanley International Foundation, with additional children selected by UNICEF. Russian participants won their places through a televised competition.

    The young participants will discuss key G8 agenda items.

    In UK, pupils from a Whitby school have taken part in an international ceremony to mark the start of the J8 Summit in St Petersburg, Russia. Eight Caedmon youngsters are representing the UK at the Junior G8 summit, which is running at the same time as world leaders gather for the G8 summit in the same city.

    The school was chosen after pupils submitted a brief of questions they would like to put to world leaders.They flew out to Russia last week.

    Headteacher Tony Hewitt said they had been overwhelmed by the way people had treated them.

    ‘We are being treated like royalty. The opening ceremony felt like we were at the Olympics,’ he said in a telephone call from St Petersburg.

    One of the pupils, James Goodall, was selected to represent the United Kingdom on an international delegations panel – and he ended up presenting a Caedmon School badge to the actor, Sir Roger Moore.

    Roger-Moore.com

    Keep watching CBn for all the latest news on Casino Royale and all things James Bond 007.

  6. Daniel Craig In Animated Film With Former Bond Villain

    By Devin Zydel on 2006-07-11

    Daniel Craig doesn’t just have a new James Bond role on his plate. He will be appearing in an animated film with a former Bond villain.

    PR Inside reports that new 007 Daniel Craig will be appearing alongside Jonathan Pryce (Elliot Carver in 1997’s Tomorrow Never Dies) in film noir cartoon Renaissance.

    Craig will be playing a missing persons cop Barthemely Karas in this black and white animated film which is set in 2054 in Paris, France. The film is set to premiere around the upcoming ComicCon convention in San Diego, California (20 – 23 July 2006).

    Stay tuned to CBn for all the latest James Bond news.

  7. The Modified Boeing 747 In 'Casino Royale'

    By Devin Zydel on 2006-07-11

    As production continues on the 21st James Bond film, Casino Royale, news has come in on the modified Boeing 747 aircraft which will feature in the film. The following report is from Flight International:

    Details are emerging of the aircraft to be used in the new James Bond film, which include a specially-modified former British Airways (BA) Boeing 747-200.

    Filming for Eon Productions / Sony Pictures’ Casino Royale, which features Daniel Craig as James Bond in his first mission as a “00” UK special agent, has been in progress since earlier this year. The 21st film in the franchise is a prequel to previous movies that sees Bond up against a villain who bankrolls international terrorism.

    Dunsfold Park airfield outside London has been the location of scenes replicating Miami airport at night. Virgin Atlantic Airways boss Sir Richard Branson has announced he will play a cameo role in the production and one aircraft seen flying in and out of the airfield is a Virgin Airbus A340-600. Additionally, two Air Atlantique Douglas DC-6 freighters have also been flying for the past three weeks, says a source at the airfield.

    However, most interest has been sparked by a decommissioned, modified 747, which has been transformed into a hybrid bomber (which can be viewed here).

    The non-flying aircraft, formerly G-BDXJ, but now badged with the fictional Hollywood registration N88892, was previously in the BA longhaul fleet and has also seen service with Atlanta Air Cargo. The aircraft will eventually be scrapped, but has been used by various film and television productions in the interim.

    Since being ferried empty a year ago from London Gatwick to the former Hawker aircraft factory airfield, where it landed on the officially closed 1,800m (6,000ft) runway, the aircraft has had its engines removed.

    For the Bond film, the two outer engines have been replaced with outboard wing tanks, while the inner engines have been replaced with mocked-up dual pylon-mounted engine pods under each wing near similar to those initially on the Boeing B-47 Stratojet.

    Organisers of Dunsfold Park’s annual vintage car and air show, Wings & Wheels, are hoping at least one of the aircraft featured in filming for the Bond film will be on show. Eon was not immediately available for comment.

    Flight International

    Be sure to check out CBn’s own Dunsfold Park Aerodrome set report as well.

    Stay tuned to CBn for all the latest news on Casino Royale and all things James Bond 007.

    Casino Royale is the 21st James Bond 007 film produced by franchise holders Eon Productions. The MGM/Columbia Pictures production began shooting in January and is due for release worldwide on 17 November 2006. Starring Daniel Craig as James Bond, it is currently being filmed in the Czech Republic, the Bahamas, Italy and the UK.

    The film co-stars Eva Green, Mads Mikkelsen, Jeffrey Wright, Judi Dench, Giancarlo Giannini, Caterina Murino, Simon Abkarian, Tobias Menzies, Ivana Milicevic, Clemens Schick, Ludger Pistor, Claudio Santamaria, and Isaach De Bankole.

    Related ‘Casino Royale’ Articles

    Casino Royale Main Page

    Casino Royale Latest News

    Casino Royale International Release Dates

    Casino Royale Cast & Production Updates

  8. Casino Royale – Official Website Report #9

    By Devin Zydel on 2006-07-11
    Teaser Poster

    Official ‘Casino Royale’ Teaser Poster

    The official Casino Royale website blog has been updated by ‘Yarborough.’ Coverage this time centers on the intense Madagascar construction site chase scene in the film between Daniel Craig’s 007 and Mollaka (played by free-runner Sebastien Foucan).

    The site of land in question belongs to Bahamian Ministry of Defence. According to the report, construction of a hotel was set to take place on the site, but it was left unfinished. Thanks to some further work from the James Bond crew, it works perfectly as their construction site location.

    According to stunt co-ordinator Gary Powell, Bond fans have been ‘swamped over recent years with CGI stuff and I think they are actually getting bored of it now. So to go back to the route of actually doing it for real is definitely more satisfying, and hopefully for the public too … they are actually seeing real people taking real chances.’ Read the entire report here on the official James Bond website.

    Stay tuned to CBn for all the latest news on Casino Royale and all things James Bond 007.

    Casino Royale is the 21st James Bond 007 film produced by franchise holders Eon Productions. The MGM/Columbia Pictures production began shooting in January and is due for release worldwide on 17 November 2006. Starring Daniel Craig as James Bond, it is currently being filmed in the Czech Republic, the Bahamas, Italy and the UK.

    The film co-stars Eva Green, Mads Mikkelsen, Jeffrey Wright, Judi Dench, Giancarlo Giannini, Caterina Murino, Simon Abkarian, Tobias Menzies, Ivana Milicevic, Clemens Schick, Ludger Pistor, Claudio Santamaria, and Isaach De Bankole.

    Related ‘Casino Royale’ Articles

    Casino Royale Main Page

    Casino Royale Latest News

    Casino Royale International Release Dates

    Casino Royale Cast & Production Updates

  9. Sir Sean Connery Signs 'Scotland' Book Deal

    By Devin Zydel on 2006-07-09

    Never say never… According to BBC News, Sir Sean Connery is set to write a book about his life and views of Scotland. The full report follows:

    Connery’s Scotland is expected to be published in September 2007 to mark the 300th anniversary of the Treaty of Union between Scotland and England.

    The 75-year-old actor will co-write his first major book along with author and film maker Murray Grigor.

    It is expected to be a mixture of memoir and Sir Sean’s take on Scots history and events.

    Sir Sean, who went on to become a star after beginning working life as an Edinburgh milkman, has already started the book.

    He said: “Our goal is to produce a very readable, visually stimulating and hopefully intriguing history of Scotland, with personal discoveries.”

    The book will draw on archive photographs and chapters will explore Scottish humour, literature, art, architecture and sport as well as focus on Sir Sean’s native Edinburgh.

    It will be released by publishers Canongate, an Edinburgh-based firm, and Polygon.

    Jamie Byng, publisher at Canongate, said: “We are absolutely thrilled to be publishing Connery’s Scotland.

    “Not only is it going to be a fascinating and revelatory book about Scotland, but Sir Sean is a natural storyteller with his own great story to tell.”

    BBC News

    Connery was recently awarded the American Film Institute’s (AFI) Lifetime Achievement Award on 8 June 2006.

    Keep watching CBn for all the latest news on Casino Royale and all things James Bond 007.

  10. Casino Royale Set Report: The Dunsfold Park Aerodrome

    By Guest writer on 2006-07-08

    Written by Mark Murphy

    CommanderBond.net recently received this set report from CBn forum user ‘marktmurphy’:

    CLICK IMAGES TO ENLARGE.

    ** MAY CONTAIN MINOR SPOILERS **
     

    Blow me down if a quick trip out of my office 40 mins drive out of London a couple of weeks ago didn’t get me all the way to Miami International Airport and back!

    That week I had the pleasure of that rarest of things—a sneaky peek at a James Bond film set! And, rather pleasingly, it happened that the crew had decided to shoot this particular scene—apparently one of the largest in the movie—just a few miles away from where I work in deepest, darkest Surrey at a small airfield many viewers around the world will already be familiar with as home to the BBC’s Top Gear motoring show: Dunsfold Park.

    IMAGE: 'CR' Sign

    A ‘CR’ sign

    IMAGE: Aerial image of Dunsfold Park

    Aerial image of Dunsfold Park

    For a few weeks now I’ve been getting glimpses of those little flurorescent signs film crews pin to signposts to direct other members of their unit to shooting locations: you’ve probably seen them but missed their use as they often use cryptic letters and words rather than stating their intentions clearly (presumably to stop gaupers like me getting in the way!), for example ‘UNIT LOC’ or ‘BASE’. But these particular signs have ‘CR’ written on them, and for us lot that can only mean one thing: James Bond’s here!

    After following the trail of CR signs from Guildford you arrive at Dunsfold Park, a smallish airfield but one whose celebrity status means a bit of security on the gate. Luckily I did actually have a valid reason to be there, so once past security a quick look around makes it clear quiet early on that there’s a film crew here from the proliferation of lighting lorries and stunt vehicles (‘Action Vehicles’ based out of Shepperton were present judging by their lorry) and moving over to the easternmost of the airfield’s three runways it becomes apparent that they’re shooting right here. For one, the runways is covered in lorries, lighting trucks and a couple of camera cranes—hopefully present to catch some more epic high angles on some thrilling action! The runway has grown a lengthy line of impressive halogen lampposts, each over 40ft high, which makes the whole area seem like a much more professional outfit; although you can tell they’re not real from the fact they’re all powered by generators on the ground and that they only run in a couple of spots. Plus I’m not convinced a large runway would actually have lampposts that near, but… This area has also been dressed with the sort of paraphenalia you see at the very end of large international runways—a V-section of lights raised on a frame to indicate to planes where the runway begins, plus large red and white barricades. Presumably there’s some action right on the edge of the runway for our man James! Other additions the crew have made include dressing what must be a bit of a bonus for making a small airfield seem like an international airport—Dunsfold’s own 747 Jumbo jet. They’ve given this fuel tanks to make it appear more functional than it actually is and added rather strange double engines where normally there’d be only one, plus the background is bolstered even more with the addition of an Air Atlanticque Douglas DC6—a relatively small passenger propeller-driven plane which feels in keeping with the Miami location. With these in the background the illusion should be helped somewhat.

    IMAGE: Boeing 'Prototype' IMAGE: Boeing 'Prototype' IMAGE: Boeing 'Prototype' and DC6

    The ‘prototype’ Boeing 747 that will be featured prominently in Casino Royale

    The previous week I’ve been lead to understand the crew were filming on one of the other runways, and vehicles had been tearing up and down the runway as part of the sequence: apparently they were at the time entering their third week of a five week presence. The most obvious item which told of the locations use was the line of baggage carts, each bearing the red ‘MIA’ logo, whose contents had been spilled across the runway, perhaps in the previous night’s action (a big part of making the place look realistic is apparently the fact that the scene is being shot at night—I was told it looked amazing when all lit up).

    IMAGE:  IMAGE:  IMAGE:

    Baggage marked ‘MIA’ of the runway at Dunsfold Park

    Event-wise a Virgin Airbus had made a landing the previous weekend (which ties with a similar plane arriving at the Prague Ruzyne Airport, also doubling for Miami, which had road signs and palm trees laid on) and, in a rather spoilerlicious bit of info, I was told they were planning to drive a Mercedes through an articulated bus of the type often seen ferrying passengers around an airport the week after. This week just gone saw the local residents warned about a small number of explosions and Chris Corbould, the effects supervisor, has recently been talking about blowing up a 757! Who knows what’s going on there!

    IMAGE:  IMAGE:  IMAGE: Aerail image of Dunsfold Park

    The runway at Dunsfold Park

    All in all a fun hour or two out of the office; you can’t imagine how hard it is driving past a sign telling you to go to see James Bond filming on your way to work every morning! I’ve included some pics, which aren’t terribly sexy and packed full of Aston Martins and 007 himself, but should give you an idea of the place.

    And incidentally, for all you Top Gear fans; yes we did drive down the runway as fast as we could!