CBn Reviews 'From Russia With Love'

Over the last several months, members of the CBn Forum have been reviewing all the James Bond films in the “Countdown Threads“. If you wish to join in on the forum discussion all you have to do is register. Now here are some select reviews, varying in opinions, of From Russia With Love…

‘From Russia With Love’ -by Qwerty

‘From Russia With Love’ litho by Jeff Marshall

From Russia With Love is one of those taut thrillers with such a well put together cast, that it rarely lets up until the very end of the film. Sean Connery is James Bond all the way in this film and performances like this one are surely some of the best in the series.

The film’s best point is the cast. The villains simply shine. Ernst Stavro Blofeld: faceless, intimidating, and calm, in my opinion the very best incarnation of the character in any film in this movie series. Rosa Klebb is also terrific as the toad-like, cold-hearted Colonel and master planner Kronsteen emits a quiet, but powerful menace that one has to respect. That said, there is naturally the renowned Red Grant by Robert Shaw. A terrific performance for a perfect enemy.

The score is a great improvement from the previous film, the 007 Theme can never go wrong. The direction is sharp with great editing and an extremely well thought out plot. One of the most gripping thrillers in the series, no wonder fans want another From Russia With Love.

‘From Russia With Love’ -by Scottlee

The first of what I consider to be a group of 6 Bond films that were all “Sheer perfection”. Wonderful adaptation of a great story, and the train sequence proves you don’t need big effects to put a cinema-goer on the edge of the seat. Perfect casting all round, and great editing from Hunt. A joy to watch.

‘From Russia With Love’ -by SPECTRE ASSASSIN

The second Bond film in the series ranks in my top list of the 007 pics, and one of my favorite movies in general. Masterfully directed by Terence Young, and expertly written by Dick Maibaum, From Russia With Love is the grittiest and most suspenseful-packed to ever grace the cinema screen. The cast is top-notch, especially Robert Shaw, as SPECTRE killer Red Grant, who practically steals the show from the start, and Sean Connery’s relaxed, rasping portrayal of James Bond is so good it puts Pierce Brosnan to shame. I just love everything about this film, it’s so entertaining in every aspect that whenever I watch it, it brings me glee that day. It’s that impact that makes cinema grand.

‘From Russia With Love’ -by Tarl_Cabot

#1

Because it’s a spy thriller! It’s also totally plausible and yet still enormously entertaining. Sean Connery is in his prime. The locales, the supporting players, music just ooze coolness and classic cinema. The fight with Red Grant is legendary. Also that element of bizzare that Bond is famous for is apparent: We’ve never really seen middle aged, female lesbian villian henchman before. Only in a Bond film the spy world is full of charcaters where noone is who they appear to be.

‘From Russia With Love’ -by tdalton

From Russia With Love is without a doubt the best Bond film when it comes to plot and intrigue. The idea behind it is so simple: Bond is ordered to recover the Soviet Lektor decoding device, while SPECTRE is trying to trap Bond and ultimately assassinate him.

This is Connery’s best outing as James Bond, and is the best single performance by an actor portraying James Bond. Connery was good as Agent 007 in Dr. No, but in From Russia With Love, he truly makes the character his own. He grasps the humorous elements of the character better (although there is not much of this present in the film, when it does occur, he does it quite well), he displays a physicality about him that is much more refined than it had been in Dr. No.

You really do have to hand it to the producers as well for assembling the best supporting cast in a Bond film. Robert Shaw is just simply fantastic as Red Grant, the SPECTRE assassin. He commands the attention of the audience every second he is on the screen, and when he is face to face with Bond on the Orient Express, the audience truly gets the feeling that they are watching two titans of their craft trying to outsmart the other and eventually gain ultimate victory. Lotte Lenya is excellent as Rosa Klebb. She is also another one of the truly menacing Bond villians in the series.

Daniela Bianchi is a true delight to watch on screen as the SPECTRE agent Tatiana Romanova who is assigned to seduce Bond and lead him into the hands of the assassins. She eventually falls for Bond and does not want him harmed. The chemistry between Bianchi and Connery is unmatched by any other Bond girl-Bond chemistry in the entire series.

It may sound as though, from this review, that I think that From Russia With Love is the best of the Bond films. Not true, but it is close. From Russia With Love does drag in some parts of the film, but it makes up for the few slow parts with some magnificent scenes. The fight between Grant and Bond in the train car is one of the best fights ever filmed. It is extremely violent, and one can tell just from watching it that it took a lot of hard work and preparation to put that scene together, and it clicks with the audience quite well. You truly get the sense from that scene that Grant and Bond hate eachother, and rightfully so. The finale when Rosa Klebb tries to kill Bond with her poison-tipped shoe is also another highlight.

From Russia With Love also represents one of the musical highlights of the series in John Barry’s score. It is a very sensual and compelling score that enhances the film without drawing attention away from the screen and to the score, as some non-Barry Bond scores have been known to do.

‘From Russia With Love’ -by trumanlodge89

This is the film that Connery became James Bond. Its just a real spy thriller. There’s no secret lair, theres no metal-toothed henchman. This movie gives us the first real taste of cinematic SPECTRE, but it is long before Blofeld became larger-than-life, or at all a self parody. The film does a great job of constantly building pressure constantly to the climactic meeting of Bond and Risa Klebb. Tania is perhaps my favorite Connery Bond Girl. Her near helplessness is almost endearing.

Love the visuals, love the music. I really enjoy this movie.

CBn Reviews 'Dr. No'

Over the last several months, members of the CBn Forum have been reviewing all the James Bond films in the “Countdown Threads“. If you wish to join in on the forum discussion all you have to do is register. Now here are some select reviews, varying in opinions, of Dr. No…

‘Dr. No’ -by freemo

‘Dr. No’ litho by Jeff Marshall

Fifth place in my “all-Connery Top Six” goes to Dr. No. This film seems to have alot more bite to it than future films would. It’s slick and sharp with lots of danger and sex and dark humour, everything a Bond film should have. I think I read somewhere that at the time the Catholic Church described the film as “satanic”. Damn, these were the days.

While still refinded and sophicated and all that, Bond is also rougher and tougher at times. The film also benefits from sticking closer to the book, even lifting dialouge from it. Top stuff.

‘Dr. No’ -by Genrewriter

Like the other films in my bottom ten, this ranking is quite subjective as the film is excellent in pretty much every way imaginable. A great Bond Girl and villain along with some great iconic 007 moments make for a splendid introduction to the character. The only drawbacks for me are one or two lines of dialogue and the pacing seems to be a bit off towards the end.

‘Dr. No’ -by hrabb04

The first, the one that started it all, the one that introduced Ursula Undress to a lot of red blooded males. Dr. No is the weaker of the Terence Young Bonds. It’s not a bad movie, it’s just a bit rough around some of the edges considering it’s the first one in the series.

Sean Connery, as good as he is as Bond, doesn’t quite hit 100% in the role. He seems a bit unsure in some areas, but it’s not a distraction. The acting here is a long step away from the self-assuredness of his next Bonds. Ahhhh, Ursula. She isn’t called upon to do much, and that is fine. It’s the role, that’s how it was written. It doesn’t call for Meryl Streep. We want eye candy, and boy, oh, boy, do we get it! She’s a hottie! And when Bond gets to play tonsil hockey with her in that boat, a lot of us guys were sitting there watching very enviously, wishing we could get Ursula…even in the back of a Studabaker would be fine!

Joseph Wiseman plays Dr. No like a robot, making him very inhuman, with his cold voice and metal hands. It could be the precursor to Ralph Nader–I mean, Darth Vader–with his mechanical villainy. Jack Lord is perfect as Felix Leiter, one of the few times EON has gotten the part right. Guy Hamilton sure as hell didn’t know how to cast the part! Jack Lord is tough as nails and straight to the point, the JFK CIA era man!

John Barry is a God among film composers. He saved the James Bond Theme. Monty Norman’s score here sounds like a piece from a 1930s serial. If you like that sort of thing, fine, but when you have Bond, it calls for something more. Norman is one of the luckiest men in the world. He’s a mediocre composer who will always be credited with one of the best, most recognizable themes around.

For what it’s worth, I always get a lump in my throat at the beginning of Dr. No when the beeps start up. Why, you ask? Because this is when things started. Yes, I know, it all really started about 10 years prior, but this is when things really took off.

Terence Young is proof that they don’t make them like they used to. He was James Bond, basically, and he infused everything in his Bond films with everything it needed. Bond was the guy Fleming created, but with more oomph. All in all, a damned good Bond film.

‘Dr. No’ -by Moonraker

It is a memorable film, but it is very dated compared to today. Dr. No, Bond, and Honey Ryder are excellent, but the movie is not interesting at some points and the music isn’t that spectacular (except the Bond Theme of course). My biggest complaint is Dr. No’s screen time, not enough time to delve into his character. Honey Ryder was excellent, beautiful and interesting too. Of cource it’s dated but then you half to think of the 1 million dollar budget or so. Its a good film, nothing really horrible about it, set the series off on high note, but some films had better quality.

‘Dr. No’ -by Qwerty

Dr. No is an all around good James Bond, it really doesn’t have any large problems with it. It’s just never become the Bond film that I truly love, or something of that nature. Sean Connery is excellent in the role. He plays the role terrifically, and the rest is history.

Joseph Wiseman and Ursula Andress are standouts in their respected categories, and both have some very good scenes in the film. If I have a minor quibble, it’s the music of the film, but Barry quickly showed in the following films, how some great 007 music sounds.

‘Dr. No’ -by Turn

Another film I can only imagine the reaction to in retrospect. Here comes a new hero into a world dominated by cowboy, private eye and war hero types. Only Bond was an early sort of anti-hero, which would be a popular ’60s variation on the traditional John Wayne type of good guy.

How anybody can tell me anything in the Brosnan films is gritty after seeing Dr. No will never fly with me. The violence is unsettling and done in a way that had to be radical for its time. From the stark execution of Strangways and is secretary to the photographer scraping her bulb across Quarrel’s face to Bond eliminating the guard in the swamp to No’s guard’s “softening” Bond up, this is hard stuff. But it also counterbalance’s Bond’s brutality and his need for a license to kill.

I really like the way Dr. No is handled. For the first 2/3rds of the film, he is just a voice and his name seems to strike fear in everybody. And when we meet him it pays off, unlike Blofeld in YOLT 5 years later. When was the last time a villain did that in a Bond film? The dialogue at the dinner table between No and Bond is classic.

Andress is simply stunning. Her entrance along with Bond’s intro are two of the best in cinema history in one film. Jack Lord is a fitting Felix and Quarrel is a decent secondary character. While this was hardly the definitive Bond showcase, it’s a good start as Connery shows early evidence of why he will always be the definitive Bond — tough, sexually agressive and clever.

The film feels strange in relation to the rest of the series. I can’t imagine how a newbie would react to it after seeing the hyper energy of the later films. It often feels much more like a hard-boiled detective story than a spy story. There are several interesting scenes where Bond is alone — drinking, laying bait, investigating — you don’t see anymore. The scene after he kills the spider is especially weird to see these days. But there are several images I have remembered for years that I remember as a kid, like the climb through the tunnel and the dragon tanks, etc. The score (aside from the Bond theme) doesn’t help, but I’ll be if Underneath the Mango Tree doesn’t stay stuck in my head after I hear it here.

Not the best or most definitive Bond film, but one I find more interesting as the years go by.

"It definitely will not be Pierce Brosnan"

“We haven’t even started preproduction. There is no James Bond yet cast. All we can confirm is that it definitely will not be Pierce Brosnan, the film will be called ‘Casino Royale’, it is being written by Neal Purvis and Robert Wade and it will be directed by Martin Campbell. If you want anything more, ring back in a couple of months.”

– Eon spokesperson

In three short sentences, speaking to the UK’s Guardian Unlimited, an Eon spokesperson summed up the current status of Casino Royale and categorically stated that Pierce Brosnan is out as James Bond.

Pierce Brosnan

Despite denial from Pierce Brosnan’s people, rumours of a potential return to the role of 007 have continued to circulate in the media in recent weeks (Mr. Kiss Kiss Bang Bang! recently reported on some of the latest articles on that front).

While this only confirms the suspicions of most Bond fans in that the latest round of Brosnan rumours were poppycock, this is perhaps the most forward Eon has been to date regarding the Brosnan Axed saga. In the only news release to emerge from the production company, Eon played their cards close to their chest, simply stating, “No decision has yet been made regarding casting for the role of ‘James Bond'”. Interviews with director Campbell, writers Purvis and Wade and composer David Arnold had all indicated Brosnan was out, but Eon themselves had never been overly forward in saying a fifth film for Brosnan was out of the question.

With articles quoting representatives from the production company emerging more frequently, Eon spokespeople have been slightly more vocal in recent times, after more than a year of hearing next to nothing from the company. So, why the slight change of tact? In the past couple of months, the Bond rumour pot has boiled over, with a new candidate alledgedly being considered by the production company every other day. From a PR standpoint, any publicity’s good publicity, but when the rumours are being run as fact, as has been the case in recent times, a bit of damage control on Eon’s behalf would not go astray.

Indeed, The Guardian feature claims there is a list posted at Eon’s office of 72 names that have been mentioned by British newspapers as being linked to the role, two of which are women, and one of which is a dwarf. Not the sort of publicity Eon would be after.

Based on Ian Fleming’s first novel of the same name, the current Casino Royale script explores Bond’s formative years at MI6.

The Bond #6 hunt is truly on! Discuss this latest news in this thread on the CBn Forums.

Related Articles:

• Eon Stay Silent on Speculation
• A Date at ‘Casino Royale’
• ‘Royale’ Revelations from Purvis & Wade
• Dench Confirms Jan/Feb ’06 Start Date for ‘Casino Royale’
• Campbell Chats ‘Casino’
• EON CONFIRMS CAMPBELL AND ‘CASINO ROYALE’!
• LICENCE REVOKED

Eon Stay Silent on Speculation

Ever since it became clear back in February last year that something was awry behind the scenes of Casino Royale – then James Bond 21 – the media has been spouting potential 007 replacements left, right and centre. In the process, Eon’s juggernaut film franchise has been absorbing the most press it has had in years.

Eon has remained tight-lipped throughout the whole affair, maintaining that casting for the role of 007 will take place in due time. Yet the Bond rumour pot has inexplicably boiled over in the past fortnight or so, as tabloids continue to churn out “next Bond” stories with names attached ranging from Julian McMahon and Orlando Bloom to Clive Owen, whose cryptic comments last week sent the Bond community into a frenzy. Latest Internet rumours even suggest Pierce Brosnan may return after all, despite a year’s worth of news indicating otherwise.

However, after one Bond rumour too many (this time, a Daniel Craig one), BBC News contacted Eon, whose spokesperson put the matter to rest and commented that no announcement is imminent.

“We’re waiting for our director to finish the film he’s currently working on,” said the spokesperson, referring to Martin Campbell, who is currently wrapping The Legend of Zorro. “Then I’m sure we’ll be commenting a lot on all sorts of things.”

The Zorro sequel is currently in post-production aiming for an October 2005 release date. Whenever Campbell moves onto Casino Royale is anyone’s guess, but sources close to CBn indicated in February that Sony wanted Campbell to wrap on The Legend of Zorro by mid-July and start work on the new Bond picture immediately.

Casino Royale is tentatively scheduled for release on 17 November 2006.

Eon may be staying silent, but the fans certainly aren’t! Join the discussion in this thread on the CBn Forums.
Thanks to “Jim” for the tip-off.

UPDATE: In an article discussing the state of the James Bond franchise, Variety contacted Pierce Brosnan’s reps who have denied any talks are taking place for him to return to the role of 007.

Meanwhile, as the Daniel Craig fire spreads through media sources over the world, convinced it’s a done deal, ThisisLondon reports that a spokesperson for the actor has denied the rumours.

Likewise, Orlando Bloom, who has been linked in the press to a series of Bond films based on the new Young Bond novels by Charlie Higson, has issued the most emphatic denial of them all. Says Bloom, “I’m not doing Young James Bond. No, no, no. It’s funny, my cousin called me up, he said, ‘Is there something you’re not telling me? That you’re playing James Bond? I just saw it on CNN.’ I was like, ‘Dude, my manager, my agent have never mentioned it to me, so not to date. Young or old, it had never been mentioned to me. I don’t know where that came from but I can tell you that I’ve never heard a whiff of it, not a whiff.”

The Clive Conundrum

In the Bond world today, a Clive Owen interview clip on IESB is receiving a lot of attention. This interview was recorded yesterday at the Sin City movie premiere at Mann’s National Theater in Westwood, CA. The transcript of the James Bond-related questions reads as follows…

Q: Have you found that you have been getting more movie offers?

Clive Owen: Ya, I look like I’m going to be busy for a little while, which I’m very happy about.

Q: Yes to Bond or no to Bond?

Clive Owen: Sorry?

Q: Bond, James Bond?

Clive Owen: I’m pretty busy for a while.

Q: Are their any truths in James Bond rumours then?

Clive Owen: I’m pretty busy for a while.

“View IESB Clip – 1.34MB” (Windows Media Player)

James Bond fans seem to be split on what Clive Owen actually meant by his answer. Is he hiding something or is he truly just not interested in the role of 007?

To add to the discussion is another interview conducted by Charlie Rose, which aired last night on PBS. In this interview, Clive Owen gives an answer about his 007 involvement which is much less “opaque”.

Charlie Rose: What’s next for you?

Clive Owen: I’m really not sure. I think I know what I’m doing but nothing’s been absolutely locked off.

Charlie Rose: It’s nothing you can talk about?

Clive Owen: No. Exactly.

Charlie Rose: And all this talk about Bond?

*long moment of silence*

Clive Owen: All this talk about Bond. That’s all it is.

Charlie Rose: It’s all talk?

Clive Owen: Ya, it is all talk.

Charlie Rose: Nobody called you up and said would you…

Clive Owen: Never. Totally unsubstantiated rumours. It’s been flying out there and I can understand why. I do BMW Films and race cars around and a croupier with a tuxedo. So I can understand why that thing’s there. But it’s complete sort of… it’s just been out there in tabloid land for a couple years.

The interview continued and Owen talked about how he’s more interested in doing a variety of roles. (see clip).

“View Charlie Rose Clip – 4.38MB” (Windows Media Player)

However, until Eon confirms anything the fans can only speculate.

Is Clive Owen hiding something or is he merely brushing off those persistent 007 rumours? Speculate in this thread on the CBn Forums!

A Date at 'Casino Royale'

In an article discussing the closure of the Sony / MGM deal, The Hollywood Reporter notes that the next instalment of the James Bond franchise, Casino Royale, is at the top of the list of MGM’s remaining productions, with a Friday 17 November 2006 release date being eyed.

While Dame Judi Dench confirmed earlier this month that production on the film would begin early next year, an exact date has not been known. Producers delayed the film last year from its original 2005 release date after failing to sign a director. Martin Campbell was announced for the project earlier this year.

The article mentions that the release date is a tentative one, however it does fit with the pattern of release dates for the Pierce Brosnan-era Bond pictures. Curiously, Brosnan’s first Bond film, GoldenEye, which Campbell also directed, was released in the US on Friday 17 November back in 1995.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, casting has not yet taken place for Casino Royale, with the role of James Bond still unfilled.

Based on Ian Fleming’s first novel of the same name, the current Casino Royale script explores Bond’s formative years at MI6.

Mark your calendars! To discuss this news, head over to this thread of the CBn Forums.

Related Articles:

• ‘Royale’ Revelations from Purvis & Wade
• Dench Confirms Jan/Feb ’06 Start Date for ‘Casino Royale’
• Campbell Chats ‘Casino’
• EON CONFIRMS CAMPBELL AND ‘CASINO ROYALE’!

Berry's 'Die Another Day' Dress For Auction

Halle Berry wearing the dress in Die Another Day

The Cinema and Television Benevolent Fund (CTBF) will be auctioning the designer dress worn by Halle Berry in Die Another Day. Pre-bidding is open for 10 days only from Monday 25th April 2005 and closes on Wednesday 4th May at 6:00pm.

All proceeds from the auction will go to The Cinema and Television Benevolent Fund. To learn more about the fund please visit CTBF.co.uk.

The dress is designed by Oscar winning costume designer, Lindy Hemming. Included is a signed photo of Halle Berry wearing the dress, and a souvenir brochure and poster from the Royal World Premiere of Die Another Day.

The winning bidder will be announced on Thursday 5 May at The Cinema and Television Benevolent Fund’s exclusive annual “London Party” themed fundraising event at the Intercontinental Hotel, Hyde Park. This year’s theme: “Carnival 2005“!

Professional auctioneers from Christies will be auctioning the lots along with a celebrity guest auctioneer. For a full list of items featured in the auction and how to place a bid, or To buy tickets for the London Party, please contact Shelly Pinner at [email protected] or call Tel: 020 7437 6567.

To discuss this auction visit this thread on the CBn Forum.

'Royale' Revelations from Purvis & Wade

Casino Royale screenwriters Neal Purvis and Robert Wade have given a rather candid interview about their script for the 21st James Bond film, dropping some exciting details of what to expect come 2006.

In the interview with Screen International, relayed through Mr. Kiss Kiss Bang Bang!, Purvis and Wade have confirmed that Casino Royale will be a “very faithful adaption” of Fleming’s novel, although updated for a modern audience. Whilst fans have been aware of the fact that the new film will be based upon Casino Royale since July last year, the true extent of Casino Royale as a basis for the new script has never really been known (fan speculation has varied from a full-blown adaption of Fleming’s novel to a loose adaption, as Fleming’s Moonraker was to Die Another Day).

Purvis and Wade also confirmed what director Martin Campbell had been quoted as saying last month, in that Casino Royale will see 007 on one of his first missions, being forged into the secret agent we all know. “The book is the story of the incident that actually forges James Bond as a secret agent,” Wade said. “There is a James Bond that everyone knows, but it would be nice just once to show how he got there.”

Discussing Fleming’s novel, Wade remarked that the book “doesn’t have the global vista and it doesn’t have the level of action with which the cinematic Bonds have become synonymous with. We’ve opened it up but tried to keep the action fairly contained, and of realistic proportions. And everything that we’ve done that expands on the book is providing a modern context for what happens.” Wade also commented that updating the novel was their “sleight of hand” and that they “can’t make it as a period piece”.

The duo also confirmed that the most iconic elements of Fleming’s novel are in the current incarnation of the script, including the infamous torture sequence (“If it is done the right way, there are going to be a lot of crossed legs in the cinema,” said Wade) and Bond’s final line of dialogue. The writers also commented that the action in Casino Royale would also take a step back, featuring a more realistic style of violence and fewer quips from Bond.

And no Casino Royale interview would be complete without a bit of “next Bond” speculation, with Purvis weighing in on recasting cinema’s most enduring action hero. “Pierce Brosnan is a very, very hard act to follow, so you need something very different. You don’t want to have Pierce-lite.”

Head on over to Mr. Kiss Kiss Bang Bang! for more of the interview, in which the writing team discuss Die Another Day, Jason Bourne and more.

Keep watching CBn for the latest news on Casino Royale.

Excited by the prospect of a Fleming-heavy Casino Royale? Longing for over-the-top action, instead? Weigh in with your opinion in this thread of the CBn Forums.
Thanks to CBn Forum member Alex Zamudio for the heads-up.

Related Articles:

• Dench Confirms Jan/Feb ’06 Start Date for ‘Casino Royale’
• Campbell Chats ‘Casino’
• EON CONFIRMS CAMPBELL AND ‘CASINO ROYALE’!

Dench Confirms Jan/Feb '06 Start Date for 'Casino Royale'

Dame Judi Dench, who in October announced she would be reprising her role as James Bond’s boss “M” in Casino Royale, confirmed in an interview with Steve Wright on BBC Radio 2 that production on the 21st James Bond film is due to start in January or early February 2006. This start date would indicate a Winter 2006 or Spring 2007 release.

Dame Judi Dench

Director Martin Campbell is expected to start pre-production on the film immeaditly after wrapping work on Sony’s The Legend of Zorro in June.

News of Dench’s return comes as a bit of surprise to some Bond fans who assumed that because Casino Royale will feature James Bond in his very first mission (this according to Martin Campbell), a new “M” would be mandatory. After all, Dench’s “M” has quite a history with Pierce Brosnan’s 007.

Dench was clearly “the new M” in 1995’s GoldenEye who famously pegged 007 as a “sexist misogynist dinosaur” in their first meeting. She was later saved by 007 after being kidnapped by the evil Electra King in 1999’s The World Is Not Enough. The “M”/Bond drama continued with Die Another Day (2002) in which “M” disavows 007 after he’s been captured while on a mission in North Korea, bringing the two into personal conflict…again.

It may seem a little strange to now have Dench’s familiar “M” sitting across from a freshly minted 007. Nevertheless, Dench has become somewhat of a hallmark of the series and Eon seems reluctant to let go of this excellent actress and Oscar winner.

It’s not yet known which if any other regular MI6 staffers will return. John Cleese had reportedly been signed to a multi-picture contract as gadget-master “Q.” Samantha Bond, on the other hand, recently said she would not return as Miss Moneypenny if Pierce Brosnan was not 007.

Despite many rumours, CBn can confirm that NO decsion has yet been made as to who will play James Bond.

Keep watching CBn for all the latest news on Casino Royale.

To discuss this news visit this thread in the CBn forums
Thanks to AJB forum member Walther, and CBn forum member Agent76 for the tip-off.

Related Articles:

• Dame Judi Dench To Reprise Her Role in Bond 21
• Campbell Chats ‘Casino’

Campbell Chats 'Casino'

In his first interview since Eon’s recent Bond 21 announcement, Casino Royale‘s director, Martin Campbell has delivered some tantalising hints of what we can expect in 007’s new cinematic adventure.

Martin Campbell

Talking to New York Daily News, Campbell, who previously helmed Pierce Brosnan’s debut Bond flick GoldenEye, strongly reinforced the “back to basics” approach Casino Royale will take.

According to Campbell, the new film will take the storyline from Fleming’s original novel – his first – and tweak it for a 2006 audience. “There are things that will have to be changed from the original novel. The Cold War elements will have to be reconfigured, for example, but Casino Royale will be a grittier, tougher and more realistic Bond movie. We’ll be getting away from the huge visual effects kind of films.”

Perhaps the biggest revelation from Campbell is that Casino Royale will take James Bond back to his early 007 days (a similar idea was floated during pre-production on The Living Daylights). However, CBn can confirm that the movie will not be a period film.

“In the new film, Bond is essentially starting out in his career, and has just recently become part of the double-0 section,” Campbell said. “The idea is to put a bit of the dash back in Bond. By the end of the movie, the character will have been forged into the wiser, harder Bond we know.”

The interview touches on Bond’s romance with Vesper Lynd from Fleming’s novel, one of the most unique of the series. “The door is open for Bond, emotionally. He’s in love with Vesper and he sees there’s another side to all of this, that life might be far more pleasurable, more gratifying, than being a secret agent. And ultimately that door is slammed in his face, which makes him the tempered steel kind of guy that we know. I’m looking forward to humanising Bond a bit.”

Campbell also spoke of the infamous torture sequence, for which Fleming’s Casino Royale is arguably most well-known. “I don’t know what we’re going to do about that. It ranks up there with the teeth-drilling scene in Marathon Man,” Campbell said, referring to the 1976 film starring Dustin Hoffman and Marc Lawrence (of Diamonds Are Forever and The Man With The Golden Gun).

As Campbell winds up production on The Legend of Zorro, and begins the press junkets for the film, expect Casino Royale to be a hot topic!

Keep watching CBn for the latest news on Casino Royale.

Discuss these tasty hints of what’s to come in this thread on the CBn Forums.