Zip Code 007, Homes of the Bond Stars

Finally, Home & Garden Television HGTV is re-airing their James Bond special, Zip Code 007 which originally aired on Nov 17th 2002. So tune your tv to HGTV’s Zip Code 007 on Sunday, September 5th at 5pm EST/PST for a 1 hour tour, hosted by Bond Girl Jane Seymore, of a few of the homes of the actors behind the Bond villains and Bond girls. For an extra bit of flavor Ian Fleming’s Goldenye resort will also be thrown in the mix.

Zip Code 007

Luciana Paluzzi (Fiona Volpe from Thunderball)

Luciana Paluzzi’s house, more pics.

This Italian-born Femme Fatal lives in a stunning hilltop Mediterranean-style mansion in Bel Air, Calif. Paluzzi and husband Michael Solomon have decorated the home with true European style, including items such as a handmade marble table and a 16th century Spanish wedding chest. The home also features warm Mediterranean colors and original artworks. Outside Paluzzi and Solomon can relax by the pool in the lush backyard or entertain on the patio, which is equipped with a barbecue and wood-burning pizza oven.

Gloria Hendry (Rosie Carver from Live and Let Die)

Gloria Hendry’s house, more pics.

This Bond Girl shares a home on a quiet Southern California cul-de-sac with her jazz musician husband. The three-bedroom home received extensive damage from the 1994 Northridge earthquake, but Hendry went right to work repairing and renovating the home. The kitchen was hit hardest by the quake but today features a cool new look with white tiles and splashes of bright color. Hendry loves her parquet floors that remind her of her days in New York, and the large music room is the perfect home for the couple’s grand piano.

Jane Seymour (Solitaire from Live and Let Die)

Jane Seymour’s house, more pics.

This Bond Girl innocent and her husband, director James Keach, have made their home on the cliffs overlooking the sea in Malibu, California When they purchased the home it was decorated in a heavy, dark style. Seymour and Keach lightened the wood tones and used cool colors to capture the feel of the beach. The kitchen serves as the family gathering spot, with artwork from the couple’s children displayed on the refrigerator and Seymour’s own paintings on the walls. Seymour’s favorite area is the art studio–a light, airy room where she can get away from it all and work on her paintings or clothing designs.

Richard Kiel (Jaws from The Spy Who Loved Me and Moonraker)

Richard Kiel’s house, more pics.

The man who played possibly the most menacing villain (JAWS!!!) ever to face by James Bond, today lives in a quiet country home in the foothills of Yosemite National park with his wife Diane. The home reflects a love of family, with plenty of room for visiting grandchildren.

Back in May this year, Richard Kiel was kind enough to grant CBn an interview. If you haven’t yet read it, it may be time to check it out…
The Richard Kiel CBn Interview
“Bond fans are not ‘geeks’…”

Lynn-Holly Johnson (Bibi Dahl from For Your Eyes Only)

Ms. Johnson’s house, more pics.

This Bond Girl shares a 2,500-square-foot ranch house in Newport Beach, California, with her husband, architect Kelly Givens and their two children. The couple bought the home as a fixer-upper and has since poured a lot of hard work and imagination into the home, creating a beautiful seaside retreat. Givens designed a unique stone courtyard that serves as the center of the home. The living room features an adventurous South Seas theme, and Johnson has also used a nautical theme for the master bedroom. Even the children’s rooms are decorated with maritime motifs.

Tanya Roberts (Stacey Sutton from A View To A Kill)

Tanya Roberts’ house, more pics.

This Bond Girl shares a beautiful, 3,500-square-foot home in the Hollywood Hills with her husband, screenwriter Barry Roberts. Tanya decorated the house using Balinese bamboo furniture, 17th century carved wooden wall hangings and tropical fabrics. The home also features two beautiful rock wall fountains, a unique bleached redwood table and floor-to-ceiling windows that provide stunning views of the Los Angeles basin.

Goldeneye (Home of James Bond creator, Ian Fleming)

The Goldeneye resort, more pics.

Ian Fleming started work on the first James Bond novel, Casino Royale, in 1952 at his getaway on the island of Jamaica. Today, Goldeneye is a luxury resort situated on an 18-acre estate on a bluff overlooking the Caribbean. Fleming designed and built the home himself, and it still looks much the same. The U-shaped main house is centered on a swimming pool and is naturally cooled by the tropical breezes. The guest bungalows added were named for Bond characters such as Domino, Solitaire and Romanova. Balinese designer Linda Garland decorated the rooms with lots of bamboo furniture and sculptures. The al fresco bathrooms feature claw-footed tubs and huge showerheads.

To discuss this show visit this thread on the CBn Forums.

Bond 21 To Start Shooting In April '05?

A mysterious insider over at Absolutely James Bond message boards has reported that the start of production of Bond 21 has been delayed until April 2005. Insider “Pierce-B” proved his reliability during the shooting of Die Another Day multiple times, but he was also far out in 2003 when he “confirmed” that location scouts had visited South Africa and Liverpool. According to CBn’s own sources, no locations were scouted in 2003 at all.

However, an April 2005 start of production would accompany the rumours of a 2006 release date. Originally, the shooting start of Bond 21 was dated January 2005. But now it appears that no filming will start until MGM is sold, and the future of MGM seems very opaque. Other reasons not to believe in a November 2005 release date include that no director has been announced yet and no other details have been released so far. A few weeks back, MGM vice chairman and COO Chris McGurk said that Bond 21 is ahead of a schedule compared to Die Another Day in 2001. But Lee Tamahori was officially announced on jamesbond.com on August 22, a few days earlier it was officially confirmed that Bond is going to drive Aston Martin again. Likewise, Michael Apted was named director of The World is Not Enough on August 8.

Now, August is about to end with no official news of a director nor who will play 007. Latest word from “pierce-b” regarding the new Bond actor was that James Purefoy was in the run, but Purefoy recently told Hello magazine that while the role would be “a great honour,” news of him as 007 #6 was just a rumour.

Let’s hope that we will hear from MGM soon.

To discuss this news visit this thread in CBn’s Bond 21 forums.
Thanks to CBn forum member Martin Mystery for the tip-off.

75% Of Fans Want Tarantino (Updated)

UPDATE! Sept 1, 2004:

Quentin Tarantino’s publicist, Bumble Ward, tells CBn that Quentin was “tickled” with the results of this CBn poll. Nice work Paul, and congrats to all the CBn forum members who voted!

What a turbulent time of year it is for us Bond fans. In what has to be possibly the most in-flux we have seen the post-Dalton franchise, rumours are getting thrown at us left, right and centre from UK tabloids and respected sources, but mainly from the PR people of the actors who want to get noticed. Yet Bond 21 rolls on (apparently), with a script from Purvis and Wade (oh joy, it’s badly written puns ahoy) and no actor in the leading role.

Personally, I’m of the opinion that Brosnan has one more left in him. Give the man the swansong that his tenure deserves! He’s been playing in a series of films that haven’t yet touched on the character of James Bond whatsoever, but have been far happier to line up explosion after explosion in what can only be described as mere parody. Don’t get me wrong; apart from the dismal The World Is Not Enough, his reign has been pure entertainment, but his Bond has still not lived up to potential. Too many times in the post-Dalton films have we seen thorough character development thrust aside in favour of thrills, spills and glacier surfing.

Constant Interest

Way back in October, while promoting Kill Bill, Quentin Tarantino -in his inimitable style- raved about how much he wanted to put on to celluloid the true Casino Royale. Ian Fleming’s Casino Royale. He did reveal some curious ideas (setting the film in the 1950s? Interesting, but a bit too convoluted in a so-far chronological series), however the very thought of Tarantino getting his hands on Bond, for me, set my little mind a-flutter. He mentioned focussing on the character, style and the raw emotion of the book that the 1967 Charles K. Feldman epic… err… didn’t.

An online journal, or “blog”, was found last week which apparently outlined Tarantino’s frustration at not being able to helm Bond 21. Though later proved false by CBn, the blog was probably an accurate gauging of the director’s sentiment regarding Eon’s apparent disinterest in using him.

Upon hearing the man’s wish, some people plainly couldn’t grasp that Tarantino might just make a film that was devoid of his trademark creative violence and colourful language, and instantly poo-pooed the idea: “You motherf——ing f——, Le Chiffre, you just f——ed up my s——ing Bentley!” they envisaged an understandably miffed 007 shouting at the battering his 1930 4.5-litre, Amherst-Villiers supercharged model receives in the third quarter.

Such cries were lambasted by CBn forum member “Turn,” who replied by calling the assumptions “a sad misconception based on his past work.” He continues:

If the guy truly has passion for the project, which I think he does, he would work to make the elements true to the character and story and put his own trademarks aside.

Everybody could win because Tarantino could prove he can do a film outside the boundaries of the crime/Hong Kong action genre and Bond fans would get a film that wasn’t the same old. If they are going to take a chance, this is the way to go.

-Turn, CBn forum member.

On the Jay Leno show, again whilst promoting Kill Bill, Tarantino further won the fans over with his ardent enthusiasm. His love for Bond was apparent in the detail of his responses to Leno’s questioning (on occasion correcting mis-quoted facts), his impression of the voiceover artist on a vintage Bond trailer and through his rousing rendition of the James Bond Theme.

More importantly Tarantino stressed that he understands the elements that make a great 007 film, and that gallons of blood and swearing by the f—— load aren’t included in that list. Upon hearing this, many fans who previously doubted his ability promptly made an about-turn, rejoiced and started seriously considering him for the director’s chair.

He also stressed on the show that if the fans want him as director then they should let themselves be heard. So here I am, with the vain hope that someone with some gravity is reading this.

The Poll

Last week a poll was opened to ask the members of CBn once and for all if they would like Quentin Tarantino to direct Bond 21. Okay, okay, it’s probably too late in the day to pose such a question and Babs and Mickey G. probably have the short list down to the final three, but to you naysayers: there’s nothing wrong with a bit of wishful thinking, is there?

We gave the quick poll a week to gather both results and dust, to which 74% (or just under ¾ if you’re a fraction person) of CBn members voted that they wanted Tarantino to direct Bond 21. To me- already a strong supporter of Tarantino’s determined struggle- that 75% represents a strong desire for the majority of fans for this man to direct.

Conversely, it would be fairly narrow-minded of me to believe that the 26% of fans who weren’t prepared to see a Tarantino directed film wouldn’t want him solely because of his controversial style. CBn forum member “Loomis” assumes that “Tarantino and Eon wouldn’t be a happy combination.” Why wouldn’t they? I imagine you shouting from the rafters.

The Bond series is one of a dying breed of producer-run series. Eon have creative control over the character they’ve nurtured for 40 years, and fair play to them. God only knows what would have happened had any director been given creative control. (A Bond with rubber nipples, most probably if Joel Schumacher had been given free-reign as he was on the Batman franchise. (The style turned after the overly Burton-esque Batman Returns, and so did cinema-going audiences.)

Pre-Madonna

The Tarantino Affair: (or Tarantinogate if you so prefer) isn’t the first time a “big name” director has expressed interest in the series. Back in the 1980s a little-known fella called Steven Spielberg also expressed his love for all things Double-0 coupled with his wish to make a Bond picture. Cubby didn’t hire him, presumably because an A-lister at the helm of a 007 flick would spell major creative differences. The last thing a producer needs is a prima-donna director with all the answers and all the ideas but none of the give-way. CBn forum member “Moomoo” spells out for us the way such a problem could be countered:

I believe ‘compromise’ is the key word here. It’s naïve to think Tarantino or any high-profile director can make a Bond film without Eon’s input. Tarantino has to compromise and accept the fact [that] Bond has to stay relevant, has to compete with the modern action films. That’s why I believe a 1950s-type Bond film is a mistake. Bond has to stay relevant.

-Moomoo, CBn forum member

Perfect. Compromise is the answer. the director gets the film, but surrenders ultimate creative control to the producers (as the mix has so successfully stayed since 1962). He continues:

Likewise, the Bond producers need to alter the films a little. I think the films have become too formulaic, too safe and a little flat, and need to be a bit more risky with more edge. I think this boils down to more suspense and more of Bond being a spy. Rather than a director-for-hire like Tamahori, Eon would be wise to get Tarantino for Bond 21. He’d bring a new level of passion to the film.

Tarantino has to respect Eon’s right to keep the classic Bond ingredients in place, but Eon has to allow Tarantino creative room to make his own Bond film. It’s a very fine line to tread, but I think it’s possible if they are willing to compromise. I believe this is worth pursuing.

-Moomoo, CBn forum member,

So, it appears to be a two-way street. But if the path can be kept to, there should be no reason why we couldn’t see a Tarantino directed Bond 21 (disregarding the fact that a director could already have been chosen of course): The rights to the novel are finally in Eon’s hands after over 40 years and the die is cast (if one is to believe reports that a first-draft script handed in by P&W is based on Fleming’s first-born).

To round-up this (unfortunately) rather long-winded editorial, I offer you a quote by CBn forum member “Genrewriter“. Never was a truer and more balanced observation made of the whole affair:

“If the series can survive a film where the finale [has] Bond chasing a midget around a boat, it can survive Tarantino.”

-Genrewriter, CBn forum member

Thanks to Loomis, Genrewriter, Turn and The Silver Beast.

If you agree with me, disagree or otherwise want to discuss this article, visit this thread in CBn’s Bond 21 forums, or simply e-mail me!.

Related Articles:

• Tarantino’s ‘Casino’ Blog A Hoax
• Wall Street Journal Reveals Short List of Bond 21 Directors
• Bond 21 is ‘Casino Royale’
• Tarantino Wants A Shot At Bond
• Tarantino’s Bond Bid

Tarantino's 'Casino' Blog a Hoax

An online Blog purported to be the personal diary of writer/director Quentin Tarantino is a hoax. CBn contacted Tarantino’s publicist, Bumble Ward, who confirmed the blog is a creative fabrication.

“It’s fake,” Ward tells CBn. “The guy is doing a great job though, don’t you think? And truly, I’d hate to ruin his fun. But it’s fake. Quentin hardly knows what a mouse is.”

The hoax blog drew the attention of Bond fans yesterday when an entry appeared in which Tarantino lamented the end of his oft-repeated ambition to make a faithful adaptation of Ian Fleming’s first James Bond novel, Casino Royale.

Most Bond fans weren’t fooled (it’s hard to imagine someone like Quentin Tarantino having the time to make daily blog entries), but at least one James Bond website reprinted the phony blog entry in its entirety in the hopes it was indeed Tarantino’s own “candid” comments.

“Pierce wanted to make it but the producers didn’t. We sat down and discussed it but they just didn’t want me to do it. We could have made an “unofficial” experimental Bond film. I think it would have been a lot of fun but it just isn’t going to happen now.”

– Bogus Tarantino blog entry.

While the blog entry is a fake, the sentiment it expresses may be genuine. The chances of Eon going with Quentin Tarantino and his unconventional take seem less likely every day. Purvis and Wade have turned in their draft of the Bond 21 screenplay (which ironically uses elements of the Casino Royale novel) and Eon is said to be close to signing a director.

Keep watching CBn for the latest news on Bond 21.

To discuss this news visit this thread in the CBn forums.
Thank you to Bumble Ward, Bryan O’Donnell, and CBn forum user Martin Mystery for the original alert.

Related articles:

• Tarantino Wants A Shot At Bond
• Tarantino’s Bond Bid
• Bond 21 is ‘Casino Royale’
• Wall Street Journal Reveals Short List of Bond 21 Directors

Rumour: Julian McMahon next in line to play James Bond?

After Pierce Brosnan has stepped down from the James Bond role, Eric Bana, James Purefoy, Orlando Bloom and Jude Law were the most recent candidates for becoming Bond #6. However, today Ain’t It Cool News‘ "Moriaty", who reported a few weels ago that Eric Bana was MGM’s top choice, tells us that Eon wants another actor for the role: young Australian Julian McMahon.

"Moriaty" writes: EON Films has very different feelings about who is going to step in to play 007 in the next Bond picture, and somewhere in the world on this fine Tuesday morning, Julian McMahon is evidently sitting down with Barbara Broccoli to talk about the finer points of owning a license to kill.

Still, that doesn’t mean McMahon is in as James Bond. Julian McMahon was born in 1968 in Sydney/Australia and starred in TV series like "Charmed" and "Profiler" in the past. Some weeks ago, he signed a contract to play evil Doctor Doom in "The Fantastic Four".

However, this is only a rumour and has to be treated like this.

To discuss this news visit this thread in CBn’s Bond 21 forums!

New Bond 21 Rumours Stir the Pot

Two new rumours have appeared to stir the already overflowing pot of Bond 21 intrigue. A mysterious “insider” — who provided reliable information on Die Another Day during its production — has posted on the message boards of Absolutely James Bond that James Bond #6 could be James Purefoy. A relative unknown, Purefoy starred as the Black Prince of Wales in 2001’s A Knight’s Tale (on the DVD commentary, writer/director Brian Helgeland
mentions what an excellent 007 Purefoy would make) and can be seen in the upcoming Vanity Fair starring Reese Witherspoon.

Also, the reliable movie news site Dark Horizons has reported that Vic Armstrong is a rumoured candidate for the director’s chair. Armstrong is best known as the stunt coordinator on many big-budget films (including the Indiana Jones Series) and as second unit director on three of the four Brosnan era Bond films. If Armstrong were named the Bond 21 director, it would be in keeping with Eon’s past “promote from within” policy. (John Glen worked as an editor on many Bonds before being promoted to director on 1981’s For Your Eyes Only.)

But Armstrong and Purefoy? This may seem to come as quite a surprise as past candidates have been of the A-list variety. Hugh Jackman and Clive Owen have been favored replacements for Pierce Brosnan, while only last week the Wall Street Journal reported a short list of Bond directors that included names like Sam Raimi and Gore Verbinski.

It’s pure speculation at this point, but is it possible the proposed sale of MGM is affecting the development of Bond 21? In May it seemed all but certain the studio would be sold to Sony Pictures (so much so, MGM offered a one-time stock dividend to its shareholders). But then Sony pulled out of the deal. Time Warner quickly stepped up, and once again it was reported that a deal was imminent. But weeks have gone by without any indication of a WB/MGM deal.

Is it possible Time Warner has gone the way of Sony?

Without a new parent company, MGM would be on its own producing Bond 21. While MGM has had no problem in the past mounting a Bondian-sized budget, the setback of the sale — not to mention the now ill-timed stock dividend — may have changed the studio’s financial situation. A bit of belt tightening may be in order…which makes Armstrong and Purefoy not such unlikely candidates after all.

Or it could be that Purefoy is signed as Bond only as a backup while Eon goes into one last round of negotiations with Pierce Brosnan. This was exactly the case in 1970 when American actor John Gavin was signed to play 007 in Diamonds Are Forever. With new Bond in hand, UA made one last attempt to lure Connery back into the role, and caved into Connery’s demand for what at the time was the unheard of salary of $1 million. (FYI: Cubby honored Gavin’s contract and paid the actor in full.)

But with each passing week the rumours get wilder and Eon’s continued silence only fuels speculation. The Purefoy and Armstrong rumours may very well go the way of Heath Ledger, Orlando Bloom, and Eric Bana… But as the clock ticks down, Eon and MGM will have to announce their plans for Bond 21 soon.

Here’s hoping it’s sooner than later.

Keep watching CBn for the latest news on Bond 21.

To discuss this news visit this thread in the CBn forums.

Related articles:

• Wall Street Journal Reveals Short List of Bond 21 Directors
• VARIETY: Bond 21 in ‘Development Hell’
• Forbes: “MGM Deal Draws Near”
• Bond 21 is ‘Casino Royale’
• Brosnan REVOKES his own Licence to Kill
• MGM Vice Chairman Talks Bond 21

Win a Visit To The Set of Bond 21!

St James’s Piccadilly is working hard to raise £2.3M to complete a major renovation of their Wren building. They’re currently holding a silent auction, the profits of which will go toward the repair of the Grade 1 building designed by Sir Christopher Wren 350 years ago. There are 28 items in this silent auction, but the one that will excite James Bond fans is…

Item 8 – Day on the set of the next James Bond film: Day for four on set of next 007 film, tour of set, meals. If all filming is abroad, alternative arrangements will apply.

The auction ends on August 26th and items must be paid for by September 9th. You may bid via e-mail or postal mail.

To bid via e-mail: [email protected]. Include your name, address and phone number, the item and item number you are bidding on, and the value of your bid in pounds (£).

To bid via postal mail: include your name, address and phone number, the item and item number you are budding on, and the value of your bid in pounds (£) — and mail to: Fundraiser, St James’s Church, 197 Piccadilly, London W1J 9LL.

If you require more details about an item, you may call Ann Clapp at 020 7292 4853 (London/UK) or if calling from the US, 011 44 207 292 4853.

Good Luck!

To discuss this auction visit this thread on the CBn Forums.
Thanks to Eon Productions.

Keep watching CBn for the latest news on Bond 21.

Wall Street Journal Reveals Short List of Bond 21 Directors

Today’s Wall Street Journal has published an article by Merissa Marr on the current state of the Brosnan/Bond 21 situation [“Uh-Oh Seven: Brosnan’s Plan to Exit Roils MGM”]. While the article offers little that’s new regarding the Brosnan matter, it does quote “people involved in the process” as providing a short list of possible directors.

Among those being considered: Alfonso Cuaron (Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban), Gore Verbinski (Pirates of the Caribbean), Rob Bowman (The X-Files), Christopher Nolan (Memento, Batman Begins), and Sam Raimi (Spiderman, Spiderman 2).

While Raimi and Verbinski may seem like naturals (and maybe a bit “pie-in-the-sky”), Bond fans may be surprised by the inclusion of Alfonso Cuaron. But this is not the first time Mr. Cuaron has been approached by producers. Eon eyed Cuaron for 1999’s The World Is Not Enough before ultimately choosing Michael Apted.

The Wall Street Journal article concludes with a quote from former James Bond continuation author John Gardner. “There’s nothing wrong with Mr. Brosnan, he just hasn’t been served terribly well by the scripts,” says Mr. Gardner. “The problem with the films at the moment is that they have nothing to do with the original Bond.”

Keep watching CBn for the latest news on Bond 21.

To discuss this news visit this thread in the CBn forums.

Thanks to CBn forum user Seannery for the tip

Related articles:

• Bond 21 is ‘Casino Royale’
• Brosnan REVOKES his own Licence to Kill
• MGM Vice Chairman Talks Bond 21
• Purvis & Wade Back For Bond 21

VARIETY: Bond 21 in 'Development Hell'

HOLLYWOOD — Development hell is giving James Bond nightmares — and the torment is largely self-inflicted.

With six months to go before the 21st installment of the franchise should start lensing, MGM and Eon Prods. still don’t have an actor to play the suave British superspy, a director or even a shooting script.

And the lack of all three is fueling the rumor mill.

For several months, Pierce Brosnan has been distancing himself from the project and pundits have taken that to mean he’s retired as Bond. And complicating things, Orlando Bloom is being courted to play a teenaged 007, based on a series of books that Miramax will start publishing in the fall, and to replace Brosnan in the next adventure.

But Brosnan, who is not under contract to play Bond for a fifth time, has not yet been made an offer to come back — nor has any other thesp been offered the role.

And Miramax’s book deal does not include rights to make films based on the younger Bond’s adventures.

After 20 films, the franchise’s producers are under pressure to take a risk and try something new, such as rely less on explosions and effects and go back to the earlier pics, which were heavier on character and plot.

Brosnan has publicly said that the producers are in “a state of paralysis” as to which direction the next film should go.

And with Brosnan’s involvement a question mark and the thesp only getting older, producers are eyeing younger candidates, with names like Bloom, Hugh Jackman, Eric Bana, Clive Owen, Ioan Gruffudd, Colin Firth, Gerard Butler, Jude Law and Ewan McGregor said to be in the running.

Going younger is especially enticing now that Matt Damon is generating B.O. coin playing spy Jason Bourne in U’s emerging series.

Bond’s not the only franchise having development issues.

Less than two months before it starts production, Mission: Impossible 3 is still looking for a director, Warner Bros. has hired yet another team of writers, director and producers for its new Superman saga, and Indiana Jones is still waiting for a greenlight at Paramount.

What is certain is that a new Bond film is in the works — and that MGM is as dependent on the franchise now as in the past. Grosses from the last and most successful entry, Die Another Day, accounted for 42% of the Lion’s domestic B.O take in 2002, when that pic was released.

Next pic is being prepped to start shooting before March in order to bow Nov. 18, 2005. Pic’s producers have agreed on a plot; scribes Neal Purvis and Robert Wade, who penned the last two Bond adventures, turned in the first draft of their script last week.

– By Marc Graser, Variety

Stay tuned to CBn for the latest Bond 21 News.

To discuss this news visit this thead on the CBn Forums.
Thanks to Moomoo and Variety.com.

Bond 21 is 'Casino Royale'

First reported as a rumour on the message boards at Absolutely James Bond, CBn is now hearing from multiple independent sources close to the production that the current draft of Bond 21 by Neal Purvis and Robert Wade is based on Ian Fleming’s first James Bond novel, Casino Royale.

Whether or not the film will be called Casino Royale is still not known. Purvis and Wade last used the Ian Fleming novel Moonraker as the basis for Die Another Day.

Casino Royale was first published in 1953. A year later it was adapted as a one-hour TV teleplay by CBS with American Barry Nelson playing the screen’s first 007. Because Fleming had already sold the film rights to his first novel, Casino Royale was not part of the 1961 Cubby Broccoli/Harry Saltzman film rights purchase deal that was the foundation of the James Bond/Eon Productions franchise. The rights passed from hand to hand until Charles K. Feldman announced he’d produce a rival Bond film to the Eon series. But this was at the height of Bondamania, and Feldman decided he couldn’t compete with Sean Connery, so in 1967 he and Columbia Pictures turned Casino Royale into a farce comedy starring David Niven and Peter Sellers. (Kaleidoscope, an excellent thriller made in 1966, used plot elements so strikingly similar to Casino Royale that it could almost be called an unofficial adaptation.)

Fast forward to the late 1990s when Sony (who acquired the Casino rights when they purchased Columbia Pictures) locked horns with MGM over disputed rights to the Bond film Thunderball. The settlement in favour of MGM not only returned the Thunderball rights to Eon, but Sony also surrendered their long-held rights to Casino Royale. This cleared the way for Eon to finally adapt the first Ian Fleming James Bond novel, and it looks like this is exactly what they are doing now.

Set entirely in Royale-les-Eaux, a resort village in N.E. France, Casino Royale is a rather small scale Bond novel. No doubt the plot and scope will be expanded by Purvis and Wade. While Prague has been reported as a possible Bond 21 location, CBn has learned these Prague rumours may prove to be false. But a Bond Girl named Vesper Lynd and a villain named Le Chiffre are distinct possibilities.

While Eon is said to have a director in mind and would like to get production rolling on Bond 21/Casino Royale, the sale of MGM is complicating the situation. Apparently, little can go forward until the studio is sold, and if they can’t start production by January then it’s possible the film will be delayed until 2006. Ironically, Sony was in the lead to buy MGM (and thus getting back their surrendered Casino rights), but reports are now saying that it’s more likely Warner Bros. will become the new home of Eon Productions and James Bond.

Keep watching CBn for the latest news on Bond 21/Casino Royale.

To discuss this news visit this thread in CBn’s Bond 21 Forums.

Related articles:

• The Fleming Blueprint: Casino Royale
• Casino Royale: Who is this guy?
• MGM Vice Chairman Talks Bond 21
• Purvis & Wade Back For Bond 21