Gerard Butler Lined Up For Brosnan Shoes?

It seems a very common thing these day. There’s little news on James Bond 20, but instead world new sources are concentrating on Bond 21 and beyond.

While New Zealand actor and Academy Award Winner Russel Crowe seems to be hogging most of the lime light little known Scottish Actor Gerard Butler has apparently been approached to star in a future Bond film as James Bond 007. According to the Daily Record producers want to sign up a Scotsman to follow veteran 007 Sean Connery (the connection being there that they are both Scottish!!).

Known to few fans is the fact that Butler appeared in 1997’s Tomorrow Never Dies as a Seaman aboard the H.M.S Devonshire. He’ll make his major screen debut as a lead role as Dracula in the soon to be released Dracula 2000. The film has been released in the USA and other countries already but it doesn’t debut till the 15th of June 2001 in the UK (apparently it’s already shown in Australia, if that’s true then I [Daniel ‘Blue Eyes’ Dykes] heard nothing about it!)

Bond 20 @ Blue Haze Movies are still waiting on some official word from EON Productions on Butler and this rumour – as soon as we find out we’ll let you know.

You can discuss Butler and other Bond contenders in the Bond 21 & Beyond Section of our Bond 20 Forums. It would great to see you there! If you want my opinion – well I think we should all just concentrate on Bond 20 rather than Bond 21 and Beyond!

Shedding Light On Bond 20 Script & Locations

It seems that the Bond 20 Script may have been recently completed. EON Productions Casting Director (who will cast actors for Bond 20) Debbie McWilliams has said in an interview with NetFM that “The script is on the producer’s desk but I haven’t been able to open it yet.” The producers being Michael G Wilson and Barbara Broccoli of course.

Furthermore, McWilliams has also let this little comment drop:

“I gather we’re going to some far-flung places this time.”

Well well well, location location location indeed! So what does this mean? Well I guess we can all speculate in the Bond 20 Forums where this thread has already begun. Rest assured, as we hear more you’ll hear it first from Bond 20 @ Blue Haze Movies!

Robbie Williams Ruled Out As Bond

EON Productions Casting Director Debbie McWilliams has ruled out UK Singer Robbie Williams’ chances of landing the role of James Bond once Pierce Brosnan retires from it. Williams has stated time and time again that he’d love to portray James Bond and that he’s a huge Bond fan! Such a huge fan that he dedicated his number one single Millennium, which featured strings from the theme tune to You Only Live Twice and had a video clip that featured Williams as Bond, to the Bond series.

But Debbie McWilliams, who cast Bond hits like The World Is Not Enough, told internet radio station netfm.com he was not right for the famous part. “Robbie Williams, bless him, I don’t think is quite what we’re looking for,” she said.

She added that Bond had to be “devastatingly handsome, incredibly fit and available”. Seems I (Daniel Dykes) fit the bill exactly… 😉

Williams, or his managers, are yet to comment on the news. However, you can in our special Bond 20 Forums where the Bond 21 & Beyond section is alive with discussion on who should eventually replace Brosnan.

As an afterthough I should mention that McWilliams also said this on the Russel Crowe rumours:

“Russell Crowe, maybe, but I think it will be somebody less well known than [him].”

Still, I personally doubt we’ll see Crowe as Bond.

Eon Casting Director Unhappy With Denise Richards

In a surprise confession Eon Productions Casting Director Debbie McWilliams; who has cast Bond films including A View To A Kill, The Living Daylights, GoldenEye and The World is Not Enough; has denied that she cast actress Denise Richards as Nuclear Scientist Christmas Jones in 1999’s “The World Is Not Enough”.

McWilliams told NetFM in an interview that “I wouldn’t want to be held responsible for that piece of casting. She wasn’t my idea of a nuclear scientist.”

Richards received a bad reception from most Bond fans who felt Richards delivered a dry and boring performance in TWINE. However, to hear a casting director say something similair is of course shocking.

Pierce defends his licence to kill

It seems that Pierce Brosnan has become a tad upset about recent rumours of him hanging up his Walther P99. Frequent visitors to this site will know of rumours ‘insisting’ that Bond 20 will be Brosnan’s last and that Russel Crowe will take over. Well, to begin with, I’m not exactly sure where these rumours have come from. When speaking to EON Productions they told us that Brosnan does have an existing contract – and that’s all they would say. If that’s the official word then I’m not quite sure where news resources are getting their information that Brosnan is definetley leaving! Anyhow People News have posted this article on how upset Brosnan is getting about the news:

Pierce Brosnan has fiercely stamped down on rumours that his current Bond film may be his last, rallying against the many pretenders to his crown. ‘He’s had enough,’ a friend tells PeopleNews. ‘When people were talking about Robbie Williams as the next James Bond, or even Catherine Zeta Jones as a female Bond, he found it amusing. Now that the likes of Russell Crowe and Colin Firth appear to be seriously being considered, he’s decided to speak out.’

Brosnan has already told a Canadian newspaper that he would ‘certainly be up for coming back for a few more’, despite the fact that his Bond contract expires once he has finished filming his current movie, Beyond The Ice, the 20th Bond film.

‘Everyone expects a new Bond,’ says the friend, pointing out that even John Glen, the director of five Bond films, has been championing Crowe to take over the role once Brosnan’s contract expires. ‘Pierce doesn’t want to go anywhere,’ we are told. ‘He’s prepared to fight his corner if he has to.’

Thanks again to Tim for the tip-off!

Brosnan Moves For More Control Over Bond

It seems that actor Pierce Brosnan may be moving to take more control over the Bond series – atleast that’s what a report on IGN insinuates today.

Brosnan, whose contract with MGM runs out after Bond 20, has been pushing to have more creative control over the franchise. He says, “I’m on record that I want this next Bond film to be the most surprising, realistic and edgy of any I’ve done. If this one works out the way I hope it does, I’d certainly be up to coming back for a few more.”

Well that quote I love. What’s Brosnan got in store for us? More importantly what has he read in the script that he thinks he can manipulate so well? Looks like we may find something interestingly ’emotional’ (typical Brosnan style) in Bond 20. Perhaps a reference to Bond’s wife?

Please discuss this one in the Bond 20 Forums.

Brosnan also commented on the Whitney Houston rumours about her screen testing saying “It’s news to me.” IGN indicates that she “probably won’t” be taking a screen test.

Brosnan’s comments aside the article on IGN mentions the fact that Colin Wells might replace Brosnan and they also throw in another name, Gerard Butler (Dracula 2000, TNT’s Attila). Fairly mundane stuff.

A big thanks to Level007 for sending in the news!!

Phil Mitchell As Bond 20 Villain

A friend made me aware of this report in the British newspaper “The Mirror”.

Eastender’s hardman Steve McFadden is set to appear as a gangland villain in the next James Bond film.

The actor who plays Phil Mitchell in the BBC soap, is said to be delighted about the prospect of launching his movie career. His agent has been approached by movie chiefs who were impressed by his talent during the Who Shot Phil? saga.

Last night a soap insider said “The deal has yet to be finalised but discussions are ongoing and it’s looking very promising.
“This looks like a one off role but who knows where it might lead.”

The insider added: “It will certainly be a step up from Alvert Square although there is no question of Steve leaving the soap. He enjoys playing Phil and has no real plans to move on.”

If Steve does land the part in the film he could find himself acting alongside Gladiator Russel Crowe, who is tipped to be the next 007.

Bond DIrector John Glen, the man behind classics like Octopussy and A View To A Kill, believes he is perfect to take over the suave spy role made famous by stars such as Pierce Brosnan, Sean Connery, Roger Moorre and Timothy Dalton.

Glen says: “I think Pierce is doing an excellent job but obviously he won’t keep the part forever.

“I see the Bond movies going on for the next 20 years and I can’t think of anyone better than Russel to fill his shoes.”