Michael G. Wilson On Reinventing James Bond

Michael G. Wilson, producer of the James Bond films along with Barbara Broccoli, has spoken to the Times Colonist about reinventing the 007 series with Casino Royale and Quantum of Solace.

Wilson, whose association with the series goes back as far as Goldfinger (he began receiving regular production credits from The Spy Who Loved Me onwards), said there are plenty of risky gambles that come along with each new Bond film.

‘There are plenty of exhilarating moments,’ he said. ‘In a creative enterprise, you get to work with a lot of great people, and hopefully it’s something that other people want to see and are pleased by when they see it. So those are the exhilarating parts.’

‘That last Pierce film did better than any of his previous three, but I thought that creatively we were stuck…’ – Michael G. Wilson on Die Another Day

‘But there are plenty of stressful moments, keeping that big engine on track, keeping everything moving, trying to adjust to all the things that come up during the filmmaking process that throw you off track. Trying to keep it on track is tough.’

Where Wilson felt the series had started to derail a bit was with Pierce Brosnan’s fourth film, Die Another Day. ‘I thought it was ailing,’ he said. ‘That last Pierce film did better than any of his previous three, but I thought that creatively we were stuck. Barbara and I and the writers were in a rut.’

A faithul adaptation of Casino Royale for the big screen ended up giving the series a jolt of new energy while simultaneously thrilling fans and critics alike.

Speaking about Daniel Craig’s debut 007 film, Wilson said: ‘I think for me, it was going back to where we started with Dr. No and From Russia With Love. That’s the way I visualized it, but of course it was now contemporary times. And Casino Royale was an “origin” story so we could go back and really tell the beginnings of Bond.’

‘He’s probably the best actor of his generation in Britain, if not the world.’ – Michael G. Wilson on Daniel Craig

Acting as the first direct sequel in the series’ history, Quantum of Solace continues the story of an ’emotionally wounded’ Bond. Played to perfection by Craig, Wilson adds that ‘he’s probably the best actor of his generation in Britain, if not the world’.

If Die Another Day acted as the most recent fantasy highpoint for Bond, then Casino Royale as well as Quantum of Solace definitely bring him back to Earth again.

‘When you think in terms of what happened after Thunderball, You Only Live Twice and Diamonds Are Forever were fairly fantastical things. Then we went down to earth more or less with the first Roger ones–they were jokey but not fantastical. Then we got sort of carried away with Moonraker which again was a big success–but where do you go from there? So we brought it down to earth with For Your Eyes Only, and then kind of kept it there for a while, and then with Pierce it started to get more fantastical again. There’s a tendency to sort of drift, I think.’

Stay tuned to CommanderBond.net for all the latest Quantum of Solace news and information.

'Quantum of Solace' – Official Blog Report #33

The official Quantum of Solace blog has been updated today with another crew member from the 22nd James Bond 007 film: ‘Another Way To Die’ music video director Paul Brown.

Seen in the studio along with Jack White and Alicia Keys, Brown explains that he directed the music video for the 007 title song.

‘We are currently filming in Toronto in probably the busiest weekend of the year. There’s both the Toronto Film Fest and I think a Virgin festival going on all at the same time, so it doesn’t get much busier.’

He continues: ‘We’re in a backlot studio in our lovely green world where you can click your fingers and turn into anything. [For the music video], we’re kind of evoking the Bond look in everything for the the two worlds that Jack and Alicia are going to exist in for the track.’

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

Australian Opening Night 'Quantum of Solace' Charity Screening Announced

Anglicare WA, an Western Australian service organisation that assists community members in crisis will be hosting an opening night screening of Quantum of Solace on Wednesday, 19 November.

The charity event for the 22nd James Bond film will be held at the Reading Cinema Belmont at 7:00pm, with proceeds from ticket sales going towards Anglicare WA’s continued work in communities.

PerthNow reports that tickets cost $20 each and include refreshments and door prizes. Guests are invited to come dressed in their best 007 attire for the chance to win best dressed prizes.

Tickets can be purchased through the Anglicare WA office by phoning 9319 6401 or emailing [email protected].

Stay tuned to CommanderBond.net for all the latest Quantum of Solace news and information.

Craig: Creativity And Talent Must Fuel Bond Franchise Future

ReelzChannel has posted a lengthy interview with James Bond star Daniel Craig, in which the actor discusses the path the character is taking during his era.

“Eva Green played this great part, a wonderful performance, and when it came around to shooting this movie it was like, we can’t just push that aside.” – Daniel Craig

“We started off something in Casino Royale,” Craig said. “We had a great storyline, we had a great book, we had a novel by Ian Fleming that was solid and had a love story in it – a really strong love story. And Eva Green played this great part, a wonderful performance, and when it came around to shooting this movie it was like, we can’t just push that aside. We have to develop that; we have to tie up the loose ends here. And that’s what Quantum of Solace is about – it’s him finding his quantum of solace. He’s not on a vendetta. He’s not after revenge. He’s after finding his place. And his relationships with M and Felix and obviously with Mathis – and subsequently with Camille – in the movie are about solidifying his place in the world and who his allies are. And I think by the end of the movie we’re sure, and he’s Bond, and now we can do whatever we want.”

“We want people with creativity and talent to come in and go, ‘I’ve got a good idea.'” – Daniel Craig

When asked whether there’s a “road map” for the character’s development in future instalments, Craig replied, “No. We’ve got so much on our plate just trying to get one movie out. We’ve had discussions, but there’s never anything nailed down. Whether Paul Haggis does the next one or we get another writer involved, we want their ideas. We want their creative input. And to just say, ‘This is what we want.’ – it puts up barriers. It puts up walls. We want people with creativity and talent to come in and go, ‘I’ve got a good idea.'”.

A couple of weeks ago, 007 producer Barbara Broccoli hinted that the mysterious Quantum organisation, which features prominantly in both Casino Royale and Quantum of Solace, would return in future James Bond pictures. “I think that there’s definitely room to get involved with that,” Craig told ReelzChannel. “We know [Quantum] kind of reaches up into governments now, so we could take it anywhere.”

“You can’t write gags for a movie like this; they either come or they don’t.” – Daniel Craig

One of the criticisms being levelled at the latest James Bond movie is its lack of humour. When asked whether future entries into the series will contain more laughs, Craig replied, “Ah, no. [laughs] I mean, of course we can do anything. But writing gags for a movie like this is wrong. You can’t write gags for a movie like this; they either come or they don’t. We dealt with this in a way and that is the way the story went, but honestly, the lines and all the – not the Bond clichés, but the Bond clichés – we can put in as long as we earn them. This is not what this has been about. But there’s a few gags in there. There’s some belly laughs in there. Somewhere.”

Craig also spoke about the difficulty of topping each previous film: “It’s a high-class problem, to be honest. I think that as long as we’re keeping the product good – it feels horrible to say that word, but let’s be honest, that’s what it is – keeping the quality up, keeping the money on the screen, keeping audiences interested. I can’t predict what’s going to happen. If we’re fighting an uphill battle then it’s time to rethink, but if that’s a challenge, then I think it’s a good challenge.”

The actor also confirmed he is under contract for four James Bond films, of which Quantum of Solace is the second.

Be sure to check out the complete interview, in which Craig discusses working with Judi Dench and Olga Kurylenko, coping with fame, and filming the famous gunbarrel sequence, at ReelzChannel.

Work on the 23rd James Bond film is planned to commence in January.

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

'Quantum of Solace' Oslo And Berlin Premieres

Following up the grand world premiere of Quantum of Solace on the 29th of October in London’s Leicester Square and the Paris premiere one day after, the cast and crew of the 22nd James Bond film have now visited Oslo, Norway and Berlin, Germany.

Taking place on 1 and 3 November, respectively, numerous cast and crew members from the 007 film attended both events. The Oslo premiere saw Olga Kurylenko attend along with director Marc Forster and producer Barbara Broccoli.

The Paris premiere featured Daniel Craig along with Kurylenko, Anatole Taubman, Jesper Christensen, Forster and Broccoli.

007 Magazine OnLine has photographs currently online from the Oslo premiere at the Colosseum cinema and Getty Images has more than 250 photos from the Sony Center CineStar Cinema Berlin premiere. Click to view:

• Quantum of Solace – Oslo Premiere
• Quantum of Solace – Berlin Premiere

Upcoming premieres for the Bond film include Switzerland, The Netherlands, Italy, Spain, Australia and Japan.

Stay tuned to CommanderBond.net for all the latest Quantum of Solace news and information.

Marc Forster Reveals Rejected 'Quantum' Idea

With Quantum of Solace‘s tumultuous script history in mind, it’s not surprising that numerous ideas never made the final cut of the latest James Bond film. New York Magazine today reveals a particularly major twist that was ultimately rejected by 007 producers.

Quantum director Marc Forster told the magazine, “[Writer Paul] Haggis had an idea [the producers] weren’t fond of, and I didn’t know if it would work or not. The idea was that Vesper in the last movie, maybe she had a kid, and there would be an orphan out there.”

Forster continued, “It wasn’t anything to insult the franchise. But they felt it wasn’t particularly Bond – him looking for the kid. I think Paul thought he just leaves the kid, he doesn’t deal with it. But [the producers] thought that would be really nasty, too, because Bond was an orphan himself. If he would find a kid, would he just leave it? They were so vehemently against it.”

“That was the only time I saw, really, ‘No, we can’t do that.’ They said, ‘Once he finds the kid, Bond can’t just leave the kid. It’s not right.'”

The report comes after Quantum of Solace‘s original cliffhanger ending was revealed (spoilers abound in our full report).

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

New 'Quantum of Solace' TV Spots Air

James Bond fans in the US waiting for Quantum of Solace to arrive in theatres will have to make do with some brand new TV spots for the film.

Just recently posted online, these two new previews (running for about 30 seconds each) include previously unseen footage from the film.

Click below to check them out at YouTube: TV Spot #1 | TV Spot #2.

Stay tuned to CommanderBond.net for all the latest Quantum of Solace news and information.

'Quantum of Solace' Grabs #1 Spot At International Box Office

Here we go again…

Weekend box office numbers for Quantum of Solace have come in and the totals are sure to make Sony Pictures and MGM very happy.

According to the Hollywood Reporter, the 22nd James Bond film, which opened in the UK, France and Sweden, grossed a spectacular $38.6 million from 2,123 screens, easily grabbing the #1 spot at the box office.

More record-breaking for the film was in store for the UK following the news that Quantum‘s Friday debut of £4.94 million ($8 million) was the best ever. Playing on 1,150 screens, the 007 film earned £15.7 million ($25.3 million) over the weekend, becoming the biggest three-day opening ever in the UK.

Surpassing Casino Royale‘s equally impressive box office debut by 35%, the film had an incredibly strong per-screen average of $22,000.

The good news continued to the French and Swedish markets, where Quantum of Solace smashed the series’ record in the former with a $10.6 million total from 824 sites (per-screen average was $12,864). In Sweden, the the film shattered Royale‘s record by 31%, taking in $2.7 million from 149 sites (average of $18,121 per screen).

‘No other international release in 2008 has grossed more [playing in] fewer than 27 territories,’ said Mark Zucker, Sony’s president of international distribution.

The $38.6 million weekend debut for Daniel Craig’s second Bond film also pushed Sony’s international box office for 2008 past the $1 billion mark.

This upcoming weekend will see the film expand to 57 new markets and then debut in the United States the following weekend.

CommanderBond.net will be tracking all the box office numbers as Quantum continues to debut around the world in the upcoming weeks. Stay tuned.

As always, keep your browsers pointed to CBn for all the latest-breaking James Bond news.

Cigar Aficionado's James Bond Special

Amongst the numerous James Bond specials being promoted by magazines as Quantum of Solace hits theatres, fans will want to keep an eye out for the new edition of Cigar Aficionado.

This special November/December issue of the magazine features a 007 section written by David Giammarco, who literary Bond fans may recognize as the author of For Your Eyes Only: Behind the Scenes of the James Bond Films.

This exclusive 16-page Quantum of Solace special includes on set interviews with Daniel Craig, Olga Kurylenko, Gemma Arterton, Mathieu Amalric, Marc Forster, Barbara Broccoli, Michael G. Wilson. Also featured is a profile of creator Ian Fleming and the Bond films, incorporating interviews with those involved during the 46-year history of the cinematic 007.

The Cigar Aficionado Quantum of Solace special (with Craig on the cover) is currently available in both the UK and US.

As always, make CommanderBond.net your #1 source for all the latest news and information on Quantum of Solace.

Barbara Broccoli: Shaking And Stirring James Bond

‘Don’t screw it up.’

It’s a phrase one often heard from producer Albert R. ‘Cubby’ Broccoli in reference to making a brand new James Bond film and it carries on today with Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson helming the incredibly successful phenomenon that is 007.

In an interview with the St. Petersburg Times, Broccoli discusses the importance of following her father’s dedicated approach in making the films and why Bond remains such a popular character almost five decades after 1962’s Dr. No was released in theatres.

‘We do feel very strongly about carrying on his legacy,’ says Broccoli, who was honoured with the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire award earlier this year along with Wilson for their services to the film industry.

‘When my father and Harry [Saltzman] got the rights to these films they created this genre. There wasn’t this type of movie before Dr. No and From Russia with Love. John Barry created this kind of music. Peter Hunt, who edited those first movies, revolutionized that concept. Terence Young, an amazing director, gave it a look and a style. And Sean Connery simply burst onto the screen.’

‘We stand on tall shoulders here, and we have to keep up what they began,’ she says.

Broccoli began her official association with the 007 series on 1983’s Octopussy, where she was an executive assistant. She continued this role for A View to a Kill. For The Living Daylights and Licence To Kill, she served as an associate producer along with Bond regular Tom Pevsner, before becoming a producer along with Wilson for GoldenEye onwards.

‘I was very close to my father. Absolutely adored and worshipped him. I think if he’d been running a pizzeria I’d be making pizzas. It had a lot to do with who he was. He was great company, entertaining, a really down-to-earth guy and a great teacher because he shared his knowledge.’

She continues: ‘His basic rule was: Put the money on the screen. He believed, as I do, that there’s a lot of goodwill out there for the Bond movies. People constantly come up and say: “Oh, my dad used to take me,” or “We’d go as a family; I really knew I was grown up when they’d let me see a Bond movie.” All the stories we get from people are about the Bond movies being part of their family experience.’

As many Bond fans are well aware, Cubby was incredibly devoted to the series, taking time to produce only two non-Bond films, Call Me Bwana and an adaptation of Ian Fleming’s Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.

‘He felt, like: “No, I’ve got to pay attention, I’ve got to make these movies really good because there is an expectation.” That was something he conveyed to us. Michael and I feel strongly the same way.’

Like her father before her, Broccoli spends the majority of her time helming the Bond adventures, the latest of which, Quantum of Solace, is currently opening around the world. Her one major non-Bond producing credit was a recent London stage adaptation of Fleming’s Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.

‘[My father] said whenever you’re stuck just go back to Fleming. That’s something we’ve always done.’

‘In between movies we read all the books and short stories again, not because there are things there that haven’t been shot but to kind of saturate ourselves in that world again. It’s the character of Bond that has sustained these films.’

Keep your eye on the CommanderBond.net main page for all the latest James Bond news and coverage.