James Bond In Stockholm

Last Tuesday, a grand press event was held in Stockholm, Sweden to promote the upcoming release of Quantum of Solace.

Prominent cast and crew members from the 22nd James Bond film attended the event, including actors Daniel Craig and Olga Kurylenko, director Marc Forster and producer Barbara Broccoli.

Anders Frejdh of From Sweden With Love wrote a report on this event, which we are pleased to reproduce below.

Written by: Anders Frejdh

Daniel Craig On An Exclusive Promotion Visit In Stockholm

Today Stockholm and Sweden had the honour of welcoming some of the personalities behind the upcoming James Bond film–Quantum of Solace–officially the 22nd film in the most successful film series ever.

The actors Daniel Craig (“James Bond” for the second time on the big screen) and Olga Kurylenko (“Camille” in the film), director Marc Forster and producer Barbara Broccoli were here to promote the film and meet representatives from Scandinavian press. From Sweden With Love was there with a photographer at the special photo call that took place in the morning at Skeppskajen outside the luxury Grand Hotel at Djurgarden in Stockholm. Daniel arrived with his hand in a triangular bandage, greeted everyone with a polite “Good morning” and shined in the sunlight.

The company arrived to Stockholm yesterday evening after flying in from Moscow where they, along with Anatole Taubman (who portrays “Elvis”) made a similar promotion event. After Stockholm, the group will travel to Los Angeles before the return to London for the world premiere on October 29 after which they will make another promotion tour around Europe.

During the press junket in Sweden, journalists from the biggest newspapers in Sweden, Finland, Norway and Denmark had gathered and consequently made an indefinite number of interviews with primarily Daniel and Olga. No sensations were revealed, but Daniel Craig killed the rumour of a gay-James Bond as well as explained how difficult it was to be away from family and others he loves during four and a half months of the six-month period the shooting took. He has confirmed that he has signed for four Bond films but “I will do as many as I can”. Daniel also said that the biggest misunderstanding about him personally is that he lacks humour but Barbara Broccoli claimed that he’s a perfectionist and takes his job very seriously.

On the question if there are similarities between James Bond and himself he laughed and initially stated the big difference “Bond kills people, which is his job. So, I don’t know. James Bond’s loyalty is fabulous and he struggles to do the right thing for the right cause–I also try that in my personal life and I guess that counts for everybody I suppose.”

After the enormous sucess with Casino Royale (2006), expectations are high for this year’s film but discussions are already going whether or not Daniel Craig could be the best actor who has ever portrayed James Bond. It seems Quantum of Solace will become the shortest Bond film so far with its 106 minutes, but all the hard work during production will hopefully turn out positive according to Daniel Craig: “I have followed the film during all stages when it was made and so to see it the other day was a relief because it turned out it was worthy of all the work put in it. Of course, I don’t know how it will be received by audiences but I am very pleased with the result.” At the same time, Barbara Broccoli was asked about the future of Bond, upon she commented it’s completely open-ended.

Quantum of Solace starts right after the previous film Casino Royale ends. The screenplay is by Neal Purvis & Robert Wade and Paul Haggis. The title song is made by the American-born artists Jack White and Alicia Keys.

Stay up-to-date with complete James Bond coverage at CommanderBond.net–your #1 source for all the latest Quantum of Solace clips and news.

'Quantum' Organisation To Return In Future James Bond Films

The worldwide network of villians in Quantum of Solace and Casino Royale known as Quantum are going to be a thorn in 007’s side for quite some time.

Reelz Channel reports that the slippery organisation is expected to return in future James Bond films following Quantum of Solace.

Producer Barbara Broccoli confirmed this at a press conference yesterday, saying ‘that’s the plan’.

Bond fans will recall that there were early rumours that the Quantum organisation, which includes Le Chiffre, Dominic Greene and Mr. White, was destined to become a modern-day SPECTRE.

Composer David Arnold previously said of the organisation: ‘[It’s] sort of all-pervasive and kind of has slippery, oily tentacles in lots of different places where you hadn’t expected them to be…’

As always, make CommanderBond.net your one and only stop for all the latest James Bond news and coverage.

SPOILERS: The Original 'Quantum of Solace' Cliffhanger Ending

WARNING: Spoilers

It appears that Quantum of Solace was perhaps not always destined to be the shortest James Bond film ever.

In an article posted at Reelz Channel, director Marc Forster has spilled details regarding his orignal, cliffhanger ending for the film.

Speaking at a publicity press conference, the Swiss director said: ‘There was a scene after where the movie ends now. The movie felt sort of complete with Bond finding his “quantum of solace.” If I would have kept the scene, then producers wouldn’t have had a choice but to make it a trilogy. Now they can start new. They have that opportunity.’

Forster went on to say that the deleted scene runs over a minute in length and is currently planned to be included on the Quantum of Solace Blu-ray/DVD release (which is expected around March 2009).

He said: ‘Let’s put it this way: Bond encounters Mr. White at the end of that scene,’–hinting perhaps that Mr. White, first seen in Casino Royale may have an integral role in the Quantum organization?–‘You wouldn’t have had a choice at the end of that but to follow that lead.’

Stay up-to-date with complete James Bond coverage at CommanderBond.net–your #1 source for all the latest Quantum of Solace clips and news.

'Quantum of Solace' – Official Blog Report #31

The official Quantum of Solace blog has been updated today with another crew member from the 22nd James Bond 007 film: title song performer Alicia Keys.

Title song performer Alicia Keys on how she came to collaborate with Jack White for the first duet in James Bond history, ‘Another Way To Die’…

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

Behind-The-Scenes 'Quantum of Solace' Footage

Eight recently released clips from the 22nd James Bond film, Quantum of Solace, have been making their way around the world’s media outlets throughout the past week.

Each running for about 40 seconds total, the clips include a sequence from the film’s frenetic car chase, a discussion between 007 and M during the interrogation of Mr. White, the boat chase, meeting Agent Fields, Bond and Camille preparing for the final attack on Dominic Greene, and more.

Currently available to view under the “EPK Clips” section on the promotional campaign website, Bond fans can also check out this new behind-the-scenes video from the film as well:

Want more Quantum clips? Scroll down to the ‘Related Links’ section of this article and click away.

Stay up-to-date with complete James Bond coverage at CommanderBond.net–your #1 source for all the latest Quantum of Solace clips and news.

Bonding With 'Casino Royale' On Blu-Ray/DVD

Today sees the Region 1 release of not one, but two different editions of Casino Royale.

The long-awaited 1967 Collector’s Edition DVD and the 2006 Collector’s Edition Blu-ray/DVD have both been released today and are currently shipping from Amazon.com.

Casino Royale (1967)
Collector’s Edition DVD

Bond, James Bond. MGM Home Entertainment presents the surrealistic satire of one of the most recognized characters in film history when Casino Royale: Collector’s Edition rolls the dice on DVD October 21. Starring David Niven (The Pink Panther, Death on the Nile) as the world famous secret agent, Casino Royale follows an aging Bond as he is called out-of retirement after members of Her Majesty’s Secret Service turn up dead. To combat the villainous Le Chiffre, the man responsible for these crimes, Bond recruits six more “James Bonds” in order to confuse the enemy and create overall chaos. In the end it might not be enough when Bond must faces everything from deadly female operatives to exploding fowl sent to stop him.

Packed with girls, guns and gags galore, Casino Royale features an all-star cast including Peter Sellers (The Pink Panther, Dr. Strangelove), Orson Welles (Citizen Kane, Touch of Evil), William Holden (Network, The Wild Bunch), John Huston (Chinatown, The Cardinal), Woody Allen (Annie Hall, Manhattan) and many more, as well as an Oscar nominated song from the legendary Burt Bacharach. Special features include audio commentary from Bond historians Steven Jay Jay Rubin and John Cork, a “making of” documentary and five all-new featurettes. The Casino Royale: Collector’s Edition DVD will be available in widescreen for the suggested retail price of $19.98 US/$21.98 Canada. Prebook is September 24, 2008.

Casino Royale
Collector’s Edition Synopsis

Welcome to Casino Royale, the ultimate psychedelic secret agent satire! Packed with girls, guns and gags galore, this “very funny picture” (The New Yorker) delivers “laughs all the way”(Cue)! Starring Peter Sellers, Ursula Andress, David Niven, Joanna Pettet, Orson Welles, Daliah Lavi, Woody Allen, Deborah Kerr, William Holden and others, and with an original score from Oscar winner Burt Bacharach, this groovy spy movie is “even farther out” (LA Herald-Examiner) than all other spoofs combined! British Intelligence is waning in every possible way! When the diabolical SMERSH begins killing off Her Majesty’s Secret Service, super-agent James Bond (Niven) recruits six more “James Bonds” to confuse and conquer their enemies. But it won’t be easy. They’ll have to face an army of irresistibly sexy female operatives, exploding robotic fowl, parachuting Indians and a germ that makes all women beautiful but kills all men over 4’6″!

Casino Royale
Collector’s Edition Bonus Features

• Commentary with James Bond historians Steven Jay Rubin and John Cork
• The Making of Casino Royale
• Bond, James Bond?
• A 3 Ring Circus
• More Directors, More Stars
• The Big Climax
• It’s a Wrap!
• Theatrical Trailer
• Photo Gallery

• Order the Casino Royale (1967) 40th Anniversary DVD from Amazon.com

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Also available is the new two-disc Blu-ray / three-disc DVD edition of Daniel Craig’s 2006 James Bond debut, Casino Royale.

Packed with tons of never-before-seen special features, including deleted scenes, documentaries and audio commentaries, this Collector’s Edition release gives fans a new look at the long road taken in getting Ian Fleming’s original 007 novel into what ultimately became one of the most successful Bond films ever.

• Order the Casino Royale Collector’s Edition (DVD) from Amazon.co.uk
• Order the Casino Royale Collector’s Edition (Blu-ray) from Amazon.co.uk
• Order the Casino Royale Collector’s Edition (DVD) from Amazon.com
• Order the Casino Royale Collector’s Edition (Blu-ray) from Amazon.com

Casino Royale Collector’s Edition
Complete CommanderBond.net Coverage
Latest news, front and back cover artwork, worldwide release dates, ordering details, special features and much more.

Daniel Craig On The Tonight Show

This past Friday, Daniel Craig made his first appearance on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno to promote his upcoming return as James Bond in Quantum of Solace.

Following up a brief gag involving Leno and the Aston Martin DBS, Craig made his appearance on the show, unfortunately still stuck with the sling on his right arm. Asked immediately about what happened, Craig said: ‘I got injured, you know. I’ve had shoulder reconstruction so I’ve got six screws, though I promised my surgeon I’d say seven, that dissolve.’

‘It’s OK. First off, they kind of wrap you up and when you sleep, that’s uncomfortable, but I’m in the rehabilitation stage now and that’s looking good.’

When Leno followed this up with the plastic surgery rumours that have been picked up by the media, Craig responded: ‘I got kicked in the face. There’s a fight sequence at the end where I’m fighting with the bad guy and I just got a stray shoe, so I went to see a plastic surgeon and he put eight little stitches in there–and then jokingly–I asked him to do the rest of my face but he didn’t have time.’

‘There’s nothing scary about them,’ said Craig in response to Leno’s question regarding several dangerous stunts in Quantum of Solace, ‘at the beginning of the film there’s a rooftop chase and we rehearse and rehearse and rehearse and get those, you know, as perfect as we can in the studio. There’s one sequence where I jump out of a window on to the top of a bus and we did that in the studio and it’s kind of easy in the studio, you know, it’s warm, it’s nice, there’s nice people around you, the bus is rubber and everything’s kind of pretend. Then you jump out of the window and we’re in Siena filming this and I’m standing at the window and there’s a camera crew, there’s six cameras and there’s a crowd of people who have turned up to watch because this is a Bond movie being shot. I’m standing there thinking “Oh God, I’ve got to get this right!” And there’s a bus coming! And it’s really disconcerting to jump out of a window onto an oncoming bus. I can’t quite get over it.’

When asked about how he actually learned he had landed the role of 007 in Casino Royale, Craig said: ‘I was in Baltimore, in Whole Foods supermarket–upon hearing the audience’s resulting laughter, Craig adds:–‘I wish it was a better story. I was literally just doing some grocery shopping because I was working there and the phone went and Barbara Broccoli was on the phone and she went “Over to you, kiddo”. And that was it. I put down the groceries, went into the liquer store, bought a bottle of Vodka, and, um, got smashed.’

Asked if he ever had dreamt of being Bond, Craig said: ‘As a kid I dreamed of being lots of superheroes, but when I became an actor it was the last thing I had ever imagined being. It was completely off my radar. So I mean, getting the call to come in and see the producers was very flattering but I thought that this was a nice conversation and it would all be over and we’ll move on. And here we are.’

As with seemingly every interview centered around the 22nd James Bond film, the title itself came up as a topic for discussion. ‘OK, The whole premise of the last movie was that Bond fell in love and he had his heart broken and he was betrayed. Ian Fleming wrote this short story about the one moment in a relationship when it’s all over and there’s nothing left and you no longer have that tiny piece of something that makes it work. That’s the quantum of solace. And so, that’s what Bond is looking for in this movie. He’s looking for his quantum of solace. And we also tie it in with the bad guys.’

Visit NBC.com to watch the entire Daniel Craig interview.

Stay up-to-date with complete James Bond coverage at CommanderBond.net–your #1 source for all the latest Quantum of Solace clips and news.

'Quantum of Solace' TV Spot #6 Online

Another 30 seconds of action from Daniel Craig’s second James Bond film follows in this newly released Quantum of Solace TV Spot.

Included are several new shots from the film, most particularly the skydiving sequence, all to the tune of the Jack White-Alicia Keys title song, ‘Another Way To Die’.

Click below to view:

Stay up-to-date with complete James Bond coverage at CommanderBond.net–your #1 source for all the latest Quantum of Solace clips and news.

'Quantum of Solace' Character Posters Unveiled

As was the case for Casino Royale and earlier James Bond films, a set of Quantum of Solace character posters have been released.

This set of French character posters feature Daniel Craig as 007, Olga Kurylenko as Camille and Mathieu Amalric as Dominic Greene. All three are seen against the same desert background first seen in the final one-sheet poster, which Bond fans got their first glimpse at last month.

James Bond
Dominic Greene
Camille

Are you a fan of these new posters? Join in on the discussion at the CommanderBond.net Forums.

Keep your eyes on the CommanderBond.net main page for most up-to-date and complete coverage of Quantum of Solace.

Craig, Kurylenko And Forster Comment On 'Quantum of Solace'

WARNING: Possible Spoilers

Quantum of Solace stars Daniel Craig and Olga Kurylenko along with director Marc Forster sat down to briefly discuss the approach taken to creating the 22nd James Bond film, now just days away from its general release in the UK.

These new video interviews are available to view at BBC News and ITN.

Commenting on the pairing of Casino Royale and Quantum of Solace, Craig said: ‘The films work together, but they’re very separate. The style of this movie I’m really, really happy with. I think we’ve nodded to the old Bonds and we’ve brought in a lot of subtle ideas, but we made an incredibly individual modern movie. So I couldn’t happier with it.’

‘There’s a strong line through these two movies about trust and who you can trust and who your allies are.’

Kurylenko, who stars as the revenge driven Bond girl Camille, was similarly pleased with the final product. ‘I kind of had an idea because of what we did and I was involved in so many scenes, but I still got surprised, because you think “Wow. It’s just… it’s that intense.”‘

The actress also expressed her praise of Camille’s characterization and her relationship with 007 in the film.

She said: ‘Bond was always using women for his purposes and I’m very happy that he doesn’t get to use Camille. You know, she’s this strong character and she’s just not into that and I think [Bond] can see that. First of all, he can see that it’s not going to work with her and secondly, I don’t think he’s interested in that either because he’s just lost a woman he loved. So he’s not into that. He just wants to get the revenge.’

Forster made special mention of the level of involvement Craig commits to the role of Bond, most especially in the film’s numerous stunt sequences.

‘He’s the perfect Bond in a sense because he really humanizes the character,’ he said. ‘He really has a handle on him and, you know, so physical himself and wants to do the stunts himself–which is great for a director, because you get that intensity and that truth across and you don’t have to shoot around a stunt double. But at the same time, he has this sort of… the way he wears himself is so at ease.’

Stay up-to-date with complete James Bond coverage at CommanderBond.net–your #1 source for all the latest Quantum of Solace clips and news.