'Quantum of Solace' Game Trailer Gives Fans A Preview Of 007 In Action

Following up several recent previews and interviews regarding Activision’s debut 007 game, Quantum of Solace, a brand new video trailer showcasing many different action highlights has been released online at GameTrailers.com.

Available to view in SD and HD, the three-minute long trailer includes a discussion with game executive producer Garrett Young in which he explains the thought process behind the design of the game and goes into detail about what James Bond gamers can expect.

Click below to view:

Young said: ‘We looked at the movie Casino Royale and the script for Quantum of Solace since the movie is not out yet, and said “What are the great action sequences that we want to pull out of this and give gamers that interactive experience?”‘

‘Our camera is actually a hybrid between first-person and third-person,’ he continued. ‘You run through the game as a first-person shooter, but when you come up to a situation where you don’t know what’s around the corner or if you’re in a firefight and you need to take a second to gather your thoughts and figure out tactically which guy you should take out first, you can take cover and make those decisions in a safe place.’

‘We want the gamer to move as smoothly as James Bond would. You know, you don’t get the training that a MI6 agent does to become a double-oh, but we want you to look like you do and have that level of control and that level of fluidity.’

As previously reported, Young mentioned that the Quantum of Solace game was being built on the Call of Duty 4 engine. ‘A few of the things that we’re adding on top of this technology is you take cover during combat and see Bond on screen,’ he stated. ‘Our A.I. system is also a lot more dynamic. We’e got four guys working on it right now and have had for the last year. The last thing I’ll tell you we’re adding is that there’s just a lot more going on in the environment now. We’ve pushed the physics system and we’ve pushed the destructive system.’

‘We want the gamer to move as smoothly as James Bond would.’ – Executive producer Garrett Young

Young also confirmed boss battles, saying: ‘It’s another element of the pacing and varied gameplay … it’ll be fun, like this quicktime style of event, but it will also be very cinematic as the Bond movies are.’

Referring to the wildly popular multiplayer feature that was apart of the GoldenEye game, Young said that multiplayer would play a big role in Quantum of Solace as well.

‘You know as well as I do with Bond movies, it’s international, exotic locations that make up such a big part and certainly Casino Royale and Quantum of Solace are no different. We took a scene that they were shooting and then ultimately cut from the movie; we said “Well, this still makes sense for a game, can we do this?” and they said sure. It’s actually kind of funny that you get to play a scene in our game that actually hit the cutting room floor for the movie.’

Keep watching the CommanderBond.net main page for all the latest news and complete coverage of Activision’s Quantum of Solace–due out on 4 November 2008.

Ian Fleming Publications Appoints Literary Agent Simon Trewin

Ian Fleming Publications Ltd
Appoints Literary Agent Simon Trewin
Of United Agents

Ian Fleming Publications Ltd (IFP), the Fleming family company that owns the copyright to the James Bond books, has appointed United Agents’ literary agent, Simon Trewin, to manage worldwide English language literary rights in the Ian Fleming titles and Young Bond. The appointment is effective from the beginning of July 2008.

Corinne Turner, Managing Director of IFP said, “Simon Trewin joins us at a very exciting time. The centenary year has generated a phenomenal amount of interest in Fleming – the writer – and his work. We’ve achieved an incredible amount and now wish to build on our successes by taking on a dedicated literary agent. In this way, we benefit not only from the expertise of a talented agent but also of the whole team at United Agents. We very much look forward to working with Simon.”

Ian Fleming Publications’ rights include Ian Fleming’s James Bond novels, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and the best-selling Young Bond series by Charlie Higson. Foreign rights for these will continue to be managed by The Buckman Agency.

Devil May Care, the centenary James Bond novel written by Sebastian Faulks, and the Moneypenny Diaries by Kate Westbrook will remain in the care of Aitken Alexander Associates.

Simon Trewin is co-head of the book department of United Agents Ltd, which was founded in 2007. Trewin’s client list includes Henry Chancellor, author of James Bond: The Man and his World, a joint venture with Ian Fleming Publications.

Simon Trewin said, “I remember picking up a battered old paperback edition of Dr. No when I was a teenager and I was bowled over, at once, by the masterly storytelling of Ian Fleming. I quickly read the whole series and became a huge fan so I am naturally thrilled to be appointed to manage this prestigious estate. I am very much looking forward to working with the Fleming family on raising awareness levels of Ian Fleming even higher over the coming years”.

Stay tuned to the CommanderBond.net main page for all the latest literary 007 news and complete coverage of all the Ian Fleming centenary events.

Paperback Editions Of Daniel Craig Biographies Coming Later This Year

Brand new paperback editions of two biographies focusing on James Bond #6 – Daniel Craig are slated to be released later this year.

Daniel O’Brien’s Daniel Craig – Ultimate Professional is slated for 20 October 2008 and Sarah Marshall’s Daniel Craig: The Biography will follow on 3 November. Both titles originally debuted in hardback in the UK towards the end of 2007 and in early 2008 for the US.

O’Brien’s Daniel Craig – Ultimate Professional is published by Reynolds & Hearn and retails for £8.99:

YOU KNOW HIS NAME – not only as the latest James Bond in Casino Royale, but also as XXXX in Layer Cake, Ben Driscoll in The Invasion and Lord Asriel in The Golden Compass. Yet Daniel Craig has long been recognised as one of the best British actors of his generation, a committed professional who is passionate about his work and has often shunned the lure of easy money in Hollywood blockbusters in favour of more challenging roles in low-budget European films.

Daniel Craig – Ultimate Professional takes an in-depth look at the career of the pub landlord’s son who made his acting debut at the age of six and rose to prominence through roles such as the tormented Geordie Peacock in Our Friends In The North, the schizophrenic Ray in Some Voices, the mercenary archeologist Alex West in Lara Croft: Tomb Raider, the amorous carpenter Darren in The Mother, and the murderous Perry Smith in Infamous.

Fully illustrated throughout, Daniel Craig – Ultimate Professional also includes 16 pages of colour photos of the actor who was voted the sexiest man in the world in a recent poll.

Marshall’s Daniel Craig: The Biography is published by John Blake Publishing Ltd and will retail for £7.99:

He’s gorgeous, tremendously talented, charming and sexy. His breathtaking performance as the new James Bond in Casino Royale won him legions of fans and proved that, as well as being an outstanding actor; he could cut it as an action hero and could re-define a cinematic icon to huge critical acclaim. Daniel Craig, arguably the most inspiring 007, has truly made it as an A-list film star. This fascinating and affectionate book reveals everything about Britain’s favourite leading man: how he endured poverty-stricken years when he was first struggling to make it as an actor in London; how he rejected the ‘trivial’ publicity that came when he started to make a name for himself; his relationships, including his marriage to a British actress with whom he has a daughter; plus his encounters with Sienna Miller and Kate Moss and how he has handled the adulation that has come from his new role as 007. This is the intriguing story of a supremely talented actor who has established his reputation, then defied expectations and silenced those who doubted his Bond would live up to its predecessors. It is essential reading for any Daniel Craig admirer and for the masses of film fans for whom his performance as Bond was an unforgettable cinematic experience.

Pre-order the paperback editions:

• Order the UK paperback edition of Daniel Craig: The Biography from Amazon.co.uk
• Order the UK paperback edition of Daniel Craig – Ultimate Professional from Amazon.co.uk

Order the hardback editions:

• Order the UK hardback edition of Daniel Craig: The Biography from Amazon.co.uk
• Order the UK hardback edition of Daniel Craig – Ultimate Professional from Amazon.co.uk
• Order the US hardback edition of Daniel Craig: The Biography from Amazon.com
• Order the US hardback edition of Daniel Craig – Ultimate Professional from Amazon.com

Stay tuned to CommanderBond.net for all the latest literary James Bond news.

'Quantum of Solace' – Official Blog Report #16

The official Quantum of Solace blog has been updated today with another crew member from the 22nd James Bond 007 film: first assistant director Michael Lerman.

‘I’m the first assistant director on Quantum of Solace. A lot of people view the first assistant director as kind of the taskmaster on set; the person that’s cracking the whip and pushing the crew.’

‘My goal on a day-to-day basis is to achieve everything the director wants in the alotted time. The first thing I do is take the script and break it down: all of the cast, the crew, the stunts, the special effects. And while I’m doing that we’re going to numerous locations just to pick the right one that fits all the requirements that the scene dictates.’

‘I’ve done a lot of movies where the finale is the big set piece, but on Quantum of Solace it seems like we have one those set pieces every week–it never stops.’

Click on the video link above for several behind-the-scenes shots of action from the 22nd 007 adventure.

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

'Polestar' Bond Collection Slated For 28 November In UK

A UK release date has been announced for Polestar, the latest collection of James Bond comic strips from Titan Books in the UK: 28 November 2008.

As previously reported on CommanderBond.net, this collection will bring together five 007 adventures in total, including Flittermouse, The Scent Of Danger, Snake Goddess and Double Eagle in addition to the title story.

As a result of the numerous strips to be featured this time, he Polestar collection will showcase the work of writer Jim Lawrence and artists Yaroslav Horak and John McLusky.

Flittermouse was first published immediately before Polestar and the two stories together represent the final section of Series Five that was first serialised in the Daily Star.

The next three stories, The Scent Of Danger, Snake Goddess and Double Eagle, complete Series Five and represent the final entries of Titan’s James Bond checklist. These strips were syndicated in non-UK newspapers. Mclusky worked with Lawrence on The Scent Of Danger, while Horak returned for the final two stories, Snake Goddess and Double Eagle.

Polestar will be released on 4 November in the US and can be pre-ordered online by clicking on the links provided in the CBn checklist below.

Keep your eyes glued to the CBn main page for complete coverage of all the latest Titan James Bond releases–including the recently announced Girl Machine collection.

'For Your Eyes Only: Ian Fleming and James Bond' Paperback Coming In 2009

A brand new paperback edition of Ben Macintyre’s For Your Eyes Only: Ian Fleming and James Bond will be hitting bookshelves in April 2009.

Released earlier this year as a hardback in the UK and US, Macintyre’s For Your Eyes Only: Ian Fleming and James Bond acts as a companion book to the Fleming centenary exhibition of the same name, which opened at the Imperial War Museum in London.

The new paperback of For Your Eyes Only: Ian Fleming and James Bond will be published by Bloomsbury Publishing in the UK and retail for £7.99.

It is scheduled for release on 7 April 2009 and can currently be pre-ordered at Amazon.co.uk. The original blurb follows:

A riveting look into the world of James Bond and his creator, published on the centenary of Ian Fleming’s birth.

In For Your Eyes Only, Ben Macintyre reveals where the world of Ian Fleming ends and the world of James Bond begins. Macintyre looks at the actual people on whom the writer based his fictional creations–friends, colleagues, lovers, and, of course, the notorious villains. Exploring the tradition of spy fiction past and present, with specific attention to the Cold War, Macintyre explains how Bond was based on the realities–and fantasies–of Fleming’s life as a wartime spymaster and peacetime bon vivant.

Stylishly illustrated, For Your Eyes Only features a collector’s dream of gadgets, costumes, props, and storyboards from the films–Daniel Craig’s bloodstained shirt from Casino Royale, the Aston Martin DB5, complete with weaponry–as well as memorabilia from Fleming’s personal archive: his smoking jacket, the manuscript for Casino Royale, his golden typewriter, his guns, and much more.

• Order the UK hardback edition of For Your Eyes Only: Ian Fleming and James Bond from Amazon.co.uk
• Order the UK paperback edition of For Your Eyes Only: Ian Fleming and James Bond from Amazon.co.uk
• Order the US hardback edition of For Your Eyes Only: Ian Fleming and James Bond from Amazon.com

Stay tuned to the CommanderBond.net main page for all the latest literary 007 news and complete coverage of all the Ian Fleming centenary events.

Upcoming Book Signings With Raymond Benson

Former James Bond continuation author Raymond Benson will be making several appearances in the upcoming months for book signings.

At one of the events, he’ll also be celebrating the launch of the forthcoming Union Trilogy in October, an all-new 007 collection which brings together High Time To Kill, Doubleshot and Never Dream of Dying along with the complete, unedited version of the Bond short story Blast From The Past.

Like his upcoming appearance next month, Benson will also be presenting ‘The James Bond Phenomenon’ slideshow in November once again as well.

Full details follow below:

Mystery Writers Panel
Saturday, 16 August 2008
2:00 – 4:00pm
Messenger Public Library of North Aurora
113 Oak Street
North Aurora, IL 60542
630-896-0240

The Union Trilogy Book Launch
Saturday, 25 October 2008
1:00pm
Centuries & Sleuths Bookstore
7419 W. Madison St.
Forest Park, IL 60130
708-771-7243

Book Signing
Sunday, 26 October 2008
1:00 – 3:00pm
Barnes & Noble Bookstore
920 N. Milwaukee Ave.
Lincolnshire, IL 60069
847-793-8740

‘The James Bond Phenomenon’ Slideshow & Book Signing
Thursday, 20 November 2008
7:00pm
Mt. Prospect Public Library
10 South Emerson Street
Mount Prospect, Illinois 60056
847-253-5675

Stay tuned to the CommanderBond.net main page for all the latest literary James Bond news.

Bond fans best know Benson as the author of six Bond continuation novels, three short stories and the film novelizations for Tomorrow Never Dies, The World Is Not Enough and Die Another Day. Click here for CommanderBond.net’s four-part interview with Raymond Benson.

John Gardner's 'Moriarty' Returns One More Time

In early 2005, the news first hit the CommanderBond.net main page that former James Bond continuation novelist John Gardner had written a brand new Moriarty novel.

The book, featuring Professor James Moriarty, arch nemesis of Sherlock Holmes, was apart of a contract Gardner had signed in continuing his Moriarty novels. The first two in the series, The Return of Moriarty and The Revenge of Moriarty, were both published several decades earlier in 1974 and ’75, respectively.

Publishing delays must have obviously followed as the novel never hit bookshelves. Only now is this third Moriarty tale, simply titled Moriarty, finally scheduled for publication this upcoming November. The book will be published posthumously as Mr. Gardner died at the age of 80 in August 2007.

Moriarty will published by Quercus in the UK and Harcourt in the US. The official blurb follows:

It is the turn of the century and, having survived the struggle with Sherlock Holmes at the Reichenbach Falls, Professor James Moriarty is alive and well and about to realize his plans to establish crime syndicates in the major cities of the United States. But suddenly he is called back to London, where his vast criminal society has been overrun by a rival concern led by the shadowy Sir Jordan Jack Idell–or Idle Jack–a supposed gentleman hoodlum acting on behalf of criminal elements in France, Italy, Spain, and Germany.

As Moriarty fights back–against both the unruly crime families and the forces of law and order–readers are thrown in among the lurkers, punishers, dippers, cracksmen, and the professor’s elite guard.

Moriarty lives again and revolts against those who attempt to oust him from his rightful place as king of “Napoleon of Crime.”

• Order John Gardner’s Moriarty from Amazon.co.uk
• Order John Gardner’s Moriarty from Amazon.com

Keep watching CBn for all the latest literary James Bond news and coverage. To keep track of all the upcoming 007 releases, events, television shows, and more–just keep your eyes on the CBn Calendar, located on the right panel of our main page.

Duran Duran And Annie Lennox Join The 'Quantum' Title Track Ring

As post-production continues on the 22nd James Bond film, Quantum of Solace, rumours and speculation concerning the title song only continue to heat up.

In the past couple of days, two new acts have been added to the list: Duran Duran and Annie Lennox.

Duran Duran, already a well-known name to 007 fans for their number-one title song for 1985’s A View to a Kill, are reportedly considering a collaboration along with producer Mark Ronson.

Keyboard player Nick Rhodes said: ‘We’d love to collaborate with Mark on a single for the next Bond film.’

‘With him [Ronson] we may even surpass “A View To A Kill”‘, Rhodes added.

Ronson has previously been attached to fellow Quantum of Solace title song contender Amy Winehouse. The two had worked on a song for the film, but it was never completed.

The other new contender is solo artist and lead singer of British duo Eurythmics, Annie Lennox. The Sun reports that the singer is the latest to make a bid for the title song.

Other recent artists rumoured for the Bond track include Duffy, Jack White, Leona Lewis and Beyonce. As always, keep in mind that these are unconfirmed rumours at this stage. An official announcement is yet to be released.

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

Official 'Quantum of Solace' Game Synopsis

A series of Best Buy listings for Activision’s Quantum of Solace have confirmed the release date of the latest James Bond video game as 4 November 2008.

The listing also features the game’s official synopsis, which contains a few new nuggets of information…

Enter the world of international espionage with that most famous of agents: James Bond. Based on the Casino Royale and Quantum of Solace films, this hard-hitting game delivers all the intense action and suspense you expect from the Bond franchise. Join 007 for dangerous and deadly intrigue across far-flung locations as you experience high-octane action that leaves you both shaken and stirred.

Combining the intensity of 1st-person shooters with 3rd-person cover combat, Quantum of Solace puts you in control of the fiendishly clever mind of James Bond. Use of all of Bond’s deadly skills, including punishing maneuvers, expert marksmanship, tactical skills and stealth, to overcome dangerous and deadly foes. An advanced artificial intelligence makes adversaries react in intelligent ways, so you have to stay sharp and alert. Take on thrilling missions in exotic lands and interact with characters from both Casino Royale and Quantum of Solace. Smile at danger as only Bond can, and neutralize enemies with the cool efficiency of a “00” operative.

Features

• Step into the shoes of James Bond as you embark on an adventure in international espionage and intrigue
• Based on events and characters in the Casino Royale and Quantum of Solace films
• Put your best Bond skills to the test, including tactical combat, precision shooting, crushing takedowns and deadly stealth
• Battle clever enemies thanks to advanced AI systems that allow enemies to react to you in intelligent ways
• Experience all the exotic locations and glamorous characters that round out the world of 007
• Go online in multiplayer modes for up to 12 players that include unique Bond modes

Quantum of Solace is being developed by Eurocom, Treyarch, Beenox and Vicarious Visions and will be released on next-generation consoles, Windows PC and hand-held platforms.

Keep watching CommanderBond.net for all the latest James Bond gaming news.