'Quantum of Solace' – Official Blog Report #14

The official Quantum of Solace blog has been updated today with another crew member from the 22nd James Bond 007 film: additional unit director Simon Crane.

‘I’m a second unit director for the boat sequence here in Panama,’ says Crane.

‘We’re doing a great sequence where James Bond leaps onto a motorbike and then onto a boat; chases after another boat, smashes into it, gets the girl, is in a shootout … it’s going to be very, very exciting.’

‘The complications are trying to make something new,’ Crane says of the sequence. ‘I mean, we did a fantastic boat sequence in The World is not Enough, so it’s trying to better that. What we’re trying to do is make it much more aggressive, much more natural. Just hard-hitting, real action. No CG.’

‘Daniel [Craig] is very active and very agile. He wants to get involved in everything and can drive this boat really well. And so, the more we can do with him, the better it’s going to be.’

Be sure to click on the video link above for footage of Craig and Olga Kurylenko in the action-packed sequence.

Simon Crane has been involved with the James Bond series going back to 1985’s A View to a Kill.

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

Tom Ford Dresses James Bond In 'Quantum of Solace'

Daniel Craig

As previously reported on CommanderBond.net, Tom Ford International will be taking up the mantle of dressing Daniel Craig for the actor’s return as James Bond in Quantum of Solace.

Ford confirmed the news yesterday in Italy, reports the LA Times, where the fashion designer was opening a new menswear store in Milan’s ‘Golden Triangle’ shopping district.

‘It’s a terrific representation for us,’ said Ford. ‘A lot of people think if you wear conservative clothing your life is dull and uninteresting. But James Bond is this character who is sophisticated yet he sleeps with three girls at once and [has a car] with parachutes coming out of it. His life is very interesting, so I thought it was a good fit.’

The designer had previously dressed Craig in his namesake men’s line launched last year, which ‘has a traditional, English bespoke feel’. Since then, he opened his first menswear store on Madison Avenue, where his Italian-made suits start at $3,800 off the rack and $5,000 made-to-measure.

Not differentiating the way he dresses Craig on screen as Bond or on screen, Ford said: ‘Their tastes are very similar. Daniel knows himself really well and he likes to keep it very, very, very, very simple. For example, it’s hard to get him to wear diamond studs with a tuxedo. He prefers buttons.’

Quantum of Solace

Ford worked alongside Quantum of Solace costume designer Louise Frogley to create made-to-measure suits, shirts, knitwear, ties and his own take on 007’s signature tuxedo, in navy blue.

‘We made about 420 pieces for 11 costume changes,’ Ford said. ‘For each scene we made three suits that were perfect, three suits that were bloodied and blown up, three suits that were bloodied, blown up and had been in a pool–and then we had to make most of those different permutations for the stunt men as well.’

He’s the best Bond since Sean Connery. He’s a terrific guy to dress and he’s pretty powerful with what he wears.’

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

Large Print Edition Of Charlie Higson's 'Hurricane Gold' Released

A large print edition of Charlie Higson’s latest Young James Bond adventure, Hurricane Gold, has been released–reports the Young Bond Dossier.

This particular edition of Hurricane Gold is published by Galaxy Plus as an oversized trade paperback. The publisher has previously released Higson’s first three Young Bond novels in large print as well.

Cover artwork, which can be viewed here, is similar to the recently released UK paperback, but without the gold gloss effect.

To order the Galaxy Plus Hurricane Gold large print paperback, visit BBC Audiobooks.

As always, stay tuned to the CommanderBond.net main page for all the latest Young Bond coverage.

'GoldenEye 007' Voted Sixth Greatest Game Ever

More than a decade on and the popularity of the GoldenEye 007 video game has hardly diminished.

The James Bond title based on Pierce Brosnan’s debut 007 film ranked sixth in a ‘Greatest Games of All Time’ poll conducted by GAME.co.uk. The poll collected more than 100,000 votes.

The Nintendo 64 hit, still considered a benchmark by which many fans compare the following Bond video games to, was the only 007 title to make the top 100.

For the full list of games that made the top 100 in this poll, visit GAME.co.uk.

On a similar note, the game also ranked eighth on Entertainment Weekly’s listing on the top 50 video games from 1983 through 2008.

After a three year hiatus, James Bond returns to video games later this year in Activision’s first 007 title, Quantum of Solace.

Stay tuned to the CommanderBond.net main page for all the latest coverage of James Bond video games.

Daniel Craig May Attend 'Quantum of Solace' Sydney Premiere

Daniel Craig is James Bond in Quantum of Solace

While it isn’t even due in theatres for another five months, details are already starting to come in on the premiere dates of Quantum of Solace.

The Sydney Morning Herald reports that negotiations are currently taking place to get Daniel Craig to attend the film’s Australian premiere in late November (where Quantum of Solace opens on the 27th of that month).

A source from Australian distributor Sony Pictures, said: ‘We’re in negotiations about that at the moment–we’re certainly trying.’ When asked if fans could expect the James Bond star to attend, she added: ‘We hope so.’

A worldwide premiere date for Quantum of Solace has yet to be announced, but is expected to be around the film’s UK debut on 31 October.

Keep watching the CBn main page for the most up-to-date and complete coverage of Quantum of Solace.

"Perhaps the best Bond adventure we have had to date."

Official Young Bond news source, The Young Bond Dossier, tips us off that the first review of Charlie Higson’s next novel, By Royal Command, is now online – 74 days before the book’s publication.

John Lloyd on Waterstones.com has given Higson’s fifth Young Bond instalment a glowing five-star review, an excerpt from which is below.

Try to put down at your peril. By Royal Command is perhaps the best Bond adventure we have had to date. It is with no small amount of garrulous gusto that I can pronounce an even greater array of action, adventure, gadgets, villains and of course Bond beauties. Wonderfully descriptive amid exotic locations Charlie Higson really involves the reader in details to readily devour. Realistic scenarios furnish By Royal Command with an encompassing exhalation unbeknown to entertainment in pen and ink. Rule Britannia the young Bond is back!

Meanwhile, in an interview with Waterstones.com, Higson confirmed he has been signed by Puffin to write a series of non-Bond novels. CommanderBond.net first reported in April that the author had signed a three-book deal with the publisher.

“I have signed a deal with Puffin books to a new series for children,” Higson said. “They are going to be action adventures, but with a horror angle.”

Higson also gave a few more details about what James Bond fans can expect from By Royal Command.

“By the end of By Royal Command we see him poised on the edge of becoming Fleming’s Bond. He is very much ready for the next phase of his life. He has come a long way – but still has far to go.”

When asked where James Bond goes from here, Higson replied, “Well, first of all to a new school – Fettes, in Scotland (that’s not a spoiler, anyone who has read the adult Bond books knows the story). But the big thing looming on his horizon is the second world war. The events of By Royal Command take place in 1934 so the war is only five years away. Bond will be 19 when war breaks out, and we know that he went into naval intelligence – MI6 – and worked as an agent overseas. I think it would be really interesting to find out more about his early wartime experiences, his training in Scotland, his 1st missions, his gaining the 00 status. That would be a fun job for a writer.”

This statement will no doubt fuel the exciting suggestion that Higson will return at some point in the future to continue fleshing out James Bond’s past.

Charlie Higson’s fourth Young Bond novel, Hurricane Gold, was published in paperback last month. By Royal Command is out in hardback on 4 September.

Keep watching CommanderBond.net for the latest literary James Bond news.

'Quantum of Solace' Wrap Party Held Tonight

David Arnold

James Bond composer David Arnold appeared on the Jonathan Ross show broadcast on BBC Radio 2 earlier today to perform live with Bluetones frontman Mark Morriss.

Inevitably, the subject of Arnold’s work on Quantum of Solace came up. Discussing the 22nd Bond film and following up the news reported earlier this month that principal photography was expected to be completed very soon, Arnold revealed that the wrap party was being held tonight.

Arnold also mentioned that he had already begun work on the score: Yeah, I’ve been on [Quantum of Solace] for a while and Marc Forster’s directing and it’s different to the last one obviously, but it’s an extension of the last one so it carries on where the last one finishes. So it’s very exciting.’

To listen to the interview, visit Jonathan Ross on Radio 2 and select ‘Listen again to the full show’. The portion with David Arnold begins at roughly the 21:10 mark.

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

Sir Sean Connery Memoir Launch Sells Out In Record Time

The recently announced news that Sir Sean Connery would be launching his autobiography/memoirs Being A Scot at the Edinburgh Book Festival has definitely not gone unnoticed.

A press release notes that tickets to the event in August (the 25th of that month will mark the former James Bond star’s 78th birthday) completely sold out in less than an hour after going on sale at 10:00am–a record time in the history of the festival.

Sir Sean Connery Fans Snap Up Launch Tickets

Fans of Sir Sean Connery snapped up tickets in record time to see him talk about his new book, organisers of the world’s largest literary festival revealed.

The tickets sold out in under an hour after they went on sale at 10am, making it the fastest sell-out ever experienced by staff at the Edinburgh International Book Festival.

Hundreds of fans queued from 6.30am on Friday morning and inundated the festival’s website with over 300,000 hits in the first hour as they scrambled to see the James Bond star and a host of other literary figures at this summer’s festival.

Other events which sold out included audiences with veteran Labour left-winger Tony Benn, kidnapped BBC journalist Alan Johnston, author Margaret Atwood, broadcaster Jonathan Dimbleby and Scotland’s First Minster, Alex Salmond.

Festival bosses described the demand for tickets as “unprecedented” and said 345 customers were queuing outside the specially-created box office at the Edinburgh International Conference Centre (EICC) when bookings opened.

“It is enormously gratifying that literary stars and unknown authors from Scotland and further afield are able to attract such extraordinary interest,” said director Catherine Lockerbie.

“This year we have invested a significant amount of time, staff and financial resource to develop a system to cope with the demand and we are delighted that we have been able to deal with so many customers satisfactorily.

“We know that due to the extraordinary demand a large number of potential customers are finding it difficult to get through on the phone or via the internet, and would ask them to be patient and keep trying.”

The world-exclusive launch of Sir Sean’s memoirs comes right at the end of the two-week festival on August 25 and coincides with the veteran actor’s 78th birthday.

The Bond star’s first book – Being A Scot – will shed light on his views about many aspects of Scottish life and culture.

Being A Scot can currently be pre-ordered online:

• Order the UK hardback edition of Being A Scot from Amazon.co.uk
• Order the UK paperback edition of Being A Scot from Amazon.co.uk

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

Individual James Bond DVDs Sporting Lenticular Covers In US

Collecting Notice: CommanderBond.net Forum member ‘RJJB’ has informed us that Wal-Mart stores in the US have recently begun stocking the individual ‘Ultimate Edition’ James Bond DVDs with brand new lenticular lens covers.

These new lenticular covers (which feature an illusion of depth; appearing to move when viewed from different angles) each feature the 007 actor in the center with the film’s lead villain and Bond girl located on either side.

The content found on the DVDs has not changed at all as these are the exact same individual ‘Ultimate Edition’ releases, simply with the new covers attached over the originals.

So far, these have only been spotted at Wal-Mart stores. If you’ve seen them for sale elsewhere, sound off here on the CBn Forums.

All of the Bond titles have been released as individual ‘Ultimate Edition’ DVDs in the US with the exception of On Her Majesty’s Secret Service and Die Another Day.

James Bond 007 ‘Ultimate Edition’ DVDs
Complete CommanderBond.net Coverage
Latest news, front and back cover art, box cover art, worldwide release dates, menu and screen caps, new certificates, ordering details, special features, technical specs, special collections and more.

As always, stay tuned to the CBn main page for all the latest 007 collecting news.

'Quantum of Solace' Teaser Due Online 30 June

German 007 website JamesBond.de have the answer to the question so many James Bond fans have been asking: when will we see the Quantum of Solace teaser trailer?

Sony Pictures have confirmed to the site that the film’s first trailer will go live on Monday, 30 June at 5:00pm, British Summer Time.

Yahoo! will exclusively host the trailer for the first twenty-four hours.

Two days later, the trailer will premiere in theatres with Sony’s Hancock.

As previously reported by CommanderBond.net, the teaser trailer clocks in at one minute, fifty-one seconds in length.

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