Paul Haggis On 'Quantum of Solace': 'It's not my title.'

While filming for Quantum of Solace has been going on for several weeks now, several fans who have been following the film from the start will recall breathing a sigh of relief when screenwriter Paul Haggis handed in the screenplay in late October–just in time to escape delays from the Writers Guild Strike.

Since that point, actors have been cast, production began and a title was announced.

MTV Movies got a chance to speak with Haggis (who also worked on the Casino Royale screenplay) on the Oscar red carpet last night.

When asked if he could clarify the meaning of the title, Haggis responded: ‘I have no idea. It’s not my title.’

The MTV report goes on to state that the screenwriter was less-than-enthusiastic about the choice of “Quantum of Solace“. ‘No comment’ was his official reply.

‘I’m not supposed to say anything [about the plot],’ Haggis added. ‘I finished it before the strike, and now they’re off shooting it. I haven’t actually heard from them, other than the fact that it’s going very, very well. And Marc’s doing a great job. That’s what I hear.’

Keep watching the CommanderBond.net main page for the most up-to-date coverage of Quantum of Solace.

'Quantum of Solace' 007 Exclusive On Entertainment Tonight, 26 February

Mark your calendars. This upcoming Tuesday, Entertainment Tonight will be airing it’s “007 exclusive” Quantum of Solace set visit from Panama City.

A brief preview video (which can be viewed online here) shows off some of the sets from the latest James Bond film, due out this November, and also promises a one-on-one interview with Daniel Craig.

In a snippet of the forthcoming Craig interview, the actor was asked if Bond was ready to fall in love again, to which Craig replies: ‘Maybe… soon.’

Catch the entire Quantum of Solace set visit on Entertainment Tonight on Tuesday, 26 February 2008.

Keep your eyes on the CommanderBond.net main page for all the latest news and complete coverage of Quantum of Solace.

Charlie Higson Reveals 'Young Bond 5' Tidbits

After being relatively quiet on the Young James Bond front for several weeks, the Young Bond Dossier reports that author Charlie Higson has checked in with a major update on his fifth and final Young Bond novel.

Although we continue to refer to this novel as Young Bond 5, Higson says that a title has been chosen, adding that it was not The Shadow War, Diamond Rain, Dynamite Kiss, or any of the other working titles previously mentioned. Beyond that, Higson only said the final title is Flemingesque and he’s very pleased with it.

Higson also confirmed that Young Bond 5 will echo back to the original Ian Fleming adventures with the inclusion of Hannes Oberhauser, James Bond’s climbing and skiing instructor, first introduced in the 1966 publication of Octopussy & The Living Daylights.

As the Dossier points out, Oberhauser was an important man in Bond’s life and ‘something of a father figure to [him] when he happened to need one.’

A mere week behind schedule in delivering this manuscript after a very busy 2007 (Higson has been writing the novel in Italy for the past month), the Young Bond 5 release date still stands at 4 September 2008.

Keep watching CommanderBond.net for all the latest Young Bond coverage.

Corgi's James Bond 'Mission Arsenal' Gadgets Previewed

As recently posted on CommanderBond.net, the 2008 UK ToyFair saw Corgi unveiling it’s line-up of James Bond figures and collectibles to be released later this year as well as into 2009.

The 5″ action figures on hand included a forthcoming Quantum of Solace collection, featuring Daniel Craig’s James Bond and several other major characters from the film as well as a Casino Royale collection.

Furthermore, Bond collectors can also look forward to an Aston Martin DBS and a boat to be featured in one of the film’s chase sequences. These two items are planned for release alongside the figures in September 2008.

In addition to the action figures and vehicles, several 007 gadgets were also previewed at the show, and courtesy of Figures.com, can now be viewed online.

Collected under Corgi’s ‘Mission Arsenal’ label and also due with the Quantum of Solace figures in September, the Bond gadgets include:

• Nano Surveillance Camera (view)
• Pen with UV Ink Revealer (view)
• Crypto Decoder Device (view)
• MP3 Comlink Set (view)
• GPS Hideout Tracker (view)
• Secret Sender Cell Phones (view)

Details and retail prices are still to be finalized on these forthcoming ‘Mission Arsenal’ gadgets.

In August of last year, Corgi announced it had renewed its licence agreement with Eon Productions through 2010. The agreement includes all 21 James Bond films plus this year’s Quantum of Solace. It also includes any future films that may be released before the agreement lapses.

Corgi International CEO Michael Cookson said in August, “Corgi has had a long association with the James Bond license, and as a licensee for over 40 years on Die Cast, we truly believe that we have reached an agreement where we can use our expertise in both the mass and collectibles markets to release products to a fan base that is both core and aspirational, something that most people believe James Bond to be. Our product range will commence before the movie release in 2008 with classic movie product and replicas and continue with some strong and innovative mass market lines, and we are proud to continue our association with such a franchise.”

Keith Snelgrove, SVP Global Business Strategy for EON Productions, said, “We pride ourselves in the long-standing business relationships we have with many of our James Bond franchise partners. Corgi has been with us since the beginning, and we are excited to see the new range of both toys and prop replicas that Corgi International will bring to market in conjunction with our next film and beyond.”

Keep watching CommanderBond.net for all the latest news on the upcoming James Bond collectibles from Corgi.

007 Films Now Available On Xbox Live

As reported by CommanderBond.net early last month, the catalogue of James Bond films were to be made available on the Xbox Live service for the Xbox 360 console.

According to an update from Gaming Today, the Bond films are now listed on the Xbox Live Marketplace. Currently only Prerce Brosnan’s final two films–The World is not Enough and Die Another Day–are available, but more are in the pipeline.

The deal between Microsoft and MGM Studios consists of more than 50 classic films in addition to the 007 series.

Non-Bond titles include Rocky and The Silence of the Lambs. The television series line-up includes “Desperate Housewives,” “Hannah Montana” and “Nightline.”

First launched in 2006 for films and TV, the Xbox Live Marketplace, now claimed to be the number one destination for HD downloads, has since signed content deals with Warner Bros., Paramount, Nickelodeon, Fox, Disney, New Line, Lionsgate, Miramax, MTV and Turner Broadcasting.

Keep watching CommanderBond.net for all the latest 007 news from the world of James Bond.

Sebastian Faulks On The Ingredients Of 'Devil May Care'

“It’s a very traditional Bond story. It’s got all the bits that you like about the Bond adventures and none of the boring bits.”

With that statement, bestselling author Sebastian Faulks succinctly summarises the ingredients of his forthcoming James Bond novel, Devil May Care, written to coincide with the centenary of Ian Fleming’s birth.

The comments can be found in a brand new interview on the superb – and frequently updated – Devil May Care MySpace page.

Faulks continues, “It’s got pace, adventure, it has not one, but two beautiful women.”

“Ian Fleming loved trains; it has trains. He loved cars; there are cars. There’s also something I’ve discovered; a very, very exotic Cold War vehicle. I can’t really think how better to describe it. And, of course, it has high life. Adventure.”

The author also offered his advice to 007 fans aspiring to write the book’s theme song as part of the world first competition found on the MySpace page.

“If you just imagine, if you try to write a song for a novel which epitomises all the things you’ve liked about Bond before, then you’ll be fairly close, I hope, to what’s in Devil May Care.”

Click here to watch the video interview.

Meanwhile, in an earlier blog entry, Tuuli Shipster, who features on the novel’s cover art, discussed its creation.

“Before I was finally cast, I went to meet the design team at Partners who showed me a mock-up of the cover to give me an idea of what they were ultimately looking for. It is such a striking image and I was delighted when I finally heard I’d been chosen to be a part of it.”

“The shoot itself was great although physically quite demanding. In fact, after seeing the pose required, I practised back bends for a week to make sure I was up to it. It took a whole day to get the right shot and while we were shooting we listened to the Bond theme compilation CD to help get us in the right mood. In any case, it certainly helped me channel my inner Honey Rider!”

Sebastian Faulks’ Devil May Care will be released worldwide on 28 May 2008.

Keep watching CommanderBond.net for all the latest Devil May Care news.

New 'Quantum of Solace' Panama Filming Video

WARNING: Minor spoilers

A brand new video focusing on the current Panama shoot for Quantum of Solace has appeared online at Telemetro Panamá.

The two-minute long video follows a local reporter as he makes his way around some of the Colón, a Caribbean Sea coast sea port city, locations that will feature in the James Bond film.

According to the video, Panama will doubling for Bolivia in the film (as earlier assumed), while Colón specifically will be Haiti

The video also notes that Colón will be the site of a boat chase (will appear in the film as the beaches of Haiti) and that Daniel Craig’s 007 will visit the ‘Policia Nacional’ (National Police) headuarters in Haiti after a chase sequence.

Head over to Telemetro Panamá to view the entire video.

In related news, Page Six has a new photo from Panama of Craig and his stunt double in rehearsal for Quantum of Solace this past Friday.

Visit this CommanderBond.net article for further details on the Panama filming schedule for Quantum of Solace.

Keep your eyes on the CommanderBond.net main page for all the latest news and complete coverage of Quantum of Solace.

Wilson Comments On 'Quantum of Solace' Gunbarrel

As reported by CommanderBond.net earlier this month, the newest edition of Total Film magazine features 21 different limited edition James Bond covers as well as 36-page section on the 007 films which includes an interview with Craig regarding the newest in the series, Quantum of Solace, due out this November.

CBn Forum member ‘craigbegins’ has already picked up the magazine and informed us of a few new Quantum details:

According to producer Michael G. Wilson, this film will see the gunbarrel fans are most familiar with returning. ‘We’ll probably go back to the traditional style,’ he said.

Wilson also commented on the press favourite of Amy Winehouse as a possible singer for the film’s title song. When asked about her chances, he replied: ‘She could do a wonderful job. We’ll have to wait and see if she can do it.’

Craig’s interview also revealed a few details: ‘We’re not out to make some bold political statement,’ the actor said, ‘but there is something in this movie that we’re keen to put across: a twist. I don’t want to say too much about it, but yes, if you’re going to make a spy movie then you have to refer the world outside. The odd thing is, the way the spying and intelligence world is behaving right now, it’s beyond any movie plot.’

The full interview can be found in the newest edition of Total Film magazine. So go out there and pick one (or 21!) up.

Keep your eyes on the CommanderBond.net main page for all the latest news and complete coverage of Quantum of Solace.

'Bond On Set: Filming Quantum Of Solace' Due September

Photographer extraordinaire Greg Williams is back to document the production of the latest James Bond film in the next instalment of his Bond On Set series.

Bond On Set: Filming Quantum Of Solace will be released in the United States on 15 September 2008.

Williams previously released books featuring stunning photographs from the production of 2002’s Die Another Day (gallery) and 2006’s Casino Royale (gallery).

Additionally, Williams produced all of Casino Royale‘s posters, as well as many of the film’s publicity stills (gallery). He has also worked on a number of other movies, including The Bourne Ultimatum and Peter Jackson’s King Kong.

A United Kingdom release date for Bond On Set: Filming Quantum Of Solace has yet to be announced.

Click the link below to pre-order the book from Amazon.com and keep watching CommanderBond.net for the latest Quantum Of Solace news.

'GoldenEye 007' Rumours Fire Up Again

The K1Bond007 James Bond site brings to our attention a very intriguing development over at the Xbox World 360 blog where, for the past week, they have been unveiling piece-by-piece a screenshot of a “MEGA-EXCLUSIVE” Xbox 360 game.

The screenshot is of the “Dam” level of the classic Bond game GoldenEye 007 – only with some spiffy new graphics.

Rumours of an updated version of the game for Xbox 360 have been circulating for some time. However, reports suggest Nintendo and Microsoft have been unable to reach a deal to see the game released.

What can we piece together from Xbox World 360’s blog? It doesn’t sound 100 per cent positive. “There’ll be no satisfying conclusion…” reads today’s entry. “[B]ut maybe, together, we can take down the whole system. Or, er, change a few minds.”

Yesterday’s entry reads, “Will you be excited? Oh yes. Will you, like us, be just a little bit angry too? Mmmm, maybe.” The story itself, notes Xbox World 360, is “an exclusive so exclusive that even the companies involved don’t know what we have”, which seems to imply the details regarding a potential re-release of the bestselling first-person shooter are yet to be ironed out.

Xbox World 360 promises to deliver the full story in their upcoming issue, due out next week.

Activision will produce a brand new 007 game later this year, said to be an adaptation of Daniel Craig’s second James Bond picture, Quantum of Solace.

Stay tuned to CommanderBond.net for all the latest news and coverage regarding all the James Bond 007 video games.