Amalric On Dominic Greene's Secret Weapon Against 007

WARNING: Possible minor spoilers

In a new interview with the londonpaper, Mathieu Amalric, who’ll be playing head villain Dominic Greene in Quantum of Solace, further elaborated on the decidedly nasty character.

‘I’ve been taking details, the smile of Tony Blair, the craziness of Sarkozy (French President), he’s the worst villain we’ve ever had. He’s really dangerous. In fact he walks around thinking he’s in a Bond film,’ he said.

As previously reported on CommanderBond.net, Amalric mentioned that his character and Dainiel Craig’s 007 will be involved in a particularly big fight towards the end of the film. Citing Greene’s lack of ability with his fists, Amalric said: ‘He was supposed to have a secret skill. But we had this idea that maybe if the villain doesn’t know how to fight, James Bond would be more surprised. Sometimes anger can be much more dangerous.’

‘I’m going to fight like in school. I was going to say “like a woman”.’

He joked of playing the part: ‘You are allowed to do things that you are not allowed to do in real life, especially with a woman.’

In related Quantum of Solace news, Olga Kurylenko, who stars as Bond girl Camille, also briefly spoke about the film.

‘Who doesn’t want to be a Bond girl? It’s a cult movie. I’m not worried about being stereotyped,’ she stated.

‘Camille is a strong independent woman who is charming and sensual. Bond women are strong at the same time as being feminine. I’ve never worked so hard training for any other movie, I’m using weapons, driving cars and involved in fight scenes.’

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

Cover Art For Raymond Benson's Union Trilogy Revealed

The cover artwork for Raymond Benson’s Union Trilogy–a collection of his three James Bond novels High Time To Kill, Doubleshot and Never
Dream of Dying–has been revealed.

As first reported by CommanderBond.net this past December, Benson’s 007 will be returning to print in the US in an omnibus edition by Pegasus Books in October 2008 after a five year absence.

As the cover details, this new Union Trilogy collection will also feature a brand new introduction by Benson. As an added bonus to Bond fans, this omnibus will also include the complete, unedited version of Benson’s first 007 short story, Blast From The Past.

Blast From The Past was first (and up to this point, only) published in an edited version in the January 1997 edition of Playboy magazine. The full-length short story was originally only made available in French and Italian.

Furthermore, Pegasus Books is currently planning to follow this omnibus with yet another Benson collection in 2009.

Benson’s other Bond-related works include novels Zero Minus Ten, The Facts of Death and The Man with the Red Tattoo, the Midsummer Night’s Doom and Live at Five short stories and the film novelizations for Tomorrow Never Dies, The World Is Not Enough and Die Another Day.

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

Daniel Craig's 'The Invasion' Hits DVD

After a few minor delays, The Invasion, starring Daniel Craig and Nicole Kidman, has hit DVD today in the US and Canada.

The official synopsis for The Invasion runs: ‘Something terrifying has come to Earth, something that attacks us while we sleep and turns us into soulless replicants.

The clock is ticking as Washington, DC psychiatrist Carol Bennell (Nicole Kidman) and her colleague Ben Driscoll (Daniel Craig) embark on a heart-stopping journey into a nightmarish world where the only way to stay alive is to stay awake. No one can be trusted. No one is safe in producer Joel Silver’s bold new take on Jack Finney’s classic novel The Body Snatchers.

Don’t fall asleep! The Invasion is here.’

For further details on the DVD special features and reviews of the film, check out ComingSoon and Monsters & Critics.

The region 2 release date for The Invasion is 28 February.

Order ‘The Invasion’

• Order The Invasion from Amazon.co.uk
• Order The Invasion from Amazon.com

Keep watching CommanderBond.net for all the latest James Bond 007 coverage.

007 Double Bill Of 'A View To A Kill' And 'The Living Daylights'

Just one week after the double dose of Roger Moore’s 007 in Live and Let Die and The Spy Who Loved Me, James Bond will be back on the big screen at Melbourne’s Astor Theatre this upcoming Sunday.

Moore’s A View to a Kill will be paired with Timothy Dalton’s The Living Daylights on 3 February, starting at 7:30pm.

The The Living Daylights, which follows after A View to a Kill, begins at 10:00pm.

Ticket costs for double features are: Adults $13 | Concession $12 | Children/Pensioners $11. The Astor Theatre is located at 1 Chapel Street, St. Kilda VIC 3182, Australia.

For further information, phone the box office at (03) 9510-1414 or click here to visit the official website.

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

Search Begins For 'Devil May Care' Theme Song

Publisher Penguin and social networking website MySpace have joined forces to deliver a unique online James Bond experience.

A MySpace page has been launched to promote the release of Sebastian Faulks’ highly anticipated James Bond novel, Devil May Care. In addition to some exclusive goodies (such as wallpapers, and a glimpse at the cover art for the upcoming Ian Fleming hardback reissues), 007 fans have the opportunity to compose and perform the official Devil May Care theme song.

The winning track will feature on the Devil May Care audiobook and will also be available to download via iTunes and the Penguin website.

The full press release is below.

Penguin and MySpace Begin Search For James Bond Theme Tune

LONDON – 28.1.2008 – Musicians and James Bond fans across Britain have the rare chance to be a part of 007’s iconic history as Penguin announces its search for the theme tune to Devil May Care, the eagerly awaited new Bond novel written by Sebastian Faulks.

From today visitors to uk.myspace.com/devilmaycarebook have the chance to create an original piece of music for the new Bond book which is published on 28th May, the centenary of Ian Fleming’s birth.

The winning track will become the book’s official theme tune and will be featured on the Devil May Care audio book, published on the same day. This will be the first theme tune to accompany a James Bond book and will later be available as a free digital download.

A shortlist of five entries will be selected by a high-profile judging panel, which includes the book’s author, Sebastian Faulks along with respected figures from the world of literature and music, including cult music producer Jazzie B and Matthew Fleming, great nephew of original Bond author Ian Fleming. Dom Cook, Director of Marketing and Content for MySpace UK and Alex Clarke, Penguin Editor of Devil May Care will also judge.

The competition is open to all musicians – both amateur and established artists – with the deadline for entries on 25th February. All entry criteria, including guidance on the style required, can be found on the Devil May Care MySpace page. As well as the exposure, the winner will also pick up the overall prize of £1,000 worth of music equipment.

Once the shortlist is chosen, the final vote will be opened to the public on Monday 3rd March, with the winner announced on Monday 17th March.

Speaking about the launch, Dom Cook, Director of Marketing and Content at MySpace UK said: “With more than eight million artists and bands on MySpace it’s the best place to discover exciting new talent. We hope the passion and creativity that fuels our site will be reflected in the high quality of entries that Penguin receive.”

Alex Clarke, Penguin Editor of Devil May Care commented, “I hope that this is a dream brief – create your own Bond theme tune – it doesn’t get much better than that. We’re really pleased to be able to reach out to all the millions of Myspacers – and hope that loads of people will be inspired to rise to the challenge. It’s an amazing novel – so it’ll need some really good music!”

Alongside the competition, the Devil May Care MySpace profile will be a hub of information and news in the build up to the publication of the book. It will make available downloadable wallpapers and counters and will be regularly updated with blog posts, videos and new writing from Bond aficionados and authors.

Following the release of the audio book, the theme tune will be made available for free download via Penguin (penguin.co.uk) and iTunes.

Devil May Care will be released on 28 May 2008.

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

"It's the most calm, friendly set that you've ever been on."

Speaking with James Bond legend, Michael G. Wilson, IGN confirmed that no part of Ian Fleming’s “Quantum of Solace” will feature in the film of the same name.

“No,” said Wilson. “It’s completely original, it doesn’t use any part of the short story.”

Fleming’s tale, featured in the 1960 short story collection, For Your Eyes Only, sees 007 attending a dull dinner party, where he is told a story about a destructive love affair.

Wilson confessed it is more difficult to script a Bond film not based on a Fleming story. “I think Fleming was a great writer with great stories, and he created the Bond character so he knew how he would react in certain circumstances. So it is more difficult when you don’t have that template to start with.”

The 007 producer also discussed the pressure of working to have a shooting script ready before the Writers Guild strike began. “It was a big rush – the curtain was falling and the emails were flying back and forth, but luckily we got in just under the wire.”

“He’s the most prepared director I’ve ever worked with.” – Michael G. Wilson on Marc Forster

Wilson said, “We wanted a director who would work with the actors and attract great actors. Marc is also incredibly well prepared. He’s the most prepared director I’ve ever worked with. Every scene in the picture has been planned – he’s put all the camera positions in even. Everyone on the crew looks like geniuses – no one ever looks bad – because everybody knows what the next shot is, everyone’s preparing for the next shot. No one ever gets caught out. It’s the most calm, friendly set that you’ve ever been on. It’s amazing.”

“I think every director has a different style. I love Martin [Campbell], and I think he’s done great Bond films with GoldenEye and Casino Royale, the most successful Bond film ever. He’s a fantastic director and I love him dearly. But I’m just talking about Marc’s qualities and I think he has a great vision. We can help him with the action because we have a whole team of people who know how to do it, so they can assist him.”

“My god, he’s a fantastic actor.” – Michael G. Wilson on Mathieu Amalric

When asked if he felt any risk in casting relative unknowns, in particular Quantum of Solace villain, Mathieu Amalric, Wilson replied, “After seeing The Diving Bell And The Butterfly, I don’t think there’s any risk at all, as well as the other films I’ve seen him in. Actually, we cast him just before we saw the movie, but my god, he’s a fantastic actor.”

While Quantum of Solace will not see the introduction of further ingredients of the 007 mythology (as seen in Casino Royale, moviegoers will see Bond’s famed car return. “Well we have Aston Martin back again with their new car. The other cars are a mixture of different makes and models.”

As for Bond’s toys, Wilson says, “We haven’t been too strong on gadgets, we’ve just used realistic things within the world.”

Head over to IGN for the complete interview.

Quantum of Solace will shoot in Panama, Peru, Chile, Italy, Austria and London over the next six months, before hitting cinemas from 7 November 2008.

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

Hornby Confirms 'Quantum of Solace' Scalextric Racing Set

Back in December, CommanderBond.net reported that Scalextric, a major international brand of slot car racing, was rumoured to be planning a James Bond racing set that would be a tie-in to the newly-titled Quantum of Solace.

According to an article in the BBC News, parent company Hornby has today confirmed this, stating they have high hopes for the forthcoming James Bond set.

‘We’re delighted to have the licence for James Bond. Scalextric was very strong last year, largely because of the Lewis Hamilton effect,’ said chief executive Frank Martin.

The BBC News adds that the set will feature 007’s Aston Martin DBS and an Alfa Romeo as the chase car.

Bond collecters may recognize the company as the maker of the 1968 James Bond Car Chase set and other related 007 items.

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

James Bond Royal Mail Stamp Competition

Following up the Royal Mail issuing it’s new line of James Bond stamps earlier this month as part of the Ian Fleming centenary celebrations, 007 fans now have the chance to win one of the presentation packs that were issued.

The Friends of Scotland website is holding a competition with 20 of the newly issued Bond presentation packs as the prizes.

Entrants must simply answer a few 007 trivia questions to be entered into the drawing for a prize. For further information and conditions and to enter this competition, visit the Friends of Scotland website.

Click here for CommanderBond.net’s full coverage of the brand new Ian Fleming James Bond stamps (including pictures of the many different items available).

Keep your eyes on the CBn main page for all the latest news on the Ian Fleming centenary events taking place throughout 2008. 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.

Mathieu Amalric Calls 'Quantum of Solace' "very dark"

WARNING: Minor plot spoilers

Mathieu Amalric is featured in a brand new interview posted online at The Times. The actor, who’ll be going head to head with James Bond in Quantum of Solace as the film’s main villain, ‘Dominic Greene,’ briefly talked about accepting the role and also revealed a few minor spoilers…

When asked about the offer to be the newest villain in the 007 series, Amalric explained that he simply couldn’t turn down the role: ‘Spending two days in a hotel doing interviews is not my goal. No, I could be with my kids. I could be making love. That’s real life. Surprising my girlfriend, going to Lisbon for two days, you know, that’s life. But I couldn’t resist it. My two boys, who are 8 and 10–I can’t tell them one day that I refused to be the villain in a Bond movie.’

Amalric further said that he has always enjoyed the Bond films and confessed that since the age of 18, he has used 0007 as a pin number. After mentioning several actors who took their turn as the newest Bond villain, Amalric stated: ‘Just the best actors in the world.’

He did say that before accepting the role, he asked veteran actor Michael Lonsdale, best known by Bond fans as Sir Hugo Drax in 1979’s Moonraker, how the role had affected his career. ‘It didn’t change his life,’ said Amalric.

Amalric went on to call Quantum of Solace a ‘very dark’ film and his role as Greene being extremely physical, citing a big fight with Bond towards the end. ‘I’ll have to be in shape for it,’ he said.

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

'Hurricane Gold' Paperback To Include 'Young Bond 5' Extract

While the wait for Charlie Higson’s fifth, final, and currently untitled Young James Bond adventure, which is due out on 4 September, may seem like a long time, the Young Bond Dossier has some good news for fans.

The website reports that the UK paperback of Higson’s fourth Young Bond novel, Hurricane Gold, will include an exclusive sneak peak at the fifth adventure. The Hurricane Gold hits UK bookshelves on 28 May.

• Order the UK hardback edition of Hurricane Gold from Amazon.co.uk
• Order the UK paperback edition of Hurricane Gold from Amazon.co.uk
• Order the UK audiobook edition of Hurricane Gold from Amazon.co.uk

The Young Bond Dossier notes that this upcoming extract is a first for a UK Young Bond paperback. Only the US paperback of SilverFin previously included an extract for Blood Fever.

Higson previously said regarding the fifth novel’s ending: ‘We see where he’s going to go in his future and what’s going to happen to him. He learns a quite a few nasty lessons in the book, about life, and people, and who you can trust and not trust.’

‘It’s not going to be a particularly happy ending, I don’t think. It’ll be interesting to see how kids react to that.’

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