Craig Denies New 007 Contract

HisDarkMaterials.org have transcribed another roundtable discussion with the cast of The Golden Compass, in which Daniel Craig denies reports he has signed for four more James Bond films.

Q: You’ve been signed for four more Bond films?

Daniel Craig: That’s what you said… I never said that. [laughter]

Q: You said that you thought about the first one eighteen months ago, before you finally said ‘I’m making this film’, so I thought this was quite a commitment to make?

Daniel Craig: Well, that’s what’s been said, it’s not that it’s not true, because I haven’t signed up. What I’ve done is I’ve signed up on the next movie, after that we’ll see. That’s the way I’m doing it, and certainly it’s not four more – that’s the truth. It’s certainly not four more.

The news of Craig’s new contract first emerged last month, in a Hollywood Reporter article about MGM Chief Harry Sloan. British newspaper, The Daily Mail later published further details of the actor’s alleged contract.

While Craig has denied these reports, he did earlier this week suggest in a throwaway remark that he could make up to four films. “I want to make sure the next two, three, four, whatever films I manage to do before they chuck me out, or before it goes tits up, sit nicely within this era,” the actor said.

Craig’s second James Bond movie commences filming on 4 January 2008.

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

Daniel Craig And Eva Green Attend 'The Golden Compass' World Premiere

Casino Royale stars Daniel Craig and Eva Green were reunited on the red carpet tonight as the world premiere of The Golden Compass took place at London’s Odeon Leicester Square.

Fans can check out pictures from the red carpet on the BBC News website. In addition to Craig and Green, The Golden Compass stars Nicole Kidman, Dakota Blue Richards, Sam Elliott, Jim Carter, Jack Shepherd, Freddie Highmore and author Philip Pullman were all in attendance at the premiere.

The $180 million dollar epic from New Line Cinema is an adaptation of Philip Pullman’s novel, the first book in a hugely popular trilogy called His Dark Materials.

Craig plays adventurer Lord Asriel in the film. At a press conference at the Cannes Film Festival back in May of this year, Craig said of the series: ‘Like with (J.R.R.) Tolkien, there’s something about them that’s beyond the fantasy. It’s not just about witches and elves. It’s a story about true feelings.’

The Golden Compass, which is directed by Chris Weitz, opens on 5 December 2007 in the UK and 7 December in the US.

Other upcoming films for Craig include I, Lucifer, Flashbacks Of A Fool and Defiance. He returns as James Bond 007 in Bond 22, due for release in November 2008.

Keep watching CBn for all the latest James Bond news.

Craig Talks 'Bond 22' Rumours

In an interview with HisDarkMaterials.org, Daniel Craig discussed a number of rumours currently circulating about the next James Bond picture.

Of the rumours that French actor Mathieu Amalric has landed the role of the film’s villain, Craig said, “Maybe. I’m the wrong source.”

When asked about locations for Bond 22, the actor replied, “We’re going to start Central America, in Italy, maybe Austria. And Pinewood, obviously.” However, when prompted whether Austria meant skiing, Craig simply responded, “No.”

Austria has been rumoured as a possible location for some time, while Panama has also been considered; Dame Judi Dench recently revealed her character would be headed there in Bond 22.

Craig continued, “It will actually follow on quite closely after the last story. That’s in, sort of elements of what happened in the last movie are going to be putting over into this one, yeah.”

“There has to be an element of style, there has to be an element of something that’s quintessentially James Bond about the movies.” – Daniel Craig

Craig also discussed his desire to have Casino Royale as a more down-to-earth 007 film. “At two hundred million dollars it really was scaled down,” Craig laughed. “Um, the fact that the Bond movies are out, they were. They’re great movies, I mean I’ve watched all of them they’re really, they really work. But for me I wanted, my basis and what I kind of wanted is that I’m a fan of the very early Bond movies, the early Sean Connerys, Dr. No, and From Russia With Love and I wanted to put it back in that mold. And whatever you do, you know, these are Bond movies. There has to be an element of style, there has to be an element of something that’s quintessentially James Bond about the movies. I could name any influence that’s happened over the last thirty years that’s influenced my decision and my feelings about Casino Royale, but James Bond is James Bond.”

Bond 22 begins filming on 4 January 2008.

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

David Arnold To Attend LSO Film Night On 6 January 2008

James Bond film composer David Arnold will be appearing at London’s Barbican Hall as part of the London Symphony Orchestra’s Film Night on Sunday, 6 January 2008.

The composer, best known by 007 fans for his work on the most recent four films in the series (and set to return for next year’s Bond 22) will be taking part in the pre-concert talk along with fellow composer Patrick Doyle and chaired by Tommy Pearson.

An evening of music from the movies, including soundtracks from Hollywood golden oldies Lawrence of Arabia) and Dr Zhivago) , as well as more recent classics Titanic) , Dances with Wolves) , John Williams’s Raiders of the Lost Ark) and music by David Arnold and Patrick Doyle.

Pre-concert Talk: Composers David Arnold (James Bond, Independence Day) and Patrick Doyle (Harry Potter, Bridget Jones’s Diary) join presenter Tommy Pearson to discuss their music and the art of film scoring.

The pre-concert talk is free to the public and will take place at 6:15 PM. The concert, in which the London Symphony Orchestra will play music created by an array of well-known composers, including Arnold and Doyle, follows at 7:30 PM.

Tickets to the concert range in price from £6 to £30. For further information or to purchase tickets, visit the official website.

Fans of Arnold will also want to check out the recent three part audio interview in which he describes his work on the past four James Bond films and a little bit of what is in store for Bond 22: Part One and Two | Part Three.

Keep watching CBn for all the latest James Bond news.

Mathieu Amalric Neither Denies Nor Confirms 'Bond 22' Villain Possibilities

Earlier this month, CommanderBond.net reported that Fox News’ FOX411 column was claiming French actor Mathieu Amalric had been cast as the villain in next year’s Bond 22.

According to that report, columnist Roger Friedman said that despite no confirmation from Amalri himself, ‘that was the word’ at a lunch that week for Le Scaphandre Et Le Papillon (The Diving Bell And The Butterfly), in which Amalric stars. Friedman went on to say: ‘Anyway, expect a formal announcement shortly. This is a done deal.’

This past weekend, French James Bond website JamesBond-fr.com telephoned Mathieu Amalric to try and get some further information on this possible casting news.

When asked about the Bond 22 villain report, Amalric responded : ‘Ah, one will see… they will say it, but I cannot say. You know, cinema is complicated…’

While Amalric neither confirms nor denies the rumour, it certainly sounds like this will be a very interesting bit of Bond 22 news to keep an eye on…

As previously reported on CBn, if cast in the film, it is a possibility that Amalric would be playing the French-Algerian boyfriend of Casino Royale‘s Vesper Lynd (as originally revealed by Eva Green as the plan and something that screenwriter Paul Haggis coyly refused to deny). Amalric’s nationality adds a further bit of credibility to this notion.

Keep your eyes on the CommanderBond.net main page. We’ll keep you updated with all the latest news and details on Bond 22.

'Bond 22' Filming To Commence 4 January 2008

As the press rounds for The Golden Compass continue, Daniel Craig is dropping more and more hints about the next James Bond film.

In his most recent interview, with IESB.net, the actor confirmed the next 007 picture will commence filming on 4 January 2008.

After claiming the screenplay for the film is complete (despite Paul Haggis’ comments to the contrary), Craig said he is kept appraised of everything as it is being written. “And if not, I am on the phone asking why,” the actor laughed.

“This time, we’ve got Marc Forster on board. And we’ve also got Dennis Gassner, who is the designer from The Golden Compass, so there will be a change in the look and feel of the movie. Paul has put another great script in. So it’s just ours to f*** up. We’ve got to get on with it. And we have started. I’ve been pulled away to do this [interview]. We’re in rehearsals now. We start [filming] January 4th.”

Previous filming for Bond 22 took place (SPOILERS) in Tuscany earlier this year.

Keep watching CommanderBond.net for the most up-to-date Bond 22 coverage on the Internet.

David Arnold: A New Approach For 'Bond 22'

Following up the phenomenal two-part interview with David Arnold, composer of the recent James Bond films, Stage & Screen Online has now posted the third and final part online, which was recorded earlier this month.

Totaling 35 minutes, in this section of the interview, Arnold discusses with Tommy Pearson his work on some of his more recent smaller films plus his views on how to score films. Specific films discussed include Changing Lanes, Stoned (which was written by 007 scribes Neal Purvis and Robert Wade), Venus, Amazing Grace and this year’s Hot Fuzz.

Arnold also mentioned a few of his upcoming projects, including next year’s Bond 22 (which he confirmed he would be returning to compose back in early October). ‘I think I’m going to be on Bond for quite a while this time,’ he said. ‘We’re going to be taking a different approach. I think I’m going to be exclusively on it for quite a while as soon as possible. I think Marc [Forster] likes to work really tightly with his composers and I think it will be a great benefit to the film.’

‘Last time in Casino Royale, it was an extraordinary kind of scheduling … the first day of recording was eight weeks to the day from the end of principal photography, which is silly in a way. I mean, it’s extraordinary that it turned out OK, but people ask me how long does it take to score a film and it’s like “it takes a long as you’re given to do it.” If you give me six months to do it, it’ll take me six months to do it. If you give me two weeks to do it, I’ll get it done in two weeks. I think the intention for [Bond 22] is to spend a long time and really work it out and make sure it’s doing the right thing. Marc is exactly the right person to be doing this film.’

As Arnold previously mentioned in part two of this interview: ‘I haven’t seen the script yet [for Bond 22], but I met with the director, Marc Forster, and we had a very brief chat … in a way, I feel that this next one is the toughest one yet. It was much easier following up Die Another Day with a film where the general media response [regarding Craig’s announcement as the new 007] was “he’s not going to work…”. Following up something as commercially and critically successful as Casino Royale is a much tougher job. I think expectactions are much higher now.’

To listen to the entire 35 minute interview with David Arnold, visit Stage & Screen Online via this link. The interview is also available to download as an MP3 file.

Keep watching CBn for all the latest James Bond news.

The Penultimate Podcast of 2007 Arrives

Let’s be honest: if I’d have called this podcast the 007th of November Podcast you would probably have trussed me up like a chicken and bashed my balls with a carpet beater,
or shoved me in a centrifuge until I looked a bit disheveled and forgot how to walk for a bit.

So it’s not.

It is, however, quite accurately called CBn’s Penultimate Podcast of 2007, which I believe sounds a bit more epic and also faintly sad, as us Bond fans can no longer see things with dates on and…er…grin like idiots as we notice our favourite three digits on the end of the year.

If you’re unsure which version of the Podcast to download, I thoroughly recommend you download the Podcast in the “Enhanced” format, as listeners have the added benefit of “Willnowvision”, where Evan Willnow steps in and adds all sorts of enhanced pic-trickery to my words and music.

If you’re subscribed via iTunes under your Podcast section, click the ‘Update’ button to have the new episode downloaded automatically. If you have iTunes installed Click here to subscribe, or you can find more details on how to do this here.

We ask that you take a few seconds whilst you’re downloading to review the podcast on iTunes or Digg this article (link at the bottom of the page in with a snazzy new graphic button), to spread the word to other 007 fans. And it makes me feel all warm inside!

Download Enhanced version (Presented in Willnowvision).

Download Standard version.

You can download all episodes directly from the bottom of this page, if you can’t be bothered faffing around through iTunes.

The Competition

This month’s Podcast is rather stocked/fully loaded with all the happenings of the past month-or-so. I report on the latest Bond 22 news (fact and rumour), what Ian Fleming Publications have up their sleeves to celebrate Ian’s centenary next year, and you can also win yourself (or a Bond fan you know) one of five lovely copies of The James Bond Encyclopedia by John Cork and Collin Stutz, just in time for Chrimbo thanks to those lovely people at Dorling Kindersley Publishing. To stand a chance of winning, you must have listened to CBn’s Penultimate Podcast of 2007.

In addition to featuring more than 2,000 movie stills and images, The James Bond Encyclopedia focuses on the 007 lifestyle, the role of Bond as interpreted by the six actors who have played him on the big screen, and double-page features on every Bond film, with details of production history, cast, and crew. The complete blurb:

Created in full collaboration with Eon Productions, producers of the Bond movies, this illustrated celebration of the world’s most famous super-spy examines every aspect of 007’s world, with information on his history, style, and tastes, along with A-Z guides to his adversaries, allies, gadgets, cars, and, of course, the ever-glamorous Bond girls.

This competition is open to every CommanderBond.net Podcast listener. To enter, fill out the following questionnaire and e-mail it to me (Subject: COMPETITION) by Midnight GMT on 14th December 2007 (simply click on the link in this paragraph).

1. What famous Bond Pre-Title Sequence do I parody in the Pre-Title of CBn’s Penultimate Podcast of 2007?
2. What “single iconic image” do I suggest may be on the cover of Sebastian Faulks’ forthcoming centenary novel “Devil May Care”??
3. What country/state do you live in?

All those who answer correctly will be put into a drawing and the winner will be sent an e-mail to the address they have provided. The winner must respond to this e-mail within five (5) days with the requested information (name, mailing address, etc) or another drawing will be held. The winner will be announced once shipping information has been received. The item will be shipped from the UK. In the event that a prize has been stolen or mishandled during shipment, CBn will not be able to replace the specific item—this has yet to be a problem, so fear not. The editor’s decision is final.

If you have any questions about the competition, or if you want to leave feedback on the CBn Podcast, then feel free to do it in this thread of the CommanderBond.net Forums.

Daniel Craig Divulges 'Bond 22' Details

With 007 fans endlessly wondering and discussing anything and everything related to next year’s Bond 22, each bit of new information is welcomed with open arms. Coming Soon has scored a brand new interview with Daniel Craig that features a handful of details relating to the upcoming James Bond film. The interview took place in London for the recent international press junket for Craig’s upcoming film, The Golden Compass.

According to Craig, Bond 22 is still set to immediately follow the events of Casino Royale. When asked if the film was based on any of Ian Fleming’s work, he simply replied ‘there’s nothing left as far as I know.’

‘I run away. Having a sense of humor is really key. You have to have a sense of humor with these things and I’ve just tried to remain who I am. My life has changed. It’s changed in the fact that I don’t have the freedoms I did before, but I’ve also got a huge amount of other freedoms that have come along.’ – Craig on coping with Bond fame

Craig also dismissed any notions of an adaption of a John Gardner Bond novel: ‘I don’t think they ever would, because they don’t own them. I don’t know what the deal is with that. We’re taking the original idea. The funny thing is if you read Fleming’s [novels], which I try to plow through occasionally, there’s an awful lot of story lines that have never been used because obviously the films are based on the books. There are still ideas that we can sort of pluck from.’

He also had lavish praise for director Marc Forster, saying: ‘If you look at Marc Forster’s current body of work, that in itself makes me very excited.’ When asked what Forster will bring to the 007 series, Craig added: ‘If you look at Monster’s Ball, Finding Neverland and then Kite Runner, which is just stunning, it’s such a diverse look at the world, I’d want us to have that. Marc is very solid. That for me is crucially important because this movie needs to jump on from Casino Royale and take it somewhere else. Marc is totally inspired and is really just keen to get started.’

When asked if it was difficult to develop the character of Bond because of his worldwide iconic status, Craig stated: ‘Not difficult at all really. Paul Haggis is involved. We’ve got someone who can take on story and take on a character and take them to a different place. It’s always a struggle, but you’ve got to find themes, you’ve got to find reasons for doing it and you’ve got to put them all in the right place. The same rules apply.’

While Craig was unsure what effects a July ’08 strike by the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) could create, he stated that Bond 22 is free from the current WGA setbacks. ‘The writers’ strike doesn’t affect us because we have a script. As it stands at the moment, it doesn’t affect us.’

Craig also responded to the widely reported news a few months ago that Bond 22 would feature more humour:

Coming Soon: I read somewhere you’re going to inject a bit more humor into the next movie.

Daniel Craig: I was lying. I said, “Yes, it’s going to be funny.” I don’t remember saying that, but if I did, I’m not going to shy away from the fact the occasionally there should be humor. I just don’t like gags. I don’t like written gags. That’s not the way I’ve ever liked working and I don’t think that’s funny myself.

CS: Casino Royale marked a welcome return to the style and sensibilities of the earlier Bond movies, rather than the jokey more recent movies.

Craig: The idea of having jokes in Bond I don’t think is completely wrong, but I think the jokes to need to come out tension. There needs to be moments of humor because we’ve all been sitting on the edge of our seat. I don’t think you should write gags in Bond.

Closing off the interview, Craig said he was looking forward to fitting a possible second film after The Golden Compass along with Bond 22 into his schedule. ‘It just depends on how well we do here,’ he said. ‘I try not to count chickens. I really do because there’s no point. You’d go crazy. We’re in good shape and I’m very happy with the way this is working out. I’d love to get involved with [another Golden Compass film]. If they do another movie, I’d love to do it. We’ll fit it in. It’s not my job to make that work. I pay people fortunes to make that.’

Only some 340 more days of waiting until Bond 22 hits theatres. Just keep your eyes on the CommanderBond.net main page and we’ll keep you covered with all the latest news and information.

12 Audio Bond Books In A Tin

Not two days after The Literary 007 website reported that the new boxed set of Ian Fleming James Bond paperbacks were available for an amazing price of only £14.99 at thebookpeople.co.uk comes the news of similar savings for yet another new literary Bond collection–the audiobooks.

The site reports that thebookpeople.co.uk are now offering 12 of Fleming’s 007 novels in audiobook form in a new tin case collection.

‘From planes to cars, trains to boats or even your very own sofa, this exciting CD collection of James Bond adventures can be taken with you wherever you go! Join the suave superspy as he pits his wits against some of the most evil criminal masterminds ever to grace the pages of a book. Read by Rufus Sewell and Samantha Bond, and presented in a stylish tin, this set will make a great gift for the 007 fan in your life.’

All of Fleming’s Bond novels are included with the odd exceptions of Thunderball and On Her Majesty’s Secret Service.

The best thing of all is the price. While this set has a retail price of £155.88, the Book People are selling it for only £21.99–a massive savings of over 85%. So if Bond audiobooks are you thing…

Order James Bond 12 Audiobooks In A Tin from thebookpeople.co.uk.

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.