John Barry 1933-2011

Legendary James Bond composer John Barry died today from a heart attack. He was 77. Barry was instrumental in giving James Bond his iconic sound mainly beginning with From Russia with Love in 1963 though Barry also contributed to Dr. No including an unknown amount of work on the “James Bond Theme” which Barry has claimed at least partial ownership of in a number of public interviews (note: Monty Norman received sole credit for the “James Bond Theme”).

Barry worked on 12 James Bond films in all, performing, composing and or writing the main themes:

• Dr. No (1962)
• From Russia with Love (1963)
• Goldfinger (1964)
• Thunderball (1965)
• You Only Live Twice (1967)
• On Her Majesty’s Secret Service (1969)
• Diamonds Are Forever (1971)
• The Man with the Golden Gun (1974)
• Moonraker (1979)
• Octopussy (1983)
• A View to a Kill (1985)
• The Living Daylights (1987)

Over the years Barry racked up seven Academy Award nominations and won five for his work on the films Dances with Wolves, Out of Africa, and Born Free. Barry also won four Grammy Awards, two BAFTAs, and one Golden Globe in addition to several other nominations.

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Javier Bardem offered Bond 23 role

Oscar-winning actor Javier Bardem has been offered a key role in the upcoming 23rd James Bond film, Deadline reports.

Details about the character remain unknown, but Deadline speculates it’s likely to be the role of the film’s villain.

The 41-year-old Spanish actor received the offer from 007 producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G Wilson last week, around the same time the actor received his third Oscar nomination for his role in the film Biutiful.

However, Bardem is a highly sought-after actor; last week he was also offered the lead role in Ron Howard’s three-film adaptation of Stephen King’s The Dark Tower series. Deadline also notes that the actor turned down the villain role in Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps.

Bardem is most well-known as the star of No Country for Old Men. He has also appeared in Collateral, Love in the Time of Cholera, Vicky Cristina Barcelona and Eat Pray Love.

In other Bond 23 news, Deadline also reports that MGM are using the film to leverage more cash flow for the embattled studio. According to the site, MGM are seeking a studio to co-finance a number of films as part of a deal to distribute the next James Bond outing.

An insider told Deadline, “The quick cash flow allows MGM to have revenue which it hasn’t had in a long time. Thereby their books look better, and therefore the possibility of getting more funds for production is increased. So expect whichever studio lands Bond to also announce it is several co-financing deals allowing MGM into other pics that are already shooting.”

But this stipulation isn’t sitting well with executives at studios seeking to land the distribution deal. Top brass at Sony, Warner Bros, Fox and Paramount “are growing increasingly frustrated with the way [MGM’s co-chairmen] are playing one studio off another – and enjoying it,” said one executive. One studio said its strategy to land the deal has been reduced to “pleading”.

Meanwhile, Dame Judi Dench has confirmed in an interview with BBC News that she’ll be back as “M” in Bond 23. The appearance will mark Dench’s seventh turn in the role; the Oscar-winning actress first appeared in 1995’s GoldenEye.

“I’m looking forward hugely to working with Daniel again and with Sam, who I’ve only ever worked with in the theatre,” the actress enthused to the BBC. “That’ll be all good fun to do. I’m so glad it’s coming back. It’s wonderful.”

Bond 23 will be released on 9 November 2012. The film will be directed by Sam Mendes from a script written by Neal Purvis, Robert Wade and John Logan. Details are being kept under wraps, but the film will follow on from the events of Quantum of Solace.

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Blood Stone's Bizarre recommended for closure

The worst case scenario for UK developer Bizarre Creations is apparently occurring. Parent company Activision has recommended that Bizarre be closed. Previously Bizarre Creations went through a “90-day consultation period, statutory redundancy” which is required by UK law prior to shutting down a business. It was thought that during this time Bizarre would find a buyer. One likely buyer was Microsoft who published Bizarre’s Project Gotham Racing series on their consoles.

Coddy Johnson, Activision Worldwide Studios’ chief operating officer said, “I want to be clear, our first choice was to try and keep this group together and find a buyer for the studio. This decision comes after a few months of exhausted examination of a number of different options across the board.” “But unfortunately, so far we’ve not been able to find any interested parties. So we’ve made as a last resort, a recommendation to the team for closure,” he added.

Bizarre Creation’s last released game was James Bond 007: Blood Stone which got “okay” reviews but was practically DOA for sales. That said, Blur’s failing to find commercial success appears to be the main reason for Bizarre’s closure.

Bizarre Creations has almost 200 staffers.

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Carte Blanche US cover art unveiled

Following the recent announcement of Jeffery Deaver’s upcoming James Bond novel Carte Blanche in Dubai, we now have the US cover art from US publisher Simon & Schuster. Big tip of the hat to The Book Bond for the find.

20th Century Fox makes pitch to MGM for Bond 23

I think it is obvious now that MGM will likely not be distributing Bond 23. It was only a few days ago that The Hollywood Reporter reported on Paramount Pictures making a pitch to distribute. Today they report that 20th Century Fox made a pitch to MGM last Friday for James Bond’s 23rd cinematic mission. Columbia Pictures is also for sure in the mix as a possible distributor of the series. Previously Columbia distributed Casino Royale and Quantum of Solace. It makes sense that these aren’t the only studios clawing for 007. Practically every studio out there wants Bond. Why wouldn’t they? The question is whether they’re willing to accept MGM’s deal, and according to the previous report this deal could be huge, possibly one of the biggest the industry has ever seen since it likely doesn’t just factor Bond 23, but also a number of sequels.

20th Century Fox already has an in with MGM as well as the Bond world. They’re currently responsible for distributing MGM’s films overseas as well as MGM’s library on DVD which includes James Bond. Of course that doesn’t necessarily give them a leg up on the competition. Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson are said to favor Columbia Pictures due to their already established relationship on the previous two films, and Paramount has a good working relationship with MGM’s new CEOs’ Gary Barber and Roger Birnbaum based on their past collaborations (namely Star Trek).

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Carte Blanche press release

Press Release

The new James Bond book, due to be published later this year and written by best-selling thriller writer Jeffery Deaver, is to be called Carte Blanche. Its title and cover artwork are unveiled today (Monday 17th January), at a special launch event at the InterContinental Hotel in Dubai.

Like Fleming, Jeffery Deaver takes inspiration from exotic locations around the world, and after visiting Dubai for the Emirates Airline Festival of Literature last year he decided to set part of Carte Blanche in the United Arab Emirates City.

Carte Blanche is due to be published by Hodder and Stoughton in the UK, a few days before Fleming’s birthday, on 26th May 2011. It has been commissioned by Ian Fleming Publications Ltd.

Jeffery Deaver comments, “I’m really excited about being back in Dubai. It is an inspirational and awe-inspiring city and makes a perfect Bond location—especially for a novel that pushes our hero to new extremes.”

Regarding the book’s title, Deaver added, “In the world of espionage, giving an agent carte blanche on a mission comes with an enormous amount of trust and constantly tests both personal and professional judgement. Part of the nonstop suspense in the novel is the looming question of what is acceptable in matters of national and international security. Are there lines that even James Bond should not cross?”

Unlike the most recent James Bond book, Sebastian Faulks’ period piece Devil May Care, Jeffery Deaver’s Bond will have a contemporary setting. As part of his latest assignment, the modern-day secret agent travels with Emirates Airline and spends a number of thrilling hours in Dubai both meeting up with an old friend and tracking a very disturbing villain.

The novel’s setting encompasses Deira and Port Saeed, and the history of the Emirates provides an exciting backdrop for some heart-stopping action.

Bond is renowned for visiting the most exotic and glamorous of cities and this is the first time Dubai has featured in a James Bond novel.

Jeffery Deaver will be making a special appearance at Emirates Airline Festival of Literature, on Tuesday 18th January, when he will be speaking about his love of Bond and his experience of writing Carte Blanche.

Carte Blanche also features Fleming’s favourite car – a Bentley. Historically, Bond owned three Bentley cars in the course of the fourteen original novels written by Ian Fleming and, bringing the plot completely up to date, Bond drives a Bentley Continental GT in the new book.

Jeffery Deaver has written 28 novels and sold more than 20 million books worldwide. He is best known for his Kathryn Dance and Lincoln Rhyme books, most notably The Bone Collector, which was adapted for film in 1999, starring Denzel Washington and Angelina Jolie. Before becoming a full-time author, Deaver was a journalist, like Fleming, and attorney. He started writing suspense novels on the long commute to and from his office on Wall Street. His books are now translated into 25 languages and he lives in North Carolina.

Carte Blanche; Project X title revealed

Project X is now Carte Blanche. In Dubai new James Bond author Jeffery Deaver announced the title of his new James Bond novel formerly known as Project X and gave a first look at the cover art.

A new website was simultaneously launched at 007carteblanche.co.uk.

Carte Blanche will be published by Hodder & Stoughton in the UK on 26 May 2011 (2 days prior to Ian Fleming’s birthday) and in the US by Simon & Schuster on June 14.

Deaver to reveal Project X title and cover in Dubai

On 18 January new James Bond author Jeffery Deaver will be in Dubai for the 2011 Emirates Airline Festival of Literature where he’ll be sitting down and talking about James Bond with local radio and TV presenter Shahnaz Pakhravan. Among the topics being discussed by Deaver will be his writing of Project X, his love of 007 and insights into stepping into Ian Fleming’s shoes. Jeffery will also be sharing with the audience new tidbits about the upcoming Bond adventure. The event will be taking place at the Dubai Cultural and Scientific Association at Al Mamzar.

Of most interest, however, Deaver has revealed on Twitter that fans will finally get to see the book’s title and cover art.

Project X – working title only – will be published on 28 May 2011 by Hodder & Stoughton in the UK and Simon & Schuster in the US.

MGM planning year-long 007 celebration in 2012

In their report on the official announcement of Bond 23, trade paper Variety notes that MGM aren’t going to let the James Bond series’ fiftieth anniversary slip by.

The studio have already begun preparing a year-long celebration to mark 50 years since the release of the very first 007 film, Dr No.

Specifics remain unknown, but fans should expect a celebration to top the series’ fortieth birthday held in the lead-up to the release of 2002’s Die Another Day.

Spy blog Double O Section speculates that the celebrations could include anything from theatrical re-releases of classic 007 films, books, toys and the release of the remaining Bond films on Blu-ray Disc.

Bond 23, to be directed by Sam Mendes from a script by Neal Purvis, Robert Wade and John Logan, will be released on 9 November 2012. The film will feature Daniel Craig reprising the role of James Bond for the third time.

Keep watching CommanderBond.net for more details on the Bond films’ fiftieth anniversary as they come to hand.

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Young Bond hits the back burner

Despite having a website, if you want to find out what Young Bond author Charlie Higson is up to nowadays all the juicy details can be found on his Twitter account. There’s been talk about the possibility of a Young Bond series 2 as recently as July 2010, and that could still happen, but it’s definitely hit the back burner due to Higson’s busy schedule. Via Twitter he writes:

“I have sadly had to draw a line under Young Bond for now. Too busy on other projects.”
– Charlie Higson

Another missed posting on his Twitter account was the announcement for the title of the third book in his horror series that began with The Enemy in 2009 and was followed by The Dead the following year. In September of this year be on the look out for The Fear. Oh, and as of 11 January, he finished it.

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