The Blofeld Trilogy US cover artwork revealed

Two months ago CommanderBond.net reported that The Blofeld Trilogy, an omnibus containing three classic Ian Fleming-penned James Bond novels, would be released in the US later this year.

Originally debuting in the UK last October, this 007 collection brings together the three novels that make up the SPECTRE trilogy—Thunderball, On Her Majesty’s Secret Service and You Only Live Twice.

Cover artwork has now been revealed for the US edition of the book, which will retail for $22.00 and is due for release on 28 September.

Ian Fleming’s The Blofeld Trilogy US paperback

With a new introduction by Nick Lezard.

Ernst Stavro Blofeld is James Bond’s arch-nemesis: a deranged criminal mastermind with ambitions to bring the world to its knees in his pursuit of power. This collection brings together three novels featuring the ultimate Bond villain. First introduced in Thunderball, Blofeld’s plan to steal atomic bombs and hold the whole world to ransom leads to a thrilling chase in the Bahamas. On Her Majesty’s Secret Service sees Blofeld developing terrifying weapons—and destroying the one thing Bond holds most dear—and in You Only Live Twice, the shattered secret agent must get his revenge in one last, deadly encounter.

Pre-order online from Amazon.com:

• Order the US paperback edition of The Blofeld Trilogy from Amazon.com

Keep turning to the CommanderBond.net main page and our Discussion Forums for the most up-to-date literary James Bond coverage on the web.

Rumour control: 'Stealth-centric James Bond game' from Activision put on hold

According to a report from G4, Activision has supposedly put one of their James Bond games in development on hold.

The article, citing multiple anonymous sources, states that the company has pulled a team of Raven Software developers from their work on a ‘steath-centric James Bond game’ over to instead focus on a series of map packs for their forthcoming Call of Duty: Black Ops title, due out on various platforms this November.

At the time, the team was in the early development and design phases on the mysterious 007 game, with no further information released as of yet.

CommanderBond.net points out that this G4 article has not been confirmed by the official companies holding the James Bond video game licences. Stressing that fact, Activision released the following statement to G4: ‘Activision does not comment on rumor and speculation.’

Be sure to keep checking the CBn main page and our Discussion Forums for all the latest news as it becomes available.

MGM wins fifth extension

The Hollywood Reporter – MGM said Thursday the cash-strapped studio has won a fifth extension of the deadlines for forking over more than $400 million in debt and interest payments.

Burdened by a crushing $3.7 billion in debt and a credit facility set to expire, the Lion first tried unsuccessfully to find a buyer for the studio and more recently has been searching for new equity investors to assist in a massive restructuring of the Century City studio. The latest debt forbearance gives MGM until July 14 to make payments to a large group of lenders, who are expected to end up with the majority of studio equity following a likely bankruptcy court-facilitated restructuring.

The Lion had been under a May 15 debt-payments deadline, following previous extensions of separate deadlines on principal and interest payments.

“Lenders agreed to extend the forbearance period and therefore will not seek remedies in connection with the nonpayment of interest and principal due on the company’s bank debt,” the studio announced in a brief press statement. “The lenders took this action in support of the company’s ongoing efforts to evaluate long-term strategic alternatives to maximize value for its stakeholders. MGM appreciates the continued support of its lender group for the process it is undertaking.”

MGM has been using Moelis & Co. as a consultant in its search for financial alternatives. Houlihan Lokey is advising a JP Morgan-led steering committee of Lion debtholders.

The studio and its lenders also have been meeting with industry VIPs such as Peter Chernin, Roger Birnbaum and others for input on its restructuring plans. Eventually, MGM may tap one of those giving advice as a replacement for current CEO Stephen Cooper, a veteran turnaround specialist who will move on once a restructuring is completed.

MGM’s owners include Providence Equity, TPG Capital, Sony, Comcast, DLJ Merchant and Quadrangle. Most, if not all, would lose their positions in any restructuring.

Time Warner topped bidders in a failed MGM auction with a $1.7 billion offer, but the Warner Bros. parent isn’t interested in partial ownership. On the other hand, TW could re-engage with the Lion at any point to negotiate a modestly increased bid for the entire studio.

But for now ,companies such as News Corp., Qualia Capital and Lionsgate are in talks regarding more narrowly drawn investments in MGM.

Keep your browsers pointed to the CommanderBond.net main page and our Discussion Forums for all the latest James Bond news.

Daniel Craig's Cowboys and Aliens to shoot this summer in New Mexico

Production is moving ahead on Daniel Craig’s sci-fi western adventure Cowboys and Aliens.

Daniel Craig

According to the New Mexico Business Weekly, the Dreamworks project will shoot in the US state from mid-June through mid-August and will employ about 150 New Mexico cast and crew members.

The project, which is based off of a 2006 graphic novel, focuses on a group of Apache Indians and Western settlers who set aside their differences when an alien spaceship crash-lands in their city. The film is due to hit theatres in summer 2011.

Co-starring alongside Craig are Harrison Ford and Sam Rockwell. Iron Man‘s Jon Favreau will direct from a script by Roberto Orci, Alex Kurtzman and Damon Lindelof, while producers include Stephen Spielberg, Ron Howard, Brian Grazer, Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci.

As always, keep turning to the CommanderBond.net main page and our Discussion Forums for all the latest news from the world of James Bond.

Aston Martin DB4 stand-in from Goldfinger goes up for auction

LONDON—With their bulletproof bodies, hidden missile launchers, and self-destruction settings, the cars of fictional British secret agent James Bond have delighted moviegoers and tantalized car and espionage fans for nearly half a century. Now wealthy Bond devotees will have a chance to own one of their very own, as British auction house Bonhams gears up to auction a 1962 Aston Martin DB4, which was used in the production of the Sean Connery-helmed 1964 classic, Goldfinger. The car, originally built for the publishing tycoon Max Aitken, the first Baron of Beaverbrook, is estimated to earn £40-60,000 ($59-89,000) when it heads to the auction block on May 22 as part of Bonhams’ Aston Martin car sale, the only auction in the world devoted to models by—and memorabilia related to—the storied sportscar company.

Aston Martin DB4 stand-in from Goldfinger

Unfortunately, the car never actually made it into a Bond film; rather, it was used as a model for designing the special additions (like machine guns and ejector seats) that were later added to a silver DB5 used in the movie.

While it’s not quite as impressive as some later Bond cars, the Aston Martin boasts some interesting features, including a special, extra-light clutch and a thermostatically activated overheating alarm. Despite it’s apparent historical value, the car had actually been sitting in a garage since 1974.

For further information, visit the official Bonhams website.

Stay tuned to the CommanderBond.net main page and be sure to visit our Discussion Forums for all the latest 007 news from the world of James Bond.

Daniel Craig's Flashbacks of a Fool arrives on Blu-ray this month

Daniel Craig’s Flashbacks of a Fool will be arriving on Blu-ray at the end of this month.

The 2008 drama will be issued on the high-def format by Anchor Bay Entertainment, retailing for $17.98. The official synopsis follows below:

Flashbacks of a Fool

Daniel Craig delivers a startling performance as Joe Scott, a washed-up Hollywood star adrift in a haze of sex, drugs and squandered fame. But when he receives news of the sudden death of his childhood best friend, Joe flashes back to his younger self (played by Harry Eden of Oliver Twist) in his small English seaside village and the summer of innocence and tragedy that would change his life forever. Olivia Williams (The Sixth Sense), Claire Forlani (CSI:NY) and Eve co-star in this powerful drama about love, loss and one man s journey to redemption, executive produced by Daniel Craig and featuring songs by Scott Walker, David Bowie and Roxy Music.

Flashbacks of a Fool is currently available to pre-order from Amazon.com at a discounted price:

• Order Flashbacks of a Fool (Blu-ray) from Amazon.com

Keep turning to the CommanderBond.net main page and our Discussion Forums for all the latest news from the world of James Bond.

Ontario's K-W Symphony presents The Music of James Bond

Ontario’s Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony will kick off this upcoming weekend with The Music of James Bond—a celebration of the world’s most famous secret agent.

Two performances of the concert, part of the Symphony’s Pop series, will take place on Friday 14 May and again on Saturday, 15 May. John Morris Russell will act as conductor and noted vocalist Marcia Whitehead will also be featured.

Both performances are scheduled to begin at 8:00pm at the Centre In The Square. Tickets start at $20.00 and can be purchased at the official website.

The line-up of 007 themes include:

John Barry
Thunderball
On Her Majesty’s Secret Service

Bill Conti
For Your Eyes Only

Monty Norman
Dr. No Suite

David Arnold
Tomorrow Never Dies
The World Is Not Enough

John Barry
From Russia With Love

George Martin
Live and Let Die

Quincy Jones
Soul Bossa Nova

Henry Mancini
Peter Gunn

Laurie Johnson
The Avengers

Lalo Schifrin
Mission: Impossible

Henry Mancini
Pink Panther

Michael Kamen
License to Kill

Burt Bacharach
The Look of Love

John Barry
Diamonds are Forever Suite

Marvin Hamlisch
Nobody Does It Better

John Barry
Goldfinger

The The Centre In The Square is located at 101 Queen Street N., Kitchener, Ontario, Canada. For further details on The Music of James Bond concert, phone 519-578-1570 or 1-800-265-8977 or visit the official website.

For up-to-the-minute James Bond coverage, always turn your browsers to the CommanderBond.net main page and our Discussion Forums.

Goldfinger/Thunderball double feature at the Aero Theatre in June

Thunderball

Two of Sean Connery’s biggest James Bond adventures will be shown back to back next month at American Cinematheque’s Aero Theatre in Santa Monica, California.

007 fans in the area will be able to catch Goldfinger and Thunderball on Sunday, 20 June at 7:30pm.

The American Cinematheque’s Aero Theatre is located at 1328 Montana Avenue at 14th Street in Santa Monica, California.

For further details on this Bond double feature or to purchase tickets, phone 1-323-466-FILM or visit the official website.

Keep turning to the CommanderBond.net main page and our Discussion Forums for all the latest news from the world of James Bond.

James Bond will be shaken and stirred by the Florida Orchestra

The Florida Orchestra’s Raymond James Pops series goes out with a “bang” at its final pops concert of the season reliving the thrills, the spills and the ever-so-cool chills of 007…”Bond, James Bond” …with hits from Goldfinger, From Russia with Love, Thunderball, You Only Live Twice, Casino Royale, Diamonds Are Forever and Live and Let Die, among musical themes from over 20 James Bond films. The concerts feature renowned conductor Carl Davis and vocalist Mary Carewe. James Bond collectibles and memorabilia will be displayed in the concert hall lobby each night from the collection of 007 expert Matt Sherman.

Concerts are Friday, May 21, at 8 p.m., David A. Straz Center for the Performing Arts Ferguson Hall, in Tampa; Saturday, May 22, at 8 p.m., Progress Energy Center for the Arts – Mahaffey Theater, in St. Petersburg; and Sunday, May 23, at 7:30 p.m., Ruth Eckerd Hall, in Clearwater. Tickets are $20 to $65 for the general public and are only $10 for students: 727.892.3337 or 1.800.662.7286, Monday – Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. or online at www.floridaorchestra.org.

Lobby Displays of James Bond Collectibles

Matt Sherman is a top “Bondologist” who has appeared internationally on television and in print, and has led Bond and espionage fan events and locations tours across the U.S. and overseas. His exploits have appeared in Ripley’s Believe It Or Not, VH-1’s Totally Obsessed! and on HGTV, TNN, The Learning Channel, C-SPAN and more. He has contributed to numerous books and publications about the Bond phenomenon and to interactive CDs and DVDs. His extensive 007 and Ian Fleming memorabilia collection features unique acquisitions from the film stars, authors and screenwriters of Bond on location. Sherman will exhibit some of his collection at the Florida Orchestra’s Classic James Bond pops concerts, including one-of-a-kind first editions, movie memorabilia from each of the 22 EON Productions James Bond films, and James Bond toys and games.

Conductor Carl Davis

Carl Davis is a prolific composer of music for feature films, television, silent films, ballets and musicals as well as the Liverpool Oratorio that he co-wrote with Paul McCartney. In 1959, he and fellow student Stephen Vinaver wrote the revue Diversions, which won him an Obie for this off-Broadway production. Shortly thereafter, Ned Sherrin of BBC commissioned Davis to compose for That Was The Week That Was, paving the way for many radio and television commissions, including the BBC’s production of Pride and Prejudice as well as The Snow Goose, The World At War, Hollywood, Cold War, The Far Pavilions, The Naked Civil Servant, Good Night Mr Tom and, most recently, Cranford. Davis is also recognized for the scores he has composed for such feature films as The French Lieutenant’s Woman, Champions, Scandal, Ken Russell’s The Rainbow, Widow’s Peak, Mike Leigh’s Topsy Turvy and The Book of Eve. Another area reflecting his creative output includes his musical scores for over fifty silent films, including one for Abel Gance’s epic film Napoleon, for which Davis received the order of Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres from the French Minister of Culture after a screening of the film in Paris. Among the many silent films for which he has orchestrated music are Ben Hur, Phantom of the Opera, Flesh and the Devil, Old Heidelberg, The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, Intolerance, The Crowd and The Big Parade, Chaplin’s Behind the Screen and King Vidor’s Show People.

Vocalist Mary Carewe

Vocalist Mary Carewe has performed under the baton of such renowned conductors as Sir Simon Rattle, Kurt Masur, John Rutter and Charles Hazlewood. In her now long-established artistic relationship with conductor Carl Davis, she has sung a variety of programs, including a James Bond program and an Oscar Winners program with the main British orchestras, Orchestre Philharmonique du Luxembourg, Orquesta Sinfónica de Navarra, Spain, Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra, Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, Queensland Orchestra and Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra. She made her Carnegie Hall debut in 2009 in a James Bond program with The New York Pops with Carl Davis conducting.

For up-to-the-minute James Bond coverage, always turn your browsers to the CommanderBond.net main page and our Discussion Forums.

Win Titan's Nightbird James Bond collection

CommanderBond.net is giving away a free copy of the 2010 James Bond 007 collection from publisher Titan Books: Nightbird.

Titan’s Nightbird James Bond collection

The legend continues! Stand by for more adventures with the world’s greatest and most famous secret agent, James Bond, as some of his most thrilling missions are collected for the first time ever in a deluxe collectors’ library edition! This bumper action-packed volume collects ultra rare Bond stories that have not been seen since their original syndication between 1976–77: Hot-Shot, Nightbird and Ape of Diamonds. Also featuring a new celebrity introduction and an exclusive selection of recently unearthed James Bond comic strip artwork that has never before seen print, this latest essential volume is not to be missed!

This competition is open to all members of CommanderBond.net (CBn). You must be a registered member of the CBn Forums and answer the following question correctly to be eligible to win. Not yet a member of CBn? Register here now—it is free and only takes a minute!

How To Enter:

To enter, fill out the following questionnaire and send a Communiqué/Private Message on the CBn Forums to ‘CBn Competition’ (Subject: CBn May10 Titan) by Midnight EST on 28 May 2010 (simply click on the link in this paragraph).

1. Which of the following is not a title of another James Bond collection issued by Titan Books?

1. The Spy Who Loved Me
2. Death Wing
3. Beware Of Butterflies
4. Shark Bait

2. What is your CBn Forum Screen Name?
3. What country/state do you live in?