Dear colin
| |
| |
|
At last. Early November gave us the official announcement that we had all been waiting for. A press conference was held by Eon Productions in central London on Thursday, November 3, and this confirmed that James Bond movie no. 23 is 'Skyfall', which Michael G. Wilson at one point joked was 'the worst kept secret in London'. At another stage during the special media event Daniel Craig stated that, in doing his third 007 adventure, it was his intention 'to make the best Bond movie that we possibly could, and Bond with a capital B...'. Lined up on the panel were Berenice Marlohe, Javier Bardem, Naomie Harris, Dame Judi Dench, Daniel Craig, Sam Mendes, Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson. Director Sam Mendes also confirmed that Ralph Fiennes, Ben Whishaw and Albert Finney will also be part of the distinguished cast, but he did not at that point give any more details about their precise roles. Before taking questions from the audience, each member of the panel was invited to make some brief comments about the new experience now facing them. Sam Mendes, looking very happy, commented that he had always been 'a huge fan' of the Bond movies. He said he 'loved' Daniel Craig's first 007 movie 'Casino Royale', and was excited about his friend Daniel's work. He also explained that he 'wanted a huge challenge'. Barbara Broccoli, in her contribution, said 'working with Sam is a dream come true', and she emphasised that Sam Mendes has brought 'enthusiasm and commitment' to the project. 
Much of the media event went out live on various TV news channels, and numerous internet forums were soon chewing over the mini-avalanche of sudden Bond coverage. Just over an hour after the end of the media event, the JBIFC had written our first report on the proceedings (at 2.00pm), and this was followed by our second report an hour later (phew!). A number of other Bond fan websites had given detailed reports on the media event by the end of the Thursday, and it is no exaggeration to say that the official confirmation news about 'Skyfall' and its cast had gone truly global within hours. Bond remains big news. The British media in particular gave extensive coverage to the start-of-production media event for 'Skyfall' and, given all the anxieties there had been concerning MGM's financial situation over the last four years, the sense of relief and excitement at the return of 007 was very much in evidence, both on the day itself and over the following few days. The London Evening Standard, for example, carried an almost immediate response on the same day as the media event with: 'Bond Is Back: Stellar Cast For New Movie Skyfall'. The next day, people purchasing UK newspapers on a rainy Friday morning were faced with various colourful reports about the new Bond adventure. The Daily Express, to take just one example, placed a large photo of French actress Berenice Marlohe in her red dress on its front page with: 'Oh oh heaven! Meet Bond's new beauty'. Inside the paper, the coverage opened with the lines: 'For millions of Bond fans the wait was over yesterday as details of the hotly-awaited blockbuster were unveiled'. The paper also commented: 'Bond is back with a bang'. 
Bond news has been coming thick and fast during November. According to both the UK newspaper The Sun and (shortly afterwards) the BBC, the actor Ben Whishaw has been cast as the new 'Q' in the 23 rd James Bond movie. He will be following in the prestigious footsteps of Desmond Llewelyn and John Cleese, but it is thought that his version of MI6's gadgets Quartermaster will see a radical reboot of the character by director Sam Mendes. The 31-year old English actor recently starred in the well-received BBC drama series 'The Hour', which was about the world of newspaper journalism during the mid-1950s, around the time of the Suez Crisis (and coincidentally involved an espionage dimension, with Whishaw's character clearly admiring the work of Fleming). Whishaw's other acting credits include 'Criminal Justice' and 'Brideshead Revisited'. Interestingly, Whishaw is also due to play Richard II, opposite Rory Kinnear (who also, of course, has a role in 'Skyfall'), in a new BBC Shakespeare adaptation being overseen by Sam Mendes. This will form part of the 2012 Cultural Olympiad, designed to complement the Olympics in London next year. True to form, The Sun newspaper commented: 'Handsome ben will be the youngest actor to play the MI6 gadget master - and at 31 he is 12 years younger than 007 star Daniel Craig'. The paper's unnamed 'source' was also quoted as saying that Whishaw's version of 'Q' will be 'very different' from the previous 'Q's, adopting a more serious tone in line with the trend in Craig's Bond movies. This was followed up later on Friday November 25 by a report from the BBC which said that Whishaw's agent had now confirmed the casting news. 
The playwright and screenwriter John Logan, who is part of the 'Skyfall' screenwriting team alongside Neal Purvis and Robert Wade, was interviewed recently by the TriQuarterly, an online journal of writing, art and culture. Although the interview took place some time before the new 007 movie was officially confirmed as 'Skyfall', Logan made some interesting comments about his involvement in both general film writing and in the 007 franchise. At one point Logan was asked whether there is a common thread that connects all his work? He responded: 'Yes and no. In a way, I'm always drawn toward big characters and the exciting, theatrical idea. Complex, dark characters appeal to me'. At another juncture in the interview, Logan was asked: 'In 2002 you wrote Star Trek: Nemesis, and now you're working on the next James Bond movie, Bond 23. What is it like to work on a series in which other people have written the previous movies?' Logan replied: 'It's like being part of an ongoing story. I grew up on the Bond movies, and I remember the first one I saw. I remember seeing other ones over the years. They are part of my life story. Same with the Star Trek characters: they've been a part of my life for years. So to get to go in and help shape that ongoing journey is thrilling'. When asked whether there is any pressure, Logan commented: 'There is a unique sense of responsibility to it. The audience comes in with a certain level of expectation and a certain investment and familiarity with the characters. So you want to treat the audience really well'. 
Interestingly, since the 'Skyfall' press conference on November 3, it has also emerged that John Logan played a part in getting his good friend Ralph Fiennes a part in the new Bond adventure. The two men had collaborated recently on a modern version of Shakespeare (which both men are passionate about), when Logan scripted Fiennes's critically appraised movie version of Coriolanus. In an interview about Coriolanus, given on November 7 to The Playlist (part of the Indiewire Network), Fiennes revealed that Logan was partly responsible for him appearing in the new 007 adventure because, said Fiennes, Logan 'wrote this really interesting part which is really quite fun'. As we noted in our last Newsletter, Fiennes is a considerable catch for Sam Mendes and the new Bond production, and it would appear that Fiennes is already relishing his upcoming part in 'Skyfall': according to the Daily Telegraph's showbiz columnist 'Mandrake' (Tim Walker), while working out at a gym in New York, the Shakespearean actor's mobile telephone went off, and the ringtone was Monty Norman's instantly recognisable 'James Bond theme'! 
In a surprise move, it emerged in mid-November that the 'Skyfall' production team have now decided not to use Duntrune Castle, near Lochgilphead in Argyll, Scotland, as a key location. It is thought the beautiful castle had originally been chosen for filming parts of the climax for the new Bond adventure in the early months of 2012. A considerable number of production crew had been due to descend on the castle and surrounding area, and local hotels had been booked. Hoteliers were looking forward to the potential boost to local income. According to sources, Eon Productions locations manager Russell Lodge made a personal visit to the castle to deliver the bad news to the owner. The castle's owner, Robin Malcolm, commenting to Scottish TV, said: 'We were as surprised as anyone when they said "No it's all off". I feel particularly sorry for hoteliers and tradesmen in the area who were looking forward to a prosperous New Year'. He added: 'For the past three months they have been sending people up here in increasing numbers to look around. Last time we had 50 people having lunch in our kitchen. I think they would like to keep a Scottish dimension in the film, but where they do that is up to them. You win some, you lose some'. One hotelier, in Ardrishaig, also confirmed that Eon had cancelled a booking for 22 rooms in February, 2012. Asked about the decision by the Scotsman newspaper, a spokeswoman for Eon Productions responded: 'Lots of locations have been scouted. We are looking at a number of different places'. 
No sooner had the 'Skyfall' press conference taken place at the Corinthia Hotel near London's Whitehall on November 3 than the crew were making use of locations in and around the Whitehall area on Thursday and Friday, and then, on Saturday November 5, at Smithfield Market, in Clerkenwell. Some of the shooting took place near Gate 20 at the famous meat Market which, ironically, is not too far from the Barbican Centre, where some scenes had been shot with Rory Kinnear and Judi Dench for 'Quantum of Solace'. Interestingly, both Kinnear and Dench were involved in the 'Skyfall' shooting at Smithfield, which saw a mini-convoy of black government-style vehicles (a Jaguar XJL and a Range Rover) using the road around the famous (but quite shabby) Market. The weather at the Smithfield location was rather grey and overcast at times, and wet-weather gear was needed at one point. Other key members of the cast involved included Daniel Craig. At one point, Michael G. Wilson arrived at the scene to quietly observe the proceedings and chat briefly to director Sam Mendes. Other London location shooting also took place in November, including in an area near Waterloo station, then at Spitalfields (not far from the famous Spitalfields Market), and, on Saturday November 19, outside the famous National Gallery in London's Trafalgar Square. The latter filming, which took place early on the Saturday morning, involved a smartly-dressed but bearded Daniel Craig pausing on the wide stone steps of the Gallery and then walking down them, and at one point he appeared to look skywards. A large crowd of extras were used as Gallery visitors. It is understood that the Gallery has signed a confidentiality agreement with Eon not to reveal any details about the day's filming. 
The JBIFC was very sad to learn of the news that the production designer Syd Cain passed away on Monday, November 21, aged 93. The talented artist had a career that lasted nearly 50 years in the British film industry, and he was closely associated with some of the most memorable gadgets and set designs on the James Bond films from early on in the series. Working as both art and production designer on 'From Russia, With Love' (1963), for example, Cain designed what is probably one of the most iconic gadgets in the early 007 movies: the special black-leather attaché case, equipped with an Armalie AR-7 folding sniper's rifle, a throwing knife and a can of teargas disguised as talcum powder, something which proved to be a tearful surprise for Donald 'Red' Grant (Robert Shaw)! The JBIFC did a full interview with Syd which appeared in issue 22 of '007 Magazine' in 1990. This can be read in the member's area at: www.007.info/Members/SydCain.asp 
Cain's creativity was on display at an auction held earlier in November. James Bond's specially adapted Rolex wristwatch, worn by Roger Moore in 'Live and Let Die' (1973), was sold at auction on November 14 for an eye-watering £242,000. The wristwatch, which was auctioned by Christie's, played a key role in Roger's first Bond movie. Near the beginning of the movie 007 explained to 'M' (Bernard Lee) that 'Q' had equipped it with a 'hyper-intensified magnetic field', which could deflect the path of a bullet even at long range, and an exasperated 'M' commented that he was very tempted to try this out! The movie also saw the watch convert into a buzz saw, which helped Bond break free from his ropes while a prisoner of Mr. Big. The wristwatch was converted from a stainless steel Rolex Oyster Perpetual by the late British production and art designer Syd Cain, and the Lot in the Christie's auction (Lot no. 1383) included two framed prints, one showing Bond unzipping Miss Caruso's dress with the watch ('sheer magnetism, darling'), and the other showing Bond with Solitaire tied to a hoist in Mr. Big's underground lair. The Lot also included Syd Cain's original production drawing showing the functioning of the different features of the watch. Syd Cain worked on more than 30 films, including four 007 movies. Since his retirement, Syd had concentrated on writing and illustrating children's and other stories. RIP, Syd. 
In mid-October the 'Bizarre' showbiz column in the British newspaper The Sun claimed that the first day of shooting on Bond 23 will be on November 7, it will involve some 'dangerous stunts' with moving vehicles, and that it will take place in a famous London meat market. The newspaper said (on October 15) that the sequence will involve Daniel Craig's 007 having to switch from a Range Rover to a Jaguar, while both vehicles are on the move, and that the sequence will be shot at London's Smithfield market. According to the newspaper: 'Traders at central London's Smithfield market are in for an exciting day as that's where the car chase is set to be shot'. Smithfield market, a famous wholesale meat market (one of the largest in Europe) is located in the Farringdon area, in the north west part of the capital city, and both it and the surrounding area have been used quite regularly in the recent past for both TV and general movie-making. A word of warning is need, however: it is difficult to know whether the details obtained by the Sun are accurate. 
Just a week after it claimed that Bond 23 would have a car stunt sequence at Smithfield Market in London, the UK's Sun newspaper returned to the 007 rumour round on October 22 by claiming that Vauxhall Bridge in the city will be blown up in the movie. The newspaper's 'Bizarre' showbiz gossip page (written by showbiz editor Gordon Smart) also claimed that Daniel Craig's 007 'is required to have facial hair' in the film. In addition, Smart's report alleged that: 'The film is going to made on a shoestring budget in comparison to the last few'. Predictably, Smart's article was based on quotes from an un-named source, who included the comment about Vauxhall Bridge. If true, the latter snippet of information will probably be the most interesting for Bond fans. Vauxhall Bridge (over the River Thames) has been used twice before by EON (in 'Goldeneye' and 'The World Is Not Enough') and is, of course, near to the real-life 'Wedding Cake' headquarters of MI6, Britain's Secret Intelligence Service.The newspaper returned to the topic of Bond for a third time on October 27, claiming that the Bond 23 production team have been bulk-buying VW Beetles, with the intention of smashing up a few of the vehicles during the filming. The usual caution is needed, however, with all this: British red-top newspapers can often be very unreliable. 
In JBIFC Newsletters and on our website this year, we have speculated on a number of occasions about whether the respected actor Ralph Fiennes has signed up for a role in Bond 23. If Sam Mendes has indeed managed to secure the services of the talented Mr. Fiennes, the new Bond movie will be gaining the fine skills of an actor who seems to be experiencing yet another set of high-points in his extensive acting career. His latest movie, 'Coriolanus', is being tipped for possible Oscar recognition. It was also announced on October 4 that Fiennes would be awarded a Fellowship by the British Film Institute in honour of his acting career. Fiennes said he was 'extremely honoured and delighted' by the BFI's accolade (which was presented to him later in the month on October 26, after a gala screening of 'Coriolanus' took place at the London Film Festival). Furthermore, his recent performance as Prospero in Trevor Nunn's stage production of 'The Tempest', which ended its run at the Theatre Royal in the Haymarket, London, on October 29, has also been showered with praise by most of the critics. Fiennes's performance on stage has been variously called 'virile', 'determined' and 'commanding'. 
Sir Roger Moore, the third 007, celebrated his 84 th birthday on October 14 (he was born in 1927). Sir Roger, of course, holds the record for the number of times he played James Bond on screen: seven 007 films, from 1973-1985. Sir Roger's most recent film, A Christmas at Castlebury Hall, which co-stars Merlin actress Katie McGrath and was shot in Bucharest, will released in time for the 2011 Christmas season. The film will be shown on the Hallmark Cable Channel on December 3 and will be available on DVD at the end of the month. 
Staying on the subject of 'On Her Majesty's Secret Service', we were very sad to learn in early October that the actor George Baker, who played College of Arms genealogist Sir Hilary Bray in the movie, had died. Baker, of course, also dubbed George Lazenby's 007 when the latter posed as Sir Hilary while a guest in Blofeld's lair in the Swiss Alps. Baker's other contributions to the 007 franchise were as an un-credited NASA engineer in 'You Only Live Twice' (1967), and as a Royal Navy Captain named Benson in 'The Spy Who Loved Me' (1977). Baker's long acting career included roles on stage, in film and on TV. On TV, he took roles in 'Dr. Who', 'The Persuaders', 'The Protectors', and in an episode of the cult series 'The Prisoner'. He also paid a gentle tribute to his Bond connection by playing the part of 'Jamus Bondus' in comedian Frankie Howard's satire of Roman times, 'Up Pompeii'. Baker's all-time favourite role on TV, however, was as Chief Inspector Reg Wexford in 'The Ruth Rendell Mysteries', which ran for 13 years (1987-2000). Intriguingly, not long after he started as Inspector Wexford in 1987, Baker revealed in interviews given to the British media that he had been a possible candidate to play James Bond in the early 1960s. This was also confirmed by Bond director Terence Young. 
Bond fans in the UK were able to recently catch another transmission on British cable TV of 'True Bond', a drama-documentary about the spy Dusko Popov, first broadcast in the UK in January 2009. Popov has often been pointed to as a possible role-model for Ian Fleming's James Bond, although the list of such candidates seems to grow with each passing year. But Popov's dramatic career as a real-life spy in World War Two may have indirectly furnished the Bond author with some ideas for his later fictional 007 plots. Fleming, who knew Popov well and was involved in setting up some of the espionage operations the Serbian-born Popov carried out, seems to have admired Popov's playboy lifestyle and his attempts to 'clean out' Nazi agents at the gambling tables in casinos in neutral Portugal. Indeed, the programme speculated about whether Fleming had possibly witnessed one such high-stakes gambling episode when he visited Portugal during the War and saw Popov at work, and may have later used it as the basis of his first Bond novel Casino Royale. However, there have been a number of theories about this from Fleming's biographers and nobody can be sure. The programme inter-mixed frequent poor-quality clips from the EON Bond movies with its commentary, but included some astute contributions from Fleming biographer Andrew Lycett, author of Ian Fleming (1995). Although there has been much speculation in the past about Popov's precise influence on the Bond author, Popov himself always remained modest about this and often reminded his interviewers that James Bond was based on a combination of different people admired by Fleming during the War. Interestingly, the programme included clips from a rarely-seen American TV interview with Popov, conducted at the time his memoirs (called Spy, Counterspy) were published in 1974. Popov died in 1981, aged 69. 
Well, is he or isn't he? Is Javier Bardem the villain in Bond 23? Judging from some comments from the man himself, it would appear he is now on board. In an interview transmitted on October 4, when asked about the next Bond movie, Bardem responded: 'I am very excited, my parents took me to watch the movies, and I saw all of them, and to play that is going to be fun. They chose me to play this man, but I cannot give you any details'. All will be revealed at the start of production media event to be held by EON in November... 
