James Bond News - April 2013
Published: Tue, 04/02/13
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2nd April 2013 Hi Here we are suddenly at the beginning of April - where is the year going?Anyway, here are the latest articles and news reports covering the world of James Bond. Until next time,
David Leigh John Pearson Interview – the MI6 outtakes:
I was recently asked by MI6 to interview John Pearson, author of The Life of Ian Fleming and James Bond: The Authorised Biography, which you can read here. It was interesting to discuss Ian Fleming with someone who actually worked for him and had first hand experience of James Bond’s creator. The interview was nearly [...] Read more...
Sam Mendes has turned down Bond 24… or not?:
A story appeared on Empire today saying that Sam Mendes has officially turned down Bond 24, saying it had been a difficult decision. However, that story has been pulled (it was here) without comment and so it is unclear at this moment whether the story is incorrect, or that Empire jumped the gun and the [...] Read more...
Confirmed: Empire says Sam Mendes NOT directing Bond 24:
Earlier today Empire published a new item saying that Sam Mendes would not be back for Bond 24. However, shortly afterwards it was pulled from their website. The news item is now back and, according to Empire, Mendes told them in an exclusive interview that “It has been a very difficult decision not to accept [...] Read more...
A profile of Bernard Lee, the original M:
With Ralph Fiennes introduced as the new M at the end of Skyfall following in the long-serving footsteps of Dame Judi Dench, we take a look at the career of the first actor to play the MI6 boss, Bernard Lee. Bernard Lee was a respected English actor who starred in over seventy different movies during his [...] Read more...
Daniel Kleinman on how to create a James Bond title sequence [Video]:
Daniel Kleinman talks about how he goes about creating the title sequences for the James Bond films, including the elements that must be included. The interview took place soon after the UK release of Skyfall, but interestingly he says the perfect title sequence “has to have the gunbarrel”. Read more...
John Logan on Skyfall and Bond 24:
John Logan recently spoke to the Financial Times, part of which mentions his involvement with Skyfall and writing the next two films. He says that he plans on building on his input in Skyfall in terms of the complexities of Bond’s character and praises Ian Fleming for having courage to show Bond’s vulnerability and depression. [...] Read more...
Skyfall wins South Bank Sky Arts best film award:
Skyfall won Best Film award at the South Bank Sky Arts awards held in London last night. Michael G Wilson and Barbara Broccoli were in attendance to pick up the award at a ceremony hosted by Melvyn Bragg at the Dorchester hotel, which was a favourite of Ian Fleming. Source: Radio Times Read more...
The Skyfall bulldog figurine by Royal Doulton:
One of the unlikely stars of Skyfall is the porcelain bulldog seen on M's desk, which is later bequeathed to 007. Read more...
New James Bond 007 aftershave launched:
Last year saw the introduction of a new 007 toiletry range centred around the James Bond 007 eau de toilette. While technically not an aftershave – apparently eau de toilette has a stronger concentration of perfume oils than aftershave – that’s how many are referring to it anyway. In addition to the 007 aftershave eau [...] Read more...
Skyfall helps boost MGM revenue for 2012:
Skyfall and The Hobbit helped lift MGM’s revenues by 97 percent compared with the previous year, a huge turnaround considering the perilous state of the company in 2009. Total revenue for the year was $1.38 billion, with net income for 2012 standing at $129 million. That just shows how reliant on successful blockbusters the studios [...] Read more...
Non-fiction Fleming titles get new release:
New editions of Ian Fleming’s two non-fiction books are due to be published later this month in the United States and early April in the UK. Amazon.com Amazon.com Amazon UK Amazon UK The Diamond Smugglers and Thrilling Cities are to be published by Thomas & Mercer on 26th March in the US, while,Vintage Classics releases them in [...] Read more...
Bond 24 “most likely” to be released late 2014:
With MGM’s results for 2012 released yesterday, it has been announced today that Bond 24 will be released within three years and is likely to be released in late 2014. Following the success of both Skyfall and The Hobbit, MGM is experiencing something of a renaissance, with a cash pile and reduced debt. The studio [...] Read more...
MGM hope to sign Bond 24 director “soon”:
Further to yesterday’s report that Bond 24 would be released within three years and probably towards the end of 2014, MGM’s chairman and CEO Gary Barber is quoted as saying during an investor conference call that they hope to announce a director shortly. Source: Bleeding Cool News Read more...
What MGM boss did NOT say about Bond 24:
Contrary to a Hollywood Reporter story saying that Bond 24 would be released within three years and probably in late 2013 but, our friends at HMSS Weblog just pinged me on Twitter to say that there is no basis in the report. Having listened to MGM’s investor’s call (which I have not yet) HMSS reports [...] Read more...
Why the James Bond continuation authors have a thankless task:
Some time ago I was thinking about why it is that so many fans of James Bond dislike the continuation novels. While the Bond community seems to look forward to their release, they always seem to get a tepid reception and, sometimes, outright hostility. What brought this to mind was that I was re-reading Devil [...] Read more...
Evidence points to Bond 24 in 2015:
HMSS Weblog sifts through the evidence from all parties involved in the James Bond films and concludes that Bond 24 won’t be released until 2015, despite various suggestions from some of the parties involved that there would be a two year gap. What some of those parties didn’t seem to understand was where the real [...] Read more...
Skyfall bulldog “Jack” back in stock:
Royal Dalton’s “Jack” bulldog figurine that appeared in Skyfall is back in stock and selling for £50. Jack is based on an iconic bulldog, originally modelled by Royal Doulton’s great art director Charles Noke in 1941. An original Jack features on M’s desk in the 23rd James Bond Movie, Skyfall. Buy direct from Royal Doulton [...] Read more...
007 trumpeter Derek Watkins dies:
Trumpeter Derek Watkins, who played on every single James Bond soundtrack, died yesterday according to David Arnold on twitter. Arnold went on to pay tribute to him both as a musician and a person, saying he “could hit notes others couldn’t get near” and calling him “a lovely man”. Watkins featured on a video released [...] Read more...
John Logan on Bond 24:
Skyfall screenwriter John Logan recently spoke to the Telegraph about his play “Peter and Alice” with Judi Dench and Ben Whishaw. While the focus of the article is about the play and his work in theatre, Logan also talks briefly about Skyfall and says that for Bond 24 and 25 he has lots of ideas [...] Read more...
More awards for Skyfall:
Skyfall picked up more awards on Sunday night when the red carpet was laid for the Jameson Empire Awards on Sunday night at the Grosvenor House Hotel in London. As well as picking up the award for best picture Sam Mendes was named best director and also picked up the Empire Inspiration award. Source: Empire [...] Read more...
Signed Skyfall whisky to be auctioned at Sotheby’s:
A bottle of a rare Scotch whisky that appeared in Skyfall and signed by the cast is to be auctioned to raise money for former and serving members of GCHQ. The bottle of The Macallan 1962 is signed by Daniel Craig, Javier Bardem and Bérénice Marlohe and was seen on screen in the scene where [...] Read more...
Interview with Ian Fleming bibliographer Jon Gilbert:
Back in October on the morning of the Skyfall premiere I interviewed Jon Gilbert of Adrian Harrington Rare Books about his Ian Fleming bibliography for MI6. Only that morning had he taken delivery of the books and so for an hour or so we sat and talked about Ian Fleming and the world of James [...] Read more...
MI6 Confidential #20 – Art of Bond special:
Thanks to the overwhelming response to MI6 Confidential’s first ‘Art of Bond’ special, the magazine has once again opened the archives for more rarely seen art, photography, covers and concept work from the films, books and games. Issues of this kind capture the work of a variety artists and contributors to the Bond canon, many [...] Read more...
Daniel Craig unveils new Range Rover in New York:
The new Range Rover Sport was unveiled by Daniel Craig in New York earlier this week at a media event ahead of the New York International Auto Show. There had been some speculation that Craig would parachute into the event, similar to his arrival at the Olympics, but in the end that was not the [...] Read more...
Caterina Murino launches new Bond fragrance in Monaco:
A new James Bond fragrance was launched in Monaco at an event last week to which the media was in strong attendance with by former Bond girl Caterina Murino in attendance. The James Bond Dossier featured the fragrance, called Ocean Royale, as a news item a couple of weeks ago, which is said to be [...] Read more...
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