Dossiers tagged with "bond 23"

Opera singer Katherine Jenkins’ ideal film role – a Bond girl baddie

The Welsh Opera star who has recently had a fame boost, appearing in the Dr. Who Christmas Special (A Christmas Carol) has given an interview to very.co.uk in which she admits to having caught the acting bug.

Jenkins went on to say that she would really like to play a femme fatale: “I’d want to be one of the baddies. I’d love to be an Ice Queen or something.”

The singing-turned-actor goes on to explain that her ideal acting job would be a Bond Girl. With pre-production under way and the recent announcement about a release date, director and writer, many more of these “press auditions” are likely to hit the blogs and tabloids.

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Kate Winslet to move to London as Mendes jets off to shoot Bond 23

The famously estranged couple will be brought closer together thanks to James Bond. The Kate Winslet and Sam Mendes split-up hit the press back in March.

Now, in an interview with English paper, the Daily Mail, Winslet explained that her and the two children Joe and Mia would be moving to the UK so that the kids might be near their father as he shoots the James Bond film.

Whilst it has yet to be officially confirmed that Mendes is helming the production, this news is further confirmation that Mesdes is not just a “consultant”, as he was announced back in January.

It appears that the celeb couple remain separated but Winslet doesn’t rule out working with her ex again.

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Bond 23 back on track – Composer David Arnold talks + MGM progress

Today MGM’s proposal for pre-packed bankruptcy was approved by a federal court.

“Today’s ruling is an important milestone for MGM,” said Co-Chief Executive Officer Stephen Cooper. “Thanks to the support of our lenders and the hard work of our employees, we have moved through the restructuring process quickly. By dramatically reducing MGM’s debt load and providing MGM with access to new capital, the reorganization plan the Court confirmed today will enable MGM to emerge from this process with a solid financial foundation and will position MGM to be a successful studio going forward.”

MGM expects the Plan to become effective by mid-December, once the conditions of effectiveness have been met.

Regular 007 music man, David Arnold has confirmed that plans are afoot in relation to James Bond 23.

Speaking to Film Music Magazine, Arnold said that they “just got the news that we’re back on.” Nonetheless the composer is keeping defiantly scilent, saying he “will keep quiet until I get a script and then start writing ideas.”

David Arnold, a lifelong Bond fan, prior to writing the music, stated: “I’m looking forward to a great script for it, alongside every other Bond fan in the world!”

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Movement in the MGM saga sparks hopes for Hobbit and James Bond fans

Variety are reporting today that MGM will have its pre-packaged bankruptcy plan approved by a federal court on December 2nd in Manhattan.

The great machine that is one of Hollywood’s oldest and most iconic studios will be restructured in order to clear debt and start producing films again.

For Bond fans this means that 007 will be on the agenda early, as James Bond 23 – along with the long-awaited Hobbit movie – will be big earners for MGM.

The deadline for creditor objections MGM’s proposed plan was Friday, none have been made. A meeting on Tuesday, ahead of the court date will confirm this.

Spyglass have been lined up to manage the restructured company after it capitalises its debt. The Hobbit will benefit from this first, with shooting expected in Feburary 2011 (Summer in New Zealand) but the producers of the 23rd James Bond film have been typically silent on their plans.

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MGM plans James Bond 23 for November 2012 provided a producing partner can be found

The bankrupt studio, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, who filed a Chapter 11 petition today in Bankruptcy Court, expressed an interest in fast-tracking James Bond and The Hobbit films.

Business news source Bloomberg reports the following:

MGM plans to spend as much as $125 million on operations in the next 15 weeks. MGM said it’s has already spent $20 million to fund production of films based on J.R.R. Tolkien’s novel… New James Bond films may be released every second year starting in November 2012, MGM said. It aims to own 50 percent of Bond 23, due out that year, with an equal partner paying all of the production costs, it said. Later Bond movies would be wholly owned and funded by MGM, the company said.

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Timothy Dalton talks Daniel Craig and Bond 23

The fourth man to play James Bond, Timothy Dalton talked to Entertainment Weekly about his guest role in the successful NBC show Chuck – whilst with them, the Welsh star of The Living Daylights and Licence To Kill spoke about the James Bond 23 hiatus.

I’m not speaking as a spokesman for them, of course, but I have to believe that Bond, a big moneymaker for so many years, will get back on its feet. Someone will give it a platform, a foundation on which it can be made again, because it will be in everybody’s interest. It will make money, they do make money, they always make money, and of course, they provide tremendous entertainment for so many people. It’s a horrible situation for everybody, but by the time the lawsuit that stopped the last Bond movie that I was going to make was resolved, five years had passed.

The former 007 star had kind words for the man currently filling James Bond’s tuxedo – Daniel Craig – with Mr. Dalton saying: “I thought the first 25 minutes of Daniel’s first movie [Casino Royale] was the best 25 minutes I’ve seen in any Bond movie. I thought it was a fantastic opening.”

The interview goes into some detail about Daltons time as Bond and his views on the darker, grittier side of the character that he was first famous for creating, now echoed to some extent by Daniel Craig.

Worth a read for any good Bond fan: click.

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Writer Peter Morgan says the momentum has gone on Bond 23

Following up on the brief comment made to Coming Soon this week, screenwriter Peter Morgan has gone into detail about his Bond 23 ideas and his work on the new James Bond movie script.

Speaking to Indie Wire, in a series of video interviews, Morgan says that he first got involved in the 007 franchise back in 2008 when he had a meet with the film’s producers.

He had an idea to share with EON Productions and the crew took the acclaimed screenwriter up on the chance to pen an outline (“treatment”) for the 23rd James Bond movie.

James Bond website MI6 has transcribed the pertinent parts of this interview in which Peter Morgan says:

I wrote the treatment, and it remains to be seen what they do! I suspect if they start again, they’ll start entirely again [from scratch]. I think there was momentum behind my idea for the moment, and I suspect that moment’s probably gone.

Morgan also spoke candidly about the future of James Bond at the movies – expressing the feeling that the franchise is running on empty.

I do think that the absence of social reality in the Bond films [is a problem] – and I do hope they manage to get that in a script – that you can believe in him and he’s not just a man in a dinner jacket. He’s a creature of the Cold War. I personally struggle to believe that a British secret agent is still saving the world.

Lastly the Frost/Nixon screenwriter put his weight and faith behind the director, Sam Mendes, who is still lined up to direct the film once the MGM drama draws to a close.

I’m very encouraged if Sam Mendes [directs the film], because I’m sure he wouldn’t put his name to a load of nonsense. He’s smart and he’s British and he would care deeply about the franchise. He’s got his feet on the ground and understands what’s going on in the world.

It seems that at this stage, EON are awaiting a resolution in MGM’s financial situation before appointing a new screenwriter.

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Writer Peter Morgan says no James Bond 23 draft was ever completed

The acclaimed screenwriter Peter Morgan (Frost/Nixon, The Queen) spoke to Coming Soon about his work on his newest film – the Clint Eastwood directed Hereafter.

Whilst speaking with Morgan, the team over at Coming Soon could not resist dropping in a Bond 23 question.

Fans will recall that Morgan spent a few months in the second half of 2009 working on a script for the now-delayed James Bond 23 and told reporters in Austria (his new family home) that it would be a shocking story.

Now the only shock for fans is that even less work on the draft was done than anticipated.

The screenwriter revealed that he did not even turn in a draft of the new 007 movie script:

I hadn’t gotten that far. I was working on an outline when they said, “We’re going to have to stop this process now,” and when it came to the point where I was going to commit to doing the Freddie Mercury film, I sort of discussed with my reps that it would probably take me out of all consideration and that’s what’s happened, and I wish them the best.

Now attached to several other projects, it looks like the respected screenwriter will not be returning to the James Bond family any time soon.

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Bond 23 producer Michael Wilson confident of bringing Bond back to the cinemas soon

Whilst attending the press conference for James Bond’s new video game Blood Stone, one half of the brother/sister producing partnership behind the Bond films, Michael G. Wilson announced the he was positive Bond would be back in the cinemas, sooner rather than later.

This should help quell some panic that hit the tabloids earlier in the month, suggesting that 007 was axed. Bond 23 has been put on hold until MGM and its financiers can resolve their debts, either through bankruptcy or bailout.

Both Barbara [Brocolli] and I are convinced that we’ll be bringing you another Bond film soon

This was the sentiment from Mr Wilson that greeted Bond fans as the producer appeared to announce James Bond’s newest videogame adventure – shaping up to be inspired by EA’s successful Everything or Nothing with its fast driving interludes and a healthy mixture of stealth and stunts.

MGM administrators currently have breathing space until September 2010 to find funding for itself.

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Vote for your ultimate Bond 23 location

A month or so back Bond23.net asked you to nominate the most exotic locations that you’d like your favourite super-spy to include in his next whirlwind tour.

Now, we have collated your votes and come up with six great finalists for inclusion in a fan poll. It’s easy to vote, just choose your desire option from the list (to your right) and hit “vote”!

The poll will stay open for a month – we thank you for your contributions!

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