Tagged: Daniel Craig

Joss Whedon, James Bond and M on International Women’s Day

Joss Whedon, James Bond and M on International Women’s Day

This is the first time we’ve had Daniel Craig and Dame Judi Dench as James Bond and M in over two years, going on three… and they’re back together for a good cause, supporting International Women’s Day. Watch:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gkp4t5NYzVM[/youtube]

In the spirit of the day, you may want to take a look at this piece as well: Joss Whedon’s acceptance speech to Equality Now, introduced by Meryl Streep.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QoEZQfTaaEA[/youtube]

James Bond Is A Goner?

A couple months ago it was a simple suspension. The world continued to revolve, the property owners continued to license new books, and everybody thought one of the most
successful movie franchises – and one of the most successful reboots in modern media – would return after a short delay.

Today? Not so sure.

Bond 23 (that’s how they title them, until they actually title them) was suspended last April due to “financial troubles” on the part of the
studio, MGM. This is code for “we’re broke and we’re for sale.” Director Sam
Mendes, writer Peter Morgan, and star Daniel Craig were all lined up and
waiting for a start-date.

All they needed was a mere $200 million to make their budget and their 2012 release date. But now the London Mirror is reporting it’s all over, and the production crew has been told to seek work elsewhere.

Logic and history dictate eventually there will be a new James Bond movie – after all, they’re still making new Tarzan movies (occasionally) and just about every franchise is relaunched from time to time. Remember Sherlock Holmes? But, according to the Mirror, it could take years.

Sadly, I thought Daniel Craig was a keeper. So were Judi Dench and Jeffrey Wright. And it would have been nice to see John Cleese take another turn as “Q.” An indefinite delay of any real length jeopardizes the return of these performers.

I’ve spent my entire life going from James Bond movie to James Bond movie, and I’ve seen a lot of crap in the process. Loyal supporters – all of us aging baby boomers, I’m sure – deserve better. I’m just glad Warren Zevon didn’t live to see this.

ComicMix Quick Picks: NY Anime Festival grows, comic sales hold, and Hugh Jackman doesn’t stop the show

ComicMix Quick Picks: NY Anime Festival grows, comic sales hold, and Hugh Jackman doesn’t stop the show

Get ready for a special
“still-recovering-from-fasting-on-Yom-Kippur” edition of ComicMix Quick
Picks. Yesterday was pretty busy, and here’s a roundup of the stuff we didn’t get to:

What else did we miss? Tell us in the comments.

Hugh Jackman and Daniel Craig hit Broadway

Hugh Jackman and Daniel Craig hit Broadway

First it was Doctor Who meets Captain Picard in Hamlet. Now it’s James Bond meeting Wolverine.

Hugh Jackman and Daniel Craig
will appear in the Broadway production A Steady Rain this fall, a play about two
Chicago policemen and how the events of a few days change their lives
forever.

Jackman has been on the New York stage before, winning a
Tony for his role in the musical The Boy from Oz, but this is Craig’s Broadway debut, although he has appeared
in the West End.

A Steady Rain is expected to open on September 29 and run for 12 weeks. Previews begin on September 10 at the Schoenfeld Theater. Tickets are expected to sell very quickly, for some reason. Let the fangirl drooling begin.

Craig Won’t Visit Asgard; Seeks New Director

Craig Won’t Visit Asgard; Seeks New Director

With Quantum of Solace just weeks away now, the publicity machine has started cranking up with all sorts of interesting tidbits popping up.

First, there’s the confirmation from star Daniel Craig that he was approached by Marvel to see if he might be worthy of wielding Mjolnir, Thor’s magic uru hammer. As quoted over at IESB, the report said, “Craig said yes they [Marvel] did approach him but he turned it down. He added jokingly, it would have been too much of a power trip, both Bond and Thor, and running around with long hair and a hammer.”

Meantime, FirstShowing has quoted director Marc Foster as saying he will not return for the next installment of the series.

“They offered me the next one, but at this point the pressure is so intense — it’s a year of not having a life,” Foster told the site. “And I don’t know if I want to do that again. It’s literally not having a life, and I mean that, it’s not exaggerated. I feel like life is short, you have to find a balance.”

Sony has already started talking about Bond 23 as coming out in 2010 but first they have to see how well this does and how quickly a screenplay can be readied and an appropriate director located.  Any thoughts as to who should guide Craig in his next mission?
 

Happy 61st birthday, Philip Pullman!

Happy 61st birthday, Philip Pullman!

Today is Philip Pullman’s birthday, who, sad to say, does not yet share the deserved household name status of his colleague, J.K. Rowling. Mr. Pullman was born in 1946 and penned the brilliant and award-winning series, His Dark Materials. The first of the series, The Golden Compass (or Northern Lights if you read it in the U.K.), starring Nicole Kidman and Daniel Craig, is being released as a movie this December 7th. Here’s the latest trailer:

Here’s hoping the film does better than the last Kidman/Craig outing, The Invasion… 

Monsters Ball James Bond

Monsters Ball James Bond

Marc Foster, director of Finding Neverland and Monster’s Ball, is set to direct the next James Bond movie.  Monster’s Ball earned Halle Barry an Oscar, so maybe we’ll get to see Daniel Craig smooched onstage as well.

The film, not yet written (although there’s a draft by Neil Purvis and Robert Wade) is scheduled to open November 7, 2008.  Foster will work on the re-write with Paul Haggis.

Since Finding Neverland, Forster directed two movies yet to be released: The Kite Runner and Stranger Than Fiction.

"I have always been drawn to different kinds of stories, and I have also always been a Bond fan, so it is very exciting to take on this challenge," Forster said.