James Bond Franchise (1962-∞)

[Lighthouse]

I think that Skyfall is a big step back after the it's two predecessors. It can't live up to their quality, even if Mendes composed a lot of beautiful looking images. Only that they don't interdigitate that much with the story. Skyfall begins a lot without bringing it to an end, without bringing it to carry the story to the end, or even beyond the end.

Actually for me Quantum of Solace has become by repeated viewings with an ever-growing fascination a total masterpiece. By far the best Bond ever, and as much as I liked Casino Royale, but Quantum is on another level.

[flyonthewall2983]

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[manicsounds]

Looks like Skyfall will have a good array of special features for its release, unusual for a Bond film as the re-releases usually get this kind of treatment instead.

Special Features:
Intro
Opening Sequence--The Death of Bond
Title Sequence--Working The Titles
007--The Return of James Bond
Q--Back to Basics
DB5--Behind the Wheel
Women--The Good, The Bad and the Beautiful
Villains--In the Shadows
Locations--License To Travel
Music--The Sound of Bond
The End Sequence--The Beginning of the End
M--Changes
The Future--New Beginnings
Skyfall Premiere
Commentary by Director Sam Mendes
Commentary by Producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson and Production Designer Dennis Gassner
Soundtrack Promotional Spot

[HJackson]

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Both men are agents in the same manner, so both presumably have the near sociopathic disconnect between sex and interest that Bond consistently displays- and it absolutely makes sense that both would be quite as prepared to seduce or be seduced by a member of either gender.

Yeah. One of the things I liked about the moment was the feeling that while there was no reason to think that he had engaged in homosexual activity, there was no reason to think that he hadn't, either. I was prepared to believe him either way, and I think the film intends that. It was a great bit.

If I'm getting my Bond biography right, he was at public school and then Cambridge. Plenty of reason to think he's engaged in that kind of activity.

[flyonthewall2983]

And, now we know. Director Sam Mendes has just revealed the title for Bond 24 which will be Spectre. Mendes made the announcement this morning from the 007 stage at Pinewood Studios where the film will shoot along with London, Rome, Mexico City, Tangier, Erfoud and the Austrian Alps. The newest cast members are confirmed as Christoph Waltz, Andrew Scott, Dave Bautista, Monica Bellucci and Léa Seydoux. Daniel Craig will of course return as Bond along with Rory Kinnear as Tanner, Ben Whishaw as Q, Naomie Harris as Miss Moneypenny and Ralph Fiennes as the new M. Oscar winner Waltz will play Oberhauser, while Blue Is The Warmest Color‘s Seydoux is Madeleine Swann and Bellucci is Lucia Sciarra. (Bellucci is a nice get for the Bond folks who I hear have been eyeing her for a role for a long time.) Guardians Of The Galaxy‘s Bautista is playing Mr Hinx and Sherlock‘s Scott is Denbigh. Interstellar cinematograther Hoyte Van Hoytema will shoot the film with Mendes. And that same film’s Lee Smith is joining as editor. Also joining the film is the Aston Martin DB10 which was designed specially for Spectre.

The logline for the new film is: “A cryptic message from Bond’s past sends him on a trail to uncover a sinister organization. While M battles political forces to keep the secret service alive, Bond peels back the layers of deceit to reveal the terrible truth behind SPECTRE.”

Bond aficionados may recognize the title from the Bond canon. It’s an acronym for “Special Executive for Counter-intelligence, Terrorism, Revenge and Extortion.” A global crime organization, it’s previously been led by evil genius Ernst Stavro Blofeld in the Ian Fleming novels, who also appears in the films From Russia With Love, Thunderball, You Only Live Twice, On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, Diamonds Are Forever and For Your Eyes Only. There had been speculation that Waltz would play him in this 24th Bond movie, but his character name would seem to dispell that.

Spectre hails from EON Productions, MGM, and Sony Pictures Entertainment with Mendes directing his second Bond film after global blockbuster Skyfall. Barbara Broccoli and Michael G Wilson are producers. John Logan, Neal Purvis and Robert Wade are writers. Spectre releases domestically on November 6, 2015.

[colinr0380]

I have the strange premonition that Seydoux and Bellucci are going to end up kissing at one point during this film.

[HitchcockLang]

Re: Christoph Waltz's character Franz Oberhauser:

(Note: this potentially spoils Spectre and definitely spoils four other films which have all been out a while)

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A reliable source from The Daily Mail announced a few weeks before today's announcement that Christoph Waltz would be in the film (which is true), and that he would be playing Blofeld (unconfirmed), but that during the press announcement he would be announced as Franz Oberhauser, son of ski instructor Hans Oberhauser who was a father figure to Bond (confirmed), but that this is merely a bluff ala the rampant red herring casting that has been plaguing high profile action blockbusters lately. See: Henri Ducard in Batman Begins, Miranda Tate in The Dark Knight Rises, and John Harrison in Star Trek Into Darkness, and even Eve and (to a lesser extent) Gareth Mallory in Skyfall. Since the Daily Mail had two of the facts right weeks in advance, I tend to believe that Waltz will indeed end up playing Blofeld but this rampant use of aliases for big name roles in films is really starting to wear thin and I think these films all suffer on a story level because of it.

Also, I wanted to say that I love the new minimalist teaser poster. The bullet hole in the the glass evokes two classics of Bond for me: 1) The original SPECTRE Octopus emblem and 2) (Spoiler for an older Bond film)

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The final shot of On Her Majesty's Secret Service with the bullet hole in the windshield and Mrs. Bond dead behind it. I wonder if they may re-adapt this element for Spectre without readapting the entire OHMSS plot. I feel like it would be appropriate considering the return of Spectre, the fact that the Craig era has retconned Bond's entire history, that they tend to kill off the important ladies in Craig's films and that they could tie it back in with the death of Vesper as Fleming did in the novel of OHMSS. I'd love to see Bond finally get satisfying revenge against Blofeld after the hack job that was Diamonds Are Forever.

[cdnchris]

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I'd love to see Bond finally get satisfying revenge against Blofeld after the hack job that was Diamonds Are Forever.

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They tried to correct that in the opening of For Your Eyes Only, which was a little more satisfying.

[Oedipax]

Looking forward to the 13-hour video-only 'Noli me tangere' cut. Did someone already make that obvious joke?

[domino harvey]

A Rivette Bond film would just be Bond and his superiors sitting around and going over scenarios for a forthcoming action sequence for four hours

[flyonthewall2983]

I have the strange premonition that Seydoux and Bellucci are going to end up kissing at one point during this film.

First same-sex kiss in IMAX?

[Ribs]

There's word going around that they have a budget of around $300 million, which would be almost 150% what Skyfall had ($210m).

One of the reason's I'm so excited for this next one (other than Skyfall's being so stellar) is that the last time a Bond film made just a ton of money was Thunderball, and they followed that with spend-whole-film's-worth-of-budget-on-amazing-volcano-lair. This is an early sign that I'll be getting some of my wish for a Bond film, hopefully, made entirely without limits.

Though it does make me a little uneasy they may be doing some space stuff again as well. Depends where they're putting the money I suppose.

I also quite enjoy a theory I read that the ending of this one will be the reverse of Skyfall, with Waltz recieving an eyepatch as he goes to his boss' office, and we see the back of his unknown superior's head... It'd certainly be more entertaining than if they continue this John Harrison charade for the next year.

[flyonthewall2983]

Short behind-the-scenes look at filming.

[flyonthewall2983]

[Professor Wagstaff]

Teaser

[flyonthewall2983]

Trailer

[flyonthewall2983]

The film accrued 36 million in car damage

[Ribs]

The film accrued 36 million in car damage

This movie has become an absolutely ridiculous behemoth when it comes to spending. Its budget to begin with was set at 150% of Skyfall's ($300 million versus $200 million) and that was before all the fuss over filming in Mexico with tax benefits and now this indicating a lot more money than expected.

On one hand the last time Bond movies were a huge hit and the budget got a huge boost the movie looked amazing because of it, but I highly doubt they'll do anything remotely as impressive from a production design perspective as the Volcano lair in You Only Live Twice.

[cdnchris]

Judging by the trailers and TV spots it looks like Waltz (who I assume is Blofeld) has an "evil lair" in the classic Bond, Ken Adams sense, though not sure if that ate up or justifies the budget.

[flyonthewall2983]

Anyone else annoyed at articles spelling the title not in all caps?

[Ribs]

Well, the title isn't meant to be the acronym, S.P.E.C.T.R.E., but rather referring to the concept of a spectre that's been trailing Bond in the shadows his entire life. It's stylized as SPECTRE in press stuff for the same reason SKYFALL would be, meaning it's one way of formatting a title. The actual title is Spectre.

[flyonthewall2983]

Sony/MGM to possibly lose the franchise after this

[cdnchris]

Well, MGM would retain it, Sony could just lose theatrical distribution rights. And it sounds like Fox might lose home video rights in March? I assume for all MGM titles then.

[flyonthewall2983]

Yeah, but it seems MGM isn't as capable of handling such a big release by themselves without a big corporation like Sony backing them up.

[Altair]

Robbie Collin of The Telegraph gives it five stars:

It starts in Mexico City, however, with something completely new: a hold-your-breath tracking shot, perhaps five minutes in length, that follows Bond through a surging street parade, into a hotel, up three floors, into a suite, out of the window, and much further, without a single observable cut – an instant all-time greatest moment in the franchise.

I have to say, this sounds pretty amazing.