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Skyfall: Catch all the buzz on the new Bond film here!
The cast and title for the 23rd James Bond production has been officially announced, and while there's no word on the film's plot yet, here's what we already know:
The film is called Skyfall
Yup. It's a strange name for a Bond film, rhyming with Thunderball but several times less cool, and while there will doubtless be a lovely aerial pre-credits sequence to justify the title, its hard to love just yet.
Also, this Bond production has been notoriously strapped for money, so maybe this is just a blatant endorsement; James won't likely be putting Smirnoff into his martinis this time.
Sam Mendes dons the director's hat
While making American Beauty and Revolutionary Road might not seem like top credentials to take on double-o-seven, Mendes is a very fine director with massive box office cred, and a good choice for any franchise.
Also, he'd likely be venting out his post-KateWinslet exasperation in film, and that's always going to help an actioner.
Bad guy Bardem is the best
Ladies and gents, the new Bond baddie is Javier Bardem. Yes, he who scared us silly in No Country For Old Men and made all our women cross their legas with Vicki Cristina Barcelona.
Javier is a superb, shapeshifting actor who can do pretty much anything, and expect him to ham it up in spectacular style as a Bond villain.
James Bond might have a beard
Daniel Craig's been sporting somewhat French-seeming face fuzz these days while announcing Skyfall, and while this could be simply because he decided whimsically to go method for Steven Spielberg's mo-cap Tintin where he plays Red Rackham, its likely that James Bond will, for the first time ever, sport a beard. Hmm.
The new Bond girl has a name like a Bond girl
French actress Berenice Marlohe -- who looked goshdarned smashing in scarlet at the Skyfall announcement in London -- will play Bond's new girl, Sabrine, "an enigmatic beauty." She hasn't done much of note just yet, but she looks so sexy it's illegal. Damn you, James.
There's a new Moneypenny!
Naomie Harris, the pretty British actress remembered from 28 Days Later and for being the best thing about the Pirates Of The Caribbean sequels, will star as Eve Moneypenny, M's secretary utterly smitten with Bond.
The character hasn't been seen on screen for a decade since Samantha Bond played her in Die Another Day, and while she might be more field agent and less secretary in this outing, hurrah, Moneypenny's back!
More A-list actors
Dame Judi Dench reprises her role as M (though several newspapers have speculated that she dies in one version of the new script, and we can only keep our fingers crossed for that to happen and for James to not start crying again), while Ralph Fiennes, Lord Voldemort himself, plays a villain.
Albert Finney's around too, as is Lust Caution star Tang Wei. Is Mendes taking a leaf from the Chris Nolan book and giving bit roles to venerated actors in order to populate a blockbuster with class? If yes, good move.
Several top writers have thrown their hats into the ring
The first draft for Bond 23 was written by Peter Morgan, the playwright behind such acclaimed films as The Queen, Frost/Nixon and The King's Speech.
He left the project to be replaced by Patrick Marber, the writer of Closer, and then finally came the threesome of Robert Wade and Neal Purvis (who both wrote the excellent Casino Royale but also the tiresome Quantum Of Solace) along with John Logan, who wrote Gladiator. Okay then.
Bond's not coming to India
Or at least so said Indian Railway authorities when the Bond crew sought permission to film stunt scenes atop moving result. So we don't get the Bond team in India. Then again, there are two reasons we should be glad they aren't coming here: 1) awful tabloid interviews asking Bardem about butter chicken; and 2) Octopussy. Shudder.
And yes, ladies, Bond will strip for you!
Asked at a press conference in London whether Bardem and Craig would remove their shirts in the film, Craig answered in the affirmative. "That's the gig," he said, saying that if he didn't remove his shirt in the film then it would become a talking point.
He also seemed to be kidding when he said Bardem would be stripped naked in the film, but what better way to bring in the high-heeled crowd? Enjoy, ladies.