Who Did James Bond Look Like According To Ian Fleming?

by Armand Vaquer

Above, Ian Fleming.

Ever since Sean Connery became super-secret agent James Bond 007 of Her Majesty's Secret Service in 1962, and through the ensuing years of Roger Moore to Daniel Craig, people have wondered how author Ian Fleming envisioned what Bond looked like.

According to Wikipedia, Fleming envisioned that Bond should resemble American singer/songwriter Hoagy Carmichael and...himself.

Their source?

One source was the novel, Casino Royale in which Vesper Lynd is quoted, "Bond reminds me rather of Hoagy Carmichael, but there is something cold and ruthless."

The second source was in the novel, Moonraker where Special Branch officer Gala Brand thought that Bond was "certainly good-looking ... Rather like Hoagy Carmichael in a way. That black hair falling down over the right eyebrow.  Much the same bones.  But there was something a bit cruel in the mouth, and the eyes were cold."

Baby-boomers and later generations probably have no idea what Hoagy Carmichael looked like. So, not to keep anyone in suspense, here is what Carmichael looked like:

Above, Hoagy Carmichael.

Some present-day fans feel that actor Daniel Day Lewis (Lincoln) resembles Carmichael and would be an ideal James Bond.

Can you picture James Bond looking somewhat like Hoagy Carmichael? Yes, when a facial scar is added (in the Fleming books, Bond has a facial scar down his right cheek).

James Bond Will Return...With Sam Mendes

by Armand Vaquer

Above, Daniel Craig as James Bond.

Good news!  Sam Mendes, director of Skyfall, will return to helm James Bond 24.

According to an article posted (of all places) in JapanToday:

LONDON —Sam Mendes will direct Daniel Craig as 007 in the 24th installment of the blockbuster James Bond film franchise about the fictional British spy. 

The film is set for release in the autumn of 2015 and follows on the success of Mendes-directed predecessor “Skyfall”, which earned $1.1 billion at the box office worldwide and was the highest-grossing film of all time in Britain, producers Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli said in a statement. 

The screenplay for the Sony Pictures Entertainment and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc film will be written by John Logan, who also worked on “Skyfall”. 

“Following the extraordinary success of ‘Skyfall’, we’re really excited to be working once again with Daniel Craig, Sam Mendes and John Logan,” Wilson and Broccoli said.

This definitely raises my hopes (and expectations) that the follow-up movie to Skyfall will be just as good, if not better. To read the full article, go here. 

Daniel Craig Returns As 007 In "Skyfall"

Above, Dame Judi Dench and Daniel Craig.

The title for the next James Bond movie and its release date have been announced:

LONDON, Nov. 3, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Producers Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli today presented the cast of the 23rd James Bond adventure, entitled SKYFALL. The film, from Albert R. Broccoli's Eon Productions, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios, and Sony Pictures Entertainment, is directed by Academy Award® winner Sam Mendes and stars Daniel Craig, who returns for his third film as James Bond 007. The screenplay is written by Neal Purvis & Robert Wade and John Logan. SKYFALL, which goes into production on Monday, November 7th, will begin its worldwide roll-out in the UK and Ireland on October 26th 2012 and in North America on November 9th 2012.

Joining Michael G. Wilson, Barbara Broccoli and Director Sam Mendes were members of the cast of SKYFALL, including: Daniel Craig, Javier Bardem, Dame Judi Dench, Naomie Harris and Berenice Marlohe. The filmmakers also announced Ralph Fiennes, Albert Finney and Ben Whishaw.

In SKYFALL, Bond's loyalty to M is tested as her past comes back to haunt her. As MI6 comes under attack, 007 must track down and destroy the threat, no matter how personal the cost.

This is good news, but we have to wait a year before the movie's release. At least it won't be the long pause between Timothy Dalton's last Bond outing and Pierce Brosnan's first.

James Bond Will Return, In 2012!

Above, Daniel Craig will return as 007 for his third outing.

Good news, Bond fans!

The Hollywood Reporter's "Heat Vision" is reporting that the next adventure of MI6's James Bond 007 will be released next year:

MGM and longtime James Bond stewards Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli of EON Productions have announced the date for the next installment of the franchise: November 9, 2012.

Currently just called Bond 23, the movie will go into production in late 2011.

To read the full article, go here.

Sean Connery Is 80 Today!

by Armand Vaquer

Bond, James Bond turns 80 today.

No, not the Ian Fleming character, but the original movie James Bond, Sean Connery.

Described as a "man's man," Connery created the movie James Bond template that has endured the ups and downs of the movies and successor actors including Roger Moore, George Lazenby, Timothy Dalton, Pierce Brosnan and, currently, Daniel Craig. (Bond 23's production is being held up due to financial problems of MGM.)

My parents took me to see a double-bill of 1962's Dr. No and 1963's From Russia With Love (both starring Connery) and I've been hooked ever since. When it was announced that Goldfinger was about to be released, I already knew what to expect and looked forward to seeing it.

I have most of the Ian Fleming Bond novels (I hit the jackpot one day at a used book store).

It is generally conceded that Connery's Goldfinger (1964) is the best of the Bond movies. I think he hit his stride in that one although the aforementioned Dr. No and From Russia With Love were good movies.

Connery's last Eon Productions Bond movie was Diamonds Are Forever (1971). It had its moments, but it showed that the series was beginning to get into the silliness of the Roger Moore (who took over in the next film, Live and Let Die in 1973) years. He then went on to distinguish himself in other films such as The Man Who Would Be King, The Untouchables (he won a supporting actor Academy Award for that one), amongst others.

Connery's last outing as Agent 007 was in the independently-produced Never Say Never Again in 1982. In that movie, he showed that he still had the Bond touch.



Akiko Wakabayashi, who co-starred with Connery in 1967's You Only Live Twice (set in Japan), said in a G-FAN interview (by yours truly and Brett Homenick) of Connery, "James Bond in the movie is a ladies' man, but Sean-san is a warm-hearted honest man. He has a clear vision as an actor. He can be stubborn from time to time, but he is a real man with a bit of old-fashioned taste."

Connery says his acting days are over (almost sounds like one of his final lines in Never Say Never Again). He is enjoying his retirement. Perhaps, if the right project and role should surface, he could be persuaded to make a comeback. Never say never!

Happy Birthday, Sean Connery!

James Bond Shatters U.K. Box Office Records

The newest James Bond movie, Quantum of Solace, broke opening day box office records in the United Kingdom.

Nikki Finke's Deadline Hollywood Daily reports:

MGM/Sony's Quantum Of Solace, the 22nd James Bond motion picture, made box office history on its opening day in the UK, taking a staggering £4.94 million and making it the biggest Friday opening of all time. This shatters the previous record held by Harry Potter And The Goblet of Fire, which took £4.025m. The latest 007 installment from the longest running franchise in film history also beat the opening day figure of £2.9m for Casino Royale, the first to star Daniel Craig. Quantum Of Solace opened in 542 cinemas in the UK and Ireland on Friday and will release in the U.S. on November 14th.

However, some fans are disappointed that Miss Moneypenny, Q and "Bond, James Bond" trademarks are not in this movie. (Did they bring back the gunbarrel opening?)

Quantum of Solace opens in the U.S. November 14.

Bond Star Craig Turns Down Thor

Source: WENN

James Bond star Daniel Craig has turned down the chance to portray Marvel superhero Thor on the big screen, believing that it would give him too much of an ego.

Craig was producer Louis D'Esposito's top choice to play the Norse "God of Thunder" in director Kenneth Branagh's film adaptation of the famous Marvel comic book character.

But Craig snubbed the offer, claiming it would be "too much of a power-trip" to play both 007 and Thor.

History:

Following Thor's debut in the science fiction/fantasy anthology title Journey into Mystery, the 13-page feature "The Mighty Thor" continued to be plotted by Lee but scripted by Lee's brother Larry Lieber or Robert Bernstein (working under the pseudonym "R. Berns"). Penciling was by either Jack Kirby, Joe Sinnott, Don Heck, or, for a single issue, Al Hartley. Then with Journey into Mystery #101 (Feb. 1964), the series began a long and definitive run by Lee and Kirby that lasted until the by-then-retitled The Mighty Thor #179 (Aug. 1970).