Casino Royale Tidbits

[ROC]

Wanted: 007 Babe & Baddie

Friday February 3 3:34 PM ET

James Bond likes his women beautiful, his nemeses megalomaniacal and his martinis shaken, not stirred. But these days he's drinking alone.

Filming on the new 007 adventure, Casino Royale, kicked off last Friday in the Czech capital of Prague with newcomer Daniel Craig taking over for Pierce Brosnan as the suave secret agent. But intelligence sources reveal Bond is currently sans babe and baddie.

According to the Hollywood Reporter, filmmakers made the decision to roll cameras on the long-delayed film in order to make a planned holiday release date--even though the two key components of a Bond film are notably missing in action.

For now, their absence is being handled by shooting around them. Crucial scenes featuring the would-be villain and Bond's latest paramour aren't scheduled to be filmed for at least a month, leaving coproducers Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli and director Martin Campbell a little wiggle room.

"They're talking to three to four girls right now," Casino scribe Paul Haggis, who won an Oscar for his screenplay for Million Dollar Baby and was nominated again this year for writing and directing Crash, told the Reporter. "Every week I read there's a new Bond girl, and I call them and they say, 'No, you idiot.' "

The trade reports Thandie Newton (Mission: Impossible 2) and Rachel McAdams (Red Eye and The Wedding Crashers) are some of the high-profile actresses currently in the running to join the pantheon of Bond babes. (Despite rumors, Jessica Simpson and Britney Spears, however, are not serious contenders.)

As for the next bad guy, the Casino brain trust is reportedly much closer to cast that role than the love interest, but no names have been specifically mentioned.

The announcement of Craig as the sixth actor to don the tuxedo was made with great fanfare at an October press conference. But because it took so long to cast the role, the production was delayed from November to January.

Campbell & Co. promised Casino Royale, the 21st installment in cinema's longest running and most successful series, would take the iconic character back to his roots. The film is said to feature a character-driven script exploring Bond's past and eschewing the special effects and gadgets that have come to define the later Bond flicks, particularly the ones starring Brosnan and Roger Moore.

The director, who also helmed GoldenEye, Brosnan's first outing as Bond, said Casino Royale will show 007 at age 28, when he's just starting out on Her Majesty's Secret Service, and purportedly explain such mysteries as to why he likes his vodka martinis prepared incorrectly. It will also be the first Bond mission since Live and Let Die not to feature the character of Q, most recently played by John Cleese.

Neither the Bond production company, the U.K.-based Eon Productions, nor its U.S.-based distributor, Sony, would comment on the casting situation.

However, one Hollywood agent with an inside track on Casino's casting told the Reporter that Sony will probably have to cough up a lot of dough to get the actors given the fact that shooting has already begun.

"To be that exposed is unheard of," the agent said. "[The actor or actress] can have them over a barrel. Not to have your two principal leads [by now] is awfully strange."

After filming in the Czech Republic, production moves to the Bahamas, Italy and Pinewood Studios near London. Casino Royale is being targeted for a Nov. 17, 2006 release.

[YI]

Rachel McAdams....

I lost faith in Bond movies a while back. They go all out special effects for the most recent films, and it just ruins the Bond experience. The reason why people still love old school bonds is because they were a bit cheesy and funny. The new Bond's don't have the cheese. Still they're always fun to watch with mates, or on a boring afternoon.

[Pepsi]

Rachel McAdams....

I lost faith in Bond movies a while back. They go all out special effects for the most recent films, and it just ruins the Bond experience. The reason why people still love old school bonds is because they were a bit cheesy and funny. The new Bond's don't have the cheese. Still they're always fun to watch with mates, or on a boring afternoon.

[Laice07]

This is one of the few films I'm anticipating in 2006, and having Rachel McAdams would be a good choice. I love how they're going back to the old school Bond films....and I do hope they keep the torture scene from the novel, that would be kickass.

[therockbox]

I'm still not sure about Daniel Craig as Bond. I liked him in Layer Cake and I think he's a good actor, but he doesn't look like Bond. He looks like a bad guy.

[Pepsi]

I'm still not sure about Daniel Craig as Bond. I liked him in Layer Cake and I think he's a good actor, but he doesn't look like Bond. He looks like a bad guy.

[EWFan2004]

Rachel McAdams....

I lost faith in Bond movies a while back. They go all out special effects for the most recent films, and it just ruins the Bond experience. The reason why people still love old school bonds is because they were a bit cheesy and funny. The new Bond's don't have the cheese. Still they're always fun to watch with mates, or on a boring afternoon.

[Guest muddatrucker]

Will he be dying his hair? he looks more like a crooked politician in that promotional entrance that he made when he was unveiled.

[ROC]

French Actress Eva Green Is New Bond Girl

Friday February 17 4:41 PM ET

The new James Bond now has his Bond Girl. Eva Green, whose screen credits include Bernardo Bertolucci's erotic drama "The Dreamers," will co-star as the enticing Vesper Lynd in "Casino Royale" opposite Daniel Craig.

Craig is making his debut appearance as Bond in the film.

"Eva is one of France's most accomplished young actresses, now receiving international acclaim," producers Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli said Thursday in a statement. "She brings to the complex role of Vesper an exciting combination of enigmatic and seductive beauty."

Danish-born actor Mads Mikkelsen will play Le Chiffre, Bond's nemesis, and Jeffrey Wright ("Syriana," "Basquiat") has joined the cast as Felix Leiter.

Directed by Martin Campbell, "Casino Royale" is expected to be in theaters on Nov. 17.

Green's screen credits also include roles in Jean-Paul Salome's French-language film, "Arsene Lupin," and Ridley Scott's "Kingdom of Heaven," with Orlando Bloom and Liam Neeson.

Edited February 18, 2006 by ROCzy

[Hellfire]

Its good to see they finally got the cast all set and can start filming. I can't wait to see what they'll do with this movie, since I just watched Layer Cake and thought Craig would be a good choice for Bond.

[Laice07]

Eva Green is another good choice...she has hotness all over.

[TheCrippler]

From what I've read/seen so far, It's either gonna be REALLY good, or REALLY bad.

I don't like the idea of Craig as Bond. At all. But I'll wait untill I see the film and then judge him fully.

I've always said this, but if they wanted to take Bond in a new direction, they should've hired Jude Law. Again, it would've been hit or miss, but I think it would've been interesting either way.

[kliq]

I hate Craig as Bond. Seriously. He's like the anti-Bond.

I'm only going to see the movie for the car, an Aston Martin DBS.

[Toe]

I loved the book, Casino Royale. But I don't think they are going to keep the movie even remotely close to the book. Bond doesn't kill thousands of minions in the book, and even gets captured and tortured!

I like the whole James Bond series. It's always been a cool, cheeky series, and I hope that they keep making Bond films.