Peter Morgan, Neal Purvis, Robert Wade To Write James Bond 23

Finally, here’s the first official announcement for the 23rd James Bond movie.

Producers Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli of EON Productions and MGM have today announced that Oscar nominated Peter Morgan (”Frost/Nixon,” “The Other Boleyn Girl,” “The Last King of Scotland,” “The Queen“) will team up with Neal Purvis and Robert Wade – co-writers of “Casino Royale” and “Quantum of Solace” – to write the script for Bond 23.

“Peter, Neal and Robert are extraordinarily talented and we’re looking forward to working with the three of them,” commented Wilson and Broccoli.

Daniel Craig is already set to reprise his role as Ian Fleming’s James Bond 007 in the film, and Wilson and Broccoli are producing.

Both “Quantum of Solace” and “Casino Royale” were co-productions between MGM and Sony, with the latter distributing. The new film will be the first to return as a full MGM release. The first 20 pictures in the franchise were distributed by MGM.

A date for the start of production is yet to be confirmed.
A big and important question is – who will direct James Bond 23?

Daniel Craig Cautious About Future as James Bond 007

Speaking to Playboy magazine, actor Daniel Craig has revealed that despite the fact that he signed a contract for a total of four James Bond films, he is not sure that he will return for the third installment. Craig said that where he goes from here depends on “Quantum of Solace.”

“I did sign on for four so a piece of paper says there are two more to do,” he commented. “But let’s see how this one goes. In the film business, everything doesn’t always go according to plan. We’ll wait and see. If it goes wrong, we’ll have to rethink things.”

Re-reading Ian Fleming’s James Bond books made movie hunk Daniel Craig broody and miserable – and that was a good thing. The British stud, who first played 007 in Casino Royale, is back for more Bond in new film Quantum of Solace – and he wanted to portray the darker side of the suave superspy.

Craig recalled reading the books when he was younger and finding Bond a workaholic depressive – and that’s the character he wanted to channel in the latest adventure. Continue Reading…

Leonardo DiCaprio as Ian Fleming – the James Bond creator

Leonardo DiCaprio may star as Ian Fleming in a biopic of the James Bond creator.

The Los Angeles Times reports that the actor’s production company Appian Way recently jumped on board to produce the film, based on the script Fleming by Damian Stevenson.

Producer Andrew Lazar said a film about the life of Fleming had the potential to be “fascinating”.

“It’s going to be very different from the Bond films,” Lazar commented. “There are a lot of different ways to crack biopics, but we’re not trying to emulate a Bond movie… The idea that this guy’s life informed the James Bond character is pretty fascinating.”

Stevenson, whom DiCaprio will replace with a new writer, researched the script by looking through out-of-print biographies at the University of Oxford’s Bodleian Library.

“It’s the real James Bond,” Stevenson said. “In England, Ian Fleming’s exploits are much better known. Talking to people out here [in the US], no one had any idea that M was based on a real person, Miss Moneypenny was based on a real person.”

The story begins on the eve of Fleming’s wedding in 1952 – before his first Bond novel Casino Royale was published – then flashes back to his days as a Reuters journalist and Naval Intelligence Commander.

Arterton’s Octopussy to sting Craig’s Bond

Gemma Arterton (”St. Trinians”) will be snuggling up to – I’m guessing, but it wouldn’t be out of the question, right? – Daniel Craig in the 22nd Bond movie.

The Marc Forster-helmed film, loosely based on the Ian Fleming short story Risico, finds 007 (Daniel Craig) dispatched to infiltrate a drug ring flooding Britain with heroin, says Variety. “Casino Royale” scribe Paul Haggis penned the screenplay, furthering an earlier draft written by Neal Purvis and Robert Wade.

French actor Mathieu Amalric joined the cast last week to play Bonds main adversary. It has been speculated Amalric’s character is the French-Algerian boyfriend mentioned by Vesper Lynd (Eva Green) in ”Casino Royale”.

Meantime, some set pics from the new film – featuring Craig and co-star Dame Judi Dench – are up at Just Jared and Pure People