Latest News
Last updated 10th November 1999.
Britain's 'Weekly News' reports plans are underway for the nineteenth episode of the world's most successful film series. Provisionally entitled, 'Fire and Ice', Bond 19 will star Pierce Brosnan, as Ian Fleming's James Bond 007. The producers are said to be considering Anthony Hopkins and Sean Connery for leading roles in the new movie. However, this rumour circulated around the time of pre-production on 'Tomorrow Never Dies'.
Pierce Brosnan will star with Rene Russo in a remake of '60s caper movie, 'The Thomas Crown Affair'. The original movie starred Steve McQueen and Faye Dunawaye. Pierce will produce the film for his own company, 'Irish Dreamtime'.
Pierce Brosnan is to begin shooting environmental drama, 'Grey Owl', for director Lord Richard Attenborough. The film will be set in Canada, and concerns fur-trapping.
A rumour currently circulating is that Bond 19 will feature cameo performances by all four of the previous 007s! [Sean Connery, George Lazenby, Roger Moore and Timothy Dalton.]
Bond producer, Michael Wilson, has announced that Bond 19 is set to have a December 1999 opening. The new movie may not be filmed in Britain, due to the exchange rate of the pound, and the British tax situation. 'Tomorrow Never Dies', mostly made at British studios, was particularly expensive to shoot.
Pierce Brosnan, in Australia to promote 'Tomorrow Never Dies', mentioned to a local newspaper he would like to see the next Bond set in Sydney.
Tomorrow Never Dies Premiere.
Thousands of Bond fans waited in the pouring rain to see Pierce Brosnan, Jonathan Pryce, Desmond Llewelyn and many others arriving for the world charity premiere of 'Tomorrow Never Dies'.
The crowd was delighted when Pierce, accompanied by girlfriend, Keely Shaye-Smith, swept up in a stretch limousine, and dashed over to shake hands with fans.
Later, the onlookers gasped when Royal Marines abseiled from the roof of the Odeon, Leicester Square. One of the soldiers appeared to plummet suddenly, but it was all just part of the show!
Latest News: 17th December, 1997. It's official - the news that 007 fans have been waiting for! Veteran actor, Sean Connery, has been approached to play a cameo role in a future Bond production. However, Eon Productions' Michael Wilson says, 'We probably couldn't afford him!'
Pierce Brosnan, speaking about Bond 19, said he would like the story to explore the man behind 007, finding out what really makes him tick. One idea that Pierce has suggested is for Bond to become disenchanted with life in the Secret Intelligence Service, and tender his resignation! Naturally, 007 would find himself re-enlisted in MI6 before the end of the movie! Pierce is a big fan of 'On Her Majesty's Secret Service', and thinks it is Ian Fleming's best story. He has said it is a story he would like to re-visit.
February 10th, 1998.
Versatile Scottish actor, Robert Carlyle (star of 'Trainspotting', 'Face', 'The Full Monty' and BBC TV's 'Hamish McBeth') has been approached by the producers of Bond 19 to play the lead villain. Bobby is said to be very interested, but wants to see a completed script before signing on. (This is standard practise for established actors.)
Other stars up for consideration may include David Duchovny ('X-Files', as if you didn't know), possibly playing a CIA agent; acclaimed British actress Emma Thompson ('Sense and Sensibility', 'The Tall Guy', 'Remains of the Day') as a licensed-to-kill Double-0 operative; and Irish actor Stephen Rea, possibly playing a henchman. Still no confirmation of Sean Connery, making a cameo appearance as a veteran MI6 agent!
Writers hired for Bond 19.
MGM/United Artists and Danjaq, have hired British screenwriting team Neal Purvis and Robert Wade to write the script for Bond 19. Purvis and Wade previously penned 1991's 'Let him Have It', the true story of the Derek Bentley case. While working on this film, the two writers were nicknamed 'Pinky and Perky'!
Release Date
MGM Distribution chief, Larry Gleason has announced that Bond 19 will be released on 19th November, 1999. 'How could we pass that day up?' commented Gleason.
3rd April 1998 - I meet Desmond Llewelyn!
Yours truly was delighted to meet legendary Bond regular, Desmond Llewelyn (alias 'Q'), on a recent visit to Edinburgh, Scotland. The author invited Desmond to view this Internet site! After first asking, 'What is an Internet site?', Desmond was then delighted to view himself on this web-page!
Desmond's verdict? 'Marvellous!'
Then, the veteran gadget-expert signed some autographs, but got into difficulties with a tricky ball-point pen which refused to write! In real life, the actor is plagued by gadgets which do not work. He was recently on a Virgin Atlantic flight, where there are television monitors built into the seat backs. Of all the passengers on the aircraft, only one had a faulty monitor. Can you guess who?
10th August 1998.
The director of the forthcoming Bond film is likely to be Britain's Michael Apted. The title for Bond 19 is said to be 'Pressure Point'. The plot may feature a female lead villain, who holds a grudge against 007.
23rd August 1998.
First plot details!
The writers of Bond 19, Neal Purvis and Robert Wade, have completed a first draft of the screenplay. It is said to feature an explosive sequence set in London's Millennium Dome, currently being constructed at Greenwich.
The scene will feature a party being held in the Dome, attended by VIPs, politicians and celebrities, as the minutes count down to the beginning of the Millennium. Also ticking down is a mighty bomb, timed to cause maximum destruction (and embarrassment to the British Government!)
Naturally, only 007 can save the day! The Bond film company, Eon Productions, are currently in negotiation with the owners of the Dome, The New Millennium Experience Company, to film interior shots before the huge construction is opened to the public. You heard it here first!
Stop Press!
More story details!
Bond 19's plot revolves around 007 going undercover to combat corruption at the top of the British and Russian secret services!
Robbie Coltrane, who appeared in 'GoldenEye' as ex-KGB agent, Valentin Zukovsky, is set to star with Pierce Brosnan.
The Bond producers are hoping to sign up all the Bond-girls who have appeared in the series to make cameo appearances in the new movie. Stars such as Ursulla Andress, Honor Blackman, Jane Seymour, Britt Ekland and Diana Rigg are all being approached!
6th September 1998.
Pierce Brosnan will arrive in London on the 4th January 1999 to begin filming the next 007 movie, confirmed an Eon spokesperson. Principal photography will start on four sound-stages at Pinewood Studios. Eon Productions also point out that many of the rumours about the plot of 'Bond 19' (for instance, a female villain called Elektra, the title 'Pressure Point' etc.) should be discounted. The script for 'Bond 19' remains top-secret (as befits England's greatest secret agent!) and all copies are kept strictly under lock and key!
7th September 1998.
The latest rumour is that Sharon Stone (Basic Instinct) may play the arch-villain 'Elektra' in Bond 19. An 'insider' said they were 90 per-cent certain of signing Stone. Later, Stone's management and MGM denied all knowledge of the deal.
Robbie Coltrane is to re-appear as Valentin Zukovsky (the character he played in GoldenEye.)
Eon Productions say there is currently no title for Bond 19. Any rumours that the title will be 'The World is not Enough' should be discounted. Incidentally, this phrase appeared in the George Lazenby 007 film, 'On Her Majesty's Secret Service'. It is the motto on James Bond's heraldic shield!
The following titles should also be discounted: 'Dangerously Yours', 'Fire and Ice'.
The title of Bond 19 will be announced at a Press Conference at the end of 1998.
Construction on four huge sets has begun at Pinewood Studios, Buckinghamshire, England. Pinewood is home to the Albert R. Broccoli 007 Stage. Production Designer is Bond veteran, Peter Lamont (GoldenEye, True Lies). Lamont was unable to work on 'Tomorrow Never Dies' as he was Production Designer on a small, art-house film (James Cameron's 'Titanic'). The sets are said to be spectacular!
The budget for Bond 19 is said to be £70 million ($117 million).
One rumour has it that Bond 19 will see the last appearance of Judi Dench as 'M'. Specifically as the plot sees the assassination of 'M'!
Another rumour sees 007 being blamed for the assassination of a top figure. Hmm..Bond assassinates 'M'? I don't think so!
10th September 1998.
Britain's 'Weekly News' reports that Bond star Pierce Brosnan was filming 'The Match' near Loch Lomond, Scotland recently. The low-budget film, also starring Richard E. Grant, is also co-produced by Pierce.
16th September 1998.
Desmond Llewelyn has been signed to appear in Bond 19. Desmond, who is the best actor in the Bond films, says that all he knows about the story is that the villain will be female. Desmond's favourite Bond movie is 'Licence to Kill'. (It is the film he is in the most!)
17th September 1998.
The first ever auction of James Bond memorabilia was held at Christie's, South Kensington, London. Items up for sale included Oddjob's steel-rimmed bowler hat from 'Goldfinger' (which fetched £62,000) a Lotus Esprit body, used in 'The Spy Who Loved Me', and Roger Moore's Rolex Oyster Perpetual from 'Live and Let Die'.
Desmond Llewelyn, who attended the auction, said he was astonished at the amounts paid by bidders. Revealing that he was wearing a suit seen in 'The Living Daylights', Desmond was tempted to strip off and put his outfit up for auction. Luckily, Desmond was persuaded to keep his clothes on!
21st September 1998.
One rumour currently circulating sees the appearance of Bond's son! This character is reputedly the result of a union between Bond and the villainess (Electra?)! The bad news is, Bond's son is an evil henchman, who 007 must fight to the death in a climactic showdown. (This sounds more like Austin Powers, The Spy Who Sh***ed Me, than a Bond plot.)
There are also rumours concerning the scenes set in and around London's Millennium Dome. One story has it that Bond and a terrorist fight it out on the flimsy, tent-like roof of the Dome. The roof splits beneath Bond's feet, and he swings into the Dome like Tarzan, hanging on to the fabric as it tears wider and wider! There then follows a jet-boat chase, through the Docklands development, Canary Wharf. The sequence ends at Tower Bridge, when a jet-boat flies up a ramp, and becomes embedded in a red London double-decker bus!
22nd September 1998.
Albert R. Broccoli's autobiography, 'When The Snow Melts', has just been published. Written with long-time friend, British journalist Donald Zec, this is an excellent read, with many fascinating behind-the-scenes stories about the Bond films. The book also reveals the origin of the late, great Cubby's nickname.
23rd September 1998.
Lois Maxwell, the original Miss Moneypenny, may be in the running for a surprise appearance in Bond 19. The much-loved Canadian actress appeared in 14 of the 007 films, beginning with Dr No.
BOND SET FOR CHRISTMAS AND TURKEY: Superspy JAMES BOND will be heading off to Turkey for his 19th movie adventure - to spend a little time with CHRISTMAS. The festive name belongs to the latest Bond Girl in the new movie, tentatively titled THE WORLD IS NOT ENOUGH. Casting director DEBBIE McWILLIAMS is currently looking for the girl in question, who will play a wise-cracking nuclear weapons expert hired to de-activate warheads. In the new film, which will start shooting in Britain and Istanbul in 1999, 007's adversary will be kidnapper and international terrorist RENARD, who has his sights set on taking over a late British tycoon's oil empire by evil means. Apart from PIERCE BROSNAN and Bond regulars, there are no new details of cast choices, but producers are keen to offer roles to veritable newcomers. A casting source says, "The leading roles will be ELEKTRA, the daughter of a dead tycoon, [as well as] Bond, Renard, Christmas, Chechnyan army commanding officer AKAKIEVICH, and Elektra's Turkish bodyguard GABOR." May I nominate myself for the star search? Nobody would confuse me with Teri Hatcher but I hear they can do wonderful things with makeup these days.
28th September 1998.
Theme song news!
Rumours are circulating that Robbie Williams is keen to sing the title song for Bond 19. However, my money is on another British singer. Sting has a number of links with 007! Bond 19 director, Michael Apted made the excellent concert film, 'Bring On The Night', featuring Sting and his new band rehearsing at a chateau near Paris. Pierce Brosnan, and screenwriter Bruce Feirstein are both fans of Sting's music. And Sting himself was offered (and turned down) a role as a villain in a previous Bond film.
Stunt News!
Aerial stunt co-ordinator, B.J. Worth, a Bond veteran, is hoping to finally pull off a stunt originally planned for 'GoldenEye', and subsequently for 'Tomorrow Never Dies'. This is the one where Bond, plus a girl, jump from a helicopter, just before it explodes. They parachute down and fall through a crevice in a mountain, while the rotor blades from the chopper crash behind them!
B.J. Worth is famous for the pre-titles sequence in 'Moonraker', which saw Roger Moore leaving a Lear Jet without the benefit of a parachute. B.J. also performed a series of jumps for the HALO parachute scene in 'Tomorrow Never dies'.
World exclusive!
Ewan McGregor is the hot favourite to play James Bond's son in the new movie. The character is a villain, of course, who will engage in a battle to the death with 007 at the film's climax. No prizes for guessing who will survive. However, there is no truth in the rumour that the title of the new film will be 'James Bond Jnr'! This exclusive story first appeared in Britain's top-selling newspaper, 'The Weekly News'
14th October 1998.
Footballer turned actor Vinnie Jones (Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels) is in talks with the Bond producers, to play a henchman in Bond 19. 'The World Is Not Enough' is still the most-favoured title. (Orbis Non Sufficit, for Latin scholars - see 'On Her Majesty's Secret Service'.)
16th October 1998.
Natasha Henstridge is in talks with Eon Productions, to play 'Holly Christmas', the main Bond Girl in Bond 19. She will play a weapons expert who helps 007. The plot sees an attempt to blow up 'M', Head of the British Secret Intelligence Service. Bond is blamed, and has to go undercover to clear his name. Looks like Bond has pulled a Christmas cracker!
The Guinness Book of Film has announced the winner of the best one-liner in film history. Needless to say, it is 'Bond, ...James Bond', as famously uttered by Sean Connery in 'Dr No' (1962).
21st October 1998.
Automobile News!
James Bond may find himself at the wheel of the world's most intelligent car! That's the new Jaguar S-4, just launched at the Birmingham Motor Show. The new Jaguar is worthy of Q-Branch, featuring an intelligent voice-recognition system! In 007's hands, an every-day phrase, such as 'I love you!', could trigger the ejector system - handy, when your vehicle has been commandeered by evil henchmen!!
24th November 1998.
Ruthie Henshall performed an incredible version of 'Diamonds Are Forever' on BBC Television's annual telethon, 'Children In Need'. Ruthie, who is currently appearing in the West End, performed with the assistance of a BBC orchestra - awesome! Something like Shirley Bassey meets Eartha Kitt. My money is now on Ruthie to perform the title song for Bond 19 (The World Is Not Enough).
I hear that one of 007's gadgets in the new film will be a lap-top computer, packed with explosive features, similar to the famous attache case in 'From Russia With Love'!
27th November 1998.
Christmas Is Coming!
The Essential Bond - The Authorized Guide To The World Of 007, by Lee Pfeiffer and Dave Worrall, has just been published by Boxtree (price £20.00). This lavish, hard-cover volume, written by two of the most knowledgeable Bond experts in the world, is packed with rare, never before seen photographs. A must-have Christmas present for any self-respecting 007 fan!
Ronin, the new film by director John Frankenheimer, is an excellent spy/caper movie, starring Robert de Niro, Jonathan Pryce, Jean Renaud, Natasha MacElhone and Sean Bean. If you can't wait until November 1999 for The World Is Not Enough, then I can highly recommend this action-packed movie, which features probably the best car-chase sequences ever captured on film. Set in Paris and the Cote d'Azur - from MGM.
Stunt News - is it possible to drive a red, double-decker bus through central London on two wheels? Only ONE man can!
30th November 1998.
Greenwich Recce!
I visited some of the locations for the pre-titles sequence today! Canary Wharf, and the Millennium Dome at Greenwich are only 20 minutes away from my home in London.
I have been visiting Canary Wharf, in London's Docklands area, regularly for the past couple of years. I always thought it would be an ideal location for a boat chase - I'm delighted that the Bond team have been thinking along similar lines! I had written a draft script in which Bond would be called to a terrorist siege, high up in Canada Tower (a gleaming skyscraper at Canary Wharf, and the second tallest building in Europe). Making use of a new jet-pack, 007 was to lead an MI6 team in an assault on the terrorists' position. The MI6 team was to include a veteran 'double-0' officer (ideally to be played be Sean Connery!) On meeting Connery, Pierce Brosnan's line was "What's HE doing here?"
The denouement led to a proposed boat chase, involving police cars racing along the banks of the Thames; helicopter gun-ships; death-defying leaps over walkways in Canary Wharf, and terrified office workers running for cover, clutching their Ciabattas and Cappuccinos!!!
My visit to Greenwich included a boat tour past the Millennium Dome and London City Airport, and out to the Thames Barrier (a futuristic dam which prevents the Thames from flooding). It's an ideal location for a Bond set-piece, including interesting industrial areas, luxury apartments, futuristic office developments, marinas and narrow canals. There is also the Docklands Light Railway, an overhead monorail system, which runs through Canary Wharf, but I don't know how that could feature as yet.
Work is underway on the largest underground railway station in the world, adjacent to the Millennium Dome itself. This could be the site of a preliminary chase, with Bond pursuing the villains through startled crowds of 'tube' passengers! I see 007 sliding down the divide between the escalators, while machine-gun fire strafes the passage-way!!
The Millennium Dome itself is stupendous - pictures don't give a true impression of its size. You could fit four Wembley Stadiums inside the massive structure. Construction is also underway on a huge jetty, where river-boats will dock alongside, when the New Millennium Experience opens on December 31st, 1999. Also docking alongside could be a seaplane, piloted by a certain 007!!
[Author's note: In November, director Michael Apted denied the Millennium Dome would feature in Bond 19! He did reveal, however, that Eon had visited the Greenwich site, but there were no plans to include the Millennium Dome at that time. Since then, new writer, Dana Stephens, has come on board to pen a further draft of the Wade/Purvis screenplay.]
7th December 1998.
Dame Judi Dench has accepted an invitation from the real-life MI6 to attend their staff Christmas party! Apparently, Judi approached Sir David Spedding (the Secret Intelligence Service chief) earlier this year, through a third party, to help research her role as 'M'. Sir David (who in reality is known as 'C') was more than happy to oblige, and now Judi will be joining the spooks at Vauxhall Cross (the location of MI6's London headquarters) for cocktails and canapes! Party games will include solving the Daily Telegraph cryptic crossword (a favourite pastime for real-life 007s!)
What MI6 don't know is that Eon Productions are planning to blow their headquarters sky-high in 'The World Is Not Enough'! Bond races along the Thames to prevent a terrorist bomb demolishing the MI6 building - and is too late!
10th December 1998.
The World Is Not Enough - Storyline.
The plot of the nineteenth James Bond film revolves around the discovery of massive oil deposits found in the Caspian Sea. Elektra King is the daughter of a British nobleman and oil baron, who is assassinated during the pre-titles sequence.
The pre-titles sequence begins in Bilbao, Spain. Later, the action moves to London, and the MI6 Headquarters, where a massive bomb-blast kills Lord King, and half of the futuristic building is blown away.
Bond pursues a female terrorist, (the Cigar Girl) who makes her get-away along the River Thames in a high-powered boat. Bond makes use of a prototype mini-boat, developed by 'Q'-Branch. The Q-Boat is incredibly maneouvreable, able to make sudden 180 degree turns, and operate in only 4 inches of water.
During a high-speed chase, Bond accidentally soaks a London Traffic Warden, who is placing a parking ticket on a car. The terrorist's boat is equipped with a cannon, which she uses to try and blow Bond out of the water. A fishing boat is destroyed, and a jetty is wrecked in a collision. At one point, 007's boat hits a log, and performs a barrel-roll in mid-air! The Q-Boat also leaps from the water, and travels down an alley, scattering restaurant diners in its wake, before re-entering the Thames.
The terrorist hi-jacks a hot-air balloon, in which a Richard Branson look-alike is about to take off. Bond jumps from his boat, in mid air, and catches hold of a rope hanging from the balloon. Firing his gun at the terrorist, Bond manages to blow the balloon up, and falls safely to earth - landing on the roof of the Millennium Dome!
James Bond was a friend of Lord King, and was supposed to prevent his death. Now Bond feels partly guilty for Lord King's death. During the opening sequence, Bond is injured, but not seriously.
Bond and 'M' travel to Castle Thane, in Scotland, which serves as temporary headquarters for MI6. Bond pays his customary visit to 'Q'-Branch. 'Q' shows 007 one of his latest gadgets - a deadly set of bagpipes, which contains a hidden machine-gun and flame-thrower! Bond also meets the latest recruit to 'Q'-Branch - 'R' (as played by John Cleese).
Bond is shown his new car - a BMW Z-8. 'R' reveals the vehicle is equipped with electronic counter measures - and SIX beverage cup-holders! 'Q' tells Bond the car is a "FULLY LOADED" model!!
King Industries - under Elektra King's leadership - are competing for control of the transportation of oil, from oil-fields in the Caspian Sea. The oil deposits are said to be worth 'trillions' of dollars. Elektra plans to go one step further, and gain control of the entire Caspian Sea deposits, transporting the oil only via the King Industries pipeline.
A shady, international villain named Renard enters the story. The villains plan to take over the King Industries pipeline. James Bond assumes the role of bodyguard to Elektra King, and saves her in one of the film's set-pieces - an elaborate ski sequence, which involves four multi-purpose vehicles. 007 and Elektra are pursued by the machine-gun equipped "parahawks" - both in the air and on snow!
Elektra King is kidnapped. However, all is not as it seems - could Elektra secretly be in league with the villains all along?
Elektra double-crosses Bond, in a scene set in a nuclear weapons test facility in the former Soviet republic of Chechnya. Elektra's motives are apparently revenge - against her father - and against the Russians, who drove her family away from the Caspian Sea area.
Bond teams up with a beautiful French nuclear expert, Dr Christmas Jones, who helps 007 defuse a bomb attached to the Baku - Ceyhan pipeline.
One of the highlights of The World Is Not Enough is a chase through the Grand Bazaar in Istanbul, Turkey, which includes a visit to a Turkish bath house, full of naked women. During this sequence, one of the villains is cold-bloodedly dispatched by 007.
Believing Bond has been killed in the pipeline explosion, 'M' is tricked by Elektra King into travelling to Istanbul, Turkey - where she is kidnapped and held hostage in a beautiful palace called The Maiden's Tower!
Bond's new car, a BMW Z-8, features in a dramatic sequence set in the City of Walkways. Bond is attacked by helicopters carrying rotating blades. 007 takes out one of the choppers with a surface-to-air missile concealed within the car's air-intake vents. The BMW ends up being cut into two pieces by the rotating blades suspended beneath a helicopter. This sequence is said to be a typically witty (and Bond-esque) set-piece.
Valentin Zukovsky's caviar plant is also destroyed during the helicopter attack. Bond and Christmas rescue Valentin from a giant vat of Beluga caviar - into which the shady Russian is slowly sinking!
One of the final set-pieces takes place in the Maiden's Tower, in Istanbul. There is a great deal of gun-play and fighting, said to be very tense and exciting. Elektra King is finally revealed as the villain of the piece - and an ally of Renard all along. Elektra ties 007 to a high-backed chair, and slowly tightens a garotte around his neck. She tells 007, "I could have given you the world." Bond replies, "The world is not enough." Elektra shoots Valentin Zukovsky, fatally wounding him. However, before he dies, Valentin is able to release Bond's shackles. Bond kills Elektra King - in cold blood, naturally!
The last set-piece is set aboard a submarine, which is used in an unusual, and original manner! Renard attempts to melt-down the nuclear reactor, using a plutonium warhead stolen from the nuclear weapons test facility. The submarine sinks to the bottom of the Caspian Sea - vertically! Sounds like 007 has a 'Titanic' struggle on his hands!!
Bond sends Renard to his death at the bottom of the sea.
The film ends in typical Bond style - with 007 and Christmas Jones. 'M', along with Bill Tanner and 'R', at MI6 headquarters, track 007 down with the aid of a satellite spy camera. Using thermal-imaging, we see the orange outline of two figures, closely entwined! 'R' explains, "It's possibly a premature version of the Millennium Bug....?" Bond says, "I thought Christmas only came ONCE a year...?"
END CREDITS. JAMES BOND WILL RETURN!
Casting News!
Denise Richards, a stunning 26 year-old American actress, has been signed to play the role of Dr Christmas Jones, a French nuclear weapons expert.
Sharon Stone may yet play the main villain, Elektra Jones. Pierce Brosnan, in an interview with Garth Pearce, said, 'I am backing Sharon loud and clear.' Brosnan is one of Sharon Stone's biggest fans! 'To have Sharon in a James Bond film could be unforgettable. She is a highly intelligent woman and as sexy and sassy as anything. I'm a big admirer and would love to put Bond up against her (!) It's the kind of thing I'm looking for. A woman of Sharon's calibre could bring a certain something to Bond. She only has to walk across the screen and you know that she could be trouble, because she's so sexy and such a good actress.'
Speaking about the screenplay for Bond 19, Pierce said, 'I want a great script which gives us a chance to get in some really good acting instead of running around from one end of the movie to the other. By all means let's have the big, punchy set-pieces which are the hallmark of Bond. I just need it to have better dialogue, with good words and some great scenes. The story in the new script so far is not bad, with locations in Istanbul and Scotland, but it needs polish.
Merry Christmas, 007!
Pierce will be celebrating Christmas in the Caribbean, where he has been busy filming 'The Thomas Crown Affair' with Rene Russo. Joining Pierce will be partner, environmental journalist Keely Shaye-Smith, and Pierce's mother, May. Also joining Pierce will be children Christopher, Charlotte (with husband Alex and four-month old daughter Isabella), 15-year old Sean, and youngest son, Dylan Thomas, two years old! Bond 19 Update would like to wish Pierce and family a very Merry Christmas, and a great New Year!
14th December 1998.
Sophie Marceau, who appeared in 'Braveheart', has been signed to play lead villain, 'Elektra King', in 'The World Is Not Enough'.
Bruce Feirstein, screenwriter of 'Tomorrow Never Dies', and co-writer of 'GoldenEye', is writing the final draft of the Wade/Purvis script for the nineteenth James Bond film.
4th January 1999.
Former 007, Roger Moore, has been awarded the CBE (Companion of the British Empire) in Her Majesty the Queen's New Year's Honours List. The award is made in recognition of Roger's work for children's foundation, UNICEF. Congratulations Rog!
Bond 20 News! An unlikely candidate to play the villain in Bond 20 has surfaced! Top Hollywood actor and all-round nice guy Tom Hanks said in an interview that his dream role would be a villain in a Bond movie! Tom revealed he would want to play the main villain, and not a minor henchman who appears, says, 'Good evening, Mr Bond,' and is then blown away.
11th January 1999.
Scottish actor Robert Carlyle, star of The Full Monty and Trainspotting, has landed his biggest role yet - as the next Bond bad-guy. Carlyle, who received an OBE in the New Year honours, will play the mercenary killer Renard in The World Is Not Enough. His character, who has a bullet lodged in his brain rendering him unable to feel pain, will battle 007 in the 19th instalment in the James Bond series, due out later this year. Rather than a steel-rimmed top hat or golden gun, Renard will have a pet hawk trained to gouge out the eyes of his enemies. A spokeswoman for United International Pictures said: "We are delighted to have Robert on board. He is a fantastic addition to our cast." Last year Carlyle, 37, took a major accolade as the best leading actor at the film Baftas for his role as a stripper in Britain's most successful film, The Full Monty.
Denise Van Outen, the British comedy actress and former presenter of Channel 4's morning show, 'The Big Breakfast', will be making a cameo appearance in the new Bond film, as 'Dr Greatex'. Denise, who is one of the funniest performers on British television, will play a doctor who tends to 007's wounds! Miss Van Outen, who is famous for her witty repartee and double-entendres, should be right at home on the Bond set! Expect lines like, "Does that feel tender?" and "Do you have any stiffness coming on?" etc. etc.
31st January 1999.
A Bond film unit spent three days shooting exteriors at Eilean Donan Castle, in the West Highlands, Scotland. In the movie, the famous Scottish landmark is named Castle Thane, and is the headquarters of MI6! Bond and 'M' are seen driving to the castle in 007's Aston Martin DB5, after the destruction of MI6 headquarters in London. Matching interior scenes will be filmed at Pinewood Studios.
Stunt News! One of the stunts you will see in the pre-titles sequence (if stunt co-ordinator Simon Crane can figure out how to do it) is a speed-boat performing a barrel roll, before landing upright and continuing on its way! You may remember 007 performing a similar stunt, with an AMC Matador, in 1974's 'The Man With The Golden Gun'.
British comedian and writer John Cleese is rumoured to be playing an assistant to 'Q', possibly named 'R'.
11th February 1999.
Pre-Title Sequence News!
The opening scenes for The World Is Not Enough will be some of the most dramatic ever filmed in London. It will take 34 days and cost £3 million to shoot the first five minutes of the new Bond movie. An evil foreign spy blows up MI6's hi-tech headquarters on the banks of the River Thames. A furious 007 jumps into a waiting jet-powered boat and gives chase as the terrorist attempts to flee in HER own high speed vessel. The hair-raising pursuit ends at the Millennium Dome, as 007 leaps onto a passing hot-air balloon, then drops onto the roof of the Dome!!
Pierce Brosnan, talking about Robert Carlyle (who plays ex-Foreign Legion officer, nick-named 'Renard'), said, "Robert is an excellent baddie - very scary, he won't disappoint." Talking about the new film, Brosnan said, "I'm very happy on this production. We've got a great cast and a good story. It's much more solid. The last one (Tomorrow Never Dies) was like pulling teeth at times. I love playing Bond. I'll carry on as long as the producers want me to."
Serena Scott Thomas (and NOT Denise Van Outen, as previously reported) will play Bond's doctor, Dr Molly Warmflash. [You have got to be kidding.]
9th August 1999.
Test Screening!A rough cut of 'The World Is Not Enough' has been shown to a focus group in London. The audience rated Robert Carlyle (playing the unstoppable terrorist, Renard) as one of the best Bond villains yet. John Cleese also received a thumbs-up for his comic portrayal of 'R' ('Q'-Branch's latest recruit.)
Members of the Bond family were strongly represented at the gala screening of 'The Thomas Crown Affair', which was one of the highlights of the Edinburgh International Film Festival. 'World Is Not Enough' co-stars Robert Carlyle and Robbie Coltrane received roars of approval from the good-natured crowd. Bond producer, Michael G. Wilson and wife were also in attendance. Pierce's children, Charlotte, Chris and Sean met up outside the Odeon, enjoying the warm, sunny evening.
Guests of honour included the First Minister of Scotland, Donald Dewar, Lord David Steel, and Pierce's mum and dad, May and Bill. In 'The Thomas Crown Affair', Pierce's character is said to be from Glasgow! A tribute to Pierce's beloved step-dad, Bill Carmichael, who hails from Glasgow, Scotland.
EXCLUSIVE! Pierce also revealed that he may NOT be quitting the 007 movies after Bond 20 is completed in 2001.
13th October 1999.
007 Licence to Thrill - the James Bond Ride, at London's Trocadero Centre, will be taking delivery of the Q-Boat, as seen in the opening sequence of 'The World Is Not Enough', in November. The attraction also features the Lotus Esprit from 'The Spy Who Loved Me' and the Acrostar jet seen in the opening sequence from 'Octopussy'!
Pierce and Bond producer Michael G. Wilson admire the scenery.
Q: What did you think of Austin Powers?
Pierce: Brilliant! Rave on! I love it! In fact, I was nearly in 'The Spy who Shagged Me'. The plan was that Mike Myers would open a door every now and then, see me, then smack it shut. Sadly our schedules clashed!
Links to other sites on the Web
The Italian Job - the next project from Bond writers Wade/Purvis!
Futurama - the new animated series from Simpsons creator, Matt Groening.
Austin Powers, The Spy Who Shagged Me.
The Simpsons!
The X - Files.
Star Wars, Episode 1 - The Phantom Menace.
If you have any comments on this page, why not write to me at the following address?
© 1997 kevinmcdonald2@yahoo.com
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