JAMES BOND
NEWS 2007

29 December 2007

James Bond co-producers Barbara Broccoli & Michael G Wilson have both been awarded OBEs (Order of the British Empire) by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II in her traditional New Year Honours list.

The awards were given for services to the film industry.

19 December 2007 -

A selection of unique James Bond memorabilia was auctioned at CHRISTIE'S, Kensington, South London on 19th December.

Items included in the sale were a number of contact sheets featuring unpublished photos from Dr. No (1962), From Russia With Love (1963) and Thunderball (1965); and a collection of typescript pages from various drafts of the Thunderball shooting scripts.

Several items of clothing worn by Pierce Brosnan, including a BRIONI 3-piece wool suit (which sold for £19,200), and a selection of Syd Cain's production illustrations and storyboards from GoldenEye were some of the highlights of this sale of Film & Entertainment Memorabilia.

3 October 2007

The future of the 40-year long association between CORGI and James Bond is assured until at least 2010 following the signing of a new licence with EON Productions recently.

The worldwide agreement allows the release of both mass-market product ranges as well as core collectables over a variety of innovative products within the CORGI International sphere. These include action figures, vehicles, electronic role-play, die-cast models, high specification remote control released under the Popco brand and high end replicas released under the world renowned Mater Replicas branding.

The licence commences prior to the release of BOND 22 in 2008 with new classic movie product and replicas. So 2008 sounds like an exciting time for CORGI James Bond fans.

CORGI are also selling off a vast number of their archive on 3rd October at Bonham's Knowle salesrooms in Solihull, West Midlands.  

30 September 2007

Actress Lois Maxwell who starred as Miss Moneypenny in 14 James Bond (1962-1985) films has died aged 80.

After a number of small roles in British films and Television series, Lois Maxwell appeared in Stanley Kubrick's Lolita (1962) before being cast as Miss Moneypenny, the secretary to M, in the first James Bond film Dr. No. Director Terence Young offered Lois the role of Miss Moneypenny or Bond's love interest Sylvia Trench, Maxwell wisely chose the former and played the part continuously for the next 23 years, appearing alongside three James Bond's - Sean Connery, George Lazenby and Roger Moore. Both Roger Moore and Lois Maxwell made their final appearance in the series in A View To A Kill (1985). Lois Maxwell also appeared in character as Moneypenny in the 1967 TV special Welcome To Japan Mr. Bond with co-star Desmond Llewelyn as Q.

FULL OBITUARY

28 September 2007
Casino Royale (2006) loses out to Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix in the major categories, but wins for best action and adventure movie at the National Movie Awards held at the Royal Festival Hall in central London.

The James Bond franchise also won the special recognition award at the event.

James Bond co-producers Barbara Broccoli & Michael G Wilson accepted the honour.

8 September 2007

With the current interest in Goldfinger at a new high after the successful digital screening on July 31st 2007 at many cinemas around the UK courtesy of Park Circus, The Vintage Magazine Shop in London’s Soho jumped on the Bondwagon with a signing on September 8th featuring screen sisters Jill and Tilly Masterson – aka Golden Girl actress Shirley Eaton and Sixties’ top model Tania Mallet. As you’ll remember, both fell victim to Goldfinger’s lethal manservant Oddjob in the film, but luckily for everyone attending the gathering they were very much alive as, looking elegant as ever, they signed autographs for adoring fans.

Park Circus have revealed the results of a recent poll to find out which James Bond film UK cinemagoers would like to see on the big screen next. The UK film distributor successfully re-released the 1964 classic James Bond film Goldfinger in cinemas on 31st July and said the poll had had greatly helped their decision making process. Based on the poll of 3595 votes the results are:

GoldenEye - 112 (3%)
On Her Majesty's Secret Service - 1735 (48%)
The Spy Who Loved Me - 1415 (39%)
Thunderball - 205 (6%)
You Only Live Twice - 128 (4%)

Park Circus hope to announce more details of their final choice in the near future.

James Bond author John Gardner has died at the age of 80 after collapsing at his home on 3rd August. John had bravely battled cancer for many years and will be best remembered as the author of LICENCE RENEWED, and a further 15 James Bond novels written between 1981 and 1996.

John Gardner began his writing career in 1964 with The Liquidator, featuring the character of Boysie Oakes, who is mistaken as man of action and recruited into a British spy agency. The novel was filmed in 1965 starring Rod Taylor as Boysie Oakes. Seven further novels and four short stories with the cowardly Oakes followed over the next decade. In 1974 Gardner also wrote the first of three novels using the character of Professor Moriarty created by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.

In 1979 Glidrose Publications approached John Gardner asking him to revive Ian Fleming's James Bond series of novels. LICENCE RENEWED was the first new James Bond novel since COLONEL SUN in 1968.

31 July 2007

If you’ve only ever seen Goldfinger on a TV screen you’ve never seen it all!

GRAHAM RYE reports on the UK nationwide digital screening of  Goldfinger which was shown as part of the Summer of British Film Celebration in selected cinemas on July 31, 2007.

FULL STORY AND IMAGES FROM THE SCREENING AT VUE STAINES

29 July 2007

To celebrate the BBC2 screening of From Russia With Love, 007 MAGAZINE presents an exclusive portfolio of rare behind-the-scenes images from the shooting of the film in Istanbul and at Pinewood Studios in 1963. Featuring dozens of unpublished photographs of the filming and recently discovered images from the deleted scene!

FULL STORY

11 July 2007 - Sebastian Faulks writes the new James Bond novel, to be published by Penguin in May 2008

"In his house in Jamaica, Ian Fleming used to write a thousand words in the morning, then go snorkelling, have a cocktail, lunch on the terrace, more diving, another thousand words in late afternoon, then more Martinis and glamorous women. In my house in London, I followed this routine exactly, apart from the cocktails, the lunch and the snorkelling."

Sebastian Faulks, one of Britain’s most admired novelists, is announced today as the author of a brand new James Bond novel, to be published next year by Penguin Books in the UK and Doubleday in the US.

The book, entitled DEVIL MAY CARE, will be published to mark the centenary of Ian Fleming’s birth 28th May 2008.

Ian Fleming Publications Ltd announced in July 2006 that a new Bond book had been commissioned and now, after a year of speculation, the author and title are revealed.

FULL STORY

21 June 2007

An exclusive report from GRAHAM RYE about a very special Thursday afternoon.
 
When I look back over my 25-year professional career in the world of James Bond it is with great fondness, and during that time it has been my privilege to have had some of the artists who have worked on the Bond films become friends. Yesterday, the summer solstice, a day that seemed an apt reminder of new beginnings and celebration, I found myself in a privileged position once more, due to the kindness of a friend, when I was invited to sit in on the rehearsal for ‘The Music of John Barry’ concert at the Royal Festival Hall on June 21st.

FULL STORY AND EXCLUSIVE IMAGES FROM THE REHEARSAL

20 June 2007 - Marc Forster to Direct BOND 22

Marc Forster will direct the 22nd James Bond adventure, it was announced today by Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli, producers of the James Bond films, Sony Pictures Entertainment, and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios.

Forster is the acclaimed director of the highly anticipated motion picture The Kite Runner, adapted from Khaled Hosseini’s best-selling novel. He also recently directed the comic hit Stranger Than Fiction for Sony Pictures. Previously, Forster directed the award-winning and critically acclaimed films Finding Neverland, which was nominated for seven Academy Awards including Best Picture, and Monster’s Ball, for which Halle Berry won a Best Actress Oscar.

Forster will commence work shortly with screenwriter Paul Haggis on a draft of the screenplay by Neil Purvis and Robert Wade.

FULL PRESS RELEASE

7 April 2007

The original James Bond Actor Barry Nelson dies aged 89
Undoubtedly actor Barry Nelson’s major claim to world fame was that he was the first actor to bring Ian Fleming’s James Bond character to life on screen in the 1954 American TV production of Casino Royale. While his portrayal as ‘card-sense Jimmy Bond’ (Yes, honest!) was likeable and efficient, this original TV production hardly set the world on fire, but luckily did no harm to Nelson’s long and continuing workmanlike career in theatre, TV and cinema.

FULL OBITUARY

4 April 2007
The Pinewood Studios Group launch the official website for the revitalized ‘007 Stage’ to mark the practical reopening of Europe’s largest sound stage, it was announced by Nick Smith, Sales and Marketing Director:

“It’s fantastic news that our largest stage is back up and running. The ‘007 Stage’ and Pinewood are such an integral part of the British film industry. This official website gives both professionals and the public alike a chance to discover for themselves the rebuilt stage and its new features. The website not only covers the practical information about the stage but also the rich filmmaking history associated with it.”

FULL STORY

Sebastien Foucan signs copies of the new Casino Royale DVD at HMV Oxford Street, London.

WHAT: Signing session
WHERE: HMV London, Oxford Street W1
WHEN: Monday 19th March at 1.30pm

Fans of James Bond’s latest film Casino Royale had the a chance to meet Sebastian Foucan, who plays Mollaka in the hit film as he helped celebrate its release on DVD at HMV’s flagship store on Oxford Street, in London’s West End, on Monday 19th March 2007.

EXCLUSIVE PHOTOS FROM THE EVENT

Antiquorum, the world's premier watch auctioneer has announced the subject of its next annual sale theme — the watch making of OMEGA. The ‘Omegamania’ auction will take place on 14 and 15 April 2007 in Geneva, during the two major Swiss watch fairs.

"OMEGA's immense variety of models represents the development of 20th century watch making perhaps better than any other manufacturer," stated Mr Osvaldo Patrizzi, Antiquorum's Chairman and CEO.

Two private OMEGA collections feature in the 300-lot catalogue, which includes such milestone OMEGA products as prize-winning chronometers, military watches from both world wars, the earliest diving watches together with the more recent Co-Axial escapement housed in a Limited Edition split-seconds chronograph.

The auction includes three James Bond watches: A Seamaster Professional worn by Pierce Brosnan during the filming of Tomorrow Never Dies (1997) and a Seamaster Professional & Planet Ocean worn by Daniel Craig during the filming of Casino Royale (2006).

Since it was founded in 1848, OMEGA has always sought to represent the achievements of its era, not least as Official Timekeeper of the Olympic Games. However, the company will be forever associated with the greatest achievement in recent history, as the producer of the first ever watch worn outside a spacecraft on the moon – the legendary OMEGA Speedmaster, affectionately known as the ‘Moon’ watch.

28 March 2007

A Colt Python .357 Magnum revolver presented to James Bond author Ian Fleming in 1964 is to be auctioned by Bonhams on 28th March 2007 as part of their ‘Modern Sporting Guns, Rifles and Vintage Firearms’ sale.

Accompanied by a letter of authentication from Colt and a copy of Fleming's 1959 James Bond novel GOLDFINGER, the revolver is estimate to sell for £10,000 - £15,000. [UPDATE: SOLD FOR £12,000!]

15 March 2007

Composer David Arnold is to give a talk about his work before a special screening of Casino Royale at the Bradford Film Festival on March 15th at 7.30pm. While on Saturday March 10th at 6.00pm, a new digital print of From Russia With Love will receive its UK Premiere, and the special guest introducing it is rumoured to be none other than James Bond Producer Michael G Wilson. Both events will be held at the National Media Museum.

The Angels Star Collection of Film & TV Costumes - Knightsbridge, 6th March 2007.

A large number of James Bond costumes came up for auction at Bonhams on 6th March including Sean Connery's Dinner Jacket from Thunderball (1965) which sold for £33,600, Diana Rigg's Fur Coat & hat from On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969) fetched £12,960 and Roger Moore's Naval Uniform worn in The Spy Who Loved Me (1977) went for £11,760. Other costumes sold included a cream jacket worn by Christopher Lee in The Man With The Golden Gun (1974) which sold for £4,600, and a number of items from the Pierce Brosnan films including a grey Brioni three-piece suit from GoldenEye (1995) which sold for £8,640.

VIEW ALL JAMES BOND LOTS [#157-#198]

25 February 2007

Daniel Craig and Eva Green attended the 79th Annual Academy Awards Ceremony, held on on 25th February 2007 at the KODAK Theatre at Hollywood and Highland Centre. Both Daniel (with Nicole Kidman) and Eva were asked to present the awards for Best Art Direction and Best Documentary Short Subject respectively.

FULL STORY AND IMAGES

5 February 2007

Daniel Craig has been named best actor by the London Evening Standard for his role as James Bond in Casino Royale.

At the awards ceremony held at The Ivy Restaurant in London last night Daniel Craig said “I don't know if I'm ever entirely happy with my performances but I'm happy with the way this turned out.” Dame Judi Dench also won the Best Actress award for her role in Notes On A Scandal.

A week later Eva Green wins the Orange Rising Star award at the 2007 BAFTA awards ceremony.