JAMES BOND
NEWS 2013

15 November 2013

DANJAQ, LLC, the producer of the James Bond films, and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM), the long-time distributor of the Bond films, along with the estate and family of the late Kevin McClory (pictured left at the Irish premiere of Thunderball), announced today that DANJAQ and MGM have acquired all of the estate’s and family’s rights and interests relating to James Bond, thus bringing to an amicable conclusion the legal and business disputes that have arisen periodically for over 50 years.

FULL STORY

SOLO, the new James Bond novel by William Boyd is launched with a fanfare befitting a major British cultural export with a lavish breakfast at London's Dorchester Hotel. Boyd sets the opening scene of his novel at the Dorchester, where Bond is found celebrating his 45th birthday. Set in 1969, SOLO sees Ian Fleming's spy sent on a mission to halt a civil war in West Africa.

Seven copies of the book were driven in a convoy of vintage Jensen sports cars to Heathrow Airport, destined for seven cities around the world with ties to Boyd or Bond: Edinburgh, Amsterdam, Zurich, New Delhi, Los Angeles, Cape Town and Sydney.

26 September 2013

007 MAGAZINE’s Luke Williams reports from the Queen Elizabeth Hall as William Boyd is quizzed by GQ Literary Editor Olivia Cole, and the audience, about his new James Bond novel SOLO.

FULL REPORT

1 September 2013

Wing Commander Kenneth Wallis has died at the age of 97. He was a wartime bomber pilot who flew 28 missions over Germany, but became better known after the war as a key figure in the development of the autogyro. Wallis was the designer of the Wallis WA-116 Agile nicknamed 'Little Nellie', and also doubled for Sean Connery as the pilot of the craft in the celebrated aerial sequence in You Only Live Twice (1967).

His connection with film came at the suggestion of production designer Ken Adam after he heard a radio interview with Wallis and realised what a perfect fit his creation would be for the gadget-loving 007 franchise, and a very suitable follow up to the jet pack briefly featured in the previous Bond movie Thunderball (1965).

FULL TRIBUTE AND PICTURES

1 August 2013
The famous submarine-car driven by Roger Moore in The Spy Who Loved Me is going on sale later this year.

The vehicle to be offered by RM Auctions at its forthcoming London sale, 8-9 September, in Battersea Park, is the one and only fully functioning car especially designed and built for the famous underwater sequence seen on screen in the 1977 film.    

FULL STORY

1st August 2013

As anticipation builds for the publication of the new James Bond novel, SOLO by William Boyd, Jonathan Cape is delighted to reveal the official cover. They have also announced that British actor Dominic West will be the narrator of the audiobook edition of SOLO.

The cover, which has been designed by renowned Random House Creative Director Suzanne Dean, features a stunning retro-inspired die-cut design including, amongst other things, bullet holes. Dean took her inspiration from the 1960s setting of the book and design heroes including Saul Bass, who was also the inspiration for Random House’s Vintage Classics Ian Fleming series.

In true James Bond style, the primary colours and bullet holes of the dust jacket hint at danger, adventure and espionage – whilst removing the outer dust jacket playfully reveals a red hardcover printed with bullet burns and a gecko, a reference to James Bond’s African mission in the book.        

FULL STORY AND MORE IMAGES

28 July 2013 - Profiles in History: Hollywood Auction

This 4.5 mm. Walther air pistol, LP Model 53, serial number 054159, was first used by Sean Connery for the promotion of his second James Bond film, From Russia with Love (1963). Publicist Tom Carlile arranged a series of poses with photographer David Hurn to shoot an iconic portrait of Connery as James Bond 007 with his Walther pistol which was to be used as the primary image for the film's poster art and advertising/marketing campaign. When Connery arrived at the photo studio, together with Tom Carlile and representatives from United Artists, it was discovered that no one had brought 007's Walther semi-automatic pistol. By chance, photographer Hurn practiced air pistol target shooting as a hobby and he used a Walther. It was decided between Carlile and Hurn, without telling Connery or the other representatives from United Artists, that they would use his air pistol for the photographs and if anyone were to bring it up that the Walther name on the gun would reassure them. In theory, the long barrel of the air pistol should have been removed by airbrushing during the design of the actual poster, but, for reasons unknown, it was never done. What became of this shoot was one of the most iconic photographic images of the 20th century. The picture of Sean Connery holding the long-barrelled gun across his chest or alongside his face became the most famous of all Bond images.

The gun features a 24 cm. barrel and blackened finish; comes with its original close-fitted Walther presentation case as well as a signed letter of provenance from photographer David Hurn. This gun sold at CHRISTIE'S London in 2010 for a world record $437,000 (£277,250). The weapon was purchased by film director Michael Winner, who then sold it at Sotheby's in 2012 for £121,500 when he discovered he was terminally ill.

UPDATE: SOLD FOR $300,000

CULVER CITY, California, July 11, 2013

Producers Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli, EON Productions; Gary Barber, Chairman & CEO, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer; Michael Lynton, CEO, Sony Entertainment, Inc, and Amy Pascal, Co-Chairman of Sony Pictures Entertainment today announced that Daniel Craig will once again return as the legendary British secret agent in the 24th James Bond film and Sam Mendes will also return to direct the screenplay written by John Logan. The film is set for release in UK theatres on October 23, 2015 and in US theatres on November 6, 2015.

George Lazenby opens Bond World 007 a major new tourist attraction at Schilthorn Piz Gloria in Switzerland. He was accompanied by On Her Majesty's Secret Service second unit director and editor John Glen, Sylvana Henriques (who played the Jamaican Girl) and Terence Mountain (who played Raphael). FULL STORY AND PHOTOS

15 April 2013

William Boyd, whose James Bond continuation novel is set to be one of this year’s publishing highlights, has today announced that his book will be called SOLO.

The announcement came on the opening day of The London Book Fair, where Boyd is Author of the Day.

He explained his choice of title:
‘Sometimes less is more. For me as a novelist the simple beauty of SOLO as the title of the next James Bond novel is that this short four-letter word is particularly and strikingly apt for the novel I have written. In my novel, events conspire to make Bond go off on a self-appointed mission of his own, unannounced and without any authorization - and he’s fully prepared to take the consequences of his audacity.’ 

FULL STORY

22 March 2013

Session trumpeter Derek Watkins, who played on every official James Bond movie soundtrack from Dr. No (1962) to Skyfall (2012), has died at the age of 68.

Five-time James Bond composer David Arnold posted on his Facebook page today: “Dear Derek, if you don’t mind, I'll keep the chair open for you, I don’t think anyone else could fill that place.”

Thomas Newman, who succeeded David Arnold as the composer of the score for Skyfall, also recently praised Watkins’ status in James Bond history: “When Sam Mendes went out on to the podium after we'd finished recording and acknowledged Derek, you should've heard the orchestra. He had to take two bows because people kept applauding him”.

17 March 2013
American artist and illustrator Mitchell Hooks renowned for his artwork for paperback books and magazines has died at the age of 89.

Hooks painted the iconic image of Sean Connery as James Bond 007 used on the UK Quad poster for Dr. No in 1962.

The US 1-Sheet poster followed in 1963 using the same design, but added small line drawings of scenes from the film.

James Bond: The New Mission
1969. A veteran secret agent. A single mission.
A licence to kill. James Bond returns.

The title and plot may remain a closely guarded secret, but Ian Fleming Publications have announce that William Boyd’s new Bond novel will be published in the UK by Jonathan Cape on 26th September 2013, and will be available from HarperCollins in the United States and Canada from early October.

 

16 February 2013 - London

Today, a train named after James Bond film Skyfall was unveiled at King’s Cross Station. It’s the first time a film has permanently given its name to a train. The East Coast London to Edinburgh service, train number 91007, has been renamed Skyfall with each of its eleven carriages wrapped in Skyfall artwork.

Producers Barbara Broccoli & Michael G. Wilson, actress Naomie Harris (Eve Moneypenny) and writers Neal Purvis & Robert Wade were on the train’s maiden journey which departed from platform 007 at King’s Cross at 8.33am.

Full story and more pictures

8 February 2013 - BEVERLY HILLS, CA

Dame Shirley Bassey will make a special appearance on the Oscars^®, show producers Craig Zadan and Neil Meron announced today.

“We are thrilled to welcome the legendary Dame Shirley Bassey to our Oscar show,” said Craig Zadan and Neil Meron. “Her association with film music is world renowned and we are proud that she will be making her first Oscar appearance on our telecast.”

Bassey is this year celebrating her very own “Diamond Jubilee” with a career spanning over six decades. She has recorded over 44 albums, sold over 135 million records and has sold out concert halls across the world. In June 2012, she was one of a number of esteemed artists, including Elton John, Paul McCartney and Annie Lennox, who performed at the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Concert. In the United States, Bassey is best known for recording the theme songs for the James Bond films Goldfinger, Diamonds Are Forever and Moonraker.

Oscars for outstanding film achievements of 2012 will be presented on Oscar Sunday, February 24, at the Dolby Theatre™ at Hollywood & Highland Center^®, and will be hosted by Seth MacFarlane live on the ABC Television Network.