(all
information is tentative and subject to change)
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"James Bond 20 - Die Another Day"
MGM
Release
Date: November 22, 2002
Confirmed Cast to date:
Pierce Brosnan (James Bond)
Halle Berry (Jinx)
Rick Yune (Zao)
Samantha Bond (Miss Moneypenny)
John Cleese (Q)
Dame Judi Dench (M)
Will Yun Lee (Colonel Moon)
Madonna (cameo)
Michael Madsen (Falco)
Lawrence Makoare
Rosamund Pike (Miranda Frost)
Colin Salmon (Charles Robinson)
Toby Stephens (Gustav Graves)
Behind the camera:
Director: Lee Tamahori
Screenwriters:
Neal Purvis, Robert Wade
Producers: Michael G. Wilson, Barbara Broccoli
Cinematographer: David Tattersall
Original
Music: David Arnold
Plot: This time, James Bond comes up against the rogue nation of North Korea. One of its generals, General Zao, gets his hands on a device that lets him change his facial features, to nefarious ends.
UPDATES:
ShowbizIreland (http://www.showbizireland.com) reports that Elton John could be singing the tile track song for the 20th installment in the James Bond franchise, which begins pre-production next week.
The site claims that the singer will record the song after Christmas.
In other news, ShowbizIreland also picks up from a story Ananova (http://www.ananova.co.uk) ran yesterday regarding the possibility that Billy Bob Thorton may take on a role as the villain in the film.
ShowbizIreland reports from an insider: "Billy Bob is very keen to get involved in the Bond film. He loves the idea of making a Bond movie simply because he would surprise so many people. I don't see there being a problem, only I'm almost sure his wife, Angelina Jolie, is going to want a look in as a Bond girl. Could be a family affair."
The People News (http://www.peoplenews.com) reports that Salma Hayek is the latest name to be rumored for a part in the next James Bond adventure starring Pierce Brosnan.
The 20th installment in the 007 franchise, which begins shooting early next year, currently does not have an official name or officially have any actors signed on board, except for Pierce Brosnan and other co-stars from the previous three Bond films. Lee Tamahori ("Along Came a Spider") is set to direct the picture.
"He made one of my very favorite films, Once Were Warriors," explained the actress.
The paper also reports that the film is supposedly set in Spain.
UPDATE:
(Reuters)
Wednesday November 28 9:48 AM ET
James Bond Film to Go Ahead Despite Impending Strike
By Michael Holden
LONDON (Reuters) - Filming on the next James Bond movie will go ahead after the film's producers reached a deal with British actors to
ensure it will not be affected by their impending strike.
Equity, which represents 36,000 actors, said Wednesday it had come to an agreement with Eon, the Bond film's producers, in a dispute
over payments.
The latest 007 installment is due to start filming at Pinewood Studios near London in January, with Pierce
Brosnan starring again as the British spy and U.S. actress Halle
Berry tipped to play the femme fatale.
British actors were ordered by Equity in September to refuse to work on any movie after Dec. 1, a move which would effectively bring
the UK film industry to a standstill.
``We have done a deal with Eon which means that members are free to work on that Bond film,'' Martin Brown, Equity's chief executive,
told Reuters. ``We are very pleased with the arrangements we have made with Eon.''
Equity called the strike because it is unhappy that UK actors only receive a flat fee in advance for television broadcasts of films,
videos and DVD sales, while their U.S. counterparts get bonus payments should the film become a success.
Under the agreement with Eon, actors will get three percent of proceeds from sales of videos and DVDs after the producers have
recouped 30 percent of the movie's budget.
So far Equity has struck deals with producers of six other films apart from the Bond movie to allow filming to go ahead after Dec. 1.
An agreement was reached with Warner Brothers before the strike was called to ensure filming would go ahead on the Harry Potter
sequel. The other five are independent British films.
Brown said talks are continuing with the Producers Alliance for Cinema and Television, the organization with represents UK movie
producers, to avert the strike -- although a recent offer was rejected.
About 17 films are waiting to be made but have been held up by the dispute, Brown said.
UPDATE:
Busy Berry may Bond as villain
By Michael Fleming
NEW YORK (Variety) - Halle Berry is poised to star alongside Pierce Brosnan as the femme fatale in the next James Bond film, which is
fast mobilizing for a Jan. 14 start at Pinewood Studios in England. MGM will release the Lee Tamahori-directed film for the 2002 holiday
season.
Berry has been rumored for the role for several weeks and by all accounts very much wants to play the villainess. The Bond film will
be the 20th in the series and the 40th anniversary of the 007 franchise.
Potential scheduling conflicts are the reason a deal hasn't yet been closed. She is locked in to reprise her role as Storm in the
``X-Men'' sequel, which Bryan Singer will direct early next year for Fox. Because the sequel's shooting schedule is still being worked
out, Berry's reps haven't been able to work out a scenario in which she could do both roles.
Berry, whose last film was ``Swordfish,'' is generating buzz for her latest effort, ``Monster's Ball,'' which opens Dec. 26.
Reuters/Variety REUTERS
UPDATE:
Tuesday December 18 01:18 AM EST
Yune unmasked as latest villain in Bond face-off
By Zorianna Kit
LOS ANGELES (The Hollywood Reporter) --- Rick Yune, who starred in the blockbuster feature "The Fast and the Furious," will star as the lead villain in MGM's latest James Bond film for director Lee Tamahori. The project will begin shooting at the end of next month and continue through the spring.
In addition, John Cleese and Judi Dench are reprising their roles as R and M, respectively.
Although the script is being kept tightly under wraps, it is known that the story involves a device enabling facial mutation. Yune will star as a North Korean general named Zao, who is being tracked by Bond (Pierce Brosnan).
Yune will don facial prosthetics for the part as his character comes across the mutating device and begins to undergo facial transformation. But the experiment goes awry, leaving him half-changed.
The feature, produced by Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson, is the 20th in the Bond series. Neil Purvis and Robert Wade wrote the script to the latest installment, which also stars Halle Berry.
Yune is repped by Paradigm Agency, Current Entertainment's David Gardner and attorney Stephen Brookman. He also starred in "Snow Falling on Cedars."
UPDATE:
The official James Bond website (http://www.jamesbond.com) reports that Halle Berry has been locked in to star as a female villain in the next installment of the James Bond series.
Berry's involvement was questionable due to her commitment to "X-Men 2," which begins filming in April, while the tentatively titled "Bond 20" begins shooting in January.
Berry will play the villainess Jinx, who will be working with the lead villain played by Rick Yune ("The Fast and the Furious"). The yet-untitled film will be directed by Lee Tamahori ("Along Came a Spider").
UPDATE:
While
on Entertainment Tonight, Pierce Brosnan revealed that the 20th Bond film may not be his last as Agent 007. "I don't think it's the last time, no," said Brosnan. "I mean contractually,
yes, I will have honored my contract of four. But I would like to go again. I think there could be a fifth, sixth, seventh. But I am excited by this fourth one.
Brosnan previously starred in "Goldeneye," "Tomorrow Never Dies," and "The World is Not Enough."
UPDATE:
James Bond cars, DNA and actresses
A TOP secret operation worthy of England's most famous super spy was put into action when the makers of the new James Bond movie asked Warrington's
Daresbury Laboratory for help. Filming starts on the new blockbuster - with the working title Bond 20 - on January 14 at Pinewood Studios surrounded by the tightest
security. The plot of the movie, which will see heartthrob Pierce Brosnan resume the mantle of 007, is being kept firmly under wraps. But the Manchester Evening News can
reveal that two giant scientific models from the Cheshire lab are crucial to the spy story. They are a huge model of DNA, the molecule which
carries all our genetic information, and hemoglobin, which takes oxygen around the body. A request for the scientific structures - 50,000 times their actual size -
was made to lab bosses and then they were rushed to the film set by chauffeur-driven Jaguar car. Daresbury scientific draughtsman, Brian Todd, a self-confessed Bond fanatic,
said: ''In my time at the laboratory, I've undertaken some odd jobs - this latest one has left me shaken, not stirred. ''It's tremendous that important
breakthroughs in science are recognized within the fictional world of James Bond.'' Tony Buckley, the lab's spokesman, added: ''We work with schools and
the public to explain the relevance of science to everyday life and inspire people to take an interest in it. ''Let's hope we can also inspire James Bond
to come out on top in his latest adventure.'' Very little is known about Bond 20 but the film-makers have confirmed the latest Bond girls will include Swordfish star Halle Berry, as a
character called Jinx, and Love In A Cold Climate actress Rosamund Pike as Gala Brand. They have also revealed the super suave spy will dump the BMW car he has
driven in recent movies and be seen back behind the wheel of an Aston Martin. Daresbury is among the leaders in the field genetic research,
which could provide the key to developing medicines to fight a number of devastating diseases. But this was their most unusual assignment.
Ratbert - As found in 'Manchester Online'
UPDATES:
Friday January 11, 2002
Shooting set to start on new James Bond movie
LONDON - Britain's best-known secret agent will embark on another mission on Monday when filming is set to start on the 20th James Bond movie at Pinewood Studios near London, the film's production company said on Friday.
At a launch party the studio celebrated the start of shooting Bond's new film, which coincides with the 40th anniversary of the first, ``Dr No,'' which starred Sean Connery.
The new film is still untitled and will see Pierce Brosnan in his fourth Bond outing, with Halle Berry as the feisty female lead.
``We're thrilled to start filming on what promises to be one of the greatest Bond films ever,'' Barbara Broccoli, whose EON company is producing the film, said in a statement.
She is the daughter of Albert R. ``Cubby'' Broccoli, the producer who is credited with bringing James Bond to the big screen.
Alongside Brosnan, Judi Dench returns as Bond's boss, while John Cleese will make his second appearance designing 007's gadgets in ``Q'' branch.
Q will be souping up a new Bond Aston Martin, with the car brand -- immortalised by 1964's ``Goldfinger'' -- returning to the movies in the form of the new V12 Vanquish.
Media reports say the movie is expected to be released late this year.
January 15, 2002
Brosnan To Return For At Least One More Bond Flick
Pierce Brosnan, whom many film writers had assumed would pack it in as James Bond after filming the current 007 epic, has agreed to star in at least one more. Speaking with reporters at Pinewood Studios near London as shooting began on the 20th Bond feature (officially untitled, but referred to in some articles as Beyond the Ice), Brosnan said, "Yes, I will do another one. ... I would like to get off the stage with grace. It would be wonderful to do another one. After that, I don't know, really."
UPDATE:
Some "Bond 20" details revealed
1/15/02
The West Australian (http://www.thewest.com.au) recently posted an article by actor In-Pyo Cha, who nearly scored the role of Colonel Moon in the next Bond film but decided not to join due to his own objections to the project. Cha describes his experience and let out some plot details. Below is an excerpt:
I read the screenplay. My character, Colonel Moon, was an elite officer of North Korea who fights 007, and he was described in the screenplay as a stylish and handsome man who was educated in Europe, thus fluent in English. While his father, General Moon, who rules North Korea, loves peace, Colonel Moon is a person with the ambition to reunify the Korean peninsula with military force, take over Japan, and fight against the US.
One of Colonel Moon's men was a character named Zao, and I already knew from reading Korean newspapers that Rick Yune was cast for this role.
In terms of the character alone, even though it was a villain, it was an important and attractive role. Since the character fights against 007 for the first 20 minutes and last 15 minutes of the movie, it was the second most important role after 007. Also, the battle scenes with Colonel Moon featured a variety of visually interesting scenes, such as combats with sports cars, aerial combats using flying objects, underwater fights while falling from a waterfall and fistfights with 007 at the end.
UPDATE:
(From Cinema Confidential)
Bond 20 opening sequence?
POSTED ON 01/23/02
BY THOMAS CHAU
CommanderBond.net (http://www.commanderbond.net) recently posted this report from a scooper of what claims to be a description of the opening sequence in the next Bond film. The validity of this report is unknown right now but just case, I'm putting out a
SPOILER warning..>
"Bond 20 will begin with James Bond deep undercover investigating Colonel Moon of the North Korean Army. Colonel Moon is being investigated by MI6 due to fears he's attempting to reunite North and South Korea through a war. As a part of the cover Bond is 'working' for Colonel Moon and at this time is on a training exercise with the other hench-men. This training exercise is a nighttime surfing exercise. Despite his cover Colonel Moon's main henchman Zao realises that Bond is a double-agent and a pursuit ensues. In a high cocktail of action Bond is chased from the sea and onto land, which is the demilitarised zone between North and South Korea. This is a reportedly a sandy area where Colonel Moon's headquarters are located. The headquarters is protected by a mine field. In making an attempted escape from Zao and the other men Bond steals a hovercraft. He pilots the hovercraft over the mine field and around the coast of Korea. Things seemingly couldn't get much worse for 007. However, they do. In a different twist to the normal pre-title sequences Bond is surrounded by Colonel Moon's men and captured. During the titles we'll see him tortured quite brutally."
UPDATE:
The new Bond girl for the 20th installment in the "James Bond" franchise, Rosamund Pike, talked to Empire Online (http://www.empireonline.co.uk) about her character in the film.
"She's called Miranda Frost, which is a good name," Pike told the site. "It was going to be Gala Brand, and then we created this new one. She's an MI6 agent, which is a cool thing to be, sent to work alongside Bond by M and not very happy about it. She would rather go it alone and doesn't quite approve of Bond's methods. He seems to be all fire where she's all coolness and reserve. And then she keeps showing different sides all the way through. It's a lot of fun."
Regarding the training in the film, Pike said, "It's like doing a nine-to-five job, because I'm in training and kind of building up this character through every angle--through sport, hair, through clothes."
The untitled James Bond picture opens this November, with Pierce Brosnan, Halle Berry, Rick Yune, Judi Dench, and John Cleese co-starring.
UPDATE:
Madonna on Song for Latest Bond Film
Fri Feb 8,(Reuters)-Madonna will perform a song for the next James Bond film but will not be acting in it, her publicist said on Friday.
The pop superstar had been tipped by the British media to make a cameo appearance alongside Irish lead Pierce Brosnan in the latest 007 spy caper. "She is doing a song for the film but she won't be acting," Madonna's spokeswoman in London said. "We don't know if it will be the title song yet." Madonna clinched the deal after holding talks this week with Eon Productions, the 007 film's maker, at Pinewood Studios, the Mirror tabloid newspaper reported. Madonna, who starred in "Evita," "Dick Tracy" and "Desperately Seeking Susan," was said to be thrilled. She joins a long line of famous names who have recorded songs for Bond films, including Paul McCartney, Tina Turner and Nancy Sinatra. Work on "Bond 20"-- the film has yet to be officially named -- began in January at Pinewood Studios near London. Pierce Brosnan makes his fourth appearance as Bond alongside co-star Halle Berry, the U.S. star of "Swordfish" and "X-Men." Directed by New Zealand-born Lee Tamahori, the latest Bond episode will open with a dramatic hovercraft chase in the demilitarized zone between North and South Korea. The action continues in Hong Kong, Cuba, Iceland and London with the usual mix of high-speed chases, explosions and bikini-clad Bond girls. Bond's nemesis will be a North Korean general played by Rick Yune, a former male model and martial arts expert. The film marks the 40th anniversary of the popular series which began in 1962 with "Dr No," starring Sean Connery.
UPDATE:
Brosnan Shaken by Knee Injury While Filming 007 Movie
(Reuters) - Actor Pierce Brosnan, usually invincible in the role of secret agent James Bond, has been laid low by a mystery knee injury while filming the latest 007 epic, the movie's production company said Tuesday.
"Pierce Brosnan has always pursued the character with extreme physicality. Friday, Brosnan sustained a knee injury during an action sequence involving water," EON Productions said in a statement. It said Brosnan would be out of action for two weeks but the film, with the working title "Bond 20," would still hit screens in November as planned. The company has shrouded the film -- Brosnan's fourth in the role -- in extreme secrecy, although it is known that Madonna will sing but not appear, and that it opens with an assault on a beach in North Korea currently being filmed in Cornwall. In keeping with the cloak and dagger atmosphere surrounding the film, a spokeswoman for EON Productions met inquiries about the nature of Brosnan's injuries with a repeated "no comment."
UPDATE:
The official James Bond website (http://www.jamesbond.com) is featuring a diary regarding production going on the 20th installment of the James Bond series, with Pierce Brosnan, Judi Dench, and John Cleese returning to the franchise, as well as newcomers Halle Berry and Rick Yune gracing the screen.
The site reveals that the opening sequence is a hovercraft scene to be set in North Korea.
UPDATE:
'amc2000uk'
reported that The Sun newspaper has posted online three new set pictures from the opening scene for "James Bond 20".
The site says that makers of the movie waited weeks for the dramatic wave to appear. The pictures show stuntmen riding the 60ft monster — dubbed a "Jaws" wave — as a helicopter films them off Maui in Hawaii.
UPDATE:
Moviehole recently interviewed Michael Madsen, who has a role as a rogue CIA agent in the 20th James Bond film, currently filming in England right now.
Its not a big role but its somewhat pivotal in that it introduces a new recurring character," Madsen says of the role he won back in December. Most of my scenes are with Judi Dench (as M), who is a delightful human being. As for the famous Madsen good guy might be bad routine, theres no hints from the man himself. Lets just say its pivotal."
We can forget about his character, as well. Ill be returning in Bond 21! he exclaimed.
(From Cinema Confidential):
The James Bond title rumors never cease to end and with the announcement expected to come at any moment, rumors are running rampart...
Saturday's The Mirror in England reports that the title will not be "Double Cross" (as previously reported by some sources) but rather, "Beneath the Sea." The U.K. tabloid states that the announcement will come once Pierce Brosnan is healthy and back on the set. Brosnan injured a knee on the set but plans to be filming again sometime soon. His injury will not delay the November 2002 release date.
Last week, "Double Cross" became a hot topic due to the fact that somebody discovered that MGM had registered the "doublecrossmovie.com" domain name. It strengthened reports on Ain't it Cool News (http://www.aintitcool.com) that the contenders for the title included "Double Cross," "If Looks Could Kill," and "Black Sun."
UPDATE:
Reuters announced
that the title for the new James Bond film is "Die Another Day."
The 20th installment of the James Bond franchise is currently filming in England right now. The film stars Pierce Brosnan, Judi Dench, John Cleese, Halle Berry, Rick Yune, Michael Madsen, and Rosamund Pike. Although the script is being kept tightly under wraps, it is known that the story involves a device enabling facial mutation.
The film will be released in November of 2002.
UPDATE:
MGM has announced that Madonna will not only contribute a song to the "Die Another Day" soundtrack, but will in fact be performing the title track to the next James Bond film.
"Die Another Day" stars Pierce Brosnan, Judi Dench, John Cleese, Halle Berry, Rick Yune, and Rosamund Pike and will be released November 22, 2002.
UPDATE:
LONDON (Reuters) - He's come "From Russia with Love,"
decided "The World is Not Enough," but in his 20th film James Bond, the world's greatest spy, is promising to "Die Another Day."
Movie producers on Tuesday ended months of speculation among 007 devotees about the new film's name.
"'Die Another Day' carries on the tradition of the Ian Fleming stories and reflects the excitement and mystery of our latest script," producers Michael
Wilson and Barbara Broccoli of EON Productions said in a statement.
The film, which began shooting in January, has had fans of the British secret agent series on tenterhooks.
One dedicated Web site eagerly reported last year that it had details of the new movie which it claimed would be called "Final Assignment" -- only to
discover the "leaked" script had been penned by an over-imaginative fan.
"Die Another Day," which sees Pierce Brosnan as Bond for the fourth time and also stars actress Halle Berry, will be released in Britain and the United
States on November 22.
UPDATE:
Halle Hurt in Bond Mishap
Tue Apr 9, Call it Halle Berry's not so GoldenEye.
The freshly Oscar'd actress was taken to a hospital after sustaining an eye injury when a stunt went awry on the set of the new James Bond film, Die Another Day. Berry, who plays new Bond babe Jinx opposite Pierce Brosnan, was shooting a helicopter battle scene Friday on location in Spain. As our hero 007 blasts the chopper out of the sky, several explosive devices detonated. Debris from a smoke grenade lodged in Berry's left eye. As the British celebrity news site PeopleNews.com breathlessly recounts, the Jinx-ed actress was rushed to the hospital for a 30-minute procedure to remove the fragment. The 33-year-old actress suffered no permanent damage, but still has a tender eye. "It could have been much more serious," the site quotes Dr. Antonio Fernandez, who treated Berry. "She has been quite lucky, in fact." A rep for MGM, the studio behind the Bond franchise, downplays the report, confirming that Berry was hurt but saying the incident was not as traumatic as the Website made it out to be. In any case, Berry is back on the set and said to be fine (or at least as fine as someone who just had shrapnel removed from her eye can be). Apparently the stars of the flick are taking the title to heart--this is the second time during shooting that a key player has been hurt, albeit not seriously. In February, Brosnan suffered a knee injury while doing a stunt. The accident sidelined the 49-year-old actor for two weeks. He has since recovered and resumed blowing things up. Aside from the two walking-wounded actors, little else is known about Die Another Day. The plot involves some North Korean ne'er-do-wells led by a General Zao (The Fast and the Furious's Rick Yune). John Cleese and Judi Dench are returning as 007-helpers R and M, respectively. And Madonna (news - web sites) is recording the title track. Shooting began in January in Hawaii. Aside from Spain, other locations include Hong Kong, Iceland and England. The film is due out November 22.
UPDATE:
Traditionally, the title of the James Bond theme song in each film has always been the title of the actual film. Thus, it's no surprise that Madonna's James Bond theme, "Can't You See My Mind," will be retitled to "Die Another Day." You can visit the official Madonna website (http://madonna.warnerreprise.com) for more information.
UPDATE:
From CommanderBond.net
Madonna's role in Die Another Day will be that of a fencing instructor. The scene that Madonna features in will take place at the Blades Club in London. The scenes at Blades do involve James Bond dueling villain Gustav Graves both inside and outside of Blades, however, audiences will only see Madonna inside. The singer recently filmed her cameo role at Pinewood Studio's outside of London.
Madonna
"Fencing" her way into a "Bond" Flick! Seems all Bond needed the Material Girl for was a little cameo in the
blockbuster film "Die Another Day". Who could really blame them really, after all of her previous "acting" work...it
pretty much speaks for itself!
UPDATE:
(11/15/02) "Variety" this week confirmed
reports that MGM is developing a spinoff film project for the "Jinx" character played by Halle Berry, with a script by this
film's writers, Neal Purvis and Robert Wade. If 'Jinx' gets made, it will be the first time a movie was ever spun-off from the Bond
franchise that doesn't actually star James Bond.
