155 replies to this topic

[Shrublands]

Could be 'Dirty Den' from 'Eastenders'.

In the last few moments he will appear from the shadows and say

[Skudor]

I really hope not. Don't like the idea of big movie stars doing cameos in Bond.

[Mr_Wint]

I hope this is true. He can make the type of villain that I would love to see in Bondmovies again. A small cameo can be enough to build up expectations for Craig's third film.

And... he would be a great Blofeld, if they go in that direction.

[stamper]

Aint nothing better than good old SCARFACE as BLOFELD !

You guys wanted a connection, here it is ! Blofeld was scarred in his first appearance in YOLT. PACINO GOGOGO !

More seriously, I think Pacino will actually play Q and that Q is part of Q (!) antum of Solace and is essential to the plot.

[RivenWinner]

Rumor.

Now move along.


As AICN says, this is no more than just a "crazy rumor of the day."

Pacino is not going to be in this film. EON rarely casts big name actors like him anyway, and to be honest I don't think Pacino would fit in that well in the film.

[Righty007]

Al Pacino's Character: I know people highly invested in my survival, and they are people who really know how to hurt in ways you can't even imagine.

James Bond: Well, I know all the guys that you'd hire to come after me, and they like me better than you.

You'll get that if you've seen Ocean's 13.

[HH007]

I don't buy it at all.

[VisualStatic]

I think Al is a stunning actor, I do feel he would over shadow DC though if this were true. I say rumor, till Eon says otherwise.

[Vauxhall]

Quite amusingly, someone briefly added Al Pacino to the QUANTUM OF SOLACE cast list on Wikipedia, stating that he would be playing 'Christian Brunel' the head of the organisation 'Solace'! How long until someone reports this as fact...

This is what I posted yesterday, and it looks like it only took AICN one day to also find this rumour and use it in a story! Still don't see it happening...

[marktmurphy]

Quite amusingly, someone briefly added Al Pacino to the QUANTUM OF SOLACE cast list on Wikipedia, stating that he would be playing 'Christian Brunel' the head of the organisation 'Solace'! How long until someone reports this as fact...

This is what I posted yesterday, and it looks like it only took AICN one day to also find this rumour and use it in a story! Still don't see it happening...

Well no; they got sent it. Probably by the same person who's been trying to add his name to IMDB etc.
If it doesn't make the tabloids I'll be surprised.

[Vauxhall]

Yeah, I've just noticed that it appears to be a different source. I too expect the tabloids to grab hold of this for tomorrow's showbiz sections.

[tdalton]

I can't say that I believe that this is true, but it would be very interesting if it was. I think that Pacino is a great actor, and I think that he could play a very good villain in a Bond film, and I definitely could see him playing the head of such an organization. I'm not willing to believe this rumor, yet, but I certainly wouldn't mind seeing Pacino in QoS or a future Bond film.

[Vauxhall]

Five years ago I would have considered this rumour to be completely ridiculous, but CASINO ROYALE certainly has given the Bond franchise a new-found credibility.

Irrespective of the fact it's a Bond movie, a cast containing such fantastic actors as Daniel Craig, Mathieu Amalric, Judi Dench and Jeffrey Wright could certainly entice Al Pacino I think. I'm not saying that I necessarily believe this rumour but having thought about it a bit more I'm definitely not willing to dismiss this out of hand straightaway.

As an aside, I can imagine that we may not get closure on this rumour either way for quite a while. If it happened to be true then EON wouldn't tell us - his appearance would, no doubt, be intended as a big shock towards the end of the movie.

[Cody]

It would be quite cool if this would turn out to be true.

Edited by Cody, 13 February 2008 - 08:27 PM.

[Qwerty]

Wouldn't be a fan of this happening. To go to a megastar after solid performances by several somewhat obscure actors...?

[Ace Roberts]

I would have to claim being on the fence for this one. On one hand - I like the idea of the organization being led by a foreign (non-US) actor who adds some mystery to his background and nationality, plus carries the mantle of being unknown to most audiences. On the other hand - an actor of Pacino's ability CAN pull that off and bring a HUGE amount of credibility to the performance. I guess I'd be happy either way.

[Single-O-Seven]

Guess we'll just have to wait and see. I can't see any official confirmation of this until the audience knows it to be true (IE, after the movie is released).
Other ideas for a potential Organisation boss would be Brian Cox or Chris Cooper. Both would make great villains in any capacity, even though they were both already Bourne villains.

[dinovelvet]

This would be ing awesome if true.

Craig and Pacino mixing it up?

So, yeah, it does look like crazy rumor territory at this point, but then again Daniel Craig as Bond was once a crazy rumor, too. The fact that we can even consider Pacino as a Bond villain shows us how far EON have come lately.

[marktmurphy]

I'm not saying that I necessarily believe this rumour but having thought about it a bit more I'm definitely not willing to dismiss this out of hand straightaway.

Yes, I'd agree. It's not really possible to second guess the Bond films anymore- they called the new one 'Quantum of Solace' and cast Daniel Craig, after all!

As an aside, I can imagine that we may not get closure on this rumour either way for quite a while. If it happened to be true then EON wouldn't tell us - his appearance would, no doubt, be intended as a big shock towards the end of the movie.

Maybe; I'm not sure. I can imagine that having Al Pacino turn up unexpectedly could easily shake a lot of people out of the suspension of disbelief and cry 'It's Al Pacino!', which would be a star over-balancing a film and might make for an unsatisfying experience; I'd say that you'd have to tell the audience. Surprising them with plot revelations is one thing, having an unexpected celebrity guest is quite another.

Other ideas for a potential Organisation boss would be Brian Cox or Chris Cooper. Both would make great villains in any capacity, even though they were both already Bourne villains.

They would be great, yes. But you're right about the Bourne thing; I don't think it should happen. They might not even do it, in fact.

[Tarl_Cabot]

This *would have been* cool circa 1997 coming off of Heat. Not now. Too old, not european enough. Armin Mueller Stahl would be a more appropriate choice.

[dinovelvet]

This *would have been* cool circa 1997 coming off of Heat. Not now. Too old, not european enough. Armin Mueller Stahl would be a more appropriate choice.

But the casting of someone like Pacino, at least for me, overrides his "appropriateness" for the role. Regardless of how suitable for the role he is, the idea of Pacino in a Bond film is just exciting, and is great for the Bond franchise in general that an actor of his caliber would want to do it. Who is going to get excited about Armin Mueller Stahl?

[.0.0.7.]

One other interesting tidbit in that AICN article is that Craig's fight in the art gallery is with Anatole Taubman. Hmm. I thought that scene was supposed to occur earlier in the movie (at least it has been speculated as such), and I had a feeling that he will not present until later in the movie. That feeling is based on my own speculation that it is not Amalric but Taubman that will be playing Vesper's Algerian boyfriend, and his character (and his character's "villany") will be a revelation saved for late in the film.

Anyway, an interesting piece of information.

[Tarl_Cabot]

This *would have been* cool circa 1997 coming off of Heat. Not now. Too old, not european enough. Armin Mueller Stahl would be a more appropriate choice.

But the casting of someone like Pacino, at least for me, overrides his "appropriateness" for the role. Regardless of how suitable for the role he is, the idea of Pacino in a Bond film is just exciting, and is great for the Bond franchise in general that an actor of his caliber would want to do it. Who is going to get excited about Armin Mueller Stahl?

I would;see Eastern Promises or anyone of his work? He's a natural Bond cast member like Gian Carlo.But fair points.

[Scaramanga'74]

Wow! From Michael Corleone to Tony Montana to a Bond villain? That would be a real career milestone for this award-winning veteran. He just keeps getting better.

James Bond v. Scarface? That'll be an encounter to die for, wouldn

[Single-O-Seven]

If it's true, then I expect we'll see him signed on for a much larger role in Bond 23 or 24, if not more. Hopefully, unlike Nicholson in Batman, he doesn't demand top billing at this point because he's the more recognised and accomplished star. Not to mention a load of money that will completely off-set Eon's budget for the next couple of movies.

[Vauxhall]

One other interesting tidbit in that AICN article is that Craig's fight in the art gallery is with Anatole Taubman. Hmm. I thought that scene was supposed to occur earlier in the movie (at least it has been speculated as such), and I had a feeling that he will not present until later in the movie. That feeling is based on my own speculation that it is not Amalric but Taubman that will be playing Vesper's Algerian boyfriend, and his character (and his character's "villany") will be a revelation saved for late in the film.

I've always been fairly certain that Taubman will be Vesper's boyfriend. I expect he will be dispatched by Bond fairly early on in the movie (apparently in Siena) and then the trail will lead him to Greene.

[Single-O-Seven]

One other interesting tidbit in that AICN article is that Craig's fight in the art gallery is with Anatole Taubman. Hmm. I thought that scene was supposed to occur earlier in the movie (at least it has been speculated as such), and I had a feeling that he will not present until later in the movie. That feeling is based on my own speculation that it is not Amalric but Taubman that will be playing Vesper's Algerian boyfriend, and his character (and his character's "villany") will be a revelation saved for late in the film.

I've always been fairly certain that Taubman will be Vesper's boyfriend. I expect he will be dispatched by Bond fairly early on in the movie (apparently in Siena) and then the trail will lead him to Greene.

Yes, it seems natural that when Bond interrogates White - at the film's start - the first questions he'll want answered will have to do with Vesper's boyfriend, and what his involvement is. This will set Bond on his track next, and the rest will follow thereafter.

[HildebrandRarity]

Is Al Pacino playing the head of the organisation?

http://www.aintitcool.com/node/35606

Either way, expect to see it in the tabloids very soon!

Noooo!

What a terrible idea. What a horrible, terrible, unspeakable idea.

The last thing we need (or, indeed, should want) is to have The New Golden Era be tainted with a 'knowing', self-aware "cameo" by a Hollywood 'star' or tabloid type. that! No ing way!!!

Can't we just have a couple (or three) James Bond movies in a row play themselves out with top calibre yet less-than-widely known actors who can actually become synonymous with the primary supporting roles...instead of using so-called 'name' actors (or so-called 'Hollywood legends') who are too widely known for other roles?

What a y, awful, terrible, sick idea!



PS

Keep the focus on Daniel Craig as James Bond...and surround him with fantastic "widely under-discovered" talent who, in the years to come, we'll primarily remember for the fantastic Bond roles they played. Like Craig, Green and Mikklesen. Keep the Pachinos, Slys, Tarantinos, Madonnas, Halle Berrys and other over-hyped tabloid fodder-types from taking away the spotlight from where it ought to be.

We didn't need them in Casino Royale and we certainly don't need them now. Craig and Dench already provide ample enough art-house/critical 'cred'...and the James Bond 007 moniker, in itself, provides enough of everything else!

[Eddie Burns]

I'd have to agree with HR above....

I can't remember Pacino's last great performance. Despite it being a great movie, he was overshadowed in Heat by Deniro who is by far the most versatile actor I have ever seen. Didn't really get his performance as the Devil in Devil's Advocate. Pacino is great, but he started falling off during Godfather III where his portrayal of Michael Corleone was so far removed from his earlier portrayals. I think Carlito's Way was his last great performance and deserved an Oscar for that, not for the scream-fest that is Scent of a Woman.

Him as the big boss would be terrible. I've always liked the Blofeld in FRWL even though we never see his face. He seemed to have been the on-screen depiction of the character Fleming described in Thunderball.

The big boss role has been done to death in movies such as the Matrix and Bourne Ultimatum and many more. All were approached in pretty much the same way thus making it redundant. Pacino in theory is an interesting choice but past his sell-by date in practice. I'd pretty much like them to go in a direction that suits the direction that CR began. Fresh and new...it can be done.

Come to think about it, I think this role is probably the biggest one to cast since Craig. So much hinges on it...

[HildebrandRarity]

The two most menacing depictions of Blofeld were when we never saw his face...He became legendary as a result of From Russia With Love and Thunderball...not as a result of YOLT or OHMMS or (*gasp*) DAF.

Let's create a new legend for The New Golden Era...and leave the 'big boss' either faceless or cast a virtually unknown character actor who could project a look that would suggest pure, unadulterated evil.

THAT would be the bold and legendary choice. Not some actor who's all too widely known as some previous silver screen hood.

C'mon, Eon...don't let us down now!!!