300 replies to this topic

[Shrublands]

I bet you cannot provide one link to any journalist quoting Sam Mendes and saying he was at Comic Con.

But that's the point - he wasn't at Comic Con. From the looks of things, the rumour started at Comic Con. Sam Mendes had been commenting on BOND 23 that same day. Somewhere early in the process of reporting, the two stories got merged into one, and it was repeated several times over. This, I think, is the offending story.

I see, the idiot who wrote that thinks he’s quoting Sam Mendes - but is just quoting the Telegraph. I remember the original Telegraph story and they do not actually quote Mendes, they just mentioning his name and then say they have info about Rhys Ifans.
… But even they are not saying this all happened at Comic Con.

As far as I know, Sam Mendes has said nothing about Bond 23 to the press so far.

This is from yesterday - he sure has bulked up

He certainly does look bulked up there.

What’s the betting he’ll be back in swimming trunks at some stage in Bond 23?

[Germanlady]

He certainly does look bulked up there.

What’s the betting he’ll be back in swimming trunks at some stage in Bond 23?

I take on this bet and say, no way in hell - not trunks, but surely he will get naked

[Cody]

Fiennes says Skyfall will be a special Bond film

Talk about fortuitous timing. Earlier today at a press conference, Eon Productions officially announced the 23rd James Bond film, "Skyfall," as well as its full cast list: Daniel Craig, Javier Bardem, Judi Dench, Naomie Harris, Albert Finney, and Ralph Fiennes. A few hours later, I happened to be chatting with Fiennes about "Coriolanus," his fascinating debut as a film director. As a huge Bond fan, I had to use the last few minutes of our interview to hear what he had to say about the film, which goes into production next week.

"If you're a Bond fan," Fiennes told me when I confessed my 007 obsession, "then you'll be happy. I can tell you that John Logan has written a fantastic screenplay and [director] Sam Mendes is a class act. They're doing something quite special I think. I think they're going to be great for Bond."

Fiennes is a Academy Award nominated actor, but is he a Bond fan? "I love the Bond books particularly," he said. "I like the books even more than the films. I like the darkness of the books. But I've also enjoyed all the films." Fiennes also told me he vividly remembers the first Bond he ever saw: 1969's "On Her Majesty's Secret Service" with George Lazenby.

Darkness is a word you hear a lot in relation to Craig's Bond films, but I'd read some speculation that Mendes' take on the character may be even darker than the one in "Casino Royale" and "Quantum of Solace." So I asked Fiennes if he thought that Mendes and Logan were bringing some of the "darkness" he loves from the books to "Skyfall."

"No, for me the books' darkness comes from their period nature," he replied. "I always wished they'd done a Bond set in 1955 in the Cold War like a Graham Greene novel. But no, this is just a great piece of screenwriting and the human drama at the center of this is quite affecting. And it's full of amazing stunts and action sequences."

Will he get to join in on the stunts and action sequences? Fiennes took a long pause. "I can't answer that question," he said. "I don't get laid, that's for sure."

[AgentBentley]

Hoping for Fiennes to be cast as a bad guy. He was great in In Bruges.
Fiennes, Bardem, Finney. We're really getting spoilt with class actors in this Bond film.

[Captain Tightpants]

I wonder ... could Fiennes be the new M?

I know the tabloids kept talking up the idea of Fiennes in a "darkly complex" role, but they also talked up Naomie Harris as Miss Moneypenny, and they were wrong. The name Ernst Stavro Blofeld keeps getting bandied about for Fiennes, and Sam Mendes is being secretive about the role, but perhaps the tabloids have gotten their wires crossed here, too (because where there's smoke, there's fire). If my theory about what "Skyfall" actually is within the context of the film, and M is being written out, then perhaps the film could end with Downing Street removing M from her position and promoting Miles Messervy, a station chief from Shanghai, to replace her.

[rubixcub]

You know, one thing I was surprised we didn't learn from the press conference: we know Bardem is the main villain, but what is his character's NAME?

Dave

[Captain Tightpants]

EON are obviously playing things close to the chest. There is a theory that his name is "Damien Joel Ristori" after a journalist claims to have seen it written on a piece of paper that was accidentally left lying around. EON evidently told the actors how much they could reveal, if asked. And watching replays of the press conference, I think the press might have been a little put off asking questions about characters after Baz Beelzebub asked Naomie Harris and Berenice Marlohe five questions about their characters (I suspect he was angling for confirmation that Naomie Harris would be Miss Moneypenny) after all the journalists were told they could ask one person one question at a time. Those initial questions dictated a lot of the course the press conference took.

[ggl]

Too many secrets...

EON hasn´t said the names of Bardem, Fiennes, Whisaw, Finney, McCrory... And then all the dreams have started: M, Q, Moneypenny, Blofeld, ¿flashbacks?...

I think that, at the end, we won´t be familiar with all the names, it´s just a (good) trick to make fans go crazy with theories

[Germanlady]

Actually I think, its part of the game to not know everything - its like a puzzle, they give us and time will put it together. Fine with me..

[Vauxhall]

EON are obviously playing things close to the chest. There is a theory that his name is "Damien Joel Ristori" after a journalist claims to have seen it written on a piece of paper that was accidentally left lying around.

I don't think the "Damien Ristori" theory stands up, I'm afraid. Having had a quick search, someone by that name has written reviews of Bond movies online, and a user has been registered on this very forum with that name since 2002. I think it's simply a journalist/fan who was on a list of people attending the press conference.

[Thunderfinger]

Hoping for Fiennes to be cast as a bad guy. He was great in In Bruges.
Fiennes, Bardem, Finney. We're really getting spoilt with class actors in this Bond film.

Stop being so positive!

[Captain Tightpants]

I don't think the "Damien Ristori" theory stands up, I'm afraid.

Hey, I doubted it the moment I read it. I can't for the life of me see why EON would leave information like that lying around. The theory was that EON gave the actors a list of things they could tell the press if they were asked (and if not, tough luck), but I doubt they would leave it in plain view. And nor do I see why the actors would need a specific list in front of them. Javier Bardem knows which role he is playing. He doesn't need a list in front of him.

[DamnCoffee]

I can't for the life of me see why EON would leave information like that lying around.

Well, nearly every rumour for this film conveniently turned out to be true, so you never know.

Edited by Mharkin, 16 November 2011 - 12:55 AM.

[Captain Tightpants]

Maybe, but I can't eveen find the name of the journalist claiming this one.

[OwenDavian]

I can see Bardem as a more physical version of Emilio Largo.

[univex]

I can see Bardem as a more physical version of Emilio Largo.

One can wish. Largo was one of the best villains in the franchise.

[Captain Tightpants]

It's easy to say "Bardem needs to be this" and "Bardem needs to be that", but I can't help but think it's a case of too many cooks if EON went that way. He might be the villain, but that doesn't mean he should be a physical, mental, spirtual, technological and social match for Bond. The best characters are well-balanced characters. He could be a stunning physical athlete, but that can be balanced out by, say, a need for glasses. Because otherwise, you end up in poorly-written fanfiction territory - like the child of two vampires having all of the strengths and none of the weaknesses of normal vampires (unless there is a reasonable explanation for this). Whatever strengths Bardem's character has, they need to be complimented by flaws, even if they're not imemdiately obvious. Largo, for instance, has it; what he lacks in depth perception, he makes up for with sheer ruthlessness (like the way he lectures Domino about the proper and effective means of tortuing someone as if she were hsi student while he's torturing her).

[univex]

Largo, for instance, has it; what he lacks in depth perception, he makes up for with sheer ruthlessness (like the way he lectures Domino about the proper and effective means of tortuing someone as if she were hsi student while he's torturing her).

Very well put Captain. Le Chiffre (as one of the more modern villains) was also a well constructed character in this aspect.

[Captain Tightpants]

Yeah, I had that problem with a character I created a while ago. He was a villain, and he was simply too powerful. I had to find a way to tone him down, which I think I did.

[univex]

Yeah, I had that problem with a character I created a while ago. He was a villain, and he was simply too powerful. I had to find a way to tone him down, which I think I did.

I´m curious, how? PM me if it´s top secret stuff.

[solace]

If anyone has seen the Guardian, you may see a picture of Mr Fiennes in a photo on page 59. Take a look at it if you can. My wife, Mrs Solace,
said " is he playing Blofeld in the new film?" If you look at the picture, you might be forgiven for thinking so.
http://www.guardian....w-ralph-fiennes

Edited by solace, 22 January 2012 - 10:03 PM.

[Shrublands]

If anyone has seen the Guardian, you may see a picture of Mr Fiennes in a photo on page 59. Take a look at it if you can. My wife, Mrs Solace,
said " is he playing Blofeld in the new film?" If you look at the picture, you might be forgiven for thinking so.
http://www.guardian....w-ralph-fiennes

But that’s a photo from over a year ago when he was making a different film. He’s got hair now.

[Pussfeller]

Here's a photo from earlier this month, at the premiere for Coriolanus. His hair certainly seems long enough for him to play a civil servant.

[Skudor]

Here's a photo from earlier this month, at the premiere for Coriolanus. His hair certainly seems long enough for him to play a civil servant.

No offence buddy, but I do like the implicit assumptions tha civil servants have long hair.

[Harry Potter]

Some are even ginger

[Odd Jobbies]

His hair aside... the moment they announced him i assumed they were bringing Blofeld back.

I thought this because it'd been said by the parties concerned that Mendes wanted Keving Spacy in the movie, but Spacey was obligated to Richard III and couldn't oblige. Now, who else could Spacey be but a super-villain, and he seems a shoe-in for Blofeld (or whatever they name him for legal reasons). Moreover, the head of Quantum.

Now, it was explicitly stated at the end of QoS that a high ranking British government official was a 'double' for Quantum (perhaps Mendes/Logan has scrapped it - i hope not), and we were made to feel that this was Bond's next port of call on this ongoing hunt (whether it be in a deleted epilogue of QoS, or in Bond 23 - before MGM went under).

So, i'd suggest that Fiennes now fills the Spacey role and i'd be happy to see Fiennes as this government/Quantum double. With M under a cloud of false suspicion (created by Fiennes) Fiennes would move into M's role - he'd be the new M, Bond's new boss. Thus Bond takes it upon himself to go rogue against his own boss to prove Dench innocent. This would start off as under the radar investigation, but Fiennes would soon brand Bond enemy of the state and have double-Os after him.

Now as for Bardem, he could be the Quantum puppet master, but might work better in a physical role, as Bond's nemesis. Thus, i'd put Fiennes at the top of the Quantum tree, the man ultimately responsible for Vespers death.

I know the producers have said they're leaving that whole Quantum storyline behind, but they've said things in the past that have proven to be red herrings, or a little opaque, and i think they'd be crazy to drop they're new S.P.E.C.T.R.E with so much great development already put into it.

[Captain Tightpants]

Remember, this thread was made - and therefore named - back in March last year.

Spoiler

According to certain forums members with a reputation for being in the know, Fiennes plays a character who may replace M, depending on Fiennes' commitment to the role. That would make him a good guy, not a villain.

[Odd Jobbies]

Spoiler

That would make him a good guy, not a villain.

And it's revealing the good guy is really the villain is what makes it a good story, not a bad story.

[Captain Tightpants]

Spoiler

Except that if Fiennes agrees to it, he would be replacing Judi Dench as M, so he would be coming back in future films. Therefore, the character would be written as a good guy in SKYFALL.

[Odd Jobbies]

Spoiler

Except that if Fiennes agrees to it, he would be replacing Judi Dench as M, so he would be coming back in future films. Therefore, the character would be written as a good guy in SKYFALL.

Not if he's agreed to be the villain (though he cld still return as villain if not despatched this time ala Blofeld).

Having the villain replacing Dench as M, for this film alone, since Bond would set this right by the finale, would be something new and exciting for the franchise - perhaps Peter Morgan's central plot device which Logan stated he'd kept.