238 replies to this topic

[Jack Spang]

Yeah, it would be good to have a relative unkown in the role and not no anyting about it until she appeared in the film.

I hated that idea when I found out that she would be an action woman. Ridiculous.

She was never going to be "an action woman". All of the stories that suggested she would be were based on Naomie Harris in the role. Now that Harris has confirmed she is not and was never going to be Moneypenny, it is fairly obvious that there was no substance to the "action Moneypenny" rumours.

Yes, I mean I hated the idea that Eve was an action woman if she was indeed going to be Moneypenny. Although I was always sceptical about this anyway. She mentioned that she'd auditioned in scenes that were not what someone who wanted to play Penny would audition in.

Edited by Jack Spang, 31 January 2012 - 03:56 AM.

[Jack Spang]

I hated that idea when I found out that she would be an action woman. Ridiculous.

She was never going to be "an action woman". All of the stories that suggested she would be were based on Naomie Harris in the role. Now that Harris has confirmed she is not and was never going to be Moneypenny, it is fairly obvious that there was no substance to the "action Moneypenny" rumours.

Yes, I mean I hated the idea that Eve was an action woman if she was indeed going to be Moneypenny. Although I was always sceptical about this anyway. She mentioned that she'd auditioned in scenes that were not what someone who wanted to play Penny would audition in.

Edited by Jack Spang, 31 January 2012 - 03:46 AM.

[Captain Tightpants]

By why did you even think there was any truth behind the idea? Anyone who knows Bond knows that you can't trust the tabloids.

[Jack Spang]

A small part of me thought it might be true as sometimes, just sometimes the tabloids get it right. When we found out that Eve would be an action woman though, I largely doubted there would be any truth in it.

I know the Sun, Dail Mail, The London Paper and Lite etc. write rubbish. Occasionally I'd skim few these papers if I was sitting on the tube. LOL. Out of boredom of course when I didn't have a book on me to read or when I was looking for the TV listings.

Edited by Jack Spang, 31 January 2012 - 04:04 AM.

[Bryce (003)]

Maybe I'm a bit late here but just came across this. Yes, the Daily Mail, but....? Check the last bit of the article at the bottom.

http://www.dailymail...h.html?ITO=1490

[Vauxhall]

Thanks Bryce; I think we'd missed that one.

It's certainly noticeable how often the Daily Mail has contradicted itself on the Moneypenny issue.

I still wouldn't entirely rule out Harris remaining as Eve throughout SKYFALL, before miraculously being revealed as Moneypenny at the denouement. I think the producers would certainly be trying to put that reveal back under wraps if it was actually the case.

[Captain Tightpants]

I've seen that article before. I believe it came out at the same time (or possibly just before) Harris shot down reports that she would be Moneypenny.

[Bryce (003)]

Well, I came across it and, given the source, initially just took it as a "fluff piece". It's dated as being from mid-January. However the quote at the end caught me. It *seems* to be a quote from her.

Given, this whole thing has been a back and forth matter, but this is the first bit that's turned up where she states being Moneypenny as opposed to just a "Bond girl" or "Eve".

Take it as you will, but for it to pop up now and with the article date given from well after filming had began, it just set off a sort "reading between the lines" vibe in me. Although, given the heavy lid being kept on things, the great debate may continue or the cat is out of the bag at this point.

Does anyone know if the Daily Mail is owned or operated by whoever inherited the Carver Media Group?

[Captain Tightpants]

Well, I came across it and, given the source, initially just took it as a "fluff piece". It's dated as being from mid-January. However the quote at the end caught me. It *seems* to be a quote from her.

And they ran a similar story in their Sunday supplement at the same time, with a quote that also seems to be from Harris which rejects the idea of her playing Moneypeny. They've been backing her as Moneypenny for so long that they're clearly trying to establish grounds for "having reported since January" that she is not Moneypenny, so that whichever one comes to pass, they can say they were right all along.

[Bryce (003)]

True. They have always played both sides ever since they bashed Craig repeatedly and then got slammed after CR proved them wrong and they had to rapidly back-peddle.

Maybe just my "Bryce-Sense" (aka: my gut) slipping a gear and going into overdrive.

Right then: Carry on!

[OHMSS Spion]

I have no idea how reliable this site is, but apparently in an article written by Ms. Harris herself, she's announced that she plays Moneypenny:

http://www.dialaflig...ives_mar12.aspx

EDIT:
...just realized that Bryce posted the exact same link, except mine is from the actual site and Bryce's link is from the Daily Mail.

Edited by OHMSS Spion 007, 09 March 2012 - 03:07 AM.

[Marketto007]

So what to think now, whe is or she isn't MP? Like Le Chiffre said: "I'm a little confused"

xxx

[MajorB]

It's hard to tell whether she wrote every word of the article, or if the text was massaged (or even ghostwritten) by someone else. My sheer guess would be that someone else had at least somewhat of a hand in it. In which case that part could have been added based on all the web rumors, if Harris didn't get to sign off on the final text (and therefore object to including the MP reference).

On the other hand, if she did write it all herself, then she's Moneypenny, and she or someone else slipped up in letting the item run while everyone's denying it.

[Vauxhall]

I'm going into the film with the attitude that she's just another field agent, but let's just say that I wouldn't be surprised if the reveal at the end of the film is Bond referring to Eve as "Miss Moneypenny".

[Pussfeller]

This Maldives thing has the smell of opportunistic fakery about it.

[jaguar007]

I'm not crazy about the idea of the main Bond girl being MP. It is time for Craig's Bond to end the film in bed with a woman, and we know he won't end up in bed with MP (at least I hope not).

[Nicolas Suszczyk]

Naomie Harris is far too exotic to be Moneypenny. Moneypenny should be a good-looking girl, but not a girl you would kill for (i.e. Solange, Vesper, Xenia). Besides, Naomie said she trained with guns etc. I hope she isn't Penny, otherwise, getting her in the battlefield would remind me to... Casino Royale 1967!

[Captain Tightpants]

It wouldn't be too difficult to write Eve in such a way that she becomes Moneypenny. She is supposedly a character who thinks she is Bond's equal, but she isn't really up to the task. At the end of the film, she could request an office job, but because she learns certin dangerous secrets over the course of the story, she is placed as M's secretary and becomes known as "Moneypenny" to protect her identity. So she's part secretary, part protected witness, and because of her weapons training, part bodyguard.

[The ides of Mark]

It wouldn't be too difficult to write Eve in such a way that she becomes Moneypenny. She is supposedly a character who thinks she is Bond's equal, but she isn't really up to the task. At the end of the film, she could request an office job, but because she learns certin dangerous secrets over the course of the story, she is placed as M's secretary and becomes known as "Moneypenny" to protect her identity. So she's part secretary, part protected witness, and because of her weapons training, part bodyguard.

I think this is exactly what they're aiming for. Moneypenny begins...

[Captain Tightpants]

I, personally, doubt it. There's something very fishy about this whole Maldives business. I think The Daily Mail has set up two stories ("Eve is Moneypenny" and "Eve isn't Moneypenny") so that when the penny drops, they can claim they reported it that way the whole time. But for some reason, this Maldives article has popped up again in the past few days - The Hindustan Times ran an article about how Harris is playing Moneypenny, and it was clearly written from the Maldives article that appeared in mid-January. I actually suspect they found a link to it in this very thread, because it appeared about a day after Bryce posted it this week.

[Secret007]

Jeffrey Wright did a damn good job as Felix Leighter...cough cough, and I didn't hear any complaints about him.

Think before you speak Sydicate...


James Bond: "Speak up, darling, I can't hear you."

I like Jeffrey Wright as "Felix" too. He plays him so cool, calm and collected.

[thecasinoroyale]

After the recent footage and stills of Eve with the weapons, and during training, it would be a major come down for someone so active, so skilled to become secretary to 'M' sat behind a desk doing reports...I do think the Moneypenny rumour isn't true for Naomie Harris, it can't be now we're seeing more of Eve in action!

She must need one hell of a come down to drop being a field agent and park behind a desk if it was true though...!

[MajorB]

It wouldn't be too difficult to write Eve in such a way that she becomes Moneypenny. She is supposedly a character who thinks she is Bond's equal, but she isn't really up to the task. At the end of the film, she could request an office job, but because she learns certin dangerous secrets over the course of the story, she is placed as M's secretary and becomes known as "Moneypenny" to protect her identity. So she's part secretary, part protected witness, and because of her weapons training, part bodyguard.

I think this is exactly what they're aiming for. Moneypenny begins...

Making someone the PA of the head of the Service doesn't seem like a good way of hiding her. She would constantly be interacting with people who would know her from her other position. You hide things by hiding them. But if, say, Eve were seriously injured during the climax of the film so that she couldn't be a field agent again, then putting her in a high-level administrative job makes more sense. But that wouldn't deal with the apparently flat denials that she is Moneypenny. Mysteries . . .

[Trevelyan 006]

It wouldn't be too difficult to write Eve in such a way that she becomes Moneypenny. She is supposedly a character who thinks she is Bond's equal, but she isn't really up to the task. At the end of the film, she could request an office job, but because she learns certin dangerous secrets over the course of the story, she is placed as M's secretary and becomes known as "Moneypenny" to protect her identity. So she's part secretary, part protected witness, and because of her weapons training, part bodyguard.

This sounds about right to me, if she is to become Moneypenny at all that is.

[Dustin]

This morning it occurred to me that Moneypenny would not just have to be a secretary any more today. What's the use of a PA when every smartphone today is able to carry out the duties of a secretary anyway? And when there's a CoS who's already looking after the administrative side of the business? What somebody like M really needs is a tough and resourceful personal minder and that could be the Eve, with the added advantage of the element of surprise. Let her banter with Bond while she's got her hand on a flamethrower.

[JCRendle]

Let her banter with Bond while she's got her hand on a flamethrower.

I really hope that's not a double entendre...

[MajorB]

This morning it occurred to me that Moneypenny would not just have to be a secretary any more today. What's the use of a PA when every smartphone today is able to carry out the duties of a secretary anyway? And when there's a CoS who's already looking after the administrative side of the business? What somebody like M really needs is a tough and resourceful personal minder and that could be the Eve, with the added advantage of the element of surprise. Let her banter with Bond while she's got her hand on a flamethrower.

I can't see the head of a complex organization like the SIS taking her own phone calls and managing her own appointments. She'd never get anything done. She'd definitely need a PA and at least a few subordinate administrative staff to manage her day-to-day work. This is over and above the actual work of managing the organization.

[SecretAgentFan]

I thought about Moneypenny being a field agent that could support Bond again and again.

Then again, I don´t want him to depend on her in every film.

Damn, sometimes the most basic concept remains the best. Moneypenny for secretary!

[Dustin]

This morning it occurred to me that Moneypenny would not just have to be a secretary any more today. What's the use of a PA when every smartphone today is able to carry out the duties of a secretary anyway? And when there's a CoS who's already looking after the administrative side of the business? What somebody like M really needs is a tough and resourceful personal minder and that could be the Eve, with the added advantage of the element of surprise. Let her banter with Bond while she's got her hand on a flamethrower.

I can't see the head of a complex organization like the SIS taking her own phone calls and managing her own appointments. She'd never get anything done. She'd definitely need a PA and at least a few subordinate administrative staff to manage her day-to-day work. This is over and above the actual work of managing the organization.

I thought about Moneypenny being a field agent that could support Bond again and again.

Then again, I don´t want him to depend on her in every film.

Damn, sometimes the most basic concept remains the best. Moneypenny for secretary!

My idea was not that she should not have other duties beyond disposing of unwelcome visitors, only that these would not be her sole qualifications. Putting a minder and somebody to manage her calls in one person would be a natural thing to me. I don't think field service would make Moneypenny overqualified for the anteroom of M's office.

[Major Tallon]

I thought about Moneypenny being a field agent that could support Bond again and again.

Then again, I don´t want him to depend on her in every film.

Damn, sometimes the most basic concept remains the best. Moneypenny for secretary!

They tried the female field agent notion in the comics by introducing a female 00 agent named Suzi Kew, who became a recurring character. Not the best concept for the films.