'Bond 24' Officially Titled 'Spectre'; Christoph Waltz, Lea Seydoux, and more Confirmed

Nobody makes a show out of a simple title and cast announcement better than the producers of the James Bond franchise. Every time a new 007 film is on the way the Internet obsesses over what it will be titled, and producers today have fed into that enthusiasm with a huge spectacle at Pinewood Studios to announce that Bond 24 will be officially titled Spectre.

You'll recall that SPECTRE is the name of the evil organization that includes Bond nemesis Ernst Stavro Blofeld, recently rumored to be played by Christoph Waltz. Well now Waltz has been confirmed for the film, but as a character named Oberhauser, which sounds like a name designed to deceive the fans. He joins along with the previously rumored Lea Seydoux and Monica Bellucci as Madeleine Swann and Lucia Sciarra, Dave Bautista as henchman Mr. Hinx, and Andrew Scott (Pride) as a character named Denbigh. Daniel Craig, Naomie Harris, Ralph Fiennes, Rory Kinnear, and Ben Whishaw will all be returning in their familiar roles.

Other than that we didn't learn much from returning director Sam Mendes, except that Bond's hot new ride will be the Aston Martin DB10. Production is now underway on Spectre, which opens November 6th 2015.

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Daniel Craig Exits 'The Whole Truth'

Coming off a two month stint on Broadway and with the 24th James Bond film on the way, perhaps Daniel Craig is in need of a break? The actor has suddenly dropped out of courtroom drama, The Whole Truth, just days before filming was to begin.

No reason was given for Craig's departure from the Courtney Hunt-directed film, which stars Renee Zellwegger and Gabriel Basso. Nicholas Kazan wrote the script which would have had Craig as a defense attorney fighting to get his teenaged client acquitted of murder.

With Craig out, production has been bumped a few weeks to find a new leading man, but obviously losing his star power is a big blow to an indie film such as this. [THR]

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Daniel Craig Tells 'The Whole Truth'; Felicity Jones Eyes 'Rosaline'; January Jones Has a 'Good Kill'

* After being rumored for the film earlier this month, Deadline has now confirmed Daniel Craig will star in The Whole Truth, a courtroom drama from Frozen River director Courtney Hunt. Little is known about the story except that it will be written by Nicholas Kazan and that Craig will play a lawyer.

* After Hailee Steinfeld, Allison Williams, Emilia Clarke, and Lily Collins were considered to lead Rosaline, a comedic take on the Romeo & Juliet story, it now appears that Felicity Jones (Like Crazy) is the frontrunner. Directed by first-timer Alex Timbers and written by Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber (The Spectacular Now), the story is based on Rebecca Serles's debut novel, When You Were Mine, and tells the classic story from the perspective of Rosaline, Romeo's first love. [THR]

* Andrew Niccol has found a title and new co-star for the latest pairing with his Gattaca star, Ethan Hawke. Back in October we learned they'd be reteaming on a film centered around the military use of drones, and now we know it will be titled Good Kill, and that Mad Men star January Jones is coming aboard. Hawke plays a drone pilot with a trouble family life who begins to question the ethics of his mission. Jones will play his wife, and there are also roles for Zoe Kravitz and Jake Abel as Hawke's flight crew. Bruce Greenwood co-stars as Hawke's superior officer. [Deadline]

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Sam Mendes Finally Confirmed to Direct 'Bond 24'; Release Set for 2015

Whether Sam Mendes was legitimately balking at the idea of directing a follow-up to his $1B-grossing Skyfall, or if he was just angling for the best contract possible, he's been shaky on making a decision one way or another. Initially it looked like he was definitely out after saying the prospect of taking on another James Bond film made him physically ill. But then recently he was reported to be in talks to return and helm the next two films, until Mendes put the kibosh on that by saying he still wasn't sure. Whatever was going on behind the scenes, the situation has ended in the way many suspected it would, with Mendes officially back at the helm.

Sony has announced that Mendes will direct the next James Bond film, the 24th the long-running espionage franchise, with Daniel Craig again donning the tailored tux of the secret agent. John Logan is handling the scripting duties solo this time, but there's nothing on whether this is the first in a two-part storyline as many have suggested. Nor is there any mention of Penelope Cruz, who had been rumored to be joining the film.

What's more, Sony have already pegged release for the U.S. and across the pond, with the film arriving in the UK on October 23rd 2015. The film will land stateside on November 6th 2015, meaning right now Bond will be going head-to-head with Marvel's Ant-Man.

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Sam Mendes close to directing next James Bond film; two-part plans scrapped

These James Bond movies take a good little chunk of time to make, which is why it's good we're hearing movement on the 24th film now. Last fall, we learned that screenwriter John Logan would be back and tackling the script solo, developed in part by Skyfall director Sam Mendes, with rumors suggesting it would be the first of a two-part storyline shot back-to-back. Daniel Craig shot that talk down, and it appears he was telling the truth.

Baz Bamigboye says the next two films will be stand-alone, with Logan having prepared a pair of treatments for the next one. Maybe that's where the confusion came in? Or maybe there never were any plans to make it a two-parter? Either way, it's looking more likely that Sam Mendes will return, with Bamigboye estimating it to be about 75 percent likely.

I think it's an absolute must to bring Mendes back considering the excellent job he did on Skyfall, even if it means waiting a bit longer. The hope was to have Bond 24 done possibly by the end of next year, but Mendes has a couple of stage projects to complete. They'll likely push a start date into early 2014 at the soonest, and I doubt Mendes is going to rush things. There's also Craig's schedule to factor in.

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Could Daniel Craig be written out of future 'Dragon Tattoo' sequels?

Sony didn't do quite as well as they hoped on David Fincher's The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. It still managed about $230M, although they were angling for $300M. Partially due to that rather wide gap we've seen them take a measured approach to any sequels, with the most recent update saying 2014 might be just the right time. Fincher will apparently return, and the same goes for Rooney Mara who will have even more to do as the stories shift to Lisbeth Salander's past. But what about Daniel Craig? Well, that's not quite so certain anymore.

THR says Craig is seeking a pay raise, which Sony obviously doesn't want to do since these are expensive enough and aren't all that lucrative. If push comes to shove, the possibility has been put out there of them taking the nuclear option and writing his character, Mikael Blomkvist, out of the films completely. Steve Zaillian has already written the script for The Girl Who Played with Fire, which obviously includes Blomkvist, so he'd have to be commissioned to draft another one. That would be pricey in and of itself, not to mention the damage done to the franchise without Craig's starpower. Plus, Zaillian's got enough on his plate putting together HBO's Criminal Justice with James Gandolfini. It just doesn't seem like a viable option.

This is all probably just some negotiating tactic, anyway, and nothing will come of it. At this point I'm not completely convinced we'll see a 'Dragon Tattoo' sequel. Fincher will be busy for awhile developing House of Cards' second season, while he's also got the recently announced Gone Girl and 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea percolating. Craig has that whole James Bond thing to fall back on, too, with the next one likely to begin production later this year.

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Daniel Craig and John Goodman join George Clooney's 'The Monuments Men'

George Clooney's been steadily putting together the pieces for his next directorial effort, the WWII-era heist thriller, The Monuments Men. As you'd expect for a guy of his statute, the cast that he's been eying has been stellar, with Cate Blanchett, Jean Dujardin, and Paul Giamatti rumored, with Bill Murray recently signing on. But if you thought Clooney had called in all the chips he had with that crew, then think again because more high-profile names have just come aboard.

Deadline reports that James Bond himself, Daniel Craig, has signed on for the film, joined by John Goodman, Hugh Bonneville(Downtown Abbey), and Bob Balaban(Moonrise Kingdom). Craig is coming off the incredible reviews and box office for Skyfall, while Goodman is revelling in the success of Ben Affleck's Argo and has Flight with Denzel Washington opening this week. The site also confirms Blanchett, Murray, and Dujardin, while Giamatti is nowhere to be found. The assumption has been that Murray may be slipping into whatever role Giamatti was set for.

Sort of like a period piece Ocean's Eleven, the story is set at the tail end of WWII and has a team of art enthusiasts hired by the government to retrieve priceless works from the Nazis. Clooney is set to play U.S. Army Office George Stout, while Blanchett has been pegged as a member of the French resistance. The rest of the roles are unclear at this point, but does it really matter? With filming set to kick off in March, there's every possibility we'll be talking about The Monuments Men as a player in the Oscar race next year.  And if not, it'll be one hell of a fun ride.

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Sure Shots: Michael Keaton; Ti West; Daniel Craig

* I always thought Michael Keaton's directorial debut, The Merry Gentleman, was a film that was sorely overlooked even after its festival success. Keaton proved himself to be a real actor's director, not surprisingly, so it's been a shame that it's taken this long for him to take another stab at it. He'll next direct Buttercup, a dramedy about a woman who is forced to take responsibility for her father after repeated drunk driving violations. In so doing she learns to accept him and trust the other men in her life. Sounds like a friggin' riot. The script was written by Alice O'Neil, and the film has had a ton of talent previously attached to it. Jennifer Aniston and Alan Arkin were set to star at one point, along with Sarah Polley and Niki Caro circling the director's gig. We'll see if Keaton's the guy to finally bring Buttercup to light, and maybe he can even be convinced to star? [Variety]

* Ti West has had a busy year already, having already directed the excellent horror The Innkeepers, and having provided a segment for V/H/S, which is doing great On Demand right now. He's not finished, though, as a press release confirms he'll direct The Sacrament, which you've probably guessed is yet another horror. Eli Roth is producing, which is funny because West directed Cabin Fever 2, a sequel to Roth's breakthrough feature. Plot details on The Sacrament are being hidden for now, but the title would indicate there's something religious and freaky going on. Filming begins later this month in Georgia.

* Daniel Craig has reportedly upped his contract to remain as James Bond for two more movies after Skyfall. To me this indicates the studio's confidence in the film's and Craig's success, despite the lukewarm reaction to Quantum of Solace. If he does indeed stick around, that would be five movies for Craig, one more than Pierce Brosnan. It also means he'd be the iconic super spy for the celebratory 25th film in the James Bond franchise. [MI6]

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'The Girl who Played with Fire' moved to 2014....maybe

Deep breath, Lisbeth Salander fans! You'll be getting your sequel to The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo after all, it'll just be a little later than you'd hoped. Like a year later. There had been some question whether or not Sony would invest in The Girl who Played with Fire after the first film did just a hair over $100M domestically, but a substantial haul in the foreign market sealed the deal, and Steve Zaillian was hired to get crackin' on a script. Earlier this year, Sony had everything mapped out for production to begin in a year, which would have had the film hitting theaters near the end of 2013, but now that's no longer the case.

Instead, the film will open in 2014, and even that's kind of a soft target date. It could be later than that if Zaillian's script needs work, or if the busy Daniel Craig and  Rooney Mara have other things going on. Both are locked up for all three movies, so one way or another they'll be a part of any follow-ups. The big question is whether or not David Fincher will return as director. He's not confirmed for anything right now, although he remains Sony's top choice. Personally, my interest in the entire franchise plummets without him.

While Sony has given us constant assurances that The Girl who Played with Fire would happen, I guess it's good to hear it one more time. [EW]

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Sony goes forward with The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo sequels; Fincher not confirmed

Another day, another re-re-re-confirmation of Sony's plans to move ahead on sequels to The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. It seems like these are a constant, and I'm starting to think these stories spring from folks who desperately just want to see the flicks made. But the latest report comes from Deadine, who note that Sony is pushing ahead with The Girl Who Played with Fire and The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest, despite lackluster box office on David Fincher's film.


'Tattoo' hasn't been the wildfire success some thought it would be, earning only $76M in America up to this point. It has held fairly well over the last couple of weeks, and there's an outside shot it could crack $100 domestic. The biggest question to me has always been the foreign market, where the Swedish films were very popular and only released a couple of years ago. So far, the global returns have been slow, totally $29M. Sony has it in their heads that the film will make around $300M worldwide, and that is more than enough to justify making more. I think they're a little screwed up on that number, but we shall see.

If this is going to work, and Sony is to properly capitalize on 'Tattoo's possible Oscar buzz, then they need to act fast. The plan is to get the ball rolling by the end of the year or possibly in early 2013, and as has been speculated in the past, the sequels will likely be shot back-to-back. Steve Zaillian has been hard at work on the scripts for awhile now.

Daniel Craig and Rooney Mara are contractually bound to return, and I imagine just how fast these flicks move will depend on how busy Craig is.  The only mystery now is David Fincher, who is not locked by any stretch, and may be too busy with 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, which is going to have an extensive pre and post-production window due to the heavy CGI. Sony is also likely to take a second look at the release date, since the thought is that they may have overstepped by releasing such an uncomfortable, dark story right in the middle of Christmas season. Y'think?

Hopefully this will put to bed all this sequel talk. Just expect them to happen, but don't be surprised if Fincher isn't a part of them. The Millennium Trilogy has a consistently dark tone and atmosphere, so it would behoove Sony to find someone similar to Fincher to direct them. Anybody have any ideas on who that could be?

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The full 8-minute trailer for The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

A couple of months ago we were treated to an intense 8-minute trailer, really a preview, of David Fincher's adaptation of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. After so much time had passed I naturally assumed this would be one of the few things that never found it's way online. In fact, I just mentioned that to my colleague, Jen Chaney, that we likely never would. Happy to be proved wrong, that trailer is now available online,and it serves as the perfect primer to Fincher's gloomy crime thriller...




I'll be honest, a lot of the complaints I had with the Swedish adaptations are still prevalent in Fincher's version. When you strip away some of the ugly violence and masochism, it's very much a standard crime procedural. Fincher's beautiful cinematography is a definite upgrade, and Daniel Craig is a marked improvement over Michael Nyqvist. As for Rooney Mara? She's no Noomi Rapace, I'll leave it at that. And I'm betting there's going to be some uproar over the changes Fincher and screenwriter Steve Zaillian have made to Lisbeth's character, the nature of her relationship to Mykael Blomqvist, and the story's conclusion.

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo will darken your holiday December 21st! And if you're interested, you can pre-order the amazing soundtrack right now by going here.

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Peek inside the mind of Lisbeth Salander in new The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo poster

The latest, and I think the best poster for David Fincher's The Girl with the Dragaon Tattoo gives a glimpse into what's lurking inside the brain of Lisbeth Salander(Rooney Mara). And what we find is...Daniel Craig? Actually Mikael Blomkvist, the journalist she gets swept up into a decades old murder mystery with.

Sony has done a hell of a job ramping up the marketing for the film, especially the new tagline: "What is hidden in snow, comes forth with the thaw". It ties in nicely with the new viral site all the hardcore film geeks have been slaving over the last few days.

The  "Feel Bad" film of the year will darken your holiday season this December 21st.

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Lisbeth Salander makes snow angels in new 'Dragon Tattoo' pics

I just watched the original Swedish film adaptation of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo for a second time over the weekend, and I continue to agree with myself that it's a slow moving bore of a film, propped up by Noomi Rapace's scene stealing performance as Lisbeth Salander. The movie suffers everytime she's not on screen. With David Fincher's version coming up in just a couple months, the question now turns to whether or not he can appease fans of the story's methodical approach while injecting enough energy to keep people like me from dozing off.

Based on the footage I've seen, my fears have erased for the most part, but I still have doubts about Rooney Mara's portrayal of Lisbeth. Rapace's version had a powerful sensuality beneath all the piercings and tattoos that I'm not sensing out of Mara's. We'll see how it plays out when December 21st rolls around. For now, you can feast on these new images courtesy of the French website Le Monde....

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Ralph Fiennes offered "complex" role in Bond 23

So far the bulk of what we've heard about Bond 23 has been about casting, and it's all been phenomenal news. Judi Dench is back, hip hip hooray for that. Javier Bardem's been offered a role, likely as a villain, which if it came through would be pretty vicious. I'd love to see him go head-to-head with Daniel Craig. Now comes another casting possibility which could be equally exciting, as the Daily Mail reports that Ralph Fiennes(The Constant Gardener) has been offered a role as well.

The story notes that Fienne's as yet undefined character would be "darkly complex", which is exactly why they chose him for it. Speaking with an exec familiar with the production, he says that director Sam Mendes has ideas "that push the film into darker territory where the characters are modern, mature and challenging.” 

James Bond went a little towards the dark side in Quantum of Solace, and I'm guessing that if Bardem is involved his character will be a complex one as well. I'm guessing Fiennes plays somebody in-between, not quite good but isn't really a black hat either. I don't know about you, but I'm anticipating this Bond film more than I have one in a long time.

Now I just want to know what they're gonna call it. Ever since that Red Sky At Night rumor, the whole issue's been silent.

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Javier Bardem offered major role in Bond 23

Here's an idea, can we make Javier Bardem James Bond instead? Nothing against Daniel Craig, but he's no Bardem.  Instead it looks like Bardem would be up for playing Bond's primary villain, if Deadline is correct. They  report that the No Country for Old Men star, who just recently earned an Academy Award nomination for his performance in Biutiful(he's remarkable in it, by the way) has been offered a "major role" in the film, currently referred to as Bond 23.

Since it's not friggin' likely that Bardem will be some sort of Bond sidekick, it only makes sense that he'd be the heel, and likely a part of this Quantum organization which has been manipulating events since Casino Royale. 

At this point it's just an offer and by no means guaranteed he'll accept, especially with the lead role in Ron Howard's The Dark Tower trilogy also in the cards. If he accepts that, Bardem won't have much time for anything.

Bond 23, directed by Sam Mendes, is due to hit theaters on November 9th 2012. 

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Rachel Weisz: Bond Girl?

Even as Bond 23 struggled to finally achieve the greenlight it just got a few days ago from MGM, casting news about the film continued to crop up. Obviously Sam Mendes as director was one thing that stuck around, but my favorite rumor was from last March, stating that Rachel Weisz could be up for playing the villain in the as yet untitled flick. You didn't think they would stick with 'Bond 23', did you? For shame. Now that story's reared it's gorgeous head again, but with a slight twist.

Starpulse is reporting a rumor, and it is still very much a rumor, that Weisz could actually be a love interest for Daniel Craig's James Bond. The story states that she's "in talks", but just how deep those discussions go is anybody's guess. Heck, she might flat out reject the idea, but I doubt that would happen. Not just because she's currently swapping spit(reportedly!!!) and other bodily fluids with the film's star, but because it's a high profile gig and she'd be perfect for it. Weisz could play either a bad girl villainess or one of Bond's many conquests effortlessly. 

Since there are no plot details yet, here's my hope: Weisz joins the cast, and she's one of Bond's love interests who ends up double crossing him, revealing herself to be a member of Quantum, the evil organization running things throughout all of the flicks so far.  That would be awesome.

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It's Official: Bond 23 greenlit, 2012 release date announced

After all the fits and starts due to MGM's financial woes, Bond 23 has finally been greenlit. MGM made it official via a short press release, announcing Sam Mendes(Jarhead) as the director like everyone knew and expected. They even nailed down a release date of November 9th 2012. 

Daniel Craig will be back to reprise his role as the smooth talking secret agent.

I still think of Mendes as an oddball choice to direct, but I hated Quantum of Solace so maybe a change is exactly what is needed. 

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Kate Winslet says Sam Mendes still directing Bond 23; set to begin late next year

Briefly...

Kate Winslet has revealed that her husband, Sam Mendes, will be dragging the fam to England late next year as he returns to helm Bond 23. There was some question whether or not the director would return once MGM's bankruptcy situation was resolved and production on the film commenced. Mendes cleared up his schedule recently by backing out of other possible projects, such as The Hunger Games. Winslet told The Daily Mail...

"Sam is doing the next Bond film, all being well, and we'll all be in England if that happens. It's such a massive commitment for him and it's not fair for him to commute backwards and forwards to New York from London. It would be impossible."

Winslet and Mendes have been separated since last year.

Daniel Craig is set to reprise his role as the suave secret agent. When asked if perhaps Winslet would be interested in taking on a small role as Bond girl, she replied with a resounding "No!". I'm sure she felt she couldn't compete with Denise Richards' Christmas Jones.

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Von Sydow to drive The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

David Fincher is looking towards Max Von Sydow to be the catalyst in The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. In a bit of shrewd casting, he'll be playing Henrik Vanger, the man who hires shamed journalist Mikael Blomkvist(Daniel Craig) into investigating the 40 year old disappearance of his niece.

It's been a big year for the 81 year old Von Sydow. He's already co-starred opposite both Leondardo Dicaprio and Russell Crowe in Shutter Island and Robin Hood, respectively.

He'll be joining Craig, and the recently named Rooney Mara as Lisbeth Salander. Stellan Skarsgard and Robin Wright Penn are still in talks to join the cast as well.

It doesn't matter what he does, he'll always just be Ming the Merciless to me.

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Natalie Portman back in the running for The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

The chase to play the role of Lisbeth Salander has taken many turns over the last few months, and the road only seems to be getting twistier. Or maybe it's doubling back on itself, finally? Entertainment Weekly is reporting that Sony is once again looking at Natalie Portman to take on the sought after role. She was one of the first actresses discussed soon after David Fincher signed on to direct, with him even offering her the role flat out. She turned it down at the time, and testing of other actresses began.

Maybe they didn't like the compatability during screen tests between the contenders and Daniel Craig. Those contenders are still said to include Ellen Page(Inception), Mia Wasikowska(Alice in Wonderland), Emily Browning(The Uninvited), Katie Jarvis(Fish Tank), and others.  Nothing has been said as to whether or not Portman is interested in the role again. This could all just be Sony thinking about redoubling their efforts to sign her.

I like the idea of Portman for many of the same reasons I dug the idea of Carey Mulligan. It would be a massive transformation into the goth look Lisbeth sports, and I want to see how that plays out. It's the type of role that is going to require a ton of commitment, as Fincher wants his actors to use Swedish accents. That could turn out to be a problem.  Lisbeth's character in particular goes through some very traumatic experiences. The type that a lot of actresses shy away from. I don't think Portman is the type to get scared away very easily, though.

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