Trust Bond to make a big entrance. Leaping out of a plane might have been a bit much to expect from his first day on the job, but gliding coolly up the Thames to the HMS President to make his bow as the new Bond, Daniel Craig looked every inch 007.
He was joined for his unveiling by producers Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli and director Martin Campbell (Goldeneye). For a man who will soon be one of the most recognisable faces in the world, Craig was surprisingly reticent, shying away from most questions (may have had something to do with the irritating tabloid hack who opened the press conference with a question about Kate Moss and Sienna Miller – thanks for that) and gave little away about what he’ll be bringing to the role of 6th Bond. But, thankfully there was a great deal revealed by the rest of the panel.
Here’s what we learnt:
Craig is shitting himself: “It hasn’t sunken in yet. It’s a responsibility, but it’s also a huge adventure so I want to get as much out of it as I can…It’s a huge challenge and life is about challenges. It’s one of the big ones as an actor. He’s an iconic figure in movie history and these things don’t come along very often”.
Craig was the only actor offered the role, which he was officially given on Monday, and only signed on after reading the script, which has been written by Neal Purvis and Robert Wade, with a dialogue polish by Paul Haggis (Million Dollar Baby, Crash).
Casino Royale is going to be a more adult prospect than the previous films. “It’s definitely a much darker Bond,” said Campbell. “but that doesn’t mean it won’t have its sense of humour. More character, less gadgets. If you think about where Bond is now - his attitude to women, his killer instinct – to arrive at that point I think you have to have gone through a fairly tough time to arrive at that. And that’s what Casino Royale is about”. It will remain 12A though.
Many old favourites won’t appear. “We’re planning on bringing M back,” said Wilson. “but as the script stands neither Q nor Moneypenny appear”.
We’ll be finding out a lot more about the origins of many a Bond symbol. “We’ll learn the ingredients of his martini mix – you should try it, it’ll kill you,” says Campbell. “and a lot of the embryonic Bond things: how he gets the Aston Martin, how he mixes his martini”.
There are no Bond girls decided yet. “We haven’t really focused on anyone,” said Wilson. “I think it’s an open casting. Added Campbell: “It’s a terrific part. It’s probably the best Bond girl part there’s been. It’s Vespa Lynd, who’s in the book…We’re going to get a terrific actress and she has to look beautiful. She has a very important role in the piece and she also spends a lot of time with Bond. When we decide who it’s going to be, she’ll have to have all those attributes”. For the record, Craig’s favourite Bond girl is Diana Rigg in On Her Majesty’s Secret Service.
Craig will be the first Blonde Bond. He’s not dying his hair.
The budget is north of $100million
Craig won’t say how many films he’s signed on for but says they “are in agreement”. The next is, however, already being written by Casino Royale’s writers, Neal Purvis and Robert Wade.
The film will shoot at Pinewood Studios and in Prague, The Bahamas and Italy. Filming is due to start in January with a worldwide release date set for November 17, 2006.
Tabloid journalists are intensely irritating. If you read tomorrow that Page 3 girl Keeley is up for the role of the Bond girl, it’s a big fat lie.
Check back later for the full press conference transcript.