Sam Mendes

First Trailer for New James Bond Movie SKYFALL Starring Daniel Craig

by Steve 'Frosty' Weintraub    Posted: May 21st, 2012 at 1:03 am

Sony has released the first teaser trailer for director Sam Mendes’ (American Beauty, Road to Perdition) Skyfall and it looks fantastic.  Unlike some trailers that show you everything and leave nothing to the imagination, this teaser trailer is exactly that…a teaser.  It’s a perfect first look at Skyfall, and what I love is that we don’t even get see the film’s baddie, Javier Bardem. If you’re the type that likes to stay spoiler free, I promise you can watch it and you won’t be mad that you did.  Hit the jump to check it out.

Skyfall also stars Daniel Craig, Bérénice Marlohe, Judi Dench, Naomie Harris, Ben Whishaw, Helen McCroy, Albert Finney, and Ralph Fiennes.

TOP 5: THE AVENGERS, SKYFALL Set Visit, THE DARK KNIGHT RISES Trailer, THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN, THE EXPENDABLES 2

by Jason Barr    Posted: May 5th, 2012 at 11:34 am

With this weekend’s domestic release of some little flick called The Avengers, the summer movie season is officially off and running. Although it’s easy for the comic book fan in me to rank The Avengers, The Amazing-Spider Man, and The Dark Knight Rises as my top three most anticipated summer pics, I thought it might be a nice exercise to quickly list what else the Summer of 2012 is offering that will likely tickle my moviegoing fancy. That said, because absolutely no one asked my opinion, here are five of my other most anticipated summer films (listed in chronological order by release date): Ridley Scott‘s Prometheus, Steven Soderbergh‘s Magic Mike, Seth MacFarlane‘s feature debut Ted, Fernando Meirelles‘ 360, and John Hillcoat‘s Lawless. As always, I’d love to hear from you, the reader, about what you’re looking forward to seeing on the big screen in the coming months. By all means, use the comments section liberally.

In this week’s Top 5 you’ll find a ton of interviews, Matt’s review, and other ancillary bits for the aforementioned The Avengers, Steve’s coverage from his visit to the Istanbul set of Skyfall, the third trailer for The Dark Knight Rises, a new trailer, images, and posters for The Amazing Spider-Man, and the first full-length trailer for The Expendables 2. A quick recap and link to each ensues after the jump.

Director Sam Mendes Talks SKYFALL, How to Craft a Bond Film, the Franchise’s Similarity to DOCTOR WHO, and More

by Steve 'Frosty' Weintraub    Posted: May 1st, 2012 at 10:01 pm

While director Sam Mendes (American Beauty, Road to Perdition, Away We Go) has done a lot of press conferences for his upcoming James Bond movie, Skyfall, I’m pretty sure what you’re about to read is the first interview with any substance.  Usually, various press conferences for the film (including the one he did Sunday afternoon in Istanbul, Turkey) are about the city they’re filming in and what is it like to work with Daniel Craig or Naomie Harris.

However, on Sunday afternoon, shortly after the press conference, I participated in a small roundtable interview with Mendes where he actually went into detail about the movie.  He talked about how the script benefited from the production being pushed back, how they landed Javier Bardem and what type of villain he’s going to play, how Skyfall will show more of Bond and M’s relationship/backstory, how he loves what The Dark Knight and Bourne have done in terms of main characters, how audiences have embraced movies that go darker and more personal, the challenge of filming action scenes, and finding new ways to tell a Bond story.  Hit the jump to listen or read the interview.

20 Things to Know About SKYFALL From Our Istanbul, Turkey Set Visit; Plus Video Blog Recap

by Steve 'Frosty' Weintraub    Posted: May 1st, 2012 at 10:00 pm

James Bond is under fire and pinned down.  He’s stuck behind a fruit stand wearing a form fitting gray suit with his gun drawn.  About fifteen feet to his left, Naomie Harris is in the front seat of a damaged Land Rover.  As he looks around the crowded outdoor Istanbul market filled with hundreds of bystanders, he notices an older motorcycle attached to a cart.  When the gunfire slows down, Bond runs to his right and kicks the bike free.  He gets on and speeds off after his assailant.

Let me back up a second.

For those just learning a new James Bond movie is being released this year (October 26 in the UK and November 9 in the US), Daniel Craig is back as James Bond and it’s being directed by Sam Mendes (American Beauty, Road to Perdition, Away We Go).  The film also stars Javier Bardem (as the villain Silva), Ralph Fiennes, Naomie Harris, Bérénice Marlohe, Ola Rapace, Ben Whishaw, Albert Finney and Judi Dench as ‘M.’  Skyfall Director of Photography is Roger Deakins (one of the best in the business) and it was written by John Logan (Hugo, Gladiator, Rango).  Neal Purvis & Robert Wade also contributed to the script.  Continued after the jump.

Daniel Craig, Bérénice Marlohe, Naomie Harris and Director Sam Mendes Talk About Filming SKYFALL in Istanbul, Turkey

by Steve 'Frosty' Weintraub    Posted: April 29th, 2012 at 11:49 pm

“You always go back to Fleming because the character Fleming created over a number of novels was incredibly complex.  Some people sometimes forget in the cliche of Bond, which is the international playboy, and someone who’s always untroubled, and almost never breaks a sweat, that actually what Fleming created was a very conflicted character.”

This was part of what Sam Mendes said yesterday afternoon at a press conference in Istanbul, Turkey about Skyfall, where the 23rd James Bond movie is filming.  It’s also where I type these words.  As you can probably guess, I’m here covering the film and in the coming days you can expect a ton of Bond content (thank you Sony for having such a short embargo!).  Until then, hit the jump to see Daniel Craig, Bérénice Marlohe, Naomie Harris and director Sam Mendes talk about being in Istanbul and filming at the Grand Bazaar, an amazing market that dates to the early Ottoman period.

8 New Images from SKYFALL, Plus Javier Bardem Talks About His Villain Character

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: April 11th, 2012 at 11:53 am

Calling all James Bond fans: some great Skyfall content has hit the web.  Not only do we now have eight new images from the latest entry in the James Bond franchise, but a featurette has been posted that features Javier Bardem talking about his villain character.  The images have your typical “Daniel Craig looking like a bad ass” feel, but we also get a look at new Bond girl Naomie Harris and half of Ralph Fiennes.  The nature of the Harry Potter actor’s role is being tightly kept under wraps, but this is the first time we’ve seen what his character looks like.  Half his face is hidden behind a door to prevent being shot to bits, but I think we can safely assume he’s also self-conscious of his badly burned and disfigured left side (we can’t).

Hit the jump to check out the images and the video of Bardem and Craig talking about the film.  Rumor has it (via The Daily Mail) that we’ll see the first trailer for Skyfall in front of Men in Black 3.  Skyfall opens on November 9th.

New Behind-the-Scenes Video from SKYFALL Features Daniel Craig and Javier Bardem

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: April 5th, 2012 at 5:00 pm

Some new behind-the-scenes video from the set of the new James Bond film, Skyfall, has gone online.  Unfortunately, it comes by way of Entertainment Tonight, so it’s not exactly the most hard-hitting of pieces.  We do get a look at Daniel Craig filming some scenes and the actor talks about how he and director Sam Mendes are putting their stamp on the franchise with the 23rd entry in the series.  We also hear from new Bond girl Bérénice Marlohe and the film’s baddie, Javier Bardem.  In addition, it’s revealed that filming will be taking place in Shanghai, Scotland, and Istanbul, as well as London.

Hit the jump to watch the video. The film also stars Judi Dench, Naomie Harris, Ben Whishaw, Helen McCroy, Albert Finney, and Ralph Fiennes.  Skyfall opens on November 9th.

Director Sam Mendes’ First Videoblog for the New James Bond Film, SKYFALL

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: February 22nd, 2012 at 7:26 am

Filming is currently underway for the new James Bond film, Skyfall.  Throughout production, director Sam Mendes will be providing videoblogs to provide fans with updates on 007′s latest adventure.  I’m a little baffled when Mendes says that Casino Royale is about Bond being a real man in a real situation, and then turns around and say that reminded him of the Sean Connery movies.  Has he seen those lately?  In You Only Live Twice, Bond convinces people that he’s Japanese.  Connery’s Bond isn’t even as seductive as people tend to think.  Women want to have sex with him before they’ve even met him (see: From Russia with Love).  The Craig movies are almost a complete 180 from Connery’s and there’s nothing wrong with that.  Honestly, it seems like Mendes wants to praise both the last Bond movie people really loved as well as the Connery movies, which people will always love.  Other than that, the videoblog is mainly Mendes saying how excited he is to be directing a James Bond film.

Hit the jump to check out the videoblog, which features some behind-the-scenes footage.  The film stars Daniel Craig, Judi Dench, Javier Bardem, Naomie Harris, Ben Chaplin, Berenice Marlohe, Helen McCroy, Albert Finney, and Ralph Fiennes.  Skyfall opens November 9th.

Official Set Photo from the New James Bond Film, SKYFALL

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: February 21st, 2012 at 8:43 am

An official set photo from the new James Bond film, Sam Mendes‘ Skyfall, has been released.  The photo precedes Mendes’ first videoblog, which goes online tomorrow.  So for now, Mendes looking over Judi Dench‘s shoulder will have to tide you over.

Hit the jump to check out the set photo.  The film also stars Daniel Craig, Javier Bardem, Naomie Harris, Ben Chaplin, Berenice Marlohe, Helen McCroy, Albert Finney, and Ralph Fiennes.  Skyfall opens November 9th.

New Images from THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN, THE HOBBIT, PROMETHEUS, THE AVENGERS, and More

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: December 16th, 2011 at 12:21 pm

Empire, just about the best movie magazine you can find, has released their 2012 preview and with that comes a batch of new images from some highly anticipated movies. The center-piece of the issues appears to be Marc Webb’s Spider-Man reboot The Amazing Spider-Man. It includes new images of Andrew Garfield as Spidey, as well as looks at Emma Stone as Gwen Stacy and Rhys Ifans as the villainous Lizard. The issue also brings us new looks at The Avengers (featuring the Thor-Captain America street battle that was capture from every angle by set videos), Dredd, The Hobbit, Ridley Scott’s Prometheus, the new James Bond film Skyfall, and Snow White and the Huntsman. Hit the jump to check out the images.

Daniel Craig Talks about the Script Problems on QUANTUM OF SOLACE; Says Why He’s Encouraged for SKYFALL

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: December 7th, 2011 at 9:47 am

Daniel Craig is currently making the press rounds for The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo so it’s only natural that people want to talk about the next James Bond film, Skyfall.  But in a recent interview, Craig explained why the script for Casino Royale is what brought him to the franchise and then how the writer’s strike is what caused Quantum of Solace to be so terrible.

Hit the jump for more including what Craig says he finds encouraging about Skyfall, which opens November 9, 2012.

Screenwriter John Logan Talks About His Approach to New James Bond Film SKYFALL and Action Set-Pieces

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: November 20th, 2011 at 2:06 pm

While the road to production on the latest Bond film has been rather arduous thanks to the financial troubles of MGM, principal photography on Skyfall is officially underway with director Sam Mendes behind the lens, anchored by a stellar supporting cast including Javier Bardem as the villain and Ralph Fiennes in an as yet undisclosed role. Steve is currently in New York doing the press rounds for Martin Scorsese’s family film Hugo and got the chance to sit down with screenwriter John Logan, who was one of the writers on Bond 23.

Logan talked about how he first came aboard the project, his approach to scripting a film that’s part of a 50-year franchise, the process of crafting the series’ notorious action set-pieces with the aid of Mendes, and how he weaves action into the story. Hit the jump to read the full interview.

New Set Photos from New James Bond Film, SKYFALL

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: November 7th, 2011 at 8:57 am

The first of set photos from the next James Bond film, Skyfall, have gone online.  Filming has begun and you’ll see from these set photos…kind of nothing.  Expect a lot of that because that’s the majority of set photos, and I don’t really understand the appeal of set photos for a movie like Skyfall where there won’t be outlandish costumes or otherworldly production design.  But it’s been three years since the last Bond flick and some of you may be hard up for anything 007.

Hit the jump to check out the set photos.  The film, directed by Sam Mendes, stars Daniel Craig, Javier Bardem, Judi Dench, Bérénice Marlohe, Naomie Harris, Ralph Fiennes, Albert Finney, and Ben Whishaw.  Skyfall opens November 9, 2012.

JAMES BOND 23 Officially Titled SKYFALL; New Details Revealed [Updated with Images & Video of the London Press Conference]

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: November 3rd, 2011 at 6:41 am

Sony Pictures held a press conference today to announce details on the 23rd James Bond film.  First up, Sony confirmed the title would be Skyfall, which sounds a bit sci-fi, but is a billion times better than “Quantum of Solace“.  As for the title’s meaning, producer Barbara Broccoli says, “It has emotional context which will be revealed in the film.”  The press conference was also attended by director Sam Mendes, co-producer Michael G. Wilson, and cast members Daniel Craig, Javier Bardem, Judi Dench, Bérénice Marlohe, and Naomie Harris.

The official James Bond twitter, @007, tweeted the logline: “Bond’s loyalty to M is tested as her past comes back to haunt her. As MI6 comes under attack, 007 must track down and destroy the threat, no matter how personal the cost.” Hit the jump for more juicy details on 007′s next adventure.  The film also stars Ralph Fiennes, Albert Finney, and Ben Whishaw.  Skyfall is due out November 9, 2012. [We've updated the story with the press release, as well as photos and video from the press conference, all of which you can check out after the jump.]

Do We Finally Have an Official Title and Plot Information for BOND 23?

by Jason Barr    Posted: August 30th, 2011 at 8:57 am

There are a few things we already know about the 23rd James Bond film. For starters, we know that Oscar-winner Sam Mendes will direct the film which is currently set to open in the U.K. on October 26th and the U.S. on November 9th. We also have a pretty good feel for the cast which already includes Daniel Craig and Judi Dench reprising their roles as 007 and M respectively as well as Javier Bardem (making a turn as the unspecified villain), Ralph Fiennes (as a character of “extreme complexity“), and potentially Naomie Harris as Ms. Moneypenny.

With all of this info in mind, those concerned for the film’s immediate fate following MGM’s, um, money problems should be all but put to rest. That said, there’s still some aspects that inquiring minds would like to know such as “What’s the official title?” and “What’s it about?”. Hit the jump for a report that claims to answer both.

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