Olivia Wilde formerly of "The OC"
Posted on 02/15/2006 6:17:02 AM PST by Panerai
As the first phase of Casino Royale production wraps in the Czech Republic, a press conference is scheduled to be held today ahead of the move to the Bahamas.
A James Bond press conference is skedded today at Prague's Barrandov Studios, where the Martin Campbell-directed pic has been shooting - reports Variety.
Though Sony claims no casting will be announced, producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson could use the occasion to unveil its long-awaited supporting cast. But the studio, along with some of the talent's reps, claim nothing's been decided.
Even so, the producers are apparently deciding on a short list topped by Eva Green ("The Dreamers") and Olivia Wilde, who had a steamy arc on "The OC" last season. The producers had earlier approached the likes of Charlize Theron, Thandie Newton and Kimberly Davies.
Even if the cast is not announced today, the villain role is expected to go to Danish thesp Mads Mikkelsen.
While scrutiny of Bond productions is always high, "Casino Royale" has been a particular object of curiosity in Hollywood because of how long it's taken to cast. Going into the third week of lensing, key roles were still up for grabs.
The entire casting process has baffled Hollywood. Expectations were that after replacing Pierce Brosnan with Craig, the producers would try to support him with a few well-known names. Unfortunately, the Bond system works against star wattage. On top of tight controls exercised by the producers, there is a longstanding refusal to award gross points to participants -- no actor playing Bond has ever received a gross stake.
(Excerpt) Read more at mi6.co.uk ...
If they go with Charlize Theron and OC cast members, they aren't shooting for a film that will have a shelf life longer than 2 years.
The Bond franchise is worth what it is because people watch many of the movies again and again.
If this becomes another heavily computer animated action film, I won't be watching. I want to see a live-action movie, not a computer cartoon.
I agree, the producers have once again lost sight of what makes a Bond movie good: less stunts and more story. Die Another Day was not a good Bond movie. Entertaining yes, but a good movie, no.
this is yet another remake, the original was a comedy with Woody Allen and David Niven keep in mind.
Hmm. I've watche all the old ones multiple times, and it seems to me that with the rare exception of, say, From Russia With Love, they were pretty much uniformly stunts strung along some pretty silly plotlines. Good over teh top fun, but really pretty silly if you actually stop and think about them.
Not really. The original Casino Royale was a spoof, as I'm sure you know. If anything, this film is a remake of a 1950's TV production of the story, in which James Bond was an American! But as far as the Bond film series goes, it's a whole new deal. Not that I expect it to be any good
Actually the comedy had little to do with the book. The James Bond franchise had already stolen plot elements and so they had to make up their own film.
The comedy film was made because someone else had the rights to "Casino Royale" from a tv adaptation about a decade earlier.
So it IS a remake of a tv show and parts of other Bond films.
Watched DIE ANOTHER DAY Saturday night. Bleck! Halle Berry is a ridiculous excuse for an actress (although pleasant enough as eye candy).
Then watched GOLDFINGER on AMC Monday evening.
Conclusion: the Bond Franchise is finished.
Well, I'd like 1/10th of 1% of the gross of this finished franchise.
Invisible cars? Para-sailing down an avalanche? I don't think we saw that in Sean Connery's days. Connery's most outrageous stunt was the jet pack in Thunderball. And that was a real thing.
I'm looking forward to Casino Royale. The producers have a chance to make a good movie because the story is there.
The Bond Franchise is dead and has been since at least A View To A Kill (although the new actors always gave the series a fresh look).
There are hundreds if not thousands of Bond-era spy films from around the world. Some British, some American, some Italian, some Japanese. Some spoofs and some suspense/action.
They aren't the same as a Bond film but much more entertaining than the current crop.
The President's Analyst was on target when a Russian agent kidnaps James Coburn and tells him that eventually the two systems will be indistinguishable. Russia was going more open and the US was going more socialist.
There are genuine villains in the world today but Hollyweird doesn't want to be critical of these groups.
Whether you like the movies or not, the last few Bond films have made a ton of money, so someone likes them.
I went to them in recent years (some of them I saw on video but I caught the last one in the theaters) but I didn't like them.
I may sit this one out.
The franchise may still make money but they haven't made a good movie in awhile. Bond surfing around mines was a video game segment. I wanted to see a Bond film, not a roller coaster ride.
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