As predicted a few weeks ago based on Sony’s domain name purchases, the 23rd Bond movie will indeed be called “Skyfall,” which was confirmed by EON pictures, Sony, and MGM during a press conference this morning.

The film, from Albert R. Broccoli’s Eon Productions, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios, and Sony Pictures Entertainment, is directed by Academy Award® winner Sam Mendes and stars Daniel Craig, who returns for his third film as James Bond 007. The screenplay is written by Neal Purvis & Robert Wade and John Logan. SKYFALL, which goes into production on Monday, November 7th, will begin its worldwide roll-out in the UK and Ireland on October 26th 2012 and in North America on November 9th 2012.
Joining Michael G. Wilson, Barbara Broccoli and Director Sam Mendes were members of the cast of SKYFALL, including: Daniel Craig, Javier Bardem, Dame Judi Dench, Naomie Harris and Berenice Marlohe. The filmmakers also announced Ralph Fiennes, Albert Finney and Ben Whishaw.
In SKYFALL, 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. [via ComingSoon]

So it seems they went with another vague-sounding, inscrutable title in the vein of Quantum of Solace, which doesn’t exactly bode well. Come on, you can’t just smash some vaguely-related violent words together and call it a day! That’s not a title, at best it’s a failed portmanteau. Why not “Smashwreck” or “Bloodwound” or “Gasfart?” I liked it better when the titles were made out or real words, and gave you the distinct sense that you’d be seeing a James Bond movie. I’d feel much better about this if it was called something catchier, like The Slut Who Jet-packed Me, or The Island of Dr. Velociraptor. License to Skysurf.

Late yesterday afternoon it was widely reported that jandsome Spaniard Javier Bardem would play the villain in the next Yames Bond movie, and “Javier Bardem” even became a trending topic on Twitter. Which was news to me, as I was under the impression that we already knew this three months ago. Nonetheless, it did give me the opportunity to post this picture of Bardem enjoying a Daniel Craig popsicle, so all is forgiven. “Jugo de Bond? Delicioso.”

The film is scheduled to announce the beginning of production next month, with American Beauty‘s Sam Mendes on to direct, and Ralph Fiennes “strongly rumored” to co-star. Meanwhile, Fusible.com reported a few days ago that a company Sony uses to register domain names recently registered such names as “Skyfall” and “jamesbondskyfall,” leading to widespread speculation (still unconfirmed) that Bond 23 will be called “Skyfall.”

So I guess if the plan is to give glib critics their easiest headline in years, this should be perfect. Mmm, more like “Skyfail,” am I right? (*thumbs nose, eats Cheetos*). Easiest. Review. Ever.

Last time we discussed Ron Howard’s desire to bring Stephen King’s Dark Tower series to both the big screen and television, the project had aired its death rattle. However, in recent weeks, it has been reported that the project is only in a holding pattern while Howard and producer Brian Glazer find a new studio to take on the project. The three-film series still has Javier Bardem attached to star, so the pulse hasn’t completely died off just yet.

Whether the movies ever actually happen or not, it hasn’t stopped fans of the books – this blogging nerd included – from being optimistic. Take artist Sean Hartter, for instance. Hartter has a knack for creating “alternate universe” movie posters, and his efforts are pretty fantastic. He recently posted a series of his own Dark Tower movie posters with a vintage 60s and 70s feel and I want them to be real.

Read the rest of this entry »

With MGM’s financial woes in the back seat and production under way, the 23rd installment of the James Bond franchise is making up for lost time (and Quantum of Solace) by adding some big names to the cast, notably Javier Bardem and Ralph Fiennes. Bardem will play Daniel Craig’s newest villain while Fiennes will presumably play the head – or a very powerful figure of authority within – the Quantum organization.

But who cares about them? Producers have also cast Naomie Harris (28 Days Later) as Miss Moneypenny, a character that hasn’t appeared in a Bond film since Die Another Day, the last installment of the Pierce Brosnan era. The addition of Harris is shaking some martinis, though, as Moneypenny has been always been played by white actresses. So of course this is just some ploy by the producers to appease the mobs of angry ethnic Bond fans, right? RIGHT???

Read the rest of this entry »

Homophobic Turtle thinks this is sick and gross and promises he's not even a little turned on.

Even if you managed to stay awake through the entire Oscars telecast on Sunday, which was almost as hard as staying awake through The King’s Speech, one thing you didn’t see was Josh Brolin and Javier Bardem’s kiss, which occurred entirely while producers awkwardly kept the camera on Penelope Cruz.  Why did they do it?  Was a joke about two straight guys kissing (which Saturday Night Live has based an entire recurring sketch on, in at least three separate shows — still hilarious, btw, guys, no really, it never gets old) too hot for the network owned by Disney?  Clearly, the answer is yes.  These gay-bashing bullies need to be punished. Punished FABULOUSLY.

As if on cue, openly gay Oscarcast co-producer Bruce Cohen is facing the ultimate Web sanction for that censored Javier Bardem-Josh Brolin smooch from Sunday night: an attacked Wikipedia bio calling him a “liar” and homophobe in cahoots with ABC.

“Bruce Cohen is a liar who claims he does not partake in the homophobia of the ABC network when clearly he does,” reads the recent addition to Cohen’s bio — a bio that includes Cohen having married his partner Gabriel Catone in 2008, worn a White Knot to the 2009 Oscars in support of same-sex marriage and earned his second Best Picture nomination that same year for co-producing Milk. [Also, he's named 'Bruce.' -Ed]
[Movieline]

ABC has issued a response saying that they have no comment on the incident.  Now, I’m no expert on tolerance, but it seems to me that blowing a dude would be the ultimate rebuttal to accusations of homophobia.  Better get going on that Twitpic, Cohen.

Ha, “rebuttal.”
Read the rest of this entry »