488 Days Until "Bond 23"
Sunday, July 10, 2011 at 7:55PM 
It's been three years since we last saw Bond, James Bond but his licence to kill never expires. Neither financial difficulties --such as those experienced by his parent studio -- nor frequent cosmetic surgery (Connery to Lazenby to Moore to Dalton to Brosnan to Craig) can retire 007. His licence will be renewed all over again on November 9th, 2012 or thereabouts. That's the tentative release date for the as yet untitled Bond 23.
Thankfully everyone's favorite secret agent will still look like Daniel Craig when he returns (and presumably Judi Dench will still be giving him orders). Javier Bardem will be the new supervillain. Ralph Fiennes and Naomie Harris are also supposedly joining the cast in roles both new and familiar (Yay "Moneypenny"!).
No word yet on the number of or identity of the new Bond Girls but they'd better be sensational if they're hoping to pull any attention from that very formidable quintet.
Sam Mendes (Revolutionary Road) will direct and though he isn't a director that's known for using the same cast frequently, he has worked with his Bond before. Oscar-philes will note that Mendes was one of the earliest directors to give Craig a mainstream attention-grabbing part in Road to Perdition (2002).
It's all so fucking hysterical.
-Daniel Craig as Connor Rooney in Road to Perdition
It must have been hard to cast for Paul Newman's son given the legendary blue eyes. Craig's are crueler than Newman's but good call nonetheless, don't you think?
Are you excited for that the new Bond is back on track? What's your favorite of the 22 films? I've always been partial to Dr. No (1962), On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969), Tomorrow Never Dies (1997 but mostly for Michelle Yeoh) and Casino Royale (2006).
Reader Comments (22)
The only Bond movie that I can say I really love is Casino Royale. I was never really into the franchise until that one came along. I've seen some of the other ones and I grew up with Pierce Brosnan as Bond so I'm familiar with his films the most. Those were fun but they never really made me a fan, though I always liked the way Pierce played Bond.
Agree with thefilmjunkie, though you were right about Yeoh, Nathaniel. I still can't believe she missed a nomination for Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon.
Casino Royale, The Spy Who Loved Me, From Russia with Love, and Goldeneye. In that order, though I always enjoy Bond movies, even the campy "bad" ones. Seen them all. Agree that they need to cast someone great in the main Bond girl role to keep up with this cast. I wish we knew what type they were looking for so we could play "cast this".
I've only seen the two most recent; I had no interest in them before that. I quite liked the remake of "Casino Royale," but thought "Quantum of Solace" was badly done.
I didn't know they made the new Moneypenny black! <JuliaRoberts> I'm so happy.</JuliaRoberts>
I worship James Bond, novels and movies and music and all. My favorites: OHMSS, Casino Royale, Thunderball, Goldfinger, You Only Live Twice. Blofeld's my favorite villain, YOLT and Moonraker are my favortie songs, Diana Rigg is my favorite Bond girl, Moonraker is the best novel, and Naomie Harris as Moneypenny is the greatest casting announcement I've heard since Amalric in Quantum of Solace.
From Russia With Love, On Her Majesty's Secret Service, Licence to Kill, Goldeneye, Casino Royale. (And, with some caveats, Quantum of Solace - best shot 007 film ever, real work of an auteur BUT it's really like the third - fourth? - act of Casino Royale and doesn't really stand so well on its own. But I love that the world finally got a proper Bond sequel.)
Nothing against Naomie Harris but she is wrong for the MoneyPenny role I don't think the filmmakers care anymore.
I'm sticking to the classics when it comes to my Bonds, with 'From Russia With Love' just edging out 'Goldfinger' (mainly because Lotte Lenya and Gert Fröbe are far and away my favorite Bond villains). I also like 'The Man With the Golden Gun' a lot (although I'm probably the only one saying so, but Christopher Lee makes a terrific Bond villain, as well), and 'Casino Royale' certainly is the best Bond film of the last few decades.
Everything Sean Connery is the best. Roger Moore is creepy and looks like a sex offender when he works his "charm". The Pierce Bronson films are just plain terrible. I haven't seen the Daniel Craig films yet. I've heard they're good but they're not exactly "Bond films". I'll watch them all before Bond 23
Never was a fan of James Bond until Craig stepped into the role, so I'll have to say Casino Royale. Looking forward to this new one. It's insane we'd had to wait this long.
It will be interesting to see what they do with the Moneypenny role, since I can't imagine this new style Bond film will trade in the old flirting secretary trope.
@Mark - what do you mean they're not exactly "Bond films"? They are pretty much the modern equivalent of Ian Fleming's novels. They are the most Bond "Bond films" of them all.
My favorite Bond is the second one, FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE, starring Connery along with Lotte Lenya (one of the best villain of the series), Daniela Bianchi (one of the most beautiful Bond Girls) and a so blonde Robert Shaw!
I like very much Craig as Bond, even if QUANTUM OF SOLACE wasn't as good as CASINO ROYALE
Casino Royale came close to nabbing a Best Picture nomination for me when I did my 2006 picks. Great movie. I think From Russia With Love is the best one, followed by Goldfinger, and On Her Majesty's Secret Service.
I've also always had a soft spot for Octopussy for whatever reason.
Craig is a fine actor, but he was an awful James Bond. Where's the class? How the hell he doesn't care about his martini? His take was too working class for my tastes (nothing against working class, I am working class, but this not fucking Mike Leigh, Craig. This is Bond. James Bond).
And he's too blond, too muscular, too furious. Why would anyone need a modern James Bond if now we have Jason Bourne (much greater movies, if you ask me)?
So, I haven't seen Quantum of Solace and I'm not seeing any James Bond while we don't have a really classy 007. That's it.
@cal roth - this is an entire misunderstanding of the Daniel Craig Bond films. He might not care about his martini at the start of Casino Royale, but then he invents one, names it after Vesper and can be seen drinking very same martini in Quantum of Solace. Plus, the characters is supposed to be a working class guy who wraps himself in Saville Row suits and pretends to be upper class. Vesper nails him on that in the train car scene - and it's vital to the character in the Fleming novels. Working class until his parents death and then happens to go to Eton and his status changes - an important thing in British society and its literature.
Okay, so that's slightly over-analysing the character, but thinking he is supposed to be dapper and charming is an invention of the Connery films.
I think Casino Royale is easily the best "film" out of all of them, but my favorite is probably Goldfinger. Completely riduculous, still super cool, and pretty sexy (60's misogyny aside). Hell, any movie where a character's first line is "My name is Pussy Galore" is bound to have a place in my heart.
I'm a massive James Bond fan, and I own all of them on DVD. My favorites are probably Goldfinger, OHMSS, Live and Let Die, Octopussy, The Living Daylights, Goldeneye, and Casino Royale. I'm hopeful, but I thought Quantum of Solace was the weakest Bond movie since License to Kill.
A testament to Craig, I was a Bond kid in the 70's, but LOVE "Casino Royale" best of all. It has a scary realistic, dysfunctional love story at its center, a brave pace change midway (card game), and great action (even if inspired by Bourne -- which I also love!).
But really, "Casino" has a dark emotional center, and THAT is its greatest appeal, and Craig and Eva Green were perfect embodiments of that intensity!
The cookie-cutter, franchise-mentality seemed to have guided "Quantum." Looking at this post, "Casino" connected with many and it would do the producers good to listen to their fans -- we like a tinge of the dark or emotional intensity, a touch of brave filmmaking (maybe an auteurist touch), and a roughness alongside the (eventual) debonair class. (I will very reluctantly agree with Cal Roth above, eventually Craig and producers will have to distinguish from Bourne, and Bond's class is that distinction; of course the question is HOW will they successfully accomplish this!?)
Just like almost everybody else's favourites mine, too, are: From Russia With Love, On Her Majesty's Secret Service, Casino Royale. And my soft spot is The Living Daylights.
And I dislike almost every Bond movie Pierce Brosnan has done.
@cal, Keith beat me to it but honestly, go and see Casino Royale before you judge Craig as Bond. What a refreshing take after the snooze-fest that were the Pierce Brosnan ones.
@Keith and @Lara
But that's my James Bond, Sean Connery. I've never read Fleming, I am a James Bond as Connery purist! And if that's an invention, well, John Ford taught us: Print the Legend.
I've seen Casino Royale. I don't find it refreshing. I find it rude, brute, unclassy.
I love Craig as Bond and I've seen every Bond film to date. He plays the part closer to Fleming's original f**ked up character than anyone to date. I thought though that QoS was not a patch on his CR though...a real wasted opportunity in my view!
Craig wasn't as muscular in QoS, the official reason being that he wanted to be lighter and fitter in the second, but I know he had surgery on his right shoulder after CR was released - apparently after injuring it during filming. Was this the real reason he came in lighter? Anyone know?