Countdown to Skyfall - FULL test screening report

Earlier this week a review from a test screening of new Bond movie, Skyfall was posted on the IMDB but was then swiftly removed on the insistence of MGM. The review went into some detail on the new film - WARNING SPOILERS AHEAD - and even made reference to key scenes towards the end of the movie, which we believe to be the death of Judie Dench's M. And so with a little secret agentry of our own, the Archive has managed to get hold of the full review and we repost it here.

Caution before you read on as there are spoilers contained within:

After posting the review the Archive received a polite email from Sony Pictures requesting we remove the review and so we have done so. Sony have said that the review was false and that the film's not yet been screened. The review's now removed from this site.

James Bond Skyfall - location picture

James Bond website MI6 are reporting sightings of Daniel Craig driving the Aston Martin DB5 on a recent night shoot in London - the website claims that the scene is similar to the one in Bond classic, Goldfinger where Connery drives the Aston Martin through the warehouses of Auric Enterprises:

“Shot at night, the scene is reminiscent of Goldfinger, with Bond driving the DB5 down narrow streets, zipping past warehouses and ducking under the arches of a railway line. For the 1964 film, the chase scene at Auric Enterprises was actually shot at Pinewood Studios. Filming will continue in Deptford and New Cross in London. In the movie, the DB5 action will feature in scene #134.”

The production arrives in London

JAMES BOND PRODUCTION HALTED YET AGAIN

It's getting stupid now - first it was on, then it was off, then it was most certainly on and now it's off again as pre-production on the 23rd James Bond movie is once again halted. Movieweb are reporting that MGM have halted production on the long awaited return of James Bond while they seek more backers to raise the funds needed to get the movie back on track. Due to all the bankruptcy woes at MGM, BOND 23 has been halted for who knows how long.  Right now the only film they are concentrating on is THE HOBBIT, which is probably because it’s almost a guaranteed success. As far as we know director Sam Mendes is still the guy behind the camera, but who knows how long he’ll wait around for the studio to get their act together?

Previously MGM had indicated that there would be a new Bond movie in the cinemas for 2012 which will be the fiftieth anniversary of EON's film series. If they can't get their act together for that important milestone then maybe the series is well and truly knackered. If on the other hand we do see Bond 23 in the cinemas for 2012 and Daniel Craig returns it will be the longest break between movies without the main actor being recast.

Every cloud has a silver lining, though and I suppose no Bond film at all is still preferable to another like Quantumn of Shit.

Bond fans however do have something to look forward to in 2011 when Jeffrey Deaver's still untitled new James Bond novel is released. A cover teaser has just been released and can be seen left. Thanks to MI6.CO for this

James Bond takes on the Taliban

Unconfirmed leaks suggest that Bond 23 will be set in Afghanistan - reports are to be believed at least some parts of the next movie in the Bond franchise will be shot in the Helmand province in Afghanistan.
According to online reports on James Bond fan-sites, an official, a member of the Foreign Office’s drug task force in the country has signed on as a consultant for the franchise.
The official, who has since left the Foreign Office and Afghanistan, is thought to have signed a confidentiality agreement with the filmmakers preventing any discussion of the project, The Times reported.
Should 007 tackle the opium fields of the country, it will be the second time he has ventured into Afghanistan. In the 1987 film The Living Daylights, Bond, played by Timothy Dalton, was imprisoned in a Russian camp in the country, before teaming up with anti—Soviet freedom fighters.
Eon Productions, the production company set up by Bond producer Albert Broccoli, refused to comment on whether the film would visit Afghanistan, nor will they confirm or deny that Daniel Craig still carries the licence to kill.

Bond back in production. Daniel Craig is out!

The new 007 look

Unconfirmed rumours doing the rounds are that Daniel Craig is out of the next Bond movie - Bond 23 is to start filming in January with Craig unavailable because of other commitments, not least of which is filming the Steig Larsson's Millennium Trilogy.


Internet fan sites are buzzing with the name Henry Cavill to play the next James Bond, but once again names like Clive Owen and Ewan McGregor are being put into the mix. The official stance is that Daniel Craig is still on board but given the history of the franchise and that each time it has stalled in the past a new actor has stepped into the shoes, this doesn't seem likely. Brosnan replaced Dalton after the series was on hold for seven years and then Craig replaced Brosnan after a four year break in production.

Director Sam Mendes is back on board and the script is ready to go, having been completed before the problems with MGM and the studio are eager to get things moving quickly.

Bookmakers, William Hill believe Daniel Craig will probably do three more films (7/4) and there is an 8/1 chance he will leave the franchise. The odds of him doing two more 007 adventures are 2/1 and you can get 4/1 that Bond 23 will be his final time in the role.

BOND 23 - THE LATEST RUMOURS

It is rumoured that M will be killed off in the next Bond movie - this makes sense since Judie Dench as M technically exists before Bernard Lee's M given that the last two Bond's were prequels to the original series.

Both Moneypenny and Q are to appear - both roles being recast.

Writer Peter Morgan has said - "it's a shocking story." He also added that "Bond creates a hysteria around it" that he hasn't seen before where everyone is always asking about the new Bond.

Daniel Craig will once again play Bond or at least that's the current stance of the Bond producers.

Susan Boyle is the current hot favourite to croon the title track.

In a recent interview Daniel Craig was asked if Bond 23 was going to be the final part in a trilogy involving the group Quantum. To this he replied, “No *#$&!@% way. I’m done with that story. I want to lie on a beach for the first half an hour of the next movie drinking a cocktail.”

The next movie will be an important one for the series - The last Bond, QOS initially did well at the box office but business fell off sharply and critics and long time fans were not impressed. Daniel Craig is still a contentious Bond - his two Bond's haven't felt like Bond movies to me but there are plenty of people who love his more gritty performance. If it turns out, as reported, that the producers are to reintroduce the high fantasy and humour that has always been a part of the franchise, then will Craig's more realistic portrayal be at odds with this?