John Logan looking to FLEMING for Bond 24 and 25

The James Bond Dossier and HMSS Weblog are reporting on comments Skyfall screenwriter John Logan made about the future of the cinematic James Bond, which is currently in his hands. Logan is reported to be writing the next two Bond films. His thoughts will be of great interest to fans of the literary 007.

Looking to "build on Skyfall in examining the complexities of Bond’s character", Logan says:

“Fleming’s courage in showing Bond’s fear and vulnerability and depression was really interesting and something that a modern audience can accept. I think Skyfall demonstrated that they want more layers to that character. And those are the layers that Fleming wrote.”

It's interesting to speculate how this might effect the ongoing continuation novels. The books have always offered up a more complex vision of 007, but might they now be inspired to delve even deeper?

Boyd: "I don’t think they’ll ever make a retro Bond."

James Bond author William Boyd spoke with The Independent recently and the topic of his new 007 novel came up (of course). He doesn't reveal much about the book (of course), but his thoughts on the films vs. the books is interesting. Here's an excerpt:

Taking a schizoid shift of my own I decide to move the conversation on from eighteenth century Russia to make a last ditch appeal for more information about James Bond. Indicating with an uncomfortable glance at the window that snipers might be trailing us from across the street Boyd gives a wry laugh. He tells me there is a joined up 007 PR machine covering both the film and publishing empire that “has begun the drip-feed of information” that he can’t interfere with. 

But he is clear about one thing: his novel is not being lined up as the basis for a follow-up to Skyfall, the most successful Bond film to date having taken a record £100m at the UK box office, or any other of the spy movie. 

“I don’t think they’ll ever make a retro Bond. Even Dr No which was written in 1955 was set in 1962 when the film was made. All the Bond films from then have been completely contemporary. They wouldn’t go back and make a Bond set in 1969. It would throw the whole franchise askew,” he said. 

This is a great shame as Daniel Craig, whom Boyd is friends with, will be 45 in March, the exact age of Boyd’s Bond who follows Fleming’s detailed chronology. Much as we might love a period drama it wouldn’t make sense to cast Craig back, Life On Mars-style, five decades, Boyd insists mentioning the gadgets, cars and styles of the day that have come to define each cinematic installment. 

But, he concedes: “It’s interesting in Skyfall to see them referring back, as it were, to Bond’s biography, but of course it is set in 2012 so Bond would have been 88. In a way I have the easier, or more logical, task, because my Bond is living his history. His schooldays, his parenting and upbringing is all there.” 

“There is a disconnect between the film Bond and the literary Bond which is their contemporaneity. I don’t suffer from that.”

In speaking with the BBC recently, Boyd did reveal that "there's a little bit of Chelsea in my Bond novel." Both Boyd and James Bond live in Chelsea. Ah, the drip-feed...

Click here to listen at BBC

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Ian Fleming honored during SKYFALL's BAFTA win

Skyfall won the award for Outstanding British Film at the 2013 BAFTA Awards tonight in London. During their acceptance speeches, both producer Michael G. Wilson and director Sam Mendes gave a special thanks and tribute to Ian Fleming. Mendes even quoted from Casino Royale. Perfect.

Skyfall, which is officially the most successful James Bond movie ever, is released on Tuesday on DVD and Blu-Ray.

LINK: Sebastian Faulks ridicules 'distasteful' Bond film Skyfall

Well this certainly isn't going to make Devil May Care author Sebastian Faulks any more popular with Bond fans. For the record, I really enjoyed Faulks' book. But I'm not onboard with him here. Go nuts.

No SKYFALL for Boyd

There's been a sudden flurry of press about the new James Bond novel due next year, with The Telegraph and the Mail Online emphasizing author William Boyd's comment about Bond being a "massive boozer" in the books and early films (it's true).

The Independent takes a different approach, building their report on the fact that the book is set back in 1969 ("James Bond will be thrust into a world of Woodstock, Vietnam protests and man's first steps on the Moon.")

But all the reports include a mention of how Boyd has purposely avoided seeing the new mega-hit James Bond film, Skyfall, although none explain exactly why. Presumably Boyd doesn't want to be influenced by the Film Bond? Fair enough. But The Independent also has this:

An expert in Bond’s life and times, Boyd corrects an error in the climax of Sam Mendes’ film, which sought to return OO7 to his childhood home, the Skyfall Lodge in Glencoe, Scotland. “Bond was brought up by an aunt in somewhere like Wiltshire,” Boyd said.

Boyd isn't entirely right about this. Bond's time at Skyfall Lodge precedes his going to live with his aunt. Skyfall was the home of his parents. After their death, he was sent to live with his aunt. Of course, the Skyfall mythology is a completely new invention by the screenwriters, but one of the many things I liked about the new Bond film is how it included Bond's childhood without contradicting Fleming or even Charlie Higson's Young Bond series.

Anyway, here are the articles, all of which appeared today:

• The Independent: From Skyfall to the Sixties: New James Bond novel by author William Boyd set in 1969
• The Telegraph: 'Cartoon' film James Bond should be 'massive boozer', claims William Boyd
• Mail Online: James Bond is a 'massive boozer' who has been portrayed as a cartoon character in films, says author of next 007 novel

William Boyd's Bond novel will be published in Fall of 2013 by Jonathan Cape in the UK and HarperCollins in the U.S and Canada.

SKYFALL is an all-time high

I know I didn't post anything about the release of Skyfall, the 23rd James Bond film, but did I really need to? I don't think this one was going to slip past any Bond fan.

The film is doing stellar box office -- it's already the second highest grossing movie of all time in the UK and was #1 in the U.S. opening weekend. I've seen the film twice and the only word I can come up with is miraculous. It's just a miracle of a Bond movie -- I can't believe it can still be this good. Congrats to Danjaq and all the creators of Skyfall for keeping The Movie Bond at the top of his game.

But I'm still bummed we didn't get a novelization.

Music to read James Bond by

Adele's Bond theme for Skyfall has been released. I love it.

BOND ON SET: FILMING SKYFALL released

Bond on Set: Filming Skyfall has been released by DK Books. The book is a collection of candid behind the scenes photographs from the set of the latest Bond film by official photographer Greg Williams.

Previous "Bond on Set" books have covered Die Another Day, Casino Royale and Quantum of Solace.

The photos are terrific, but I miss "making of" books that actually tell the story of the filming (you know, with words). Licence To Kill, GoldenEye, Tomorrow Never Dies, and The World Is Not Enough all had nicely informative official "making of" books. And, of course, the unofficial The Making of On Her Majesty's Secret Service by Charles Helfenstein is the greatest of all the Bond "making of" books, IMO.

But if you crave behind the scenes pics, then this is a must buy.

Purchase Bond on Set: Filming Skyfall from Amazon.com (U.S.) and Amazon.co.uk (UK).

Related: IFP confirms no Skyfall novelization (dang it).

New SKYFALL poster is familiar

The final U.S. one-sheet for Skyfall has been released. As usual, some Bond fans are voicing their displeasure, but I really like the simple strong image and the unusual placement of the credits. But maybe I like it because it reminds me of something?

Thanks to Tanner over at the stellar Double O Section blog for reminding me that the image of Daniel Crag is reminiscent of the silhouette first used on the 1982 Berkley paperback edition of Goldfinger (below). The same silhouette later appeared on the covers of Raymond Benson's Never Dream of Dying and The Man With The Red Tattoo.

Click here to read more about the Berkley silhouette series of the 1980s. You might also be interested in reading about another cover silhouette that sparked controversy for being too similar to the films. And check out my article on the surprising similarities between the films and the books, Déjá vu Mr. Bond, soon to be updated with Skyfall.

Bonding with ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY

By now you probably know that the new issue of Entertainment Weekly magazine has special James Bond 50th Anniversary coverage as well as a peek at the new film Skyfall.

Nothing literary Bond related and no mention of Fleming anywhere, unfortunately, but there is a nice shot of Timothy Dalton from his 1986 screen test that I've never seen.

Here's a look back at past Entertainment Weekly Bond covers, including their fantasy covers that came inside the Fall Movie Preview issue of 2006 (love these).

SKYFALL trailer - You Only Live Twice?

The official SKYFALL trailer is released today. Is it just me, or does this movie look like a spiritual adaptation of Ian Fleming's You Only Live Twice (in the way Die Another Day was an adaption of Fleming's Moonraker)? Either way, this looks absolutely sensational! Enjoy.

You can watch the International trailer, which shows even more footage, at 007.com. But I think the U.S. trailer above is the better preview.

OO7 MAGAZINE #55

OO7 Magazine, the longest running James Bond fanzine, is out now with issue #55.

As you can see from the cover, the new Bond film SKYFALL is covered in "Will BOND 23 rise or fall?" by Luke Williams. Robert Sellers, author of The Battle for Bond, looks back at "The Search For Bond: How the 007 role was won and lost" in the first of a four part series. Photographer Terry O'Neill is interviewed about his career working with all five James Bond actors and his upcoming book, All About Bond.

Finally, book Bond fans will be interested in “Balloon, mein herr?”, an examination by Luke Williams of the fascinating parallels between the film versions of Graham Greene’s The Third Man (1949) and Ian Fleming’s The Living Daylights (1987).

You can purchase OO7 Magazine #55 along with all the current issues of the OO7 Magazine Archive Files at the OO7 Magazine website.

Cover art for Taschen's THE JAMES BOND ARCHIVES

Cover art for TASCHEN's mammoth The James Bond Archives has been revealed on 007.com. They've also posted an interview with the book's editor, Paul Duncan, and the following descrption:

As EON Productions celebrate 50 years of Bond, it’s worth remembering that Sean Connery was introducing himself as 007 long before man went to the Moon. As part of their ongoing celebrations, EON have granted TASCHEN editor Paul Duncan unparalleled access to their immense archives of photos, designs, storyboards and production materials to produce the new book, The James Bond Archives. After two years diligently sifting through over a million images and 100 filing cabinets of documents, Duncan’s collation of previously unpublished photography and artwork is a definitive and comprehensive pictorial tribute to 007, and the complete account of the story of Bond, beginning with DR. NO (1962) and ending with the upcoming SKYFALL (2012). Over 600 pages deep and packed with the anecdotes and recollections of 150 cast and crew members, TASCHEN’s new arrival equates to half a century of Bond’s adventures.

The James Bond Archives is priced at $200, but at the moment it's discounted 37% on Amazon. So far it's only available on the U.S. Amazon website.

• Pre-order The James Bond Archives on Amazon.com

Mi6 Confidential previews IAN FLEMING: THE BIBLIOGRAPHY

The latest issue of Mi6 Confidential (#15) has just landed on my door, and while the cover story is devoted to the location filming of Skyfall, I'm happy to report that there is still plenty inside for the literary Bond fan.

First and foremost is an exclusive extract from Jon Gilbert's upcoming Ian Fleming: The Bibliography. With all the 50th Anniversary books heading our way this Fall, this is actually the book I'm most looking forward to, especially after getting this peek inside. It looks amazing!

The magazine also reports on the appointment of William Boyd as the latest continuation novelist, and includes a look back at the 1974 strip, The Phoenix Project, which featured 007 in action in Istanbul.

You can purchase Mi6 Confidential (#15) at mi6confidential.com.

Thanks to Hugh Maddocks.

TASCHEN to publish massive JAMES BOND 50th Anniversary book

Here comes another publication the celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the cinematic James Bond -- and this one sounds like a whopper! TASCHEN has announced, 007 - The James Bond Archives: Fifty Years of Bond, James Bond. For those who don't know, TASCHEN is a specialty publisher known for producing ultra high end art books. Here's the description on Amazon:

"Bond, James Bond." 

 Since Sean Connery uttered those immortal words in 1962, the most dashing secret agent in the history of cinema has been charming and thrilling audiences worldwide. This impeccably British character created by author Ian Fleming has starred in 23 EON-produced films, played by 6 different actors over five decades. 

 To celebrate 50 years of this innovative franchise, EON Productions opened their archives of photos, designs, storyboards, and production materials to editor Paul Duncan, who spent two years researching over one million images and 100 filing cabinets of documentation. The result is the most complete account of the making of the series, covering every James Bond film ever made, beginning with "Dr. No" (1962) and ending with the upcoming "SkyFall" (2012), including the spoof "Casino Royale" (1967) and "Never Say Never Again" (1983). 

The stunning imagery is accompanied by an oral history recounted by over 150 cast and crew members, relating the true inside story of how the Bond films were made. Containing previously unpublished photography and artwork, as well as production memos from filming, this book is a comprehensive tribute to the legend of James Bond.

007 - The James Bond Archives: Fifty Years of Bond, James Bond is priced at $200, but at the moment it's discounted 37% on Amazon. So far it's only available on the U.S. Amazon website. Cover art is not yet available. I'll update this post when it is.

Pre-order 007 - The James Bond Archives: Fifty Years of Bond, James Bond on Amazon.com

UPDATE: Cover art.

SKYFALL teaser poster revealed -- trailer Monday

Not book Bond related, but the big news this week is the release of the first poster for SKYFALL on 007.com. Very nice. (Click the image to enlarge.)

The official site says the first teaser trailer will be released this Monday, May 21st. I've actually seen the teaser, and it's pretty darn good!

SKYFALL is not based on any book, and as I reported back in March, there will be no SKYFALL novelization. This marks the first original titled Bond film not to be novelized.

SKYFALL crew acknowledge Fleming influence

The superb HMSS Weblog has put together a nice article of quotations from the SKYFALL cast and crew -- currently on location in Istanbul -- acknowledging that the original Ian Fleming books aided greatly in crafting the new Bond film.

Click here to read "Welcome Back, Ian Fleming" at HMSS.

Requiem for a novelization

With the news that there will be no novelization of Skyfall, I thought I'd take a look back at the past James Bond novelizations. Looks like these seven (007!) books will now stand alone as "the novelizations."

What was nice about the Bond novelizations, and why I had hoped for a Skyfall novelization -- despite being aware that novelizations themselves on the way out -- is that they were always treated as something more than marketing knockoffs. The first two novelizations were written by the screenwriter, Christopher Wood. The final five were penned by continuation novelists John Gardner and Raymond Benson.

These were also quality books. In fact, many consider Christopher Wood's James Bond The Spy Who Loved Me as one of the very best continuation novels. John Gardner's Licence To Kill is a fan favorite as he fit the story into the literary continuity (yes, poor Felix is fed to sharks again!). Raymond Benson's Tomorrow Never Dies improves on a weak film by filling in plot holes and fleshing out the characters of Elliot Carver and Wai Lin.

The Bond novelizations were also printed in nice hardcover editions, at least in the UK, and that's what I'm showcasing here. The 007 Novelizations (see how that works two ways?). Let us have a moment of silent contemplation.

By Christopher Wood

By John Gardner

By Raymond Benson

The good news is 2012 will not be totally novelization free. Orion will be reprinting John Gardner's Licence To Kill and GoldenEye as part of their new paperback reprints.

UK novelizations (hardcover) publication:
James Bond The Spy Who Loved Me by Christopher Wood, Jonathan Cape, 1977
James Bond and Moonraker by Christopher Wood, Jonathan Cape, 1979
Licence To Kill by John Gardner, The Mysterious Press, April 1990. (Paperback published in 1989.)
GoldenEye by John Gardner, Hodder & Stoughton, November 1995.
Tomorrow Never Dies by Raymond Benson, Hodder & Stoughton, November 1997.
The World Is Not Enough by Raymond Benson, Hodder & Stoughton, November 1999.
Die Another Day by Raymond Benson, Hodder & Stoughton, November 7, 2002.

OFFICIAL: NO 'SKYFALL' NOVELIZATION (DANG IT)

Well, I have a disappointing "exclusive" today. Ian Fleming Publications has confirmed for me that there will NOT be a novelization of Skyfall, the new James Bond film currently in production. This will be the first time a non-Fleming titled Bond film has not been novelized. The last novelization was Die Another Day by Raymond Benson in 2002.

I didn't press for the reasons why, but tradition has long been that the reigning continuation author does the novelizations, and at the moment there is no reigning continuation author. IFP is now contracting authors one book at a time, as we've seen with Sebastian Faulks (Devil May Care) and Jeffery Deaver (Carte Blanche).

So it looks like we will be experiencing Skyfall on the screen and not the page. But I'm sure it will still be good. ;)

Thanks to the always awesome Corinne Turner for giving me the scoop.