devilshalo

Marc Forster to direct next Bond film
Daniel Craig will reprise the role of 007
By MICHAEL SPEIER

Marc Forster will direct the 22nd James Bond film.

Forster is the director of the upcoming "The Kite Runner," adapted from Khaled Hosseini's novel. He also recently directed "Stranger Than Fiction" for Sony. Previously, Forster directed "Finding Neverland."

Forster will start work shortly with screenwriter Paul Haggis on a draft of the screenplay by Neil Purvis and Robert Wade.

Daniel Craig will reprise the role of James Bond.

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Forster back in action with 'Bond 22'
By Tatiana Siegel and Borys Kit

June 20, 2007

Marc Forster has signed on to direct the next installment in the James Bond franchise for Columbia Pictures and MGM.

The film will pick up where last year's "Casino Royale," the highest-grossing film ever in the Bond series, left off. Daniel Craig will reprise his role as Agent 007 in the film, which has a working title of "Bond 22."

The German-born helmer said he always has been a Bond fan and is looking forward to taking on the iconic hero. "The new direction that the Bond character has taken offers a director a host of new possibilities," he said.

Forster will team with Paul Haggis on a draft of Neil Purvis and Robert Wade's screenplay.

"Bond 22" is scheduled to begin filming at Pinewood Studios in London in December. Columbia Pictures will release the film worldwide on Nov. 7, 2008.

Producers Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli lauded Forster for "his exceptional talent and unique vision." Amy Pascal, co-chairman of Sony Pictures Entertainment, agreed, adding that Forster is "an actor's director; he approaches material with intelligence and taste. What makes him the perfect choice for 'Bond 22' is that he will bring to this film all the elements Bond audiences expect -- action, humor, suspense and thrills."

Forster -- whose credits include "Stranger Than Fiction," "Finding Neverland" and "Monster's Ball" -- recently wrapped "The Kite Runner," based on Khaled Hosseini's best-selling novel. Forster's "Neverland" was nominated for seven Academy Awards, including best picture. He is repped by CAA and Management 360.

Giles

interesting choice of a director

imdb denotes the possible cast

Giancarlo Giannini ... Rene Mathis

Carice van Houten ... (rumored)

Goran Visnjic ... (rumored)

Abbie Cornish ... (rumored)

Yavin

I was thinking that myself. I wonder why a studio would choose a director whose never directed a film in the action/thriller genre before and let him cut his teeth on a film of this scope?

EDIT: I checked IMDB. He also directed Stay and Monster's Ball. So I guess he has directed a thriller before, sort of.

DVD Josh

So we are out of actual Bond stories right, and this one will have to be done from scratch (Unless the remake one of the better ones)

The Bus

I'm worried about this choice for a director.

GreenVulture

Michael Apted? The World is Not Enough?

Yavin

Looking at his filmography on IMDB ... his directorial efforts prior to that film were varied enough that I can understand the decision to have him direct that one. Then again, I thought that entry was pretty mediocre.

RoboDad

If you mean Ian Fleming Bond stories, then technically we have been "out of them" for quite a while (Casino Royale excepted, of course). Five of the last six Bond movies have been from scratch, although they did have tie-in novels written by John Gardner (Fleming's successor in penning Bond stories), or by his successor, Raymond Benson. However, between the other (non-tie-in) Bond books written by Gardner and Benson, there might still be some screenplay-worthy efforts to be found.

rw2516

I read somewhere this one will be based somewhat on a so far unused Fleming short story "Risco"

Patman

I'm actually intrigued by Forster being on board as director, I like his style.

the big train

They've used all the Fleming book titles but not all the stories. Just off the top of my head: Live and Let Die, Diamonds are Forever, Moonraker, You Only Live Twice, The Spy Who Loved Me (not really about James Bond), and The Man with the Golden Gun have never actually had their plots used in the movies. The character names have been transferred over and certain scenes have made their way into the movies.

Pretty much the entire Risico plot was incorported into For Your Eyes Only which combined the "Risico" and "For Your Eyes Only" stories from the novel.

The "From a View to a Kill" short story hasn't been used, nor has "Quantum of Solace" (which is about as likely to be used as the actual The Spy Who Loved Me plot). "The Hildebrand Rarity" was somewhat incorporated into Licence to Kill and hardly presents enough material to be anything more than a small side story.

All the stories from Octopussy and The Living Daylights were used in, well... Octopussy and The Living Daylights.

Actually they did use Moonraker, they just changed it a bit and called it Die Another Day.

Charlie Goose

This is all I need to know. Easily the best Bond since Connery.

nateman

So Dr. Kovač didn't go back to Croatia to take care of his ailing father, Someone call Abby!

lordwow

I was thinking, who would I like to see direct this. The Casino Royale director? Sure. If not him, the Goldeneye director.

Oh wait, same guy.

Was Martin Campbell too busy?

rexinnih

Works for me too!

Giles

apparently

and 'Casino Royale' and 'Goldeneye' are my two favourite non-Sean Connery Bond flicks.

PopcornTreeCt

He's a great director. It's actually kinda cool that they are going with a proven director.

LoPan5705

I'm suprised that Martin Campbell is not coming back to direct. Is it just speculation or is the next Bond supposed a followup to Casino Royale? I wouldn't call it "Casino Royale 2" but just the events after the fact.

rennervision

I agree with those novels/stories you cited. But I always felt DAD had a closer resemblance to the movie version of Diamonds are Forever. If it took place in Las Vegas it would have officially been a remake.

Jericho

I'm not that surpised. It just seems like they (the producers) move on after one film by a director. Although they eventually brought Campbell back, it took a while and a another James Bond. All the Brosnan films were successful financially, yet they didn't seem to try to bring any of them back during Brosnan's run.

rennervision

But the producers did seem to favor a small group of directors for the Bond films prior to the Brosnan era. And yes, I believe this next movie can be considered a direct sequel to the last one - which I don't believe can be said of any other Bond film.

Jericho

But those were also largely different producers (although Michael Wilson did join on towards the end of the non-Brosnan Bonds). Besides, I'm not sure how much of a sequel this is. Did Dr. No not set-up a showdown with SPECTRE? This is the same basic idea...

dhmac

Exactly. After the overwhelming critical success of Casino Royale and its updated "return to Ian Fleming" plot, I was really hoping they would continue the series by making an updated but mostly faithful adaptation of the plot of the next Fleming book, Live and Let Die, which was a direct sequel to the events in Casino Royale. They would have to change the title to something else and make some other updates here and there (such as toning down some racial elements), but adapting that Fleming story would have been the best way to go for the next movie.

rennervision

The problem is one of the main incidents from the book Live and Let Die:



was used in Licence to Kill. And, of course, there would be characters and other scenes (like Bond being dragged through shark-infested waters in For Your Eyes Only) that have already been used before as well. But it would be interesting if the producers didn't care about repeating elements from past Bond films to maintain a new continuity based on Fleming's stories.

Legolas

Casino Royale II: The Legend of Vesper's Gold?