Eon Bond actor No. 007: Let’s get on with it, shall we?

Over the past few days, there have been events related to the 60th anniversary of the James Bond film series produced by Eon Productions.

Eon’s Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson have yammered about the next casting. “For Barbara and I, it’s something we keep in mind – we want to satisfy the audiences but we need to surprise them and refresh it, so that’s the challenge,” according to an account by Radio Times.

The thing is, Broccoli and Wilson have known *for a few years now* that Daniel Craig’s time as Bond was drawing to an end.

As a result, Broccoli and Wilson have known it was time for a change. But, based on their public statements, Broccoli and Wilson have talked as if nothing will happen soon. Supposedly, Bond 26 won’t start filming for at least two years.

By comparison, Albert R. Broccoli (Wilson’s stepfather, Barbara Broccoli’s father) acted quickly when a vacancy occurred with the role of Bond. Between 1985 and 1987, Eon cast *two Bond actors* (Pierce Brosnan and then Timothy Dalton).

Wednesday, Oct. 5, is Global James Bond Day. If a new Bond actor is announced that day by Eon, it will be a very cynical announcement. It wouldn’t be a matter of Eon playing fun and games. It would be the climax of a series of lies.

We’ll see how it goes.

Bond 25 questions: James Bond Day edition

No Time to Die teaser poster

Another James Bond Day appears to be in the books. But the blog still has some questions about the meaning of the day’s events.

What’s this holiday’s name again?

In 2012, Global James Bond Day debuted. It was the 50th anniversary of when Dr. No had its U.K. debut. The new “holiday” was a marketing move to note the Bond film franchise’s 50th anniversary.

Since then, it’s had the name Global James Bond Day. Until this year.

Eon Productions (via a tweet) as well as Pinewood Studios (also in a tweet), Orlebar Brown (a maker of pricey 007-themed clothing, also in a tweet) and Aston Martin (you guessed it, in a tweet) all called it James Bond Day, with the “Global” taken off.

However, No Time to Die director Cary Fukunaga, in a video on his Instagram page, called it “International James Bond Day.”

The memo didn’t make it to many Bond fan sites that kept referring to it as Global James Bond Day.

What about the teaser poster?

It came out on (Global/International) James Bond Day. But it was a minimalist affair, with an image of Daniel Craig in a tuxedo.

What about the teaser trailer?

That’s an event for another day, apparently. We’re about six months from the debut of No Time to Die. So you’d think it’d be out sooner than later. But not on (Global/International) James Bond Day.

Who was responsible for the teaser poster?

Some fans on social media were inclined to blame studios (either MGM, Bond’s home studio or its distribution partners).

However, in 2015, Eon’s Michael Wilson said Eon does the marketing and studios just execute what Eon devises. If he was correct, Eon has some fingerprints on that poster.

What about those Bond-themed names for new roads at Pinewood Studios?

Pinewood said an expansion area will have a Michael G. Wilson Road and Skyfall Avenue. The announcement came as the future of Bond at Pinewood is up in the air.

Pinewood Group PLC, Pinewood’s owner, and Walt Disney Co. have announced a deal where Disney will lock up the vast bulk of Pinewood facilities in a long-term deal. Shepperton Studios, also owned by Pinewood Group, this summer reached a deal with Netflix that locks up most of that studio space.

It remains to be seen how this will play out. But it raises the possibility that Disney crews will travel on Michael G. Wilson Road and Skyfall Avenue so they can perform their day’s work. Not to mention going to the Albert R. Broccoli 007 Stage to do a day’s labor.

Happy Global James Bond Day

“Happy 50th, James.”

The 50th anniversary of the James Bond film series has arrived. It’s Oct. 5 in the U.K., Global James Bond Day, as we type this; in the U.S. it’s merely Global James Bond Eve.

The Adele theme song for Skyfall, the 23rd film in the 007 series is now live:

Other Oct. 5 activities include a program in Los Angeles hosted by Jon Burlingame and including Vic Flick and Don Black concerning 007 music. Burlingame is an expert on film and television music who has written a new book titled THE MUSIC OF JAMES BOND. The official 007 Facebook page also is scheduled to release details of its fan survey concerning the favorite film of the series produced by Eon Production.

Meanwhile, for those who missed it the first time, is our series about the 50th anniversary of Dr. No, which made its debut on Oct. 5, 1962, in the U.K. but wasn’t seen in other countries until 1963.

Happy anniversary, Commander Bond.

UPDATE (Oct. 5): Epix has come out with a Skyfall preview it uploaded to YouTube. The principals say many of the things they’ve said previously, although Barbara Broccoli now says Javier Bardem will be the best Bond villain ever.

Bond music program on Oct. 5 to feature Black, Flick

The Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences formally announced an Oct. 5 program in Beverly Hills, The Music of Bond: The First 50 Years. Featured guests are Don Black, who collaborated with John Barry and David Arnold on 007 film title songs, and guitarist Vic Flick, who helped bring Monty Norman’s James Bond Theme to life in Dr. No.

John Barry

An excerpt OF THE ANNOUNCEMENT:

Fifty years to the day after the U.K. opening of the first Bond film, “Dr. No,” on October 5, 1962, the Academy pays homage to the memorable title songs and indelible scores that have become as celebrated as the character’s many exploits.

Over the 22 films released to date as part of the official James Bond series, there have been several constants: suave but deadly leading men, gorgeous and barely clad Bond girls, over-the-top villains and incredible music. Bond theme songs, sung by such leading performers of their era as Shirley Bassey (“Goldfinger”), Nancy Sinatra (“You Only Live Twice”), Paul McCartney and Wings (“Live and Let Die”), Carly Simon (“Nobody Does It Better”) and Sheena Easton (“For Your Eyes Only”), consistently landed on the pop music charts. Duran Duran’s “A View to a Kill” became the first Bond song to hit #1 on the Billboard Hot 100.

The host of the program is Jon Burlingame, who has written extensively about film and television music, including the upcoming The Music of James Bond.

The Oct. 5 program starts at 7:30 p.m. PT at the Samuel Goldwyn Theater, 8949 Wilshire Boulevard, Beverly Hills, CA 90211. General admission tickets are $5 and can be ordered ONLINE or by mail starting Sept. 4. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. on Oct. 5 and seats are not reserved.