More from Daniel Craig’s New Yorker appearance

Daniel Craig and Christoph Waltz at December 2014 media event.

Oct. 12: Updated to include a quote from another website in the eighth paragraph from the James Bond Radio website.

After reviewing more accounts of Daniel Craig’s Oct. 7 appearance at The New Yorker Festival, here are additional points that may be of interest.

Did the actor read Ian Fleming 007 stories?

Lee Pfeiffer of Cinema Retro had A DETAILED ACCOUNT  of what Craig said during his 90-minute interview with The New Yorker’s Nicholas Schmidle. It included this passage:

Craig said that throughout his life he has always enjoyed seeing Bond films but had never read Ian Fleming’s novels.

This differs from comments the 48-year-old actor has said previously. In AN APRIL 29, 2012 STORY IN RETUERS, Craig said he and director Sam Mendes had read the Fleming stories before Skyfall was filmed.

“We were in continued conversation, once Sam agreed to do it,” said Craig. “We weren’t supposed to talk to each other because MGM hadn’t done the deal.

“But we couldn’t shut up. It was a chance for us to reread Ian Fleming, and we started emailing each other, ‘What about this and what about this?’, and that’s how it snowballed.” (emphasis added)

However, THIS JAMES BOND RADIO POST said, “Wilfred (Picorelli, who reported on the event for the website) reports that Daniel said that he had read all the novels and watched all the films.”

OK, let’s say Craig first talked about not reading the novels before being cast, then read them afterward. But then why DID HE SAY IN 2011 that the “name of a Bond film is not about anything. Live And Let Die? Octopussy? What does it mean?”

They’re pretty much explained in the books and sometimes the movies use the titles for characters, such as in Octopussy. If you had read all of the Fleming stories and seen all of the movies, you’d know what (in the short story) or who (in the movie) Octopussy was.

Bond’s attitude toward women: According to the Cinema Retro story, Craig commented about Bond’s attitude toward women.

Asked about long-time criticisms that the character of James Bond was sexist, Craig commented on a clip from “Spectre” in which Bond seduces a character played by Monica Bellucci and pointed out that charges of sexism against Bond were misguided because such scenes are meant to be viewed with a degree of camp.

In 2015, in an interview with a website called The Red Bulletin, Craig described Bond’s attitude toward women this way:

But let’s not forget that he’s actually a misogynist. A lot of women are drawn to him chiefly because he embodies
a certain kind of danger and never sticks around for too long.

Misogynist is defined as “a person who dislikes, despises, or is strongly prejudiced against women.”

Craig confirmed his Star Wars: The Force Awakens cameo: “Craig verified internet rumors that he was indeed in the latest “Star Wars” movie, playing an anonymous Storm Trooper,” according to Cinema Retro.

Tweets by others in attendance also noted Craig’s comments.

“Why would you play a stormtrooper at this point?”

Craig: “What a stupid fucking question!…STAR WARS, for fuck’s sake!” #TNYfest

— Phil Nobile Jr. (@PhilNobileJr) October 8, 2016

To read the entire Cinema Retro account, CLICK HERE.

The real question about Bond 25

Image for the official James Bond feed on Twitter

UPDATE (9:15 a.m.): Updated with another quote and a link to another video in sixth paragraph below.

Daniel Craig’s public appearance at the New Yorker Festival has come and gone without definitive answers about Bond 25 and his future as 007. But it raised a new, and probably more important, question.

How tired is the 007 film franchise? Is it a momentary slump? Or is a deeper exhaustion?

The James Bond Radio website HAD A POST that INCLUDED A SHORT VIDEO of the Craig appearance. It includes this passage:

“There’s no conversation going on because genuinely everybody’s just a bit tired,” Craig, 48, said. “The producers are just…Barbara (Broccoli) is making a movie. I’m doing Othello, Barbara’s producing that.”

The Broccoli movie is the drama Film Stars Don’t Die in Liverpool, now in post-production. Othello is an off-Broadway production, which has a short run starting next month. When that play is over, Craig will spend much of his 2017 working on Purity, a limited, 20-episode series for Showtime.

One shouldn’t make too much about a couple of comments. Also during the evening IN A VIDEO IN ANOTHER TWEET, Craig also said of playing Bond, “Were I to stop doing it, I’d miss it terribly.”

Still, the way Craig said “just a bit tired” made it sound like he still hasn’t recovered fully from SPECTRE, which wrapped production in mid-2015.

Meanwhile the co-bosses of Eon Productions, who don’t do a lot of interviews, have reason to be tired as well.

Both Broccoli, 56, and her half-brother Michael G. Wilson, 74, have been involved with the series for decades. Both have been at it longer than Eon co-founder Albert R. Broccoli, who spent the last 35 years of his life in Bondage.

If this is a short-term thing, it’s not much of an issue. But if it’s a deeper exhaustion, there are larger concerns than whether Daniel Craig does another James Bond film or not. If Craig comes back all excited to go, it doesn’t mean much unless the rest of the creative team is equally enthusiastic.

Only Broccoli and Wilson can answer the question. All we know is everybody’s a bit tired almost a year after the most recent 007 film was released.

 

Craig tells New Yorker no decision made on Bond 25

Daniel Craig photo opposing Brexit earlier this year.

Daniel Craig said Friday night that no decision has been made yet about Bond 25, according to audience members who attended a New Yorker Festival program featuring the actor.

The actor said during the 90-minute presentation that 007 principals, including Barbara Broccoli, the co-boss of Eon Productions, are focused on non-Bond projects.

Craig also denied being offered $150 million to do two more 007 films. He also appeared to contradict director Paul Greengrass, who said earlier this year that Bond producer Barbara Broccoli had approached him about making a Bond film.

Craig, 48, was interviewed by Nicholas Schmidle, a staff writer for the magazine. The New Yorker Festival, being held this weekend, features programs featuring figures in the arts. The Craig program was titled “Beyond Bond.” The actor has starred in four 007 films since 2006.

The Craig interview was tweeted as it unfolded, both by the magazine and some attending. On the subject of Craig’s future as Bond, this was tweeted by the Arts Commented blog.

Daniel Craig talking about Bond – no announcement was made. He said no decision has been made yet. Cc @JamesBondBR pic.twitter.com/N7ZaW1pqiP

— Arts Commented (@ArtsCommented) October 8, 2016

>

@JamesBondBR just adding: he also said that everyone is focused on other projects now, including Bárbara Broccoli, who’s producing Othello

— Arts Commented (@ArtsCommented) October 8, 2016

Daniel Craig said there’s no truth in the rumors that he’s been offered $150 million to continue as Bond. Cc @JamesBondBR

— Arts Commented (@ArtsCommented) October 8, 2016

Craig is appearing as Iago in an off-broadway production of Othello that runs from Nov. 22 to Jan. 18. After that, Craig is to be the star and an executive producer of Purity. a limited-run series for Showtime. Purity will consist of 20 episodes, half being telecast in 2017, the remainder in 2018.

The Radar Online website in early September said that Craig had received the $150 million offer for two more 007 movies, something that no other entertainment outlet has confirmed.

The Bond actor also had this exchange about Paul Greengrass, who has directed three Bourne movies with Matt Damon, according to a tweet by Philip Nobile Jr. of the website Movies. Birth. Death.

“Paul Greengrass has said he wouldn’t be interested in a Bond film-“

Craig: “Well we wouldn’t ask him! He should be so fucking lucky!”

— Chilly Philly Nobile (@PhilNobileJr) October 8, 2016

Greengrass said in July that Broccoli once approached him about directing a Bond film but he could never direct a Bond film.

Craig also said there aspects of the Bond character he liked, according to a New Yorker tweet.

Daniel Craig on Bond: “I like that broken part of him. That doing a job like that has a serious effect on your psyche. That’s fun.” #TNYfest

— New Yorker Live (@newyorkerlive) October 8, 2016

UPDATE (2:20 a.m., Oct. 8): The James Bond Radio website had some in the audience, and HAD A POST. It included two short videos INCLUDING ONE where Craig said the following about the 007 film series: “There’s no conversation going on genuinely because everybody’s just a bit tired.”

Will the Daniel Craig 007 soap opera take it up a notch?

Which way will you turn, Daniel? Which way will you turn?

The James Bond soap opera, As Daniel Craig Turns, may ratchet it up a notch. Or not.

In six days, the 48-year-old actor is scheduled to appear at The New Yorker Festival in a program titled “Beyond Bond.”

Craig is to talk for 90 minutes with the magazine’s Nicholas Schmidle.

After all these months of speculation whether Craig will make a fifth Bond film, Schmidle almost has to ask the actor the question. The New Yorker, afterall, is a high-brow journalistic operation and one of the most prestigious in the United States.

If the award-winning journalist didn’t ask the obvious, it might put a dent in his reputation. Also, when you tease your program by calling it “Beyond Bond,” you’re practically advertising you intend to ask.

Assuming the question arises, that doesn’t mean Craig has to answer, of course. He’s been known to give curt answers to the entertainment press. Some of his fans love that aspect about the star, saying they love watching him befuddle the scribes.

Still, Craig’s appearance at The New Yorker might mean we finally hear him address his Bond future.

The appearance comes as a high-ranking member of Eon Productions, Callum McDougall, told the BBC this week that Craig is still Eon’s top choice as 007. McDougall is one of the main deputies of Eon co-bosses Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson.

That interview prompted Vanity Fair to post a snarky article titled Everybody but Daniel Craig Wants Another Daniel Craig Bond Film. Vanity Fair noted Craig’s interview (originally published by Time Out London) where he said he’d rather slash his wrists than do another 007 movie.

Of course, that interview was done shortly after SPECTRE wrapped up filming. Doing another Bond film was likely the last thing Craig wanted to think about.

Nevertheless, Vanity Fair previously reported Craig’s remarks angered the head of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Eon’s partner in the Bond franchise.

In the newest Vanity Fair article, Yohana Desta opined, “But for the love of Bond fans and poor, rich, tormented Daniel Craig, please make a decision soon, Broccoli.”

Cue the background music. Maybe the As Daniel Craig Turns soap opera will reach a climax. Or maybe not.

Which way will you turn, Daniel? Which way will you turn?

Daniel Craig to appear at New Yorker Festival

Daniel Craig in 2012 during filming of Skyfall.

Daniel Craig is scheduled to be appear at The New Yorker Festival on Oct 7.

The appearance comes amidst speculation whether the actor will make a fifth James Bond film. He’s also currently filming a heist film called Logan Lucky and will be in an Off-Broadway production of Othello.

According to A DESCRIPTION of Craig’s part of the program, the 48-year-old actor will talk with New Yorker writer Nicholas Schmidle.

The program, titled “Beyond Bond,” will be at 10 p.m. New York time at the MasterCard stage of the SVA Theatre 1, 333 W. 23rd St. in New York. Tickets cost $50 each and go on sale Sept. 9.

If you CLICK HERE, you can view the entire schedule of events Oct. 7-9, which include appearances by David Letterman, Louis C.K. and John Goodman, among others.