UNITED KINGDOM: PIERCE BROSNAN, HALLE BERRY AND TOBY STEPHENS PREPARE TO FILM 20TH JAMES BOND FILM AT PINEWOOD STUDIOS

Record ID: 392316

  • Title: UNITED KINGDOM: PIERCE BROSNAN, HALLE BERRY AND TOBY STEPHENS PREPARE TO FILM 20TH JAMES BOND FILM AT PINEWOOD STUDIOS
  • Date: 11th January 2001
  • Summary: PINEWOOD STUDIOS, BUCKINGHAMSHIRE, UK (REUTERS -ACCESS ALL) SCU (SOUNDBITE) (English) TOBY STEPHENS SAYING, "People really need stories of good versus evil with good triumphing, that's archetypal and humanity requires that, and this gives humanity that, and they also want to see somebody the would love to be getting out of the most ridiculous situations, and James Bond do
  • Embargoed: 26th January 2001 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: PINEWOOD STUDIOS, BUCKINGHAMSHIRE, UK
  • Country: United Kingdom
  • Reuters ID: LVA83X6JDT8SWOZ8SKHF54O4FUAV
  • Story Text: Pierce Brosnan, Halle Berry, Rosamund Pike and an Aston Martin. That's the line-up for the 20th Bond film that's about to start shooting in Pinewood. 007's got new girls, a new car, some new toys and a new director, but fans can be sure that all the thrills and spills will still be there in true Bond style.
    As yet untitled, the 20th Bond movie is beginning shooting at Pinewood, with Irish actor, Pierce Brosnan making his fourth appearance as the everyone's favourite spy, James Bond. It's the final film that Brosnan is contracted to do, but at the launch he stated that he's be quite happy to carry on as 007 is he was asked. The latest in a long line of leading men, Brosnan is in no doubt who his favourite Bond is...
    "For me, my Bond is Connery, Connery was Bond, and I grew up watching his films, so it was hard to kind of keep him out of my peripheral vision so to speak, you know psychically, you just have to trust yourself, you have to tryst the director, you have to trust the actor that you are , the man you are, you know you are not going to please everybody, you know people are just going to come rooting for you, and knives will be drawn so to speak, and that's how I approached it."
    Starring opposite Brosnan is American actress Halle Berry, who takes on the infamous mantle of "Bond girl" - dismissing criticism that such roles degrade women.
    " I have always loved the image that the Bond women have presented in the movies, I am not one of these women that have ever though it was degrading to women, knowing how to use you sexuality is the most powerful tool that any woman has in my opinion, so I have always cheered them on"
    But one girl is never enough for Bond, so British newcomer Rosamund Pike takes on the role of Miranda Frost - quite a role for a first film, the actress has not worked on the big screen before, and is more used to playing in period dramas, the role of the feisty Frost is a departure she is relishing: "The reason why these girls are sexy and attractive is because they sort of equal him for sheer nerve and smart thinking, quick thinking, bravery, and that's a great thing to do, and she's cool, she's not called Miranda frost for nothing."
    This is a landmark Bond in more ways that one, it's not just the 20th film, the launch also marked the 40th anniversary of the first Bond film, Dr. No. British actor, Toby Stephens, (son of Dame Maggie Smith) has the honour of playing the Bond villain, a part that's as much of an institution as the films themselves - he thinks that 007 fulfills a perennial need that film goers have to see the good guy come through in the end: "People really need stories of good versus evil with good triumphing, that's archetypal and humanity requires that, and this gives humanity that, and they also want to see somebody the would love to be getting out of the most ridiculous situations, and James Bond does that, he's the guy who always gets away somehow manages to turn things around, and how is he going to do that, how is he going to get out of this situation, it's like the old style cliff hangers, it fulfills all of those things, people always want to see that."
    New Zealand director Lee Tamahori is a newcomer to Bond, his previous work includes Mulholland Falls and The Edge. He's keen to put his stamp on the film, but is aware that the formula shouldn't be changed too much.
    "There's a lot of leeway, I am allowed a certain amount of freedom to do anything I want to a point, but you are always reminded that it's a PG movie, the bullet hits have to be like this and they can't have blood going all over the place, you have to be kind of careful of what you deliver, it's kind of a rule book in some ways, when you come into physical action there's certain viscous blows that you can't do, and thing like that, but other people point that out and say, in Germany you aren't allowed to do that and all that stuff. But at the same time I am going to make it as tough as possible, as close as possible, you don't want it to be ham fisted and a bit silly, that's the worst thing you can do to a much beloved genre, remember, Austin Powers is out there lampooning the genre, you do not want to sail close to what they are doing in any way shape or form, much as I love that stuff as well, as do we all, it's great to have that, now there's Spy Kids, another genre running along side, kids version of it, so you I want to keep this one really serious and adult, but a lot of fun as well"
    The launch also saw the unveiling of a plaque commemorating Albert R "Cubby" Broccoli, the producer who first brought Bond to the big screen.
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