You Only Live Thrice

In case you haven't heard the next James Bond film has a title – Skyfall.
It’s interesting to note that the announcement of a film title can become an event itself.
True, it’s been 50 years since James Bond first graced our screens and despite a couple of delays threatening to kill off Bond for good (a legal wrangle threatened the franchise between Timothy Dalton’s and Pierce Brosnan’s turns as the super spy; and the recent financial problems of MGM) he has been able to live not just twice, but three times.
So it was probably not much of a surprise that at the announcement of the film’s title at the West End’s Corinthia hotel Bond himself, Daniel Craig, was there sporting a beard while one on side was French actress Bérénice Marlohe as one Bond girl and British actress Naomie Harris as another.
Of course producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G Wilson were there too along with the fictional head of MI6, Dame Judi.
What really made this movie buff get excited were the appearances of Oscar-winning director (and fellow Reading boy) Sam Mendes at the top table as well as everyone’s favourite bad guy, Javier Bardem.
The news that thesps Ralph Feinnes and Albert Finney will be in the film too can only add to the impact.
Let’s be honest how many other Bond actors and actresses can you name beyond the main man? Christopher Lee, Grace Jones, Gert Frobe, Honor Blackman, Christopher Walken, Eva Green. There are plenty more (Teri Hatcher for instance, and film buffs will remember a youthful Benicio Del Toro in Licence To Kill) but it’s difficult to pin them down – yes, I’m sure you will be able to remember others I’ve temporarily forgotten, Famke Janssen, for example. But now we’ve got an ensemble cast and director that’s almost worthy of a Christopher Nolan film.
Have the Bond producers set themselves up for a fall? There’s so much weight on the screen, combined with the three year delay (although that’s hardly the producers’ fault) there will be a lot of expectation for delivery of the goods (there are rumours that Mendes wants this film to be less Bond and more Smiley).
Twenty-three films is no mean feat for a franchise although I can imagine many of today’s blockbuster film making a considerable run.
But now I wouldn’t be surprised if a press conference was called for future franchise instalments.
After Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight Rises he has said he will hang up his hat, but something tells me that if he comes back for a fourth, there will be a similar buzz about that one as there is for this.
And what of other franchises and other comic books? The Pirates of the Caribbean episodes, another Bourne movie, the list goes on.
Perhaps 007 can be more than just a series based around one character – it could have been the inspiration for all the movie blockbusters we have today.
And once again, perhaps that could be down to the success of Bond’s cinematic home, Pinewood Studios, and British technicians.