CULVER CITY, Calif., Jan. 7 /PRNewswire/ -- Producers Michael G. Wilson
and Barbara Broccoli of EON Productions Ltd, Sony Pictures Entertainment
and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios announced today the start of principal
photography on the eagerly anticipated 22nd James Bond adventure. Daniel
Craig reprises his role as 007 in the film which is directed by Marc
Forster and follows the success of CASINO ROYALE, the latest and highest
grossing film in the series.
Starring alongside Craig is an impressive international cast led by the
critically acclaimed French actor Mathieu Amalric as the sinister villain,
and the Ukranian actress Olga Kurylenko who plays 007's leading lady.
Returning to Bond 22 (working title) from CASINO ROYALE are Judi Dench
in her role as M, Jeffrey Wright as Felix Leiter and Giancarlo Giannini as
Mathis. Newcomer to the Bond franchise, Gemma Arterton, will play the role
of MI6 Agent Fields.
Commenting on the announcement, Wilson and Broccoli said, "We are
fortunate to continue in the Bond tradition of attracting the finest
international actors for our starring roles. Mathieu in the role of Dominic
Greene, a leading member of the villainous organization introduced in
CASINO ROYALE, will be a powerful counterpart to Daniel's portrayal of
Bond. Olga Kurylenko will play the dangerously alluring Camille, who
challenges Bond and helps him come to terms with the emotional consequences
of Vesper's betrayal."
MGM and Sony Pictures will share distribution rights worldwide with
Columbia Pictures and Sony Pictures Releasing International distributing
the film to theaters worldwide on November 7th, 2008. Marc Forster directs
the screenplay by Neal Purvis & Robert Wade and Paul Haggis. The unit
includes Production Designer Dennis Gassner, Director of Photography
Roberto Schaefer, Editors Matt Chesse and Rick Pearson, and 2nd Unit
Director Dan Bradley.
MATHIEU AMALRIC, one of France's leading screen stars, is best known
for his roles as Jean-Dominique Bauby in Julian Schnabel's award-winning
film, The Diving Bell and the Butterfly, and as the French information
broker, Louis, in Steven Spielberg's Munich. Last year, he was awarded Best
Actor at France's Cesar Awards for his role in the internationally
acclaimed comedy Kings and Queen, directed by Arnaud Desplechin.
Previously, Amalric won the Cesar for Most Promising Actor for his role in
Desplechin's My Sex Life.
Amalric began his career as an actor in 1984, appearing in Otar
Losseliani's Les favoris de la lune, and went on to serve as an assistant
director to Louis Malle on Au Revoir Les Enfants. As an actor, he has since
worked with many leading directors including Andre Techine, Olivier
Assayas, Jean-Claude Biette and the Larrieu Brothers. His latest films
include Desplechin's Un conte de Noel, Claude Miller's Un Secret, Nicolas
Klotz's Heart Beat Detector, Valeria Bruni Tedeschi's Actrices and Vincent
Dieutre's Fragments sur le grace. He also appeared in Sofia Coppola's Marie
Antoinette. Amalric has written and directed a number of films including
Wimbledon Stage and, most recently, the documentary short Let Them Grow Up
Here. This year, he directs Tournee, about American burlesque girls on tour
in France.
OLGA KURYLENKO recently co-starred opposite Timothy Olyphant in Hitman
and opposite Elijah Wood in Paris, je t'aime. She also appeared in starring
roles in Eric Barbier's thriller The Serpent and Diane Bertrand's The Ring
Finger, for which she received the Best Actress award at The Brooklyn
International Film Festival in 2006. She recently had a role in Tyranny,
directed by John Beck Hofman.
On French television, multi-lingual Kurylenko appeared in the
mini-series "Suspectes" and the drama "The Good Luck Charm."
In her career as a top European model, Kurylenko has appeared in
numerous advertising campaigns, including Kenzo, Helena Rubenstein and Just
Cavalli. Her magazine covers include US Glamour, French Elle, Madame Figaro
and Marie Claire.
GEMMA ARTERTON graduated from the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts (RADA)
and made her film debut with Dame Maggie Smith and David Walliams in
Stephen Poliakoff's Capturing Mary for BBC Films. She currently stars in
the hit British comedy St. Trinian's. Arterton recently made her
professional stage debut as Rosalind in "Love's Labour's Lost" at
Shakespeare's Globe Theatre.
About EON Productions
EON Productions/Danjaq, LLC, is owned by the Broccoli family and has
produced twenty-one James Bond films since 1962, including Casino Royale
(2006). The James Bond films, produced by Michael G. Wilson and Barbara
Broccoli, make up the longest running franchise in film history and include
the recent blockbuster films GoldenEye, Tomorrow Never Dies, The World is
Not Enough, and Die Another Day. EON Productions and Danjaq, LLC, are
affiliate companies and control all worldwide merchandising of the James
Bond franchise.
About Sony Pictures Entertainment
Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE) is a subsidiary of Sony Corporation
of America (SCA), a subsidiary of Tokyo-based Sony Corporation. SPE's
global operations encompass motion picture production and distribution;
television production and distribution; digital content creation and
distribution; worldwide channel investments; home entertainment acquisition
and distribution, operation of studio facilities; development of new
entertainment products, services and technologies; and distribution of
filmed entertainment in more than 100 countries. Sony Pictures
Entertainment can be found on the World Wide Web at
http://www.sonypictures.com.
About Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc.
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc., through its operating subsidiaries is
actively engaged in the worldwide production and distribution of motion
pictures, television programming, home video, interactive media, music and
licensed merchandise. The company owns the world's largest library of
modern films, comprising around 4,000 titles. Operating units include
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc., Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures Inc., United
Artists Films Inc., Ventanazul, MGM Television Entertainment Inc., MGM
Networks Inc., MGM Distribution Co., MGM International Television
Distribution Inc., Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Home Entertainment LLC, MGM ON
STAGE, MGM Music, MGM Worldwide Digital Media, MGM Consumer Products and
MGM Interactive. In addition, MGM has ownership interests in international
TV channels reaching nearly 110 countries. MGM ownership is as follows:
Providence Equity Partners (29%), TPG (21%), Sony Corporation of America
(20%), Comcast (20%), DLJ Merchant Banking Partners (7%) and Quadrangle
Group (3%). For more information, visit http://www.mgm.com.
For More Information:
Steve Elzer
Senior Vice President, Media Relations
Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Group
(310) 244-7142
steve_elzer@spe.sony.com
SOURCE Columbia Pictures
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Related links:
http://www.sonypictures.com
http://www.mgm.com
CONTACT:
Steve Elzer, Senior Vice President, Media
Relations of Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Group,
+1-310-244-7142, steve_elzer@spe.sony.com
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