Box office report for Nov. 19, 2012: “Twilight: Breaking Dawn – Part 2″ sucks up $141.3 million opening weekend
The sun has set for “The Twilight Saga” with another blockbuster opening weekend.
The fifth and final film in the franchise, “Breaking Dawn — Part 2″ sucked up $141.3 million domestically over opening weekend and $199.6 million more overseas for a worldwide debut of $340.9 million, according to the Associated Press.
The AP reports that the finale ranks eighth on the list of all-time domestic debuts, and leaves “Twilight” with three of the top-10 openings, joining 2009′s “New Moon” (No. 7 with $142.8 million) and last year’s “Breaking Dawn — Part 1″ (No. 9 with $138.1 million).
Last May’s “The Avengers” is No. 1 with $207.4 million. “Batman” is the only other franchise with more than one top-10 opening: last July’s “The Dark Knight Rises” (No. 3 with $160.9 million) and 2008′s “The Dark Knight” (No. 4 with $158.4 million).
To read my “Breaking Dawn – Part 2″ review, click here.
The last “Twilight” film seized the No. 1 spot from Sony’s James Bond adventure “Skyfall,” which slipped to second-place with $41.5 million domestically in its second weekend. “Skyfall” raised its domestic total to $161.3 million, according to the AP.
The franchise’s third film starring Daniel Craig as Bond, “Skyfall” began rolling out overseas in late October and has hit $507.9 million internationally at the box office. The film’s global total climbed to $669.2 million, helping to lift Sony to its best year ever with $4 billion worldwide, topping the studio’s $3.6 billion haul in 2009.
“Skyfall” passed the previous franchise high of $599.2 million worldwide for 2006′s “Casino Royale.”
Steven Spielberg and Daniel Day-Lewis’ Civil War drama “Lincoln” expanded nationwide after a week in limited release and came in at No. 3 with $21 million. Distributed by Disney, “Lincoln” lifted its domestic haul to $22.4 million.
Here is the list of last weekend’s top 10 movies, from the AP:
1. “The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn — Part 2,” $141.3 million ($199.6 million international).
2. “Skyfall,” $41.5 million ($49.6 million international).
3. “Lincoln,” $21 million.
4. “Wreck-It Ralph,” $18.3 million ($4.8 million international).
5. “Flight,” $8.6 million ($1 million international).
6. “Argo,” $4.1 million ($8.7 million international).
7. “Taken 2,” $2.1 million ($2 million international).
8. “Pitch Perfect,” $1.3 million ($4.1 million international).
9. “Here Comes the Boom,” $1.2 million ($2.5 million international).
10 (tie). “Cloud Atlas,” $900,000 ($5 million international).
10 (tie). “Hotel Transylvania,” $900,000 ($7.8 million international).
10 (tie). “The Sessions,” $900,000.
-BAM
The best and worst of Bond on the big screen
“From Russia with Love”
In honor of today’s U.S. theatrical opening of “Skyfall,” The Oklahoman’s entertainment staffers – Gene Triplett, George Lang, Matt Price and yours truly – reveal our favorite and least favorite films in the long-running James Bond franchise.
The best and the worst of Bond
007 has had his ups and downs on the big screen.
To fully appreciate this 23rd official Bond film (don’t count the ridiculously spoofy 1967 version of “Casino Royale” or the misguided 1983 “Thunderball” remake, “Never Say Never Again”), we each selected our best and worst entries in the series, from 1962’s “Dr. No” through 2008’s “Solace.”
George Lang’s picks
Best: “Goldfinger” (1964)
No other entry in the series established expectations of James Bond-ness quite like director Guy Hamilton’s “Goldfinger,” from the cracking script full of iconic lines (“No, Mister Bond, I expect you to die!”) to the bizarre death of Jill Masterson (Shirley Eaton) from “skin suffocation,” or being painted with gold from head to toe. Gert Frobe’s Auric Goldfinger never developed the cultural cache of the cat-stroking Ernst Stavro Blofeld, but his menacing tone and unforgettable death by cabin pressure makes him a hall of famer. Connery consolidated his cool in “Goldfinger,” and while ridiculously named Bond girls are an expected trope, this film scored an early high/low point with Honor Blackman’s Pussy Galore.
Worst: “Moonraker” (1979)
Just barely based on an actual Ian Fleming novel, “Moonraker” is a monument to “me too!” contrivance in which the series went sci-fi to cash in on “Star Wars” and brought back Jaws (Richard Kiel) from “The Spy Who Loved Me” because of, well, “Jaws.” All of this made “Moonraker” the most commercially successful Bond film until 1995’s “GoldenEye,” but the “007 in space” idea was a little too bonkers even for ’70s-era Bond. Roger Moore was deep into self-parody by “Moonraker,” proving that he did not have to be in orbit to achieve zero gravity.
“Casino Royale”
Matthew Price’s picks:
Best: “Casino Royale” (2006)
While Bond could never have existed without Connery’s darkly suave portrayal, Daniel Craig proved a bulldog of a special agent in “Casino Royale,” an adaptation of the first 007 novel by Ian Fleming. After the more gadgety Pierce Brosnan era, Craig’s James Bond brings the series closer to Fleming’s original character while at the same time updating him for a post-Cold War society.
Worst: “A View to A Kill” (1985)
Duran Duran’s theme song is about the best thing this miscast and mishandled 14th film in the Bond series has going for it. The aging Roger Moore doesn’t have much chemistry with either the villainous Grace Jones or the unconvincing Tanya Roberts. Christopher Walken’s oddball performance as a computer magnate trying to destroy California helps a bit, but overall this film feels more like an extended “Saturday Night Live” parody of James Bond than the real thing.
Brandy McDonnell’s picks:
Best: “From Russia with Love” (1963)
James Bond is at his super-spy best in the second film in the long-running franchise, which all too often strays from its espionage roots. With the villainous terrorist cell SPECTRE simultaneously seeking a Soviet decoding machine and revenge against Bond for disposing of their agent Dr. No, 007 (the incomparable Sean Connery) is drawn into a twisty Cold War plot involving naïve but comely Russian clerk Tatiana Romanova (Daniela Bianchi), tough and crafty rival agent Red Grant (Robert Shaw) and lethal assassin Rosa Klebb (Lotte Lenya), who gets her kicks courtesy a poisoned dagger in her boot. The film marks the debut of composer John Barry’s peerless score, solidifies Connery’s status as the best of the Bonds (only Daniel Craig can even compete) and taught me to always choose white wine with fish.
Worst: “Die Another Day” (2002)
Pierce Brosnan’s last outing as Bond starts with such promise, as the MI6 agent is betrayed, captured and tortured in a North Korean prison. Released more than a year later as part of an exchange, Bond sets out to uncover who betrayed him.
Unfortunately, the ridiculously gadget-happy mission leads our hero to an ice palace, an invisible car and a deadly … solar satellite. Not even Halle Berry’s co-starring turn as a skilled NSA agent who can flat rock an Ursula Andress bikini homage could distract from the hinky plot, mind-numbing explosions and overused CGI. “Die Another Day” was so over-the-top that even Roger Moore, who played the first Bond in space, thought it went too far.
Of course, even bad films have their place in the James Bond universe, with the excesses of “Die Another Day” leading to a reboot of the series with the stunning Daniel Craig 007 debut in 2006’s “Casino Royale.”
“Goldfinger”
Gene Triplett’s picks:
Best: “Goldfinger” (1964)
After two excellent efforts at creating and building upon a screen version of Ian Fleming’s superspy, — “Dr. No” (1962), and “From Russia With Love” (1963, the last movie President John F. Kennedy, a Bond fan, ever saw!) — they finally got it all right, cinematically speaking, with “Goldfinger.” The third installment in the “official” series perfected the big-screen formular of gadgets (the tricky Aston-Martin DB5), great score (by John Barry, theme sung by Shirley Bassey), gorgeous “Bond Girls” (Honor Blackman and Shirley Eaton) gripping action sequences (Bond’s death match with Oddjob), and global menace(Gert Frobe in the title role, the quintessential Bond nemesis. This was the first epic Bond and one of the very best thrillers of the ’60s .
Worst: “A View to a Kill” (1985)
If we were venturing outside the official Eon Productions-owned Bond franchise, an easy target would be the 1954 Americanized live TV version of “Casino Royale” starring San Francisco native Barry Nelson as “Jimmy” Bond and a very sweaty Peter Lorre as the villainous Le Chiffre. It was a one-off episode of the CBS anthology series “Climax!,” and it was laughably clumsy and cheaply produced even for those formative years of the medium.
Still, it’s more fun to watch than most of the Roger Moore vehicles, particularly his off-key swan song, “A View to a Kill.” Moore — the other “Blond Bond” before Daniel Craig — lacked the dark and dangerous personna of a Sean Connery, a Timothy Dalton or Craig, and his constant spouting of bad puns was singularly unfunny.
But now he was becoming a caricature of himself and looking very long in the tooth to boot. Recording artist Grace Jones displayed an irritating lack of talent for playing an evil henchwoman, and while Christopher Walken was sometimes a hoot to behold as an over-the-top master criminal bent on destroying Silicon Valley, the film was badly weakened by its fading star. Even Moore was appalled at the film’s excessive violence and that fact that he was, in his own words, “about 400 years too old for the part” by that time.
-BAM
Video: The Beatles released “Love Me Do” 50 years ago today
In this 1964 file photo, The Beatles, from left, Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, John Lennon and George Harrison board a plane for England in New York. (AP)
Fifty years ago today – Oct. 5, 1962 – a new single titled “Love Me Do” hit record stores all over England. It was the debut 45 by the Beatles, “Love Me Do.”
As RollingStone.com reports, it was a surprise hit from the then-largely unknown band. It reached No. 17 on one of the many weekly charts around the U.K., a strong enough showing to convince EMI they had made a smart bet in signing the Beatles.
It was the beginning of Beatlemania, and in retrospect, it turned out to be a day when Great Britain had a big impact on the global entertainment culture. As reported earlier, Oct. 5, 1962 also marked the day that a modestly budgeted spy movie called “Dr. No” opened in theaters, marking the cinematic debut of “Bond, James Bond.”
-BAM
Video: James Bond film franchise turns 50 today; future looks bright with Daniel Craig, Adele and “Skyfall”
A scene from my all-time favorite James Bond movie, “From Russia with Love.”
Fifty years ago today — on Oct. 5, 1962 — a modestly budgeted spy movie called “Dr. No” opened in theaters, introducing the movie world to “Bond, James Bond.”
As the Associated Press reports, the cinematic saga of 007 began when two upstart producers, Canadian Harry Saltzman and American Albert “Cubby” Broccoli, acquired the rights to a series of novels by Ian Fleming, a former World War II intelligence officer who had created Bond as sort of a fantasy alter-ego.
Sean Connery, a relatively unknown Scottish actor and former bodybuilder, was cast as Bond against the wishes of studio United Artists, which wanted an established star such as Cary Grant.
The mood of the now-venerable franchise was set by artists like John Barry, composer of Bond’s pulse-quickening theme music; Maurice Binder, who created the famous gun-barrel title sequence; and designer Ken Adam, a German-born former RAF fighter pilot whose futuristic sets gave the films their look of modernist cool.
“Skyfall,” the 23rd Bond film, will be released in U.S. theaters on Nov. 9. The film got a big promotional push over the summer during the London Olympics, when current Bond star Daniel Craig appeared in character with Queen Elizabeth II during the opening ceremonies.
Plus, one of the biggest current pop stars, British songstress Adele, has recorded the theme song to “Skyfall,” which was released today, just in time for Bond’s big 5-0.
-BAM
Adele confirms she is singing theme song for new James Bond movie “Skyfall”
Adele has confirmed she has co-written and performed the theme to the upcoming James Bond movie “Skyfall,” reports the Associated Press.
“There’s a lot of instant spotlight and pressure when it comes to a Bond song,” she is quoted as saying. “But I fell in love with the script. … It was also a lot of fun writing to a brief, something I’ve never done which made it exciting.”
The song was written by Adele and Paul Hepworth, who co-wrote her hit “Rolling in the Deep.” It was recorded at London’s famed Abbey Road Studios, according to the AP.
Adele (AP file)
The Grammy-winning singer-songwriter today posted a picture on her Twitter feed (@OfficialAdele) of what appears to be the sheet music cover page for the song, credited to her — as A. Adkins — and Hepworth. Rumors have swirled for months that the British songstress had recorded the theme, but there had been no official announcement from producers until today.
She also tweeted that the song will be available on Friday at www.adele.tv, where the countdown is on.
According to the AP, the theme song’s release will coincide with the 50th anniversary of the release of “Dr. No,” the first Bond movie. The track is available for pre-order at iTunes starting today.
“Skyfall,” Daniel Craig’s third Bond adventure, opens in Britain Oct. 26 and in the U.S. Nov. 9. The cast also includes Javier Bardem, Albert Finney, Ralph Fiennes and Naomie Harris.
The theme to the last Bond film, “Quantum of Solace,” was performed by Jack White and Alicia Keys.
-BAM
2012 fall movie preview
"The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 2"
From Friday’s Weekend Look section of The Oklahoman. This story was co-written with George Lang of Staticblog and Matthew Price of Nerdage.
Legends of the fall
Just based on pedigree and buzz, autumn’s offerings look stellar, including Paul Thomas Anderson’s “The Master,” Disney’s “Wreck-It Ralph,” the 50th anniversary James Bond entry, Rian Johnson’s “Looper” and the long-awaited adaptation of David Mitchell’s “Cloud Atlas.”
Summer normally deserves its reputation for offering explosive lightweight fare, but the hot months of 2012 produced some of the best films of the year, including “The Dark Knight Returns,” “Beasts of the Southern Wild” and “The Avengers.” The period typically known as “awards season,” those last months leading up to the holidays and the cutoff date for Oscars, are generally packed with more thoughtful fare, but the best films of summer set a high bar for the prestige acts coming in the fall.
Just based on pedigree and buzz, autumn’s offerings look stellar, including Paul Thomas Anderson’s “The Master,” Disney’s “Wreck-It Ralph,” the 50th anniversary James Bond entry, Rian Johnson’s “Looper” and the long-awaited adaptation of David Mitchell’s “Cloud Atlas.” And for viewers who cannot get that fizzy summer feeling out of their systems, the studios are rolling out a new version of “Dredd,” the final installment of “The Twilight Saga” and yet another “Resident Evil” creepfest.
"Killer Joe"
Friday (today)
“The Possession”
Jeffrey Dean Morgan and Kyra Sedgwick play parents whose young daughter (Natasha Calis) encounters a malicious spirit after buying an antique box at a yard sale. Billed as based on a true story, the horror-thriller carries Sam Raimi’s (the “Spider-Man” and “Evil Dead” movies) production stamp.
“Celeste and Jesse Forever”
In this comedy-drama, a couple (Rashida Jones and Andy Samberg) in the midst of a divorce tries to stay friends while simultaneously seeing other people.
“Killer Joe”
Director William Friedkin (“The Exorcist”) teams up again with Tulsa native playwright/screenwriter Tracy Letts; the pair previously worked on the 2006 film “Bug.” In the NC-17-rated black-as-pitchas comedy, a Texas drug dealer (Emile Hirsch) hires a hit man (Matthew McConaughey) to kill his mother.
“Robot & Frank”
In the near future, a humanoid robot (voice of Peter Sarsgaard) moves in with a retired cat burglar (Frank Langella) in order to help take care of the aging man’s needs. The film, which played at the 2012 deadCenter Film Festival, co-stars Oklahoma native James Marsden.
"The Words"
Sept. 7
“The Words”
Bradley Cooper stars in a romantic drama about an up-and-coming novelist who didn’t actually write his breakout book. Zoe Saldana, Olivia Wilde, Jeremy Irons and Dennis Quaid also star in the movie, which got people talking at this year’s Sundance Film Festival.
“Searching for Sugar Man”
Two South African fans go on a search for 1970s folk singer-songwriter Rodriguez, who became big in South Africa but was relatively unknown in the U.S. and was rumored to have killed himself. This documentary won the 2012 Sundance Film Festival’s prestigious Special Jury Prize and World Cinema Audience Award.
“The Cold Light of Day”
Soon-to-be Superman Henry Cavill stars as Will Shaw, a man on vacation in Spain whose family is kidnapped. Sigourney Weaver and Bruce Willis co-star in this action thriller.
“Bachelorette”
Kirsten Dunst plays an overachieving maid of honor named Regan, whose best friend Becky (Rebel Wilson) is about to wed. Becky wants a tame bachelorette party, but her friends Gena (Lizzy Caplan) and Katie (Isla Fisher) have other plans in this raunchy comedy. Oklahoma native James Marsden (“X-Men”) co-stars.
“Branded”
Co-starring Max von Sydow, Leelee Sobieski and Jeffrey Tambor, this sci-fi thriller is set in a dystopian near-future where corporate brands have created a disillusioned, dependent and passive populace. One man (Ed Stoppard) embarks on a mission to uncover the truth behind the conspiracy and stop it from destroying our world.
“Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark: The IMAX Experience”
The cinematic classic that introduced the world to adventurous archeologist Indiana Jones (Harrison Ford) rolls into IMAX theaters for an exclusive one-week engagement.
"Finding Nemo 3D"
Sept. 14
“Finding Nemo 3D”
This Academy-Award winning film will be re-released in a 3-D version. In the Oscar-winning 2003 Pixar film, a clownfish (voice of Albert Brooks) goes searching for his missing son.
“Resident Evil: Retribution”
Milla Jovovich returns as Alice in the fifth installment of the sci-fi/zombie film franchise based on the video game “Resident Evil.” In “Retribution,” Alice goes worldwide in a hunt for those responsible for the outbreak of the zombie-causing virus.
“Arbitrage”
Richard Gere plays Robert Miller, a hedge-fund magnate attempting to sell his business before his double-dealings are uncovered. Susan Sarandon plays Miller’s wife; Tim Roth is an NYPD detective on Miller’s case.
“For a Good Time, Call”
Finances force straight-laced Lauren (Lauren Anne Miller) and flirty Katie (Ari Graynor) to move in together, and Lauren finds out Katie is actually a phone-sex operator.
“Liberal Arts”
Recently single Jesse Fisher (Josh Radnor), in his mid-30s, goes back to his college campus to speak at the retirement dinner of his favorite professor. While there, he becomes nostalgic for his college days and falls for a sophomore, Zibby (Elizabeth Olsen). Radnor directs and wrote the film; Zac Efron, Allison Janney and Richard Gleason co-star.
"Dredd"
Sept. 21
“Dredd”
Karl Urban stars as the ultraviolent “judge” of Mega City One in this futuristic thriller based on the British comic from the pages of 2000 A.D. magazine. Lionsgate hopes fans of the violent comic like this more than the 1995 Sylvester Stallone-Rob Schneider version, and buzz out of Comic-Con was mostly good. Lena Headey and Olivia Thirlby co-star; “Dredd” co-creator John Wagner consulted on the film.
“The Master”
Academy Award winner Philip Seymour Hoffman plays the founder of a faith-based group in the post-World War II era, and two-time Oscar nominee Joaquin Phoenix is a Navy veteran who becomes enthralled with the charismatic leader in this drama written and directed by Paul Thomas Anderson (“There Will Be Blood”). Amy Adams, Lara Dern and Jesse Plemons co-star.
“Trouble with the Curve”
Clint Eastwood comes out of his acting retirement to star as Gus, an aging baseball scout who may be losing his touch. Needing insight on a hot prospect in the draft, Gus takes his daughter Mickey (Amy Adams) on a scouting trip, potentially putting her legal career in jeopardy. Justin Timberlake, John Goodman, Robert Patrick and Matthew Lillard also star.
“End of Watch”
Jake Gyllenhaal and Michael Pena play Los Angeles police officers in a found-footage-style film set in south-central L.A.
“House at the End of the Street”
“The Hunger Games” star Jennifer Lawrence co-stars with Elisabeth Shue (“Adventures in Babysitting”), who plays her mom, in the horror thriller. The film takes place when the two move to a new town, across the street from a house where a double murder occurred. Mark Tonderai (“Hush”) directs.
“10 Years”
This film follows a group of friends at their 10-year high school reunion, including Jake (Channing Tatum), who’s about to propose to his girlfriend (Jenna Dewan-Tatum), until running into his high school ex (Rosario Dawson). Chris Pratt, Justin Long, Oscar Isaac and Kate Mara co-star.
"Looper"
Sept. 28
“Looper”
Joseph Gordon-Levitt stars as Joe, a time-traveling hired gun, in this sci-fi action-thriller in which time travel is possible, but illegal. When criminal organizations want to make someone disappear, their targets are sent back to the past, where they encounter specialized assassins known as “loopers.” Joe is a successful looper until one day he sees himself staring into the face of his next target — and it’s himself, 30 years older. Bruce Willis plays the older Joe in this film written and directed by Rian Johnson (“The Brothers Bloom”).
“Hotel Transylvania”
Genndy Tartakovsky, creator of “Dexter’s Laboratory,” directs this animated film about a hotel run by Dracula (voice of Adam Sandler) as a place to relax and kick back. But when a regular guy stumbles upon the hotel and falls for Dracula’s daughter, Mavis (Selena Gomez), Dracula may not be relaxed anymore. Steve Buscemi, Kevin James and Fran Drescher are among the stars also lending their voices to the family comedy.
“Won’t Back Down”
Two mothers (Maggie Gyllenhaal and Viola Davis) aim to get a charter school started in their neighborhood.
"Frankenweenie"
Oct. 5
“Frankenweenie”
Writer-director Tim Burton (“Corpse Bride”) expands his beloved 1984 animated horror-comedy short into a full-length stop-motion feature about a boy and his dog. After losing his pup Sparky, young Victor (voice of Charlie Tahan) uses the power of science to bring back his best friend — with some distinct differences. Winona Ryder, Catherine O’Hara and Martin Short lend their voices to the feature, and Oklahoma City’s own The Flaming Lips and Grace Potter have collaborated on the song “My Mechanical Friend” for “Frankenweenie Unleashed!,” the 14-track compilation of music from and inspired by the upcoming film.
“Taken 2”
Back in 2008, “Taken” propelled Irish actor Liam Neeson (“Schindler’s List”) to unlikely action hero status in the role of a retired CIA agent who uses his Special Forces skills to save his kidnapped daughter (Maggie Grace). Neeson, 60, returns to presumably kill everyone in his path once again in the sequel, in which he and his wife (Famke Janssen) are taken hostage by a kidnapper who clearly has a greater sense of vengeance than wisdom.
“Sinister”
Ethan Hawke plays a true-crime novelist who finds disturbing home movies inside his new house, making his family the target of a vicious supernatural force.
“Pitch Perfect”
Oscar nominee Anna Kendrick (“Up in the Air”) stars as a college freshman who gets talked into joining her school’s all-girl singing group and shakes up the troupe’s tired repertoire in this musical comedy co-starring Brittany Snow, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Elizabeth Banks and Muskogee native Ester Dean.
“Chicken with Plums”
Co-writers/directors Vincent Paronnaud and Marjane Satrapi follow up their 2007 Oscar-nominated animated drama “Persepolis” with a period film about a renowned musician (Mathieu Amalric) who takes to his bed to wait for death after his beloved violin is broken.
Video: “Skyfall” U.S. and international trailers
After grandly escorting Queen Elizabeth II to the opening ceremony of the London Olympics last Friday, Daniel Craig’s James Bond is back with the drop of the international and U.S. trailers for his latest cinematic outing as 007, “Skyfall.”
In “Skyfall,” Bond’s loyalty to M (Judi Dench) is tested as her past comes back to haunt her. As MI6 comes under attack, 007 must track down and destroy the threat, no matter how personal the cost.
The trailer features Naomie Harris as a government operative ordered to take what looks like a kill shot on Bond, Ben Whishaw as the young, whip-smart new Q and a blonde Javier Bardem as the movie’s villain, Raoul Silva.
Due in U.S. theaters Nov. 9, the 23rd official Bond movie co-stars Ralph Fiennes, Helen McCrory, Bérénice Marlohe and Albert Finney. It is directed by Oscar winner Sam Mendes.
-BAM
Video: Sam Mendes talks about why he is directing the new James Bond movie as production begins on “Skyfall”
After all the questions and delays and interruptions, it looks like we really are going to get a 23rd James Bond movie.
Oscar-winning director Sam Mendes, who is taking the helm in the latest installment of the venerable franchise, has posted his first video blog from the set of “Skyfall,” where shooting is now apparently underway.
The “American Beauty” director professes to be quite a fan of the series, particularly of 2006′s “Casino Royale,” the Martin Campbell-directed reboot that introduced Daniel Craig as 007. Craig will reprise the role of the suave super-spy in “Skyfall.”
“It is still possible to make a big, fabulous, glamorous, escapist movie, and yet to say something about the world that we’re living in,” Mendes says in the video.
Mendes also says in the video that “Skyfall” will be his first filmmaking experience in his native England.
“Skyfall” is due in theaters on Nov. 9.
-BAM
23rd James Bond movie, “Skyfall,” starring Daniel Craig, Naomie Harris, Javier Bardem, begins production Monday
Producers Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli have announced that the 23rd James Bond adventure, titled “Skyfall,” will go into production Monday.
The film, from Albert R. Broccoli’s Eon Productions, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios, and Sony Pictures Entertainment, will be directed by Academy Award winner Sam Mendes and stars Daniel Craig, who returns for his third film as James Bond 007. The screenplay is written by Neal Purvis, Robert Wade and John Logan.
“Skyfall” will begin its worldwide roll-out in the U.K. and Ireland on Oct. 26 and in North America on Nov. 9, 2012.
Along with Craig, the cast for “Skyfall” will include Javier Bardem, Dame Judi Dench, Naomie Harris, Bérénice Marlohe, Ralph Fiennes, Albert Finney and Ben Whishaw.
In “Skyfall,” Bond’s loyalty to M is tested as her past comes back to haunt her. As MI6 comes under attack, 007 must track down and destroy the threat, no matter how personal the cost.
“We’re so delighted to have Sam Mendes direct ‘Skyfall’ and be working once again with Daniel Craig. We’ve a great script, an extraordinary cast and an incredibly talented creative team for this latest James Bond adventure,” said Wilson and Broccoli in a news release.
The director of photography is Roger Deakins, a nine-time Oscar nominee who previously shot the films “Jarhead” and “Revolutionary Road” for Mendes. The production designer is Oscar winner Dennis Gassner, who previously designed “Quantum of Solace” and collaborated with Mendes on the films “Road to Perdition” and “Jarhead.” The editor is Stuart Baird, A.C.E., whose many credits include “Casino Royale.” Jany Temime, whose many credits include the Harry Potter series, “In Bruges,” and “Children of Men,” is the costume designer. Action specialist Alexander Witt is the second-unit director. Gary Powell is stunt coordinator, Chris Corbould is SFX supervisor and Steve Begg is visual effects supervisor, all of whom have worked on previous Bond films.
-BAM
Wednesday Video Spotlight: Making of NewsOK’s OU and OSU stop-motion 3D football intros
Stop-motion whiz and NewsOK videographer Kyle Roberts is playing with action figures again! I love it when he does that!
Football season is almost here, and The Oklahoman and NewsOK are getting ready by launching the first football stop-motion animation to use action figures. Some of our super-talented folks here custom-painted several action figures and combined 3D and stop-motion animation to create these intros in honor of the new season.
The college football bliss begins Saturday when my Oklahoma State Cowboys take on the Louisiana-Lafayette Ragin’ Cajuns at 6 p.m. in Stillwater (I’m so there, folks! Go Pokes!) and the Oklahoma Sooners host the Tulsa Golden Hurricane at 7 p.m.
It’s great to see another stop-motion creation from the gifted Mr. Roberts, who is responsible for this bit of mad-genius filmmaking that got national attention:
-BAM
