James Bond film Skyfall begins filming; Batman trailer could be on the way; Lord of the Rings follows a War in the North
James Bond news, Dark Knight Rises preview coming, and Lord of the Rings gets a new videogame in this week’s Planet 46 Comics Podcast
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Title revealed for new James Bond film: Skyfall
Director Sam Mendes at the press conference announcing the 23rd James Bond adventure "SKYFALL."
In a London news conference, producers Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli today presented the cast of the 23rd James Bond adventure, which will be called “Skyfall.”
The film will be directed by Sam Mendes and will star Daniel Craig as agent 007 James Bond.
The film, from Albert R. Broccoli’s Eon Productions, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios, and Sony Pictures Entertainment, goes into production on Monday, Nov. 7. The North American release date is Nov. 9, 2012. It will begin its worldwide release in Ireland and the UK on Oct. 26, 2012.
The screenplay for the film is written by Neal Purvis & Robert Wade and John Logan. Other cast members at the press conference were Javier Bardem, Dame Judi Dench, Naomie Harris and Bérénice Marlohe. The filmmakers also announced Ralph Fiennes, Albert Finney and Ben Whishaw as part of the cast.
The description, according to a news release, is as follows:
“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.”
- Matt Price
007 parody “Battle of the Bonds” released on YouTube
It’s exciting that Kyle Roberts’ “Battle of the Bonds” has hit YouTube, and is generating a lot of interest and comments in its first day on the site!
My comic shop, Speeding Bullet Comics, sponsored the video, so it’s gratifying to see how much people are enjoying it.
The film features Daneboe, Brittani Louise Taylor, Zack Scott, Lucas Ross and Alan Byrne as there’s a battle (or at least an argument) among the various James Bonds of film history!
Kyle Roberts is the co-host of the Planet 46 Comics Podcast and is a videographer for NewsOK. What do you think of the video? And who is your favorite James Bond?
- Matt Price
Top 5 Mike Grell comic book runs
Happy birthday to Mike Grell, who turns 63 today. To celebrate, here are my top-5 favorite Mike Grell comic-book runs.
I’ve actually been on a Mike Grell kick lately; I had liked his “Green Arrow” a lot, and his “Legion of Super-Heroes,” but had never read his “Jon Sable, Freelance” until recently, when I read the entire run. So perhaps because it’s fresh in my mind, I’ll say:
Jon Sable Freelance
1. Jon Sable: Freelance #1-44
Sable mixes James Bond with Mike Hammer, according to Grell, and I’ll buy that description. Throw in some Olympic training and big-game hunting in Africa, and you have about the manliest comic this side of Tarzan. After losing his family, Sable becomes a bounty hunter and gun for hire. Some really action-packed stories throughout. Grell draws through issue #44; the series continued through 56. More recently, the Jon Sable stories “Blood Trail” and “Ashes of Eden,” available in trade paperback, have been written and drawn by Grell.
Green Arrow 1
2. Green Arrow Longbow Hunters 1-3; Green Arrow 1-80
Grell’s “Longbow Hunters” recast Green Arrow as a serious urban hunter; no longer did boxing glove arrows and silly villains appear in the series. Green Arrow was called “Oliver Queen” or similar throughout the series, making it feel more realistic than most superhero tales. Grell drew the “Longbow Hunters” as well as wrote the miniseries. He wrote all 80 issues of the mature-readers “Green Arrow” series, and drew some of the issues.
3. First Issue Special #8; Warlord 1-71
Warlord was Air Force pilot Travis Morgan, who fell through a hole in the earth, to a “hidden world” inside Earth called Skataris. There, he became a Warlord, fighting for the freedom of the people of the hidden world. Part Conan, part Edgar Rice Burroughs, “Warlord” may contain some fantasy cliches, but the exuberance in the expression of them makes the series worth getting your hands on.
Superboy and the Legion of Superheroes 221 (via Coverbrowser.com)
4. Superboy and the Legion of Super-Heroes 203-224, 235
Mike Grell’s Legion may today look like a very 1970s version of the future, but Grell drew some sexy Legionnaires for sure.
James Bond: Permission to Die
5. James Bond: Permission to Die
Grell followed up an adaptation of the 1989 “License to Kill” James Bond film with the original James Bond story “Permission to Die,” which he wrote and illustrated. The now hard-to-find “Permission to Die” is of the better adaptations of Bond in comics; it’d be nice to see Grell take on the 007 character again.
- Matt Price
X-Men Legacy 235, Supergirl 52, X-Men Forever Annual 1, DV8 Gods and Monsters 1 plus Losers and James Bond in Planet46 Comics Podcast
George Lang guest stars on the Planet 46 Comics Podcast to discuss “Losers” and “James Bond.” 
In other comic-book media news, “Young Justice” is coming to the Cartoon Network, according to DC’s Source blog. featuring Robin, Aqualad, Kid Flash, Superboy, Miss Martian and Artemis.
Meanwhile, Free Comic Book Day is just over a week away; scout out your May 1 trip by visiting FreeComicBookDay.com.
In the review file, Matt Price and Kyle Roberts review X-Men Legacy 235, Supergirl 52, X-Men Forever Annual 1 and DV8 Gods and Monsters 1.
Click past the cut for a preview of X-Men Legacy 235.
James Bond 23 on indefinite delay
Collider reports that the 23rd film in the James Bond series is being delayed indefinitely until the financial issues surrounding MGM are put to rest.
“Due to the continuing uncertainty surrounding the future of MGM and the failure to close a sale of the studio, we have suspended development on BOND 23 indefinitely. We do not know when development will resume and do not have a date for the release of BOND 23,” stated Michael G Wilson and Barbara Broccoli jointly, according to the site.
- Matt Price
‘James Bond’ screenwriters announced
Peter Morgan, writer of “Frost/Nixon” and “The Queen,” will join forces with Neal Purvis and Robert Wade, screenwriters of “Quantum of Solace” and “Casino Royale,” to script the 23rd “James Bond” film, according to a release from MGM.
Daniel Craig is set to return as Bond in the film, which will be a MGM release of an EON production.
- Matt Price
See the full release after the break.
Enter NewsOK’s James Bond contest
British superspy James Bond returns to movie screens this Friday in “Quantum of Solace.” The Oklahoman has put together a special site about agent 007 at www.NewsOK.com/bond. Find out more about Bond girls, Bond villains, and the new film. Readers can also see synopses and trailers of all previous James Bond films at the site. NewsOK.com readers can be among the first to see the new film by entering our contest at www.newsok.com/bond by noon Wednesday. Winners will also receive special 007 promotional items.
Sunday night movie: Casino Royale (1967)
Kick off November with 1967′s “Casino Royale.” The 2006 “Casino Royale” took the source material a lot more seriously — and with a lot more success — but this non-canonical James Bond parody has some funny moments.
New “Quantum of Solace” trailer at Yahoo! Movies
Yahoo! Movies has the latest trailer for the James Bond film “Quantum of Solace,” starring Daniel Craig. The film is set for a Nov. 14 release.
– Matt Price
