Villain and theme song singer locked for B22 ?

[Daltons Chin Dimple]

Mathieu Amalric as the villain apprently.

He has been in "Munich," "Marie Antoinette," "Rois et reine," "Journal du séducteur, Le," and is hotly tipped for an Oscar nomination for "The Diving Bell and the Butterfly."

In other news, Leona Lewis (British winner of last years X-Factor Show, kind of like American Idol) is tipped to sing the theme. She is at #1 in both the UK singles and album charts at the moment and although those American Idol / X-Factor type shows get completely on my last nerve, I have to admit she is pretty damn good.

[WhiteKnight]

I'll buy into the Mathieu Amalric story, but it's entirely too early to convince me they've got the lead singer contracted. It's usually one of the last things to be decided on and happens after filming has already started in most instances.

On a side note, did anyone read about Amy Winehouse's meltdown on stage Birmingham last week? Better yet, any of you happen to see it? Sad, really. She would have been a great choice for a Bond theme.

[Daltons Chin Dimple]

I saw a bad quality version from a mobile phone. Very sad.

I know what you mean about the singer being locked very late in the process, however this does have the touch of Cowell about it, and if they have dropped their insistance that the title song contains the title in the lyrics then they can at least get cracking earlier.

[Kara Milovy]

Originally Posted by Daltons Chin Dimple

I know what you mean about the singer being locked very late in the process, however this does have the touch of Cowell about it, and if they have dropped their insistance that the title song contains the title in the lyrics then they can at least get cracking earlier.

No, they can't, because the title theme is interwoven with the soundtrack, which means you need something of the tone of the movie first.

[Daltons Chin Dimple]

But Arnold will already have some broad ideas and be working on riffs, themes, sweeps etc. which can be incorporated, same as CR. Depends if he get's the title song as well, as KD Lang is all over the TND soundtrack, but Sheryl Crow's theme gets no integration.

I am 50/50 either way, but I can imagine them trying to get her early as she is going to be huge (and expensive) soon and this is exactly the kind of thing Cowell would probably want an association with.

[Kara Milovy]

kd lang was going to have the theme song until the very last minute. Kind of like Thunderball and KKBB.

[WhiteKnight]

Originally Posted by Kara Milovy

kd lang was going to have the theme song until the very last minute.

Was and probably should have. Don't get me wrong, I do like Crow's entry, but Lang's take on it was just plain better.

I have never understood the insane need to have the title track carry the same name as the movie. In a great number of cases it's worked out very well, i.e. Goldfinger, You Only Live Twice, Live and Let Die, For Your Eyes Only and A View to a Kill.

There is, however, The Man With The Golden Gun to consider. Horrible title, horrible singer, horrible song! Thunderball, IMHO, not so good either, although I don't think MKKBB was any better. License to Kill and GoldenEye, while berable, could have benefited from title changes as well.

Apparently, however, the producers did learn from TMWTGG. Since then they haven't tried to paste a terribly unsuitable title to the theme song. Consider, if you will, if they hadn't gone with Nobody Does it Better for TSWLM or All Time High for Octopussy? And how atrocious would a title song called Casino Royale have been?

[Daltons Chin Dimple]

A song called "Casino Royale" ? Why am I getting an image of a drunk Dean Martin perched on a stool and crooning ?

[UNCLEagent]

I thought the lyrics were one of the best of any Bond film - licensed or otherwise!

Casino Royale lyrics - by Burt Bacharach

Beware, beware,
Theres danger in the air.
Have no fear bond is here,
Theyll never get the jewels.
Bond is here have no fear.

There goes a spy,
Theres evil in his eye.
Have no fear bond is here,
The formula is safe
With old double o seven.

Hes got a red-head in his arms.
Though hes a lover,
When you are in trouble
Have no fear.
Look whos here: james bond.

Theyve got us on the run
With guns and knives,
Were fighting for our lives.
Have no fear bond is here.
Hes gonna save the world.
Bond is here have no fear...(fade)

(note: this arresting piece of material was performed on the original
Soundtrack for the motion picture by the incredibly popular herb alpert
And the tijuana brass. it was later issued as a single recording by the
Brass. a & m records chalked this recording up as one of the groups
Top-selling efforts. )