Scribe Paul Haggis Talks BOND 22

By: Jarrod Sarafin, News Editor
Date: Monday, August 27, 2007
Source: In the Valley of Elah Press Conference

While talking at a press session for his latest film, IN THE VALLEY OF ELAH, Oscar winning writer Paul Haggis talked a little about his work on JAMES BOND 22. He's been keeping mum on the overall plot theme of the next 007 adventure but he did reveal how soon the next film follows CASINO ROYALE. In fact, it's a matter of 2 minutes from the end of the last film.

"It picks up 2 minutes after the last one, and it's going to be fun."

Haggis also described a bit of what makes his Bond character different from others and how he sees the character while writing the scripts.

"Bond is just pure imagination; you just get to have fun. It's escapism and it's fun, but I try to ground him as a human being."

"My Bond is an actual assassin; when he kills someone, he kills them with a knife, they're bloody and he pays a price. He denies that he pays a price, but he does. When he sees a woman who witnesses something horrific, and he sees her taking a shower, he doesn't just go in there and f*ck her, like the old Bond would have done. He sits there with her, and she says, 'I can't get this blood from my fingernails.' So he helps her get the blood from her fingernails; that's what he does, that's my Bond. So it's a different guy; it's a guy who's much more like these guys, these heroes (in 'Valley of Elah')."

As far as keeping it close to the source material (Ian Fleming's novels):

"Yeah, I hope so because I really loved his books and his movies. That stuff was really close to his books, and most of them aren't."

JAMES BOND 22 hits theaters everywhere on November 7, 2008.

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Comments/Responses

samson7842 • Aug 27, 2007, 12:06am •

Sorry People, I'd much rather have Bond walk in and F*ck her pain away. I like the old Bond. I just wish they would've had better scripts. Same character, just better plots and direction. I don't want to see a more "human" Bond. I want the fantasy. Meh...

mckracken • Aug 27, 2007, 12:42am •

not me, I'm kinda diggin this version of Bond. I was getting tired of "The Bond Fomula" anyway and hidden fortresses in fake mountains, goofy badguys who want World Domination and those gadgets (although I do miss the cool Bond gadgets!) (small ones... not like the invisible or underwater cars)
Besides isnt it Bond's duty to keep the girls from seeing the horrific stuff in the first place? That way he can have his way with them and not feel any remorse. lol!!
Go Bond.... and 2 minutes after Casino Royale?? hmmm .... methinks I'll be rewatching that DVD I bought

codymr • Aug 27, 2007, 01:43am •

I enjoy all of the Bond films, but I do feel that the series lost something when Connery left the series (the 1st time that is). But they were good romps even if the franchise had gotten stale. WOW! I was amazed how refreshing CR was. They really did go old school. Stripped the series back to its roots.

I think the problem lay in Eon's reluctance to hire A list writers and directors - I don't know if it was to save money or keep control of the product or both. Perhaps it was Sony who put the screws to them, but the class and quality action is back in the series.

narpin • Aug 27, 2007, 04:50am •

Casino Royale was a reboot. Wouldn't that make this Bond 2, not 22?

popa • Aug 27, 2007, 07:02am •

Like it or not, I think we’ve all grown up a little since Flemming’s image of the amoral spy fighting for King and country hit the screen. We all know the world’s a lot more complicated than super villains and pretty girls, and to ignore that reality would take us out of any meaningful context. Sure, we all like the action and adventure of it, but I think today’s audiences are more sophisticated. They’d like to believe that a man like Bond could, however improbably, really do something meaningful, and somehow, someway make it all make a little sense.

chirop1 • Aug 27, 2007, 07:32am •

I don't have anything productive or meaningful to add here... I just want to giggle like a fanboy at how awesome I'm sure this next movie will be.

bear90 • Aug 27, 2007, 07:45am •

Blofeld without calling him "Blofeld".
When Le Chiffre is killed Mr. White's reason is: The organization I represent does not like to be lied to.
I think I"m going to like this.

WhiteKnight • Aug 27, 2007, 08:09am •

I'd say this pretty much ends any lingering doubt as to whether or not Bond 22 will be a direct continuation of Casino Royale. I'd say it would be pretty hard to begin your movie two minutes following the last one and still keep the plot lines seperated by all that much. Still, I've been wrong before.

macgawd • Aug 27, 2007, 09:13am •

I don't know how anyone could prefer the travesty that was "Die Another Day", and the pure cheese cartoon character of Bond over that of the new very human Bond we saw in "Casino Royale". Not only is the new Bond truer to the character of Flemming's novels, he's just a more interesting character to watch. He feels pain, he gets hurt, and most importantly, he doesn't need an arsenal of ridiculous and improbable gadgets to carry out his mission. "Casino Royale" breathed new life into this franchise, and I hope they stay true to what they've done with the character, and don't get sucked back into the silly 70's-80's-90's Bond formula.

monkeyfoot • Aug 27, 2007, 09:35am •

I love the new Bond of Casino Royale. Responding to the more realistic way audiences want their heroes (Batman Begins, the Bourne movies) it is the right move.
But I also must confess I love the the old school Bonds,too. The fantasy aspect of world conquering villians,bizarre henchmen, gadgets galore, spectacular stunts, and sleeping with anything with boobs was and still is loads of fun. Sort of like stepping into a Star Wars version of every males ultimate fantasies.
But everyone has their own taste. Personally, most of the Roger Moore ones didn't appeal to me because he never seemed to take the dangers he was in seriously. He always seemed to be winking at the audience in a "Isn't this really silly" sort of way.
On the other hand, I loved Brosnan's Bond and yes, macgawd,"Die Another Day". The situations were just as unbelievable as the Moore's but Pierce stayed in character and reacted to the dangers realistically. It was a great send-off for the old Bond.

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