All posts tagged: Bond

Former James Bond casting maestro reveals issue with fan favourites

Former James Bond casting maestro reveals issue with fan favourites

Published by Daniella Wilson

As the hunt for the next James Bond continues, former casting director Debbie McWilliams has given a blunt verdict on the names topping fan wish lists – she doesn’t want to see any of them in the tuxedo. McWilliams, who cast each Bond and the rest of the supporting cast from For Your Eyes Only in 1981 to No Time to Die in 2021, told The Independent that rumoured frontrunners, including Jacob Elordi, Harris Dickinson and Callum Turner, are too well known for a role that depends on mystery. “It is absolutely essential that he retains a total enigma,” McWilliams said. “I don’t want to see any of them as Bond because we now know so much about them. We want to know as little about them personally as possible, because that’s what spies are. “We don’t need to know where he goes shopping or who his parents are, or where he lives. We never want to see him at home. And a vital element of the whole thing is his job description. He’s licensed …

Famke Janssen on Bond Audition, Broken Ribs During Pierce Brosnan Scene

Famke Janssen on Bond Audition, Broken Ribs During Pierce Brosnan Scene

Published by Daniella Wilson

As the casting process heats up to find a new 007, Famke Janssen, who starred opposite Pierce Brosnan in 1995’s GoldenEye, has recalled her nerve-wracking audition to land the part as Xenia Onatopp in the iconic James Bond franchise. “I became one of three, maybe four, finalists, and I was flown to London for a screen test with Pierce Brosnan. I remember being so nervous because I’d never done a screen test in my life, and this was a Russian character with an accent,” Janssen, 61, explained during a masterclass conversation with Vanity Fair’s John Ross during the Mediterrane Film Festival in Malta last week. She landed the audition as she had been filming a role in Clive Barker’s Lord of Illusions for Bond studio MGM, and studio executives had been impressed with her dailies. “I didn’t sleep the whole night. … I just sort of surrendered, and everything [my acting coach Harold Guskin] taught me, I took with me. And the rest is history.” Janssen with Vanity Fair’s John Ross at Malta’s Mediterrane Film …

Bond star Eva Green rushed to hospital after reported accident on Wednesday set

Bond star Eva Green rushed to hospital after reported accident on Wednesday set

Published by Daniella Wilson

Eva Green was reportedly rushed to the hospital after an accident while filming the third season of Wednesday. The French actress, best known for playing Daniel Craig’s Bond love interest Vesper Lynd in Casino Royale, has joined the smash-hit Netflix series for its upcoming season. However, her first weeks on set took an unexpected turn after she reportedly injured her leg while filming near Dublin. The 45-year-old was treated in hospital after the incident, with production temporarily halted while she received medical attention. © Alessandra Benedetti – CorbisThe actress is starring in the third season of Wednesday No further details about the nature of the accident or Eva’s injury have been publicly confirmed, and neither the actress nor Netflix has commented on the report. The Sun first reported the news. HELLO! contacted Netflix and Eva’s representatives for comment but had not received a response by publication time. Eva is set to play the mysterious Aunt Ophelia in the upcoming season, a character whose connection to the Addams family is expected to bring a darker new …

“Perfect Storm”: Bond Traders “Stunned” At How Quickly SpaceX Bonds Are Selling Off

“Perfect Storm”: Bond Traders “Stunned” At How Quickly SpaceX Bonds Are Selling Off

Published by Jenni Sidey

Media reports earlier this week about SpaceX’s inaugural post-IPO investment-grade bond (and we mean inaugural, as the company rushed to tap the corporate bond market just days after going public with a low-IG rating of Baa1/BBB) which priced on Tuesday, had it as almost 4x oversubscribed, at roughly $90BN in orders for the $25 billion offering (upsized from $20 billion), signaling relentless demand for the paper. Alas, it took just 48 hours for the myth of sterling demand to crash and burn, with Bloomberg reporting today that the “blockbuster bond sale is weakening so quickly in the secondary market that traders say they can’t recall another recent deal that widened this sharply.“ This is what we mean. Confirming the TRACE data shown above for the company’s bonds due 2056, Bloomberg says that a large dealer was quoting the SpaceX bonds at levels as much as 0.32 percentage point wider than the issue price of 1.75 percentage points above Treasuries. Parallel selling across the entire SpaceX bond complex means that paper losses on the company’s $25 billion …

Louis Partridge says it’s “wonderful” to be in James Bond conversation

Louis Partridge says it’s “wonderful” to be in James Bond conversation

Published by Daniella Wilson

With reports outlining that the search for the new James Bond has moved on to its next casting stage, one actor who has been touted to take on the role has had his say about being in the 007 conversation. When asked by Variety whether he ever imagined he would be part of Bond discussions, House of Guinness star Louis Partridge said: “No, no. Not yet at least. But that’s something to keep in mind.” Known for his roles in Enola Holmes, Disclaimer and Medici, Partridge has been one of the names rumoured to be in contention for the coveted leading film role. Just a couple of months ago, Variety reported that rumours around Partridge do align with chatter that the new Bond could be younger than previous actors. After being told of the report, Partridge added: “Wonderful. Thank you, Variety.” Louis Partridge as Tewkesbury and Millie Bobby Brown as Enola Holmes in Enola Holmes 3. Partridge, who is 23, is considerably younger than other rumoured Bond contenders, as well as being much younger than …

James Bond: More auditions set for August as casting director meets lesser known names

James Bond: More auditions set for August as casting director meets lesser known names

Published by Daniella Wilson

Get the latest entertainment news, reviews and star-studded interviews with our Independent Culture email Get the latest entertainment news with our free Culture newsletter Get the latest entertainment news with our free Culture newsletter The search is still on for the next 007 – with producers reportedly setting a date for the next round of James Bond auditions. It’s been five years since Daniel Craig put down the martini glass for good, having starred in five films as the Ian Fleming character over nearly two decades. While the likes of Callum Turner, Jacob Elordi and Harris Dickinson have been rumoured to be taking on the role in recent months, it’s since been reported that further auditions will be taking place this summer – and it’s not only A-list stars who are being considered. According to Deadline, a number of actors will be screen-testing to be Bond in August, with the next film’s director Denis Villeneuve calling talent directly. Callum Turner is one of the rumoured frontrunners to play 007 after Daniel Craig stepped down (AFP/Getty) …

James Bond icon calls Marvel’s Avengers: Doomsday snub “a mistake”

James Bond icon calls Marvel’s Avengers: Doomsday snub “a mistake”

Published by Daniella Wilson

X-Men and James Bond alum Famke Janssen has reiterated her claim that Marvel Studios did not invite her to return as Jean Grey in its forthcoming crossover film Avengers: Doomsday, adding that it was a “mistake” on their part. The Dutch actor is probably best known for playing the X-Men’s powerful telepath, who found herself in a love triangle with Cyclops (James Marsden) and Wolverine (Hugh Jackman), before her menacing Dark Phoenix persona tragically consumed her. The storyline played out across the original X-Men trilogy, while Janssen also popped up for very brief cameos in 2013’s The Wolverine and 2014’s Days of Future Past, after which Game of Thrones alum Sophie Turner took over the role. GoldenEye and Taken star Janssen was notably absent from the announced Avengers: Doomsday cast, which includes Marsden, Patrick Stewart (Professor X), Ian McKellen (Magneto), Alan Cumming (Nightcrawler) and Rebecca Romijn (Mystique). That Romijn was the only female X-Men star on the list ruffled feathers among fans, as the likes of Jean Grey and Storm (Halle Berry, also omitted) are …

Love James Bond? Meet France’s answer to 007 that you’ve probably never heard of but have to watch

Love James Bond? Meet France’s answer to 007 that you’ve probably never heard of but have to watch

Published by Daniella Wilson

The name’s Fantômas. Just… Fantômas. You may not have heard of these films, but of all the colourful capers to be made in the wake of the 1960s James Bond phenomenon, the French Fantômas trilogy (1964-67) stands as one of the most distinctive, and all on its own terms. If you like Bond — especially the series’ campier side — these manic Euro-romps will prove a delight: full of nonsensical plots, fun gizmos and exquisite stunts, as well as one of cinema’s most entertaining supervillains. Often considered a parody of the early 007 entries, the knockabout Fantômas flicks have a great deal more going on than that might imply. Based on a series of novels from the 1910s, these films are all about the bizarre and murderous exploits of the titular baddie. There’s no suave, crime-fighting hero as such; just a mischievous master of disguise who bests and humiliates his pursuers at every turn. At times, the impassive but wry Fantômas (“I kill people, but always with a smile”) gives off vibes not a million …

How bond markets have become one of the most powerful forces in modern politics

How bond markets have become one of the most powerful forces in modern politics

Published by Sam Flores

To stay in the top job, a British prime minister has to try and keep certain groups happy. MPs, party members and donors do not like to be ignored. Nor do the bond markets. And often it feels like they matter the most. That’s because those markets are what make it possible for governments to spend money. Each of the bonds is essentially a loan from an investor to the state. In return for the loan, the government pays a certain amount of interest (yield) for a set period, before paying back the original amount. Governments seen as safe and financially credible can usually borrow at cheaper rates. But if investors become worried about inflation, or excessive borrowing, or weak economic policies or political instability, they might demand higher yields to compensate for the greater risk. It’s the same principle that applies to ordinary household borrowing. A person with a stable income and a good credit history can borrow more cheaply than someone seen as a financial risk. Modern governments rely heavily on borrowing to …

Nvidia To Raise BN In Debt From First Bond Sale Since 2021, As AI Debt Frenzy Goes Parabolic

Nvidia To Raise $20BN In Debt From First Bond Sale Since 2021, As AI Debt Frenzy Goes Parabolic

Published by Jenni Sidey

Over the weekend, we published a length report analyzing what we dubbed “the $1.8 trillion off-balance sheet time bomb at the heart of the AI supercycle”,  which focused on the recent surge in popularity of off-balance sheet SPVs, as well as $1 trillion in long-term purchase commitments, and $800bn in lease commitments, which support the AI buildout, and do so by masking the true funding costs of the AI buildout, yet which add significantly to off-BS operating leverage. Additionally, when one adds billions in variable lease payments, over $100BN in embedded capex inside accounts payable, as well as the Construction-in-Progress pipeline which reflect capacity built but not yet expensed – and the $520bn cumulative depreciation estimate is where it eventually lands – and one gets a far more ominous picture of the capital stack that is backstopping the biggest infrastructure buildout in US history, which according to Goldman will translate into as much as $1.4 trillion in 2027 capex, and much more in the following years. We summarized the complex funding picture which is effectively a …