All posts tagged: Bond

007 First Light review – a triumphant James Bond game made by obsessive fans | Games

007 First Light review – a triumphant James Bond game made by obsessive fans | Games

Published by Sam Flores

Given that we’ve not had a great James Bond video game in decades – or any Bond film at all in five years – there’s a lot of pressure on 007 First Light to reinvigorate a British cinematic hero. But developer IO Interactive has been auditioning for this role for some time. It’s there in the globetrotting nature of its Hitman assassination games, starring a besuited hero who knows how to turn a soiree to his deadly purpose; then there’s the developer’s evident eye for corporate opulence and brutalist architecture. Even their in-house game engine, Glacier, sounds like a secret codename cooked up in a Bond villain’s lair. All it would take is a slight shift in Hitman’s moral compass – more old boys club, fewer old boys clubbed – to turn IO’s familiar series into a Bond game with minimal fuss. 007 First Light refuses that easy route. We join young Bond in his pre-00 days, as a petulant, belligerent rule-breaking trainee. Actor Patrick Gibson begins as a cookie-cutter insubordinate, but warms to the …

Bond girl receives outpouring of support as she shares emotional message

Bond girl receives outpouring of support as she shares emotional message

Published by Daniella Wilson

Jane Seymour received an outpouring of support from fans after sharing a heartfelt Memorial Day message on social media. The former Bond girl star took to Instagram to honour those who served in the armed forces, posting a poignant photograph of herself sitting among hundreds of American flags beneath a bright blue sky. Dressed casually in jeans, a white top and a striking red jacket, Jane appeared reflective as she posed in the emotional image, which quickly resonated with followers. © InstagramJane shares poignant message “Thinking today of all those who served, sacrificed, and are so deeply missed,” the 75-year-old wrote alongside a red heart emoji and the hashtag #MemorialDay. Fans immediately flooded the comments section with messages of support and gratitude, praising the actress for her thoughtful tribute. “One this special day of remembrance, we honor all who answered the call,” one follower wrote. “Thank you for standing on the front lines so we can live in peace.” Jane’s fans supported her Another added: “Amazing picture, thank you for sharing with us, Jane.” Others …

Idris Elba opens up about his James Bond prospects as casting gets underway

Idris Elba opens up about his James Bond prospects as casting gets underway

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 Idris Elba said he was “never in the race” to play James Bond, putting to rest years of speculation around whether the British actor would succeed Daniel Craig as 007. Since Craig’s final performance as the fictional spy in 2021’s No Time to Die, there had been intense speculation over who would take over his role. Elba’s name had been on nearly every fan casting list, along with Regé-Jean Page, Tom Hardy, and Aaron Taylor-Johnson. At the Los Angeles premiere of Masters of the Universe last week, Elba dismissed the suggestion that he remained in contention as Amazon MGM Studios began searching for the next Bond actor. “My name’s not getting thrown out, no way,” the Luther star, 53, told People magazine. “They’re going younger. And I wish them all the luck of the world. I can’t wait. It’s going to …

Rivals’ Emily Atack joining James Bond favourite in courtroom drama

Rivals’ Emily Atack joining James Bond favourite in courtroom drama

Published by Daniella Wilson

The BBC has announced that it has begun production on Reputation, a brand-new legal drama from writer Anya Reiss, which stars James Bond favourite Naomie Harris. Harris, who played Moneypenny opposite Daniel Craig’s Bond, will play Lena, a formidable lawyer who gets pulled into the celebrity case of a global pop star, Davina Knight, played by The Buccaneers actor Christina Hendricks. The six-part series, which is produced by The Forge, will also feature Rivals star Emily Atack in a key role, as well as Andor’s Kyle Soller, The Crown’s Alex Jennings and The Diplomat’s David Gyasi. The synopsis for the series says: “Reputation is an audacious and glossy new drama that shows what happens when a celebrity legal battle spirals out of control. “After Davina releases a provocative new song accusing her ex-husband, Billy (Soller), of abusive behaviour and he retaliates in kind, their private breakdown erupts into a very public libel battle.” Naomie Harris. Dave Benett/Getty Images for The Chancery Rosewood The synopsis continues: “The case is fought far beyond the courtroom, as PR machines …

How We Bond Through Music

How We Bond Through Music

Published by Jenni Sidey

Runners try to hack their own pace by crafting playlists of songs with a specific number of beats per minute, hoping the tempo will coax their gait to a matching speed. High school marching bands employ crisp brass fanfares to help lock their steps into time with one another. People with Parkinson’s disease, who suffer from a faltering, unsteady gait, can lock into a smoother, more regular gait when prompted with highly rhythmic music. Even when people are lying in a brain scanner, doing nothing, music that has a beat activates the motor areas of the brain. The impulse to move is irresistible; whether people are lying in a giant clinical tube or attempting to conform to Carnegie Hall’s expectation that they remain seated, an imagined sense of movement materializes. This phantom, imagined movement constitutes an important aspect of music’s transportive potency. Researcher Laura Cirelli suspected that some of music’s social benefits might come from its capacity to sync people with one another in time. She devised a setup in which she could manipulate whether …

John Krasinski on how James Bond veteran took Jack Ryan to next level

John Krasinski on how James Bond veteran took Jack Ryan to next level

Published by Daniella Wilson

Jack Ryan is a character we’ve seen in cinema many times before, with the CIA analyst having been played on the big screen by a succession of big name actors: Alec Baldwin, Harrison Ford, Ben Affleck and Chris Pine. The most recent adaptation of Tom Clancy’s popular novels, however, has been a small screen project. John Krasinski portrayed the character across four seasons on a self-titled Prime Video series between 2018 and 2023, which broadly attracted positive reviews throughout its run. Now, that series has been given a feature-length spin-off – albeit one which is premiering on streaming rather than in cinemas – with Krasinski back in the lead role and also on co-screenwriting duties. Want to see this content? This page contains content provided by Google reCAPTCHA. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as Google reCAPTCHA may use cookies and other technologies. To view this content, choose ‘Accept and continue’ to allow Google reCAPTCHA and its required purposes. Accept and continue In many ways Jack Ryan: Ghost War is a straight-forward …

Futures Rise Ahead Of Critical Nvidia Earnings As Oil, Bond Yields Drop

Futures Rise Ahead Of Critical Nvidia Earnings As Oil, Bond Yields Drop

Published by Jenni Sidey

US equity futures are higher led by tech as the selloff in bonds eased and traders awaited earnings from Nvidia after the close. As of 7:30am ET, S&P futures are up 0.3% while Nasdaq futs rose 0.7% showing optimism heading into the release and overlooking weakness in tech during APAC trade. In premarket trading, NVDA is up 1.8% in premarket trading, as semis see a strong bid with Mag7 names almost all higher. Cyclicals ex-Energy are rallying led by Industrials with Defensives lagging and Staples down. European stocks have edged higher alongside a pullback in energy prices, which saw Brent briefly slip onto a $108/bbl handle. Today is all about NVDA but Fed Minutes this afternoon may provide color on the dissenters from the previous Fed Day. Bond yields in the US and Europe retreated from multiyear highs as traders pared back aggressive bets on interest-rate hikes this year. US yields are 1-3bp lower across the curve, the 10Y dropping to 4.64% from yesterday’s high of 4.69%, as the USD sees a mild bid. Brent fell 1.8% toward $109 a barrel with the …

What you need to know about the bond market

What you need to know about the bond market

Published by Sam Flores

Let’s say you buy a 10-year bond for $100 at a 5% yield. But then, after a few years, overall interest rates go up, and yields on new bonds are 7%. Your 5% bond is less desirable, because it has a lower yield than what’s being offered new. If you wanted to sell it, you wouldn’t be able to sell it for as much as you paid for it — so you could get $80 for it, perhaps, instead of $100. There’s another reason investors might sell their bonds: If investors believe the U.S. government will need to borrow more money soon, they may expect the government to issue more bonds into the market, increasing the overall supply. And as in any market, supply and demand matters. If more bonds are suddenly available, the government may need to offer higher yields to attract investors. That can make older bonds with lower yields look less attractive. So what’s going on right now? Bond yields are surging as Wall Street is increasingly worried inflation could stay higher …

Stocks fall as US bond yields rise, oil eases after latest Iran war headlines

Stocks fall as US bond yields rise, oil eases after latest Iran war headlines

Published by Sam Flores

NEW YORK/LONDON, May 19 : A global stock index fell with 30-year U.S. Treasury yields rising to their highest levels since 2007 on Tuesday, and oil prices eased as investors digested the latest headlines on U.S. talks with Iran to end the war. U.S. President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that the United States may need to strike Iran again and that he had been an hour away from ordering an attack before postponing it. Trump on Monday said he had paused a planned resumption of hostilities following a new proposal by Tehran to end the U.S.-Israeli war. U.S. Vice President JD Vance said the United States and Iran have made a lot of progress in their talks and neither side wants to see a resumption of the military campaign. Oil prices settled lower on the day, with Brent futures down 82 cents at $111.28 a barrel and the U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude contract for June delivery, which expired on Tuesday, down 89 cents at $107.77. Mounting inflation fears continued to drive up U.S. …

James Bond Auditions: These Actors May Be at the Top of the List

James Bond Auditions: These Actors May Be at the Top of the List

Published by Sam Flores

Of course, the prediction markets and Vegas are based mostly on vibes rather than real inside information. What’s more, casting Bond has always been a complicated process. James Bond, created by author Ian Fleming in 1953, is tall, dark, and handsome and calm, cool, and collected—the platonic ideal of a world-class spy. The first ever Bond was, of course, Sean Connery, who went on to star in seven Bond films, including From Russia With Love (1963), Goldfinger (1964), and Diamonds Are Forever (1971). Connery was followed by George Lazenby, who starred in a single Bond film, On Her Majesty’s Secret Service (1969), before passing the reins back to Connery. The third Bond was Roger Moore, who took over for 1973’s Live and Let Die, and appeared in a total of seven Bond films, most notably The Spy Who Loved Me (1977) and Octopussy (1983). After Moore came Timothy Dalton, who became 007 with 1987’s The Living Daylights, then threw in the towel after 1989’s License to Kill. Millennials will fondly remember the next Bond: Pierce …