• Welcome! The TrekBBS is the number one place to chat about Star Trek with like-minded fans.
    If you are not already a member then please register an account and join in the discussion!

"James Bond 23" officially slated for 2012!

Not yet quite official but fairly reliable:

http://www.totalfilm.com/news/ben-whishaw-cast-as-q-in-bond-film-skyfall

Skyfall, the latest instalment of the James Bond franchise, has cast Ben Whishaw as MI6 gadget master Q, according to various reports hitting the web today.

It will be the character's first appearance in the franchise since 2002's Die Another Day, where he was played by John Cleese.
Prior to that, Q was played by Desmond Llewelyn, who owned the role for an impressive 36 years.
Q is the character who supplies Bond with all of his nifty hi-tech gadgets and espionage equipment in the movies.
Traditionally, the actor playing Q has been older than James Bond, but that's set to change here (Whishaw's 31, Craig's 43).
Craig is appearing as 007 for the third time in Skyfall.
Ben Whishaw has already acted opposite Craig, in 2004 ganster Brit-flick Layer Cake.
And, not that we're saying we told you so or anything, but we did have our money on Whishaw playing Q:
Click to expand...

It is indeed going to be odd to see Q younger than Bond - he was like an older brother to Connery's 007 and could have been Dalton or Brosnan's father (Cleese was again probably like an older brother to Brosnan in age). But when you think about it, it makes sense to have a maker of gadgets a young whizzkid. Any time you go into a tech shop, there's some kid who knows it all inside out and makes you feel about 93. It could be an interesting twist on the Bond-Q dynamic, to have Q scoffing at Bond for being a silly old fart, who doesn't know his Ipad from his Ipod.
 
Last edited:
^^ :rolleyes: Why do we have to have such a cliched dynamic? Why can't we just have too professionals interacting with each other? Is this perhaps just the first step in the Bond films getting silly again and eventually stupid? I hope not.
 
^ Who said we 'have to'? This was just a possibility I raised. I could be way off the mark. Anyway, there's such a thing as a happy medium - a bit of banter, without making it silly.

I note that I should have said 'could be' rather than 'will be' an interesting dynamic, so I've amended my previous post.
 
Captaindemotion said:
^ Who said we 'have to'? This was just a possibility I raised. I could be way off the mark. Anyway, there's such a thing as a happy medium - a bit of banter, without making it silly.

I note that I should have said 'could be' rather than 'will be' an interesting dynamic, so I've amended my previous post.
Click to expand...
True, you didn't actually say it would be like that. I've liked the overall tone of the Craig Bonds and I hope they stay the course in this.
 
^ Don't forget, there has been humour between Bond and M in both Craig movies, without them turning into Moonraker; any office banter between 007 and Q could be done just in keeping with that tone.
 
This is exciting news! I'm glad Q is coming back.

The interactions between 007 and Q were always one of my favorite aspects of the James Bond movies. As Captaindemotion so elegantly said, I doubt we're going to see the franchise suddenly become silly and campy again just because of the inclusion of Q.

I am sure Sam Mendes and the writers have found an inventive and creatively exciting way to implement Q that isn't in such an overtly comical fashion. The Craig Bond films have always had little tidbits of humor sprinkled throughout them, and I am sure the same will be the case with Skyfall. I am really interested to see how Daniel Craig's Bond plays off of this new, younger Q and what exactly that dynamic is going to be. Another reason to look forward to Skyfall.

P.S. I just re-watched both Casino Royale and Quantum of Solace last night, and I am really in the mood for another Craig Bond movie. Skyfall can't get here quicker enough.
 
^ He recently played the lead in a UK tv show called The Hour, where he played opposite a one-time Bond contender Dominic West. He was very good in it.
 
Whishaw has also previously worked with Daniel Craig in the gangster film Layer Cake directed by Matthew Vaughn (X-Men: First Class).
 
Layer Cake is fantastic. One of Vaughn's best films (besides First Class) and the film that convinced me Daniel Craig would be a great James Bond. The film also stars two Harry Potter vets (Michael Gambon and George Harris) and Chief O'Brien from Star Trek: The Next Generation and Deep Space Nine.
 
It occurs to me that at the press conference, Whishaw's character wasn't named, which led many to speculate that he might be Q. Naomi Harris' character has been referred to but only by first name, which has also led to speculation that she might be Moneypennny.

I had thought that Naomi was too glamorous and young to be Moneypenny, but if Q is to be 12 years Bond's junior, then it looks like at least one of the mainstays is to be radically reinvented for Skyfall. So I'm thinking the Harris-for-Moneypenny rumours were on the ball.
 
Captaindemotion said:
Not yet quite official but fairly reliable:

http://www.totalfilm.com/news/ben-whishaw-cast-as-q-in-bond-film-skyfall

Skyfall, the latest instalment of the James Bond franchise, has cast Ben Whishaw as MI6 gadget master Q, according to various reports hitting the web today.

It will be the character's first appearance in the franchise since 2002's Die Another Day, where he was played by John Cleese.
Prior to that, Q was played by Desmond Llewelyn, who owned the role for an impressive 36 years.
Q is the character who supplies Bond with all of his nifty hi-tech gadgets and espionage equipment in the movies.
Traditionally, the actor playing Q has been older than James Bond, but that's set to change here (Whishaw's 31, Craig's 43).
Craig is appearing as 007 for the third time in Skyfall.
Ben Whishaw has already acted opposite Craig, in 2004 ganster Brit-flick Layer Cake.
And, not that we're saying we told you so or anything, but we did have our money on Whishaw playing Q:
Click to expand...
Click to expand...

Q AND Moneypenny!

This just keeps getting better and better....
 
Admiral_Young said:
Really? Wow. I'll have to rewatch that. It's been a long time since I last saw "Layer Cake".
Click to expand...


benwhishawmetdanielcrai.jpg





Mendes- Three Character's fan might recognize played by three actors

Ben Whishaw

Albert Finney

Ralph Fiennes


Ben Whishaw- Q


That's one down and two to go!
 
Glad there will be a Q and Moneypenny, and I do love Layer Cake, but who the hell is this guy?

Outside of the obvious young gadgetry appeal, what are the motives to making some sort of tech guru or young geeky Q? I already thought we had the badass younger Bond with Craig's reinventions, so why would Q be younger? This really confuses me, as it might have been nice to have something slightly similar to a cranky old man in an effort to get things back on track.

Eh, must wait and see.
 
It's possible that the new Quartermaster will be recently recruited by MI-5 in the film. I have no problem with Q being younger than Bond. I also don't think that the movie will be bogged down with gadgets galore. While not abundant there have been a few cool devices that we've seen in the two films. I see this as just the continued maturation of Craig's Bond. He is progressing, evolving into the seasoned agent we are familiar with in the books and previous films.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
If you are not already a member then please register an account and join in the discussion!

Sign up / Register


Back
Top