Bond Girl Rumours!

I don't see anything wrong with Naomie Harris being one of the Bond girls, but like with any rumour right now - casting is most likely still months away.

Well apparently Naomie Harris has been confirmed as being "in talks" by Eon, according to MI6. Can't say I'm too impressed with this, but we'll see what happens.

FieldsMan wrote:

There is that entire argument about why M would send off a young, female office clerk to try and get back a seeming "rogue" spy. Basically, that's one of the things I love about her and Quantum of Solace. It's James Bond - it's all escapist. Bond treats her with frivolity which see tries to resist. And a trench coat? It's all very retro Bond in my opinion.

In a Roger Moore or Brosnan film, one with a more flippant tone, the character of Fields may have worked better. But we have the rather ridiculous scenario described above taking place in the context of arguably the most serious and morose film of the franchise. It's just out of place. Flasher coat attire? Stupid. Completely inexperienced young girl sent alone to bring in an out-of-control and dangerous rogue agent? Beyond stupid. Getting straight into bed with Bond (no foreplay or reason why Fields would do this) while Bond is supposedly trying to "get over Vesper", thus showing no interest at all in Camille? Inconsistent, bad and lazy writing, which makes Fields look all the more silly and easy, basically rendering her as nothing more than a lazy, tossed-in bit of random totty and "obligatory" sacrificial lamb fodder (all the more odd given that Mathis filled the sacrifical lamb "requirements", despite not even having to). Far-fetched Goldfinger "homage" death? Stupid. Fields has some tiny moments I like, and I love the idea of Arterton as a Bond girl, but it was by and large badly handled and written in the case of QOS. IMO.

FieldsMan wrote:

Well apparently Naomie Harris has been confirmed as being "in talks" by Eon, according to MI6. Can't say I'm too impressed with this, but we'll see what happens.

Harris is as plain as a bowl of Cheerios. Surely she cannot be the leading Bond girl. I mean, if Miccoli just have to cast a black chick to further validate their progressive bona fides, the least they can do is find one who quickens the pulse a little bit.

Given that filming will likely take place in South Africa and maybe other African countries, the Bond girl this time could be an African character. I frankly don't know too many good and stunning black actresses, particularly non-American ones. Naomie Harris is one, I suppose. She was off-putting in the Pirates films, but hot enough in After the Sunset and Miami Vice. I'd guess that she got on Miccoli's radar due to the Blood and Oil tv movie. Whatever her character may be, I hope it won't be another tough chick or secret agent. Who knows, maybe she'll play Moneypenny?

If the talks go through, Harris is going to play Moneypenny. Mark my word.

Entertainment Weekly says they've confirmed the News of the World report, but all theyr'e saying is that Harris is under consideration and has met with producers. Could be for the lead role or maybe for one of the usual two good secondary roles. Who knows. She may yet disappear from contention. http://insidemovies.ew.com/2011/06/06/naomie-harris-bond-23/

Ed Tom Kowalsky wrote:

Harris is as plain as a bowl of Cheerios. Surely she cannot be the leading Bond girl.

Couldn't agree more. I'd go for redundantly second helpings of Olga as opposed to this, anyday.

Sharky wrote:

If the talks go through, Harris is going to play Moneypenny. Mark my word.

It all makes sense now. First thing I thought was "too ordinary to be a Bond girl".... couple that with what Babs would no doubt see as another big PC wall-shattering move in casting a black Moneypenny and I think Mr Shark has uncovered the truth here.

I'm off to google images of wheelchair-bound 60+ British women.... only to guess who's gonna play Q, I promise. ;)

I'd love to have Olga back. She's one of my favourite Bond girls. Feisty with smokey sultry looks and attitude. I liked the way she lipped off at that worm Greene in QoS.

tiffanywint wrote:

I'd love to have Olga back. She's one of my favourite Bond girls. Feisty with smokey sultry looks and attitude. I liked the way she lipped off at that worm Greene in QoS.

I liked Olga too, but it would just seem a bit pointless (especially from a marketing perspective, as opposed to them casting a newer "hot young thing") bringing her back unless there was a pretty good reason. Olga was my fave Bond girl since the good old Albert days, TBH... though admittedly that's not saying much.

Lazenby. wrote:

tiffanywint wrote:

I'd love to have Olga back. She's one of my favourite Bond girls. Feisty with smokey sultry looks and attitude. I liked the way she lipped off at that worm Greene in QoS.

I liked Olga too, but it would just seem a bit pointless (especially from a marketing perspective, as opposed to them casting a newer "hot young thing") bringing her back unless there was a pretty good reason. Olga was my fave Bond girl since the good old Albert days, TBH... though admittedly that's not saying much.

Agreed about Olga, but of all the crazy things Babs and company might do with this film, bringing back Olga is at least something I could live with.

Black Leiter, possibly a black Moneypenny; I suppose a black Q and M would be the next logical steps. All in preparation for the big jump, mayhap.

Ed Tom Kowalsky wrote:

Black Leiter, possibly a black Moneypenny; I suppose a black Q and M would be the next logical steps. All in preparation for the big jump, mayhap.

Muslim Bond?

The sex and alcohol will be gone, but the gunplay will remain.

Ed Tom Kowalsky wrote:

Black Leiter, possibly a black Moneypenny; I suppose a black Q and M would be the next logical steps. All in preparation for the big jump, mayhap.

If there was a black Q, I'd pick Morgan Freeman, considering that he recently resigned from the Bat Cave.... :face:

Naomie Harris...wasn't she in Ninja Assassin? I'm indifferent at the moment...like others have mentioned, if part of the film is filmed in South Africa it's logical Craig's Bond will give her an interracial cream-pie and a jumbo serving of British man-beef...but hopefully in scenes that are better than anything with Rosie Carver, Grace Jones or Halle Berry...

We've knocked back so many rumours before - if previous experience has told us anything its going to be a long while before casting (especially for main girls) gets done. For QOS the press covered the globe with all kinds of actresses before anything we got anything definite.

Plus, I doubt this girl could be blander than Gemma Arterton. Or Ivana Milicevic. People are acting as if this is something new. ;)

Mrs Aural Sects wrote:

but hopefully in scenes that are better than anything with Rosie Carver, Grace Jones or Halle Berry...

Hmmm. I'm beginning to detect a trend here. Once is happenstance. Twice is coincidence. But the third time is enemy action.

Some folks at Eon seem to be a bit hard of learning.

colly wrote:

Plus, I doubt this girl could be blander than Gemma Arterton. Or Ivana Milicevic. People are acting as if this is something new. ;)

Arterton and Milicevic were anything but "bland" in the looks department. The quality of their acting is a matter of debate.

I think there could be something to this Harris thing. She has talked with Eon and presumably done some sort of audition. She does have a nice look. She's Bond girl material. And she's got a little profile with the Pirates work.I'd say she's very much in the mix for one of the two main Bond girl roles.

Ed Tom Kowalsky wrote:

colly wrote:

Plus, I doubt this girl could be blander than Gemma Arterton. Or Ivana Milicevic. People are acting as if this is something new. ;)

Arterton and Milicevic were anything but "bland" in the looks department. The quality of their acting is a matter of debate.

Milicevic was poorly used. We could have got this:

http://www.videogamegirlsdb.com/gamegirl/Images/Command_and_Conquer/Dasha/Ivana_Milicevic__Dasha_Fedorovich_07.jpg

Ivana Humpalot.

Ed Tom Kowalsky wrote:

Harris is as plain as a bowl of Cheerios. Surely she cannot be the leading Bond girl. I mean, if Miccoli just have to cast a black chick to further validate their progressive bona fides, the least they can do is find one who quickens the pulse a little bit.

Glad to see I'm not the only one with a problem regarding Harris. While I think she's attractive, she doesn't appear to be spectacularly beautiful according to any of the pictures I've seen so far. We've had less-than-stunning women in the past (Yeoh, Gordon), but normally these women are ridiculously beautiful. And I'd rather she played a Bond Girl (lead or secondary) as opposed to being cast in a radically re-imagined version of Moneypenny or Q. We've already had "controversial" casting choices in the past (Dench = love, Craig = eh, Wright = hate).

Casting a black actress won't do anything to validate Barbara's "progressive bona fides" because we've been there and done that already. At this point the only avenues left to Barbara to make any sort of social statement using the Bond brand are to make 007 himself black...or Muslim...or gay (at least bisexual)...

There's also a stark contrast, so far, between the reaction I'm reading to Harris on this board and the reaction I'm reading on other 007 message boards. At least in these forums there appears to be a healthy amount of skepticism and dissent about hiring Harris, while elsewhere people are tripping over each other to be the first to endorse hiring Harris.

I doubt Harris will be the main Bond girl.

I do find the objection to the color of her skin interesting. My problems with her have more to do that she doesn't appear the type of actress who usually get cast in that role. Of course, there have been exceptions in the past, Grace Jones being the most prominent one of them.

She was excellent in THE FIRST GRADER. I recommend the skeptics watch.

Salomé wrote:

I doubt Harris will be the main Bond girl.

I do find the objection to the color of her skin interesting. My problems with her have more to do that she doesn't appear the type of actress who usually get cast in that role.

It depends what her role is....Olga set a precedent in one of the few redeeming points about QoS...she didn't sleep with Bond but had a major role as a Bond girl all the same. And I don't find Olga spectacularly beautiful either.

I don't have any objections about Harris so far, but thought Zoe Saldana would make a bigger splash if a black Bond girl was selected. She was super as Uhara, great pick...

As for Bond, he's an equal-opportunity assassin as much as he is an equal-opportunity shagger...it's good to see girls of other ethic backgrounds getting to keep the British end up.

Ed Tom Kowalsky wrote:

Black Leiter, possibly a black Moneypenny; I suppose a black Q and M would be the next logical steps. All in preparation for the big jump, mayhap.

And my "big jump" would be from paying fan to non-paying, non-watching, non-fan of the series.

Craig isn't my favorite Bond; not even close. I thought Moneypenny was turned into a potty-mouthed tart during the Samantha Bond era. Don't care for Jeffrey Wright as Felix. And lately we've got Barbara Broccoli producing a video wherein James Bond is given a verbal beat down by his boss because women in the world have it tough, so to sympathize 007 puts on a dress, wig, and high heels. Right now, my grasp on Bond fandom is tenuous.

I've always said that EON never fully exploited the property they have. They've never expanded their film offerings based upon the world Fleming created. Instead of ret-conning James Bond to be a black man, why not introduce a new line of films based upon the exploits of 005 and hire a black actor? Or have a series of films about a sexy, female 00 agent.

Just don't mess with 007.

Gravity's Silhouette wrote:

Craig isn't my favorite Bond; not even close. I thought Moneypenny was turned into a potty-mouthed tart during the Samantha Bond era. Don't care for Jeffrey Wright as Felix. And lately we've got Barbara Broccoli producing a video wherein James Bond is given a verbal beat down by his boss because women in the world have it tough, so to sympathize 007 puts on a dress, wig, and high heels. Right now, my grasp on Bond fandom is tenuous.

I feel your pain. Babs and her progressive conceits may be the most devastating foe Bond has ever faced. Terrifying stuff. Shudder. :pale: