We spoke to Martin Campbell about his upcoming The Legend of Zorro recently (more on that nearer the time) but also took time out to ask him about the most-rumoured about film in history, Casino Royale. Here's what he had to say about those rumours.
"We're still working on the script, we're casting," he said. "We've tested actors and we're looking at tests to see how they come out, doing all that. As yet, nobody; we haven't decided on anybody – and I don't think anybody is the front-runner. I think we're looking at the tests very objectively, and taking our time with it because the point is that whoever plays it has to do three movies, it's a huge commitment."
We asked if it was true that the shortlist was down to two (or, by some accounts, four) names. "It's probably more like 8 or 10. What you do is you test and you cut and you look, and you try to divorce yourself from any prejudice you may have, so that when you see the test you can just look at it as, "There's an actor, up for Bond". That's how you've got to do it."
Then there's the question of Paul Haggis, fresh off writing one Oscar-winning film (Million Dollar Baby) and directing one of next year's front-runners (Crash). Why get him for Bond? "If you read the book, the relationship between Bond and Vespa was a very complicated one. The idea was to get some character into her, to make her a very strong girl so she stands up to Bond; she's his sort of equal. Certainly, psychologically speaking – and it needs someone like Paul to pull that off. To bring out genuine character – and also to bring the humour. Gone will be the awful one-line clunkers. Hopefully there will be a little bit of wit in this one."
"I don't think it [Bond] needs reinvigorating. – I think what it needs is a fresh coat of paint. I think the last Bond got so out there, with the action and stuff – so what do you do from there? This will be grittier, more realistic. It's when he just earns his double-O stripes, so he's kind of raw. He's got an arrogance, he thinks he can do what he wants to do – he thinks with his heart instead of his head, so he gets a few of the rough edges knocked off him on the way through the story. So by the end of it he becomes the Bond that we all know."
So, Bond Begins then? "Sort of, yeah. There's a little bit of that. But it's certainly more gritty and realistic, no doubt about that."
We also asked him what age Bond would be, and were told that he is someone who has just earned his double-0 stripes, and is therefore "about 28, 30-31" – which would seem to put Brosnan out of the running once and for all. As ever, we'll keep you up to date with all Bond news as we get it.