Ian Fleming's James Bond Returns in... "SPECTRE"!

A new Bond film has been rumoured for some time, getting its release date earlier last year, scheduled to come out on 6th November 2015 worldwide, with Daniel Craig returning as the British government operative. Today, an hour ago, the title, official teaser poster, the cast, the crew and the plot synopsis were revealed at Albert R. Broccoli's "007 Stage" located in Pinewood Studios, UK.

Joining Daniel Craig on board are the new MI6 regulars; Ralph Fiennes, who has taken over the role of the MI6 headmaster, codenamed "M", from Judi Dench, then there's Naomie Harris who plays Eve Moneypenny, Ben Whishaw as "Q", a computer technician instead of an armourer, and of course, Rory Kinnear as Bill Tanner, the chief of staff.

The main cast from left to right: Andrew Scott, Ralph Fiennes, Naomie Harris, (director) Sam Mendes, Lea Seydoux, Daniel Craig, Monica Bellucci, Christoph Waltz and Ben Whishaw.

Along with these, come along high profile names. Sherlock star, whom some of the fans of the television show would know him as the psychotic Moriarty of the 21st century, Andrew Scott plays Denbigh, said to be "a member of the Whitehall family." and next we have the femme fatale of Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol (2011), Lea Seydoux as Madeleine Swann. We all thought this rumour would end up being a neverlasting effort to bring this one lovely actress to the franchise, ever since Tomorrow Never Dies (1997), Monica Bellucci is finally cast as the major Bond Girl, Lucia Sciarra. The most intensive casting of all comes down to two-times Academy Award winner for Best Supporting Actor, is the distinguished gentleman with great menace, Christoph Waltz as Franz Oberhauser, the son of Hans Oberhauser, whom the Bond fans will recognize as the "adoptive father" for the young then-future spy.

Plot synopsis reveals the following:

"A cryptic message from Bond’s past sends him on a trail to uncover a sinister organisation. While M battles political forces to keep the secret service alive, Bond peels back the layers of deceit to reveal the terrible truth behind SPECTRE."

This could be very gravy for a Bond thriller, as the plot seems to be connected with past villains and 007's background, marrying them together, to face his biggest adventure yet. Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men, anyway? The title itself is somewhat too simple compared to the previous installments. Along with these revelations, it was also officially unveild that Bond will be driving an Aston Martin DB10, a brand new car never seen before.

While nothing exactly is revealed behind the motivation of each new character that will be introduced in this film, fandom speculation indicate us to know that Franz Oberhauser (Waltz), at the end will be revealed as the notorious megalomaniac Classic Bond (1962-2004) villain, the famed nemesis of Ian Fleming's spy, Ernst Stavro Blofeld.

Ernst Stavro Blofeld as played by Donald Pleasence in "You Only Live Twice" (1967).

The crew of the film are revealed to be helmed by numerous people involved in Christopher Nolan's Batman trilogy, and the latest original story, Interstellar (2014). The director of photography was appointed to Hoyte Van Hoytema, the music will be written by Thomas Newman, once again, whose reviewers are divided between those who appreciate his take, and those who don't (personally, me included). The script is based on an original story by John Logan, who also wrote the first draft, which was cleaned up and polished by Neal Purvis & Robert Wade. Produced by Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson, who have put the fate of the entry in the hands of a well-known drama film director, Sam Mendes.

James Bond Will Return in
"SPECTRE"

Official teaser poster

Thank you for reading! Feel free to interact below!

'Tak3n' trailer arrives...

A few hours ago, the trailer for the third installment in the Taken series, called Tak3n (also known as Taken 3), has surfaced online, with Liam Neeson leaping over to his most iconic role, playing former CIA operative, Brian Mills.

This time, the whole thing is more personal than ever, with the previous two being 'a walk in the park' compared to what is going to take place in this one, which is said to be the final entry in the franchise. No one gets the chance to be abducted this time, but someone is indefinitely "taken" away permanently, due to the penalties our protagonist is supposed to be paying.

Brian Mills is framed for a murder he did not commit, with the saddest news to deliver that his wife has been murdered and he was the only suspect behind it. Someone has been drawing the scenario to end Mills in the most painful way possible, taking away everyone he has ever loved. As trained as deadly he is, no matter the age, the former civil servant is not only going to clear his name, but will most indefinitely protect the one beloved person he has ever left. His daughter.

Liam Neeson, Maggie Grace and Famke Janssen reprise their roles from the first two films, along with Olivier Megaton taking the helm of the project once more, as well as Luc Besson (who also produced the motion picture) and his colleague, Robert Mark Kamen writing the story and the script. Also starring Forest Whitaker, Sam Spruell and Dougray Scott in a similar role he played in the film adaptation of Hitman quite a few years back. Tak3n will be released on 9th of January 2015 in the United States.

Thank you for reading! Leave a comment below!

'Kingsman: The Secret Service', the second trailer has been released...

The film adaptation of Mark Millar's The Secret Service series of comic books has been delayed severely, despite completing production a few months ago, and it was originally set to be released later this year, until it was finally pushed back to February 2015. But, a few hours ago, the second trailer has made its debut, as well, showing more scenes from the film than the first one.

Online advertisement for the trailer before its release, featuring Harry Hart in the mannerism of The Ipcress File's Palmer along with a vibe of Classic James Bond thrown in.

It is, indeed, diverted a lot from the source material, and adopted the fantasy-oriented elements in a more massive manner than the comic book itself, with the trained spy carrying an almost superhuman strength during a combat or a firefight, impossible to be captured in a crossfire, while the comic book had more down-to-earth physics.

Gary Unwin in a full secret agent gear as seen above.

We finally, even though briefly, get to see the trainee operative, Gary Unwin in his full transformation into a gentleman secret agent, having left the thug life behind, thanks to his mentor, and veteran Kingsman agent, Harry Hart. Even though, there are many significant changes, as in altering character names, replacing a scene with another, while keeping the true basis of the storyline intact, there are sequences to be found in common with the source material.

Unbelievable athletic and physical combats are also part of the upcoming entertainment.

The film stars Colin Firth as the veteran agent, Harry Hart; Taron Egerton as the young protege and trainee operative, Gary Unwin; Samuel L. Jackson as the psychotic main villain, Valentine; Sofia Boutella as the henchwoman, Gazelle; Michael Caine as the head of Kingsman, Arthur; Mark Strong as the chief training officer, Merlin; Jack Davenport as a fellow gentleman secret agent, Lancelot; and finally the legendary Mark Hamill as the victim scientist, Professor James Arnold (which was the main villain's name in the graphic novel, but was altered for some reason). Mark Millar did act as a consultant for the screenwriters, Jane Goldman and Matthew Vaughn, who has also co-produced and directed the film itself, having participated in setting the basic plot for the comic book. The film will be released world-wide on 12th (and 13th) of February 2015, to be disturbed by 20th Century Fox.

Thank you for reading! Feel free to leave a comment below!

2015: A Big Year For Cinematic Spies

In late 2013, many films in the spy genre were listed for 2014 release. Sadly, however, things did not seem to go to plan, and most of them were pushed back to 2015. But, nevertheless, Pierce Brosnan's ultimate comeback to the spy arena, The November Man is expected to be a very big hit, and a treat for his fanatics to see him back in action, where the guns are blazing, and international conspiracies are taking occurrence, which is going to be released in a few days ahead.

However, it appears 2015 has bigger plans for the category itself, for there are numerous spy films booking their dates within the year, bringing sheer excitement and joy to those who have a weak spot for these kinds of motion pictures.

Taken 3

Liam Nesson has not had enough with giving international villains the sum of all fears. Reprising his role as a retired CIA operative, Brian Mills, he leads us into a third installment in the series, with Maggie Grace and Famke Janssen reprising their own respective roles. This time, Brian Mills goes on the run to clear his name, framed for a crime he did not commit. Principal photography began in March and continued through April, from Los Angeles to Covington, Georgia. It appears the pursuit will take place in USA in this entry, as opposed to the previous ones that took us from France to Turkey. Olivier Megaton returns to direct the film, having previously done Taken 2 back in 2012, along with the iconic duo, Luc Besson (who's also producing it) and Robert Mark Kamen writing the script. The film will be released on 9th of January 2015.

The Gunman

Pierre Morel, the man who brought us the first Taken film and the third installment in The Transporter series is bulking up for his own spy thriller, based on the novel The Prone Gunman by Jean-Patrick Manchette. It stars Sean Penn as an international covert operative, Martin Terrier, who wants out of the game, so he can settle down with his longtime lover (played by Jasmine Trinca). However, the organization he works for has other plans in mind, forcing him to go on the run across Europe. Also starring Idris Elba, who plays a ruthless French assassin called Dupont, hunting down Terrier all over the continent. Javier Bardem will be playing the main villain, who goes mano a mano with the hero, revealing to be the husband of Terrier's love interest. Ray Winstone, on the other hand, will be playing Martin Terrier's mentor, guiding him through the actions he takes. The film will be released on 20th of February 2015.

Kingsman: The Secret Service

It has been a long time, well not that long, since we saw a fantasy-oriented spy thriller hitting the theatres. And the latest one was Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol back in 2011, a blockbuster movie that brought the over-the-top secret agent image back to life, again. Based on Mark Millar's graphic novel, The Secret Service, Matthew Vaughn adapts the comic book to film with major changes yet keeping the atmosphere and the basis of the storyline intact. Gary Unwin is a street punk, who is trained by the military for government operations purposes once, but no longer bears connection with them. One day, he is taken under a man's wing, who claimed he knew Gary's father, a secret agent he used to work with once in the past. The man is named Harry Hart, who recruits Gary to an international intelligence agency "operating on the highest level of discretion," called Kingsman. Starring Colin Firth as Hart, who replaces the Uncle Jack figure from the comics, and Taron Egerton as Gary, his protege. It also stars Samuel L. Jackson as the main villain, along with the bionic henchwoman, Gazelle, played by Sofia Boutella. Mark Hamill, as in the graphic novel, makes an appearance as a kidnapped scientist, playing a role other than himself as opposed to the source material. Michael Caine plays Arthur, the head of the organization, and Mark Strong plays Merlin, the chief training officer of the Kingsman recruits. The film was previously said to be on its way in late 2014, twice, but was pushed back, to be released on 13th of February 2015.

Survivor

Milla Jovovich brings her extreme elegance to a genre that was dying to have her in, joining the list of appreciated cinematic spies in this thriller called Survivor. Milla plays a State Department visa security officer, who has been newly posted in the US Embassy in United Kingdom. At all sudden, she is accused for a crime she did not commit, and is forced to go on the run. Given the responsibility to prevent the terrorists from infiltrating the United States Government, she has to make sure to keep her promise, stop a world-wide catastrophe and clear her name in the process. Meanwhile, she is hunted down by a very deadly and fearsome assassin, called The Watch Maker, played by Pierce Brosnan. It also stars Angela Bassett, James D'Arcy, Dylan McDermott, and Emma Thompson. The film is directed by James McTeigue, known for his work on Ninja Assassin, written by Philip Shelby, and produced by Irwin and Charles Winkler's. A release date is yet to be announced, but sources claim it will be coming out sometime in 2015.

Hitman: Agent 47

The world's most fearsome and professional ice-cold assassin, Agent 47, is back on the big screen. Promised to be truer to its source material and the themes that are originated in the video game franchise the film is based on, Hitman: Agent 47 ignores the events of the first film, and creates a new timeline for its cinematic universe. The story revolves around a young woman, Katia van Dees, looking for her father and learn about her ancestry. She comes across Agent 47, a mysterious assassin, who holds her hand and provides her with all the help she needs. In the process, however, together they discover that Katia is genetically engineered assassin in the same vein as 47 himself, and together they must fight The Syndicate to uncover the truth. In many ways, the plot is similar to the latest entry in the video game series, Hitman: Absolution, in which 47 had to protect a girl who was also genetically engineered assassin created by the ICA, the organization he works for. The film stars Rupert Friend as the titular character, Hannah Ware as Katia, Thomas Kretschmann as Le Clerq, the main villain, and Zachary Quinto as CIA agent Smith, 47's closest ally and friend. It is directed by Aleksander Bach, marking his first feature length motion picture, having previously worked on commercials, and written by Skip Woods (who also wrote the first film), Michael Finch and Kyle Ward. It's set to be released on 27th of February 2015.

The Man From U.N.C.L.E.

A film adaptation regarding to that of Sam Rolfe's television series of the same name has been in talks for at least four decades, which starred Robert Vaughn and David McCallum in the leading roles, back in the 1960s. Apparently, the search for the outcome has finally come to an end when Guy Ritchie stepped in to write and direct the film, along with his lifelong friend Lionel Wigram, who produced it, as well. Set against the backdrop of the early 1960s, at the height of the Cold War, the story centers on two UNCLE agents, Napoleon Solo and Ilya Kuryakin, who team up on a joint mission to stop a notorious terrorist organization (presumably THRUSH), which is bent on destabilizing the fragile balance of power through the proliferation of nuclear weapons and technology. The duo's only lead is the daughter of a vanished German scientist, who is the key to infiltrating the criminal organization, as they must race in time to prevent a world-wide catastrophe from taking place. Starring Henry Cavill as Solo, and Armie Hammer as Ilya, the film tends to introduce the franchise to a newer audience, yet keeping the older fanatics satisfied. It also stars Hugh Grant, in a role that is reinvented for this film, Alexander Waverly, the head of UNCLE, along with Elizabeth Debicki and Alicia Vikander as the leading ladies, accompanied with Simona Caparrini playing a Contessa, with Jared Harris and Luca Calvani playing the villains of this fun-driven thriller. The Man From U.N.C.L.E. will be released on 14th of August 2015.

Meanwhile, in the upcoming projects, a fifth Mission: Impossible film is said to be in the works, with a release date was given for a Christmas 2015 treat, but it appears it is nowhere near that time, as the project is not in production, as of yet. However, it is told that Tom Cruise, Jeremy Renner and Simon Pegg will be reprising their roles from the previous installment, with shooting to take place in Vienna and London, to be directed by Christopher McQuarrie, and written by Drew Pearce and Will Staples. Later, it was revealed that Rebecca Ferguson is cast in an undisclosed role, with Alec Baldwin and Jessica Chastain being in talks for specific parts. It is most likely that the film will be released sometime in 2016 to mark the 50th Anniversary of the franchise that took off in September 1966.

Thank you for reading. Leave your comments below.

Spy Music: An interview with GoldenZen

In an industry that involves world-wide media, particularly the products that are related to scripts and screens, the musical touch is indeed a very important piece to serve as an addition to see a certain product perfected, be it a motion picture or a video game in specific description. Not only there are good composers out there who have made big names out of their own, but there also are terrific freelance composers who have proved us to be a perfect candidate for a job like writing soundtracks and many kinds of other genres.

Our latest interviewee is Yannick Zenhäusern, better known by his nickname "GoldenZen", a freelance composer who has wrote his own arrangements of many iconic themes and tracks from the James Bond films and video games, along with writing new musical pieces of his own, regarding to that of original projects he has worked on.

For years now, you are known to have composed and re-arranged many James Bond film scores, how did you get involved in this business?

Yannick Zenhäusern:
James Bond music was the key element for me to get involved in music. GoldenEye was one of the first CD's I've bought and I was really disappointed because some of my favorite tracks from the movie were missing. So I started to recreate them with my old crappy keyboard - that's what led me to composing and to be so in love with James Bond music. But then again - who isn't?

GoldenZen's rescore of the 17th Bond film, adopted the title "GoldenEye: Decrypted".

So far, you have rescored the 17th James Bond motion picture in the official series, and composed most of the tracks for the fan-made GoldenEye: Source video game. What did influence you in writing these musical pieces?

Yannick Zenhäusern:
All the credits belong to the original composers. That being Eric Serra for the movie as well as Grant Kirkhope and Graeme Norgate for the N64 game. The tracks they've laid out made it very easy for me to continue what  they've once started. I had an incredible amount of fun combining all the elements from the movie, the game and add some of my own elements to it.

A promotional image for "GoldenEye: Source" the video game.

Do you have any particular favourite composer of your own?

Yannick Zenhäusern:
The one that influenced me the most was Eric Serra. His approach was so unique and underlined the whole feeling of the movie perfectly. But of course John Barry, David Arnold and Michael Kamen did an outstanding job too. I really enjoy most of the Bond soundtracks and listen to them over and over...

Splendid. Do you ever wish to work on a James Bond film one day?

Yannick Zenhäusern:
That I've asked myself many times. It seem an easy question to answer but for my taste the golden days of James Bond are gone. No offence to all the fellow Bond-fans who like the franchise how it is at the moment but it's really not my cup of tea anymore. My favourite Bond is Pierce Brosnan, I've enjoyed the adventures of Sean Connery, Roger Moore and Timothy Dalton a lot too but that modernized style is something I can't get used to. I'll tell you a secret. Whenever I compose James Bond music I imagine Pierce Brosnan and the inspiration is unstoppable but I can't see that happening with Daniel Craig. My biggest dream is that all the old James Bond adventures get revived as computer games with modern graphics and starring the old Bonds - then I would kill to do the score.

It has been said you were working on several other projects related to the James Bond series, rescoring another Bond film, as well as you are approached to write the music for yet another fan-made video game. What could you tell us about those?

Yannick Zenhäusern:
While I was still working on the GoldenEye rescore several people asked me to rescore another movie. Namely Never Say Never Again. After I've completed the GoldenEye project I was kind of saturated with James Bond music and I needed a break. But evidently I couldn't withdraw myself for very long. So I've decided to start rescoring that one too. It's a pretty tough job though admittedly because the way this film was made and the whole style is a lot different to the Brosnan-esque movies. The fan-made video game you are referring to is the Nightfire: Source project. It's a project I'm very fond of since I loved the original game and now have the possibility to really go nuts and play around. I was given complete freedom and there a quite a few tracks in there now.

Apart from Bond, it's been said that you were working on a sixties-themed spy music album, what did inspire you?

Yannick Zenhäusern:
I love everything that's connected to agent and spy music. I also come from a blues and rock'n'roll background, which also includes swing, soul and r'n'b. All that together sooner or later must come together. I've rediscovered the Austin Powers movies and the NOLF games recently and I've experienced them on a completely new level. That inspired me so much that I automatically started to compose some 60's kind of spy/lounge tracks - and that's where the idea comes from. Plus I want people to see that GoldenZen can do more than Bond music.

Very well-spirited! As a professional, have you ever been approached by a video game company to work on a project?

Yannick Zenhäusern:
Unfortunately no and frankly that's what sometimes devastates me. Especially when you're a self-taught composer/musician like I am, you enjoy the freedom and the easiness that you can approach music with. On the other hand side you often ask yourself: Is what I'm doing really good enough to be hired and to make a living from it? Even though there are a lot of well-known musicians that never had a classical education you don't really believe in yourself being a talent or gifted. Then again I get a lot of support from fans and I had some nice reviews and chats with industry professionals like Grant Kirkhope, Jeff Tymoschuk and Ed Lima - that really, really means a lot and I'm so grateful for that. It's so cool to get in touch with your childhood heroes whose music you loved so much and still cherish today. And the thought of them listening to your own music and makes some nice remarks is just mind-blowing.

Behind the scenes: The composer with his orchestra.

Well, never say no to hopes, they say. Have you got a message for your fans?

Yannick Zenhäusern:
Thank you for all the support all over those years and I hope you'll stay tuned some more. Music can make me so happy and I hope people can experience the same listening to my music. The pleasure of this interview sure was all mine.

These are all the questions that I prepared. Thank you for this fantastic conversation. My compliments.

Yannick Zenhäusern:
Thank you for having me - the pleasure I'm sure was all mine.

Special Thanks to Yannick "GoldenZen" Zenhäusern.

'GoldenEye: Rogue Agent': An interview with Danny Bilson

Almost ten years ago, Electronic Arts have put themselves into a challenge in taking James Bond into a different direction. Something that was tried, but wasn't perfected in the final outcome. In many ways, however, it was certainly a great experience. And that product happened to be GoldenEye: Rogue Agent. More recently, I personally have interviewed one of the writers behind the video game, the great Danny Bilson, who also have delivered us Agent Under Fire, Nightfire and Everything or Nothing, along with his life-long writing partner, Paul De Meo. Indubitaply an exciting conversation it was.

"How did you fellows come up with the idea of making GoldenEye: Rogue Agent?"

Danny Bilson:
"We wanted to create a bad guy game in the JB universe. It was originally titled Goldfinger vs Dr. No."

"It was rumoured that the project was going to be a lot different than what it has come to be with the final release, what were the differences between the original concept and the video game we played?"

Danny Bilson:
"The original had much more scope and depth. More environments, more encounters. There is a script..."

A concept art of  the protagonist of the game, GoldenEye by Takayoshi Sato, with the likeness based on Gary Oldman's in order to create a very complex character.

"Did you intend to give James Bond a larger role than the cameo he delivered in the first level?"

Danny Bilson:
"Yes. But it was tricky because the Bond license comes with a lot of rules about what the character can and can't do."

The James Bond character as he appears in the beginning of the game, making a slight cameo.

"Alongside Paul De Meo, you wrote the very best video games in the franchise favoured by the fans over anything else, how did you become involved in writing these spectacular Bond adventures?"

Danny Bilson:
"We started at EA on The Sims and after that launched we managed to insert ourselves into the Bond franchise which we grew up with and loved."

"Were there any plans ahead for a sequel to GoldenEye: Rogue Agent?"

Danny Bilson:
"Yes. But I left the project in mid production due to creative issues. It was my idea to bring Ken Adam on board which was the best part of the experience."

"Splendid. Was the game, in any way, connected to any of the classical timelines regarding to a certain Bond actor's tenure as the secret agent?"

Danny Bilson
"[Sean] Connery."

"Did you ever want to write and direct a theatrical James Bond film?"

Danny Bilson:
"Of course."

"If you do direct a James Bond film, who would you pick for the role?"

Danny Bilson:
"I would set it in the 50's-60's and do it period and closer to the books."

"Classical indeed. The Bond character, then, in the video game, was based on Sean Connery?"

Danny Bilson:
"Yes."

"Certainly an exciting legacy it would have left. If there would be any plans to revive the sequel, would you participate in the project?"

Danny Bilson:
"If asked, of course."

"These are all the questions I prepared. Thank you very much, sir, for your time. It was certainly an excellent conversation."

Danny Bilson:
"Sure thing."

We've come to learn that there was more to come in the franchise that promised us a great legacy to leave, but sadly didn't live up to it, with a sequel in the pipeline opted out. As a dedicated Bond fanatic myself, I would have loved to explore that side of the franchise. It had so much to show. Hopefully, if the license is given back to Electronic Arts, a sequel might be possible to see in the near future, along with the writers of the first game, Danny Bilson and Paul De Meo, to join the project and provide us with even a greater experience than before.

For more concept artworks and early development footage, check out Takayoshi Sato's website, who was the character art director of the game.

Special Thanks to Danny Bilson.

'Kingsman: The Secret Service' teaser trailer debuts!

Mark Millar's The Secret Service has received its film adaptation, with the project was greenlit in early 2013, and shooting began in October that year. Like many adaptations, it seems it is not actually true to its source material, and some changes have been submitted all the way along. Some characters have been changed, or rather restructured in order to fit in for the modern-day audience, yet still keeping their epitome of cool. I'd say, a proper spy franchise is on its way.

Teaser Poster.

Retitled to Kingsman: The Secret Service, the plot synopsis deals with a very similar concept to that of Millar's comic book, but the changes that are done introduces us something more mysterious. In the original story, a British Secret Service agent, Jack London (often referred to as Uncle Jack) recruits his incompetent and clumsy nephew, Gary London, to the SIS, taking care of his training, introducing him to first-class lifestyle, and building the gentleman spy persona within his own. However, the film offers us different events. Uncle Jack no longer works for the British government, but rather a secret society related to espionage (very much like UNCLE, or Archer's ISIS, or even Marvel's SHIELD) called "Kingsman", most likely created for the motion picture itself. From what we've seen with the release of its trailer, Gary is no longer related to Uncle Jack, and ceases being clumsy, but rather leads a low profile criminal life, wields a very high IQ, and practices parkour. He is discovered by Uncle Jack due to the potential 'Kingsman' material the latter sees in him.

Kingsman: The Secret Service teaser trailer.

The film stars Colin Firth as Uncle Jack, introduces a newcomer Taron Egerton as Gary Unwin (no longer 'London'), along with Samuel L. Jackson as the main antagonist (Dr. James Arnold, if that is kept as it was from the comics), a computer geek and very wealthy businessman, and Sofia Boutella as Gazelle, a very athletic femme fatale with bionic legs, and the antagonist's right hand. In the comic, Gazelle was a dark-skinned former SIS agent, almost indestructible, yet still with bionic legs and the same position in the villain lair. Michael Caine and Mark Strong also happen to be co-starring as high profile superiors within the organization. Kingsman: The Secret Service is going to be released on 24th October 2014, distributed by 20th Century Fox, directed by Matthew Vaughn who also happens to have written the screenplay with Jane Goldman. Personally, I think this is the James Bond film we have been waiting for in years ever since the departure of Pierce Brosnan as the spectacular secret agent.

Thank you for reading, and feel free to submit your comments below!

Pierce Brosnan to star in 'The Expendables 4'!

As of recently, we have been seeing too much of Pierce Brosnan running into action flicks, with two of them being spy films serving as alternatives for his post-Die Another Day Bond outings that never came to happen for some reason. This time, however, he is joining to the list of all action-star fame. How so? Well, it is very hard to have Sylvester Stallone impressed, so the old man still has it. Guessed it yet? Allow me...

Speaking to ShortList, Brosnan confirmed that he has already held discussions with his Survivor producer Avi Lerner about a role. And that role he might be getting in a film would be none other than The Expendables 4! Of course, he is joining the all-time action star hall of fame.

"Oh, the offer has come in for the next Expendables," he said. "I just worked over in Bulgaria with Avi Lerner who makes them. He said, 'Would you like to be in The Expendables? I'd love to have you', and I said, 'Why not?' So we'll see."
Brosnan added: "I have no idea which one it would be, I just said yes. It could be Expendables 7!"

This is getting pretty interesting. What kind of role would one think Brosnan would be playing? Probably a MI6 agent associated with the expendables team? or downed spy-turned-mercenary? Or probably a villain? But, Stallone said once he wanted a "James Bond" for his action series, and previously have offered Sean Connery for a role in The Expendables 3, which is due to release later this year. But, Connery himself had it declined, stating he is retired from public appearances for good. Who else to get then? Certainly not Roger Moore, who is older than the first Bond, nor Lazenby who is also retired. Dalton might have been in question, but Brosnan was perfect. Why? His films involved most of the actions than any other Bond film did.

Brosnan filming 'Survivor', in character as 'Nash The Watch Maker'.

The Expendables 3 will open on 15th August 2014 in cinemas world-wide. Starring Sylvester Stallone, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jason Statham, Jet Li, Dolph Lundgren, Mel Gibson, among the others in their respective roles.

Thank you for reading and feel yourself free to express in the comments below!

Spy Comedy 'Susan Cooper' is on its way!

It looks like 2015 will be a very big year for spy movies, as countless titles in the genre were developed and schedules for release next year. We have been seeing reports coming from the direction of The Man From UNCLE, then Mission: Impossible 5, Pierce Brosnan's November Man and Survivor, Mark Millar's The Secret Service, among the others. But, we never knew a comedy merged with the spy category was coming that soon, with 20th Century Fox to distribute it, with a spy girl in the lead.

Last year, we have been reported that a spy comedy film, named Susan Cooper was in development, with filmmaker Paul Feig taking the helm of the project, both writing and directing it. It was said to be parodying the genre started with the Jason Bourne films starring Matt Damon, but nothing further was mentioned of the plot apart from the main protagonist was going to be named 'Susan Cooper', a spy!

'Secret Agent Girl' by artist Jeff Wack.

From what we see, in the past few days, the production was pushed forward, and we were told it was going to be more like an eighties buddy cop type movie rather than a full-time spy thriller parody, with Melissa McCarthy (sorry to disappoint you with the image above) to be playing the titular character, and more recently, she was joined by Rose Byrne, who played the role of a serious spy in X-Men: First Class (inspired by the Classic James Bond films), Jude Law and more to our surprise... Jason Statham!

And what if Jason Statham was James Bond?

Now, I have no idea how is this going to turn out, but after all, it will definitely be amusing to see an infamous action star like Statham to be appearing in a comedy movie, probably playing another spy alongside Miss Cooper. The film is scheduled for 22nd May 2015, both in the US and UK, with filming to take place in Budapest, Hungary. Statham has always been a busy man and always kept the spotlight focused on him wherever he appeared. For Jude Law? He has experiences with this kind of movies, so the comedy does suit him. And finally for Rose Byrne? Do I really need to talk? Comedy has been coming through her entire career... almost.

Thanks for reading! Feel free to express yourself below in the comments!

First Look at Rupert Friend as Agent 47

Last time we spoke about the upcoming film adaptation based on the Hitman franchise, what it has been before, and what it is going to be in many possible ways. Now, with the new film simply titled Agent 47 rather than Hitman, named after the lead character of the series, the shooting has already begun with a first look of Rupert Friend dressed as the titular protagonist has been surfaced online through IGN.

His head, in my opinion, isn't shaved enough. And 47 never had any piece of a hair on his head aside from the eyebrows which were brown. So, I have the feel that there is a change in the character's concept from what I recognize. Originally, Agent 47 was a clone of five DNA's of the world's most criminal masterminds. He was the only experiment done by Dr. Otto Ort-Meyer, who lived long enough and survived. However, in the first film adaptation, they merely borrowed anything from the original concepts, and showed 47 to be actually adopted by a league of assassins rather than being cloned, and was trained along with his "brothers" to become the killer he is, nowadays. In the video games, aside from 47, dozens of Mr. 48's existed, who weren't smart enough to escape the clutches of our most deadly assassin. Meanwhile, in the film, other agents existed who have been targeting 47 for the mission he was going after.

First look at Rupert Friend as Agent 47.

Rupert Friend, however, somehow does suit the role, and reminds me of how Agent 47 actually looked like in the first couple of games. Well, I just hope he acts like it, too. Alongside Friend, Zachary Quinto and Hannah Ware co-star in the film, as well. Directed by a first-time feature length helmer, Aleksander Bach, who was used to be handling commercials previously, and the script is penned by Skip Woods and Michael Finch. No release date has been given as of yet, but we expect the film to be coming out sometime in 2015. And in case you were wondering, IO Interactive who were responsible for creating the Hitman franchise are working on another game, which is listed to be in development, rumoured to be called Hitman: Profession, but nothing is clearly revealed about the project yet.

Thanks for reading and feel free to express yourself below in the comments!

'Agent 47' is back on aboard!

We all know that motion pictures based on video game franchises often result in utter failure, take the most popular First-Person Shooter title Doom, for instance, which spawned a very awful film adaptation that never made sense in the first place, or Max Payne, being extremely godawful, recruiting an emotionally unstable character instead of a arse-kicking hard-boiled detective out to settle the score. Among those awful adaptations was the 2007 film Hitman, based on the video game franchise of the same name, which did bear only a very little resemblance, but with accurate places at some points.

It starred Timothy Oliphant, the star of Deadwood and Justified television series, as the main protagonist, the nameless Agent 47. Fans have known and wanted the man who made the role iconic, David Bateson, whom the character was based on, as well, to appear in character, headlining the title. But, sadly, it did not happen, and he went to do another film in closer manner and truer to the Hitman concept called Aurum, where he plays Mark Boland, a character who's Agent 47 in all but the name. The games were known to be incredibly stealthy and slow-paced, with the option of going out of cover and pulling the trigger aggressively yet calmly. On the other hand, the film contained sequences shot in slow-motion aspect, going with the over-the-top action material inspired by the Matrix elements.

A comparison between Timothy Oliphant's Agent 47 and the video game version based upon David Bateson.

Despite its mixed-to-negative reviews but being a success financially, a sequel was planned with IESB confirming that 20th Century Fox has hired writer Kyle Ward to pen the script. It was reported that the late American actor, David Hess, who died in October 2011, was picked for a yet-unnamed role. Daniel Benmayor was said to be directing the sequel, with Timothy Oliphant still in talks to reprise his own role. However, Oliphant would later state that he had no interest in returning, and only did the first one to pay the bills for his new house following the cancellation of Deadwood, the television series that aired for only two years. Afterwards, the project was fallen apart in 2012.

A promotional image from the latest release in the video game series, 'Hitman: Absolution'.

In February 2013, it was reported that the next entry in this film franchise will have a brand new storyline ignoring the first film and its timeline. A total reboot they might say, but it never was a long-lasting series to call it a 'reboot', nor a 'remake' because it had nothing to do with the plot written for the latter. And now, the title was renamed to Agent 47, which is the name of the protagonist. It was also reported that the late Paul Walker would star as the titular character, with plans to start shooting the film were arranged in Summer 2013, but had to be postponed due to Walker being on other commitments such as Fast & Furious 7, which he didn't complete filming due to his chaotic and accidental demise.

The late Paul Walker.

Earlier this year, in January, it was announced that Rupert Friend will take over the role of Agent 47, with commercials director Aleksander Bach making his feature film debut helming the project. The screenplay was written by Skip Woods (A Good Day To Die Hard) and Michael Finch (November Man). More recently, two people were cast, with Zachary Quinto being in a yet-unknown role, and Hannah Ware is said to be playing the leading lady. It's rumoured that the locations were scouted in Berlin and Singapore, but the plot details are not revealed, as of yet. Let's see what are they going to do with Hitman this time. Will they change 47's background like they did in the first film? or will they adapt a truer thriller based on the video game series?

Rupert Friend is cast as Agent 47, and Hannah Ware will be playing the leading lady.

'Hitman: Absolution' artwork featuring the dreadful Agent 47.

Are you excited? Express yourself below, and thanks for reading.

'Transporter 4': Meet The New Frank Martin

Back in October 2013, we've talked about the plans being made to produce Transporter 4, along with many speculations we were suggesting on many cases, whether Jason Statham was coming back or not, and who was going to take on the role next. Reportedly, Jason Statham isn't coming back for Transporter 4, but recently Variety reported that he's going to be replaced by Game of Thornes actor, Ed Skrein.

Ed Skrein is a British actor and apparently a musician, who has recently become interested in acting, having in appeared in films such as Piggy, and most notably the British crime drama Ill Manors written and directed by a fellow artist Ben Drew, also knows as Plan B, whom Skrein worked with in his musical career, as well. Then, he came to appear in the third season of Game of Thornes, and currently performing his duties as a recurring character in the British/French television series known as The Tunnel.

Ed Skrein is the next Frank Martin.

Skrein will be the third actor to have portrayed Frank Martin, with the first one being Jason Statham in the first three films, and Chris Vance succeeding him in the television series, which is in talks for renewal, and now, Skrein will be joining these hard men as the next Frank Martin. “We searched everywhere to find a fresh face who had the potential to become an action movie star and we’ve found the right match with Ed Skrein, who’s not only a great actor but also has enough charisma and physical stamina to play Frank Martin with brio,” EuropaCorp (the production company behind the franchise) CEO Christophe Lambert tells the publication.

 

The previous two incarnations of Frank Martin; Jason Statham on the left, and Chris Vance on the right.

The plot details, however, are kept quiet, but Lambert says, the first entry in this rebooted series will have the crew returned to the French Riviera, the site of the original film back in 2002, and give more depth to the main character, including his exploration of the relationship with his father, a role promised to be filled by a prominent actor. It's previously said that Transporter 4 was going to take place in China, so that is another clue we have collected before. What we don't know is that whether the film is going to be called Transporter 4 or just have an original title or a sub-title attached to the eponymous franchise name itself.

Well, that is all we have for now. Thank you for reading, and feel free to express yourself below.