Sam Mendes lures Rhys Ifans, who once kissed Daniel Craig

[Blowfeld]

Sam Mendes, the director of the new James Bond film, has cast Rhys Ifans, who talked about kissing Daniel Craig.

By Richard Eden

7:28AM BST 17 Jul 2011


When the James Bond producers brought in Sam Mendes to direct the next film, they tasked him with giving a new perspective to Daniel Craig’s character.

He is clearly taking his mission seriously, as Mandrake hears that he has cast Rhys Ifans, who once enjoyed a passionate cinematic kiss with Craig.

“Ifans will appear in the film, as well as Javier Bardem, who will play the baddie,” says my man with the golden gun. “Much of the filming will take place in South Africa.”

Craig, 43, and Ifans, also 43, appeared together in Enduring Love, a 2004 adaptation of Ian McEwan’s novel. Ifans played Craig’s stalker.

The Welsh actor, who is best known for playing Hugh Grant’s dissolute house mate in Notting Hill, said: “I spent the whole shoot winding up Dan Craig saying, 'Only four days to go now, Dan, darling, before our snogging scene.’ Even now, after two Bonds, Dan still maintains that the hardest stunt he’s ever done was getting to grips with my mouth.”
Peter Morgan, the screenwriter of The Queen, was announced as one of the writers on the 007 film, but Mandrake disclosed last year that he was no longer working on the script. Patrick Marber, the acclaimed playwright, was wanted by Mendes as his replacement.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/film ... Craig.html

[Thunderpussy]

This sounds Bloody awful, Bond 23 is going to be another steaming Pile Thanks Broccoli and Wilson You've finnaly killed Bond.
The sooner thay lose control of the series the Better.
Seems Mendes if filling it with al his "Lovie" mates, "Oh it will be a Hoot Darlings, we get to do all that macho stuff , but we'll show them how to do it in a sensitive metrosexual way, for the modern audiance."
It would be like hiring S Stallone to direct a Merchant Ivory Movie.

[buffybond]

This sounds Bloody awful, Bond 23 is going to be another steaming Pile Thanks Broccoli and Wilson You've finnaly killed Bond.
The sooner thay lose control of the series the Better.
Seems Mendes if filling it with al his "Lovie" mates, "Oh it will be a Hoot Darlings, we get to do all that macho stuff , but we'll show them how to do it in a sensitive metrosexual way, for the modern audiance."
It would be like hiring S Stallone to direct a Merchant Ivory Movie.

First dressed up in drag,then having an actor[use the term loosely] who when last appeared with Craig they snogged the faces off each other, beginning to wonder where there going with this,will really get worried if the title is QUEEN and Country.

[oscartheman]

Don't tell me let me guess this guy is going to be the new Moneypenny or Q.

[Thunderpussy]

I once jokingly suggested that under Craig's tenure, We'd have the first Gay Kiss in a Bond Movie. This story To me at least brings this Possibility much closer,
I agree Oscartheman, I can see all the " Intellectuals" in charge of Bond now. Thinking " Hey, this would be just so Modern. Have a Male Moneypenny.This would really show everyone how Modern the Bonds are now!. Craig can have a bit of cheeky Banter with him. Showing how Bond is now UNsexist " and Mendes chirping up "I know just the man"

[katied]

Ugh nepotism in action.In lieu of getting Mrs. Daniel Craig(AKA Rachel Weisz) they've got..Rhys Ifans? a pretty p!ss poor subsitute if you ask me.

[bjmdds]

Sickening.

[Blowfeld]

If Rhys is indeed in Bond 23 I would think he'd be more of a Q than say a Jaws.

[Thunderpussy]

Given his past screen snog with Craig mabey he'll be " LIPS"

[Bond's ghost]

If they are bringing back Q Simon Pegg should be Q.

[Thunderpussy]

Simon Pegg would of been a great choice, although He's already playing a "Q" type of character in MI4.

[CaptainLewis]

Enduring Love, gosh that was in my English AS Level Course! Wilfred Owen and his poetry of evil, I blame him for my E in the subject. Watching it made me think that Craig is better at playing deranged characters, than charismatic spies.

Ifans’ seemed to be capable at playing the sinister parts, so he’d be a competent henchman.

[JackWade CIA]

Enduring Love, gosh that was in my English AS Level Course! Wilfred Owen and his poetry of evil, I blame him for my E in the subject. Watching it made me think that Craig is better at playing deranged characters, than charismatic spies.

Ifans’ seemed to be capable at playing the sinister parts, so he’d be a competent henchman.

As a henchman Ifans could be one of the scariest!

[FormerBondFan]

If they are bringing back Q Simon Pegg should be Q.

What about Jerry Sadowitz as Q?

[oscartheman]

Who cares?

[shaken not stirred]

Bond 23: some bullcrap about trying to be the mona lisa, where bond longing to be happy fails to smile when he looks at himself in the toaster, but wait there's more, bond then decides if he gives a d**n by which he replies with some sort of weird pout that would make droopy blush, later he recieves a call from m, what's that you want Me to wear a dress....well ok, tssh I'm bond you think I wouldn't wear a dress (pouts), later bond is then confronted with the man he loved (yep that's where this series is going, acts like the nostalgia critic pulls out a gun and goes off to hunt babs)..scuse Me won't be a tick .

[stockslivevan]

Who cares?

Some anti-Craig folks were confident of Craig not returning after QOS, believing nobody likes him as Bond anymore and that after a four year hiatus Sony would demand a new Bond actor like say Henry Cavill or Hugh Jackman.

Things aren't going as they hoped, so of course they care a lot about any news bit, rumor or not, acknowledging the likelihood of a third Craig outing.

[Thunderpussy]

I'd be in the Ani-craig lobby, Much as I wish he'd do the decent thing and leave with his tail between his legs. I knew he never would as the guy has no class, just listen to him being interviewed. Also $8 Mill is a nice piece of cash, I expect him to leave after Bond 23, which hopefully will not be the huge boxoffice smash Eon expect.
Although I think the rot has fully set in at Eon, no matter whoever plays Bond again, we'll never see the kind of Movie we grew up watching. This is the producers new Idea and their going to keep to it, so the Next fella will have to play Bond in the same down trodden, morose dark chacter as Craig has. No more Great one-liners or come backs. Just tears over Vesper and brooding pouts in reflections in glass or Cadilacs.
It's taken a little time but like others here "Bond is dead, he died several years ago, I just didn't notice. with all the smoke and mirrors the producers put up "

[shaken not stirred]

I'd be in the Ani-craig lobby, Much as I wish he'd do the decent thing and leave with his tail between his legs. I knew he never would as the guy has no class, just listen to him being interviewed. Also $8 Mill is a nice piece of cash, I expect him to leave after Bond 23, which hopefully will not be the huge boxoffice smash Eon expect.
Although I think the rot has fully set in at Eon, no matter whoever plays Bond again, we'll never see the kind of Movie we grew up watching. This is the producers new Idea and their going to keep to it, so the Next fella will have to play Bond in the same down trodden, morose dark chacter as Craig has. No more Great one-liners or come backs. Just tears over Vesper and brooding pouts in reflections in glass or Cadilacs.
It's taken a little time but like others here "Bond is dead, he died several years ago, I just didn't notice. with all the smoke and mirrors the producers put up "

It's funny but if you took Nolan and the director of the ironman films we'd have the perfect mix of seriousness and humor for a real proper tradidional bond film and his character would be more like bond if those guys took over the franchise, but yeah agreed bond died a longtime ago and this is the zombie that remains from his dug up corpse ie it stinks.

Cregg wouldn't leave this franchise even if he decided to, he made bond dress up as a woman afterall, it's sad that so many other films can have the bond elements that they fondly remember and use them but this untalented group running it now don't have a soddin clue and think bond belongs in the national art museum, I can't stand most of this era of films where everthing has to be so bloody serious you'd get told off for coughing, where's the fun, variety and passion gone in most of our films now, if it's not sensationalist bs, too many special fx or miserable actors who can't play the part to save their lives then it's godawful unfunny guys like seth rogen ruining the green hornet.

Again leave the brooding, guy with hidden demons to bruce wayne in batman, I don't watch bond to see a guy sit around and mope about someone he barely knew (wah, wah vesper wah), hell he got over the woman who died in her majestys secret service (atleast she didn't betray him) and rarely spoke about her but rememberd he's bond and that's how his life is, that's the risk you take being bond, just like tony stark in ironman, everyday could be their last that's why they live it up.

[JackWade CIA]

Who cares?

Some anti-Craig folks were confident of Craig not returning after QOS, believing nobody likes him as Bond anymore and that after a four year hiatus Sony would demand a new Bond actor like say Henry Cavill or Hugh Jackman.

Things aren't going as they hoped, so of course they care a lot about any news bit, rumor or not, acknowledging the likelihood of a third Craig outing.

Craig probably should not be coming back, it is unprecedented after such along hiatus. I'm one of those who like Royale but soured on the whole deal after Quantum. This movies has to hit it out of the park and not be decent or just OKAY. I truly think they should bring Bond back with a new actor for a new generation after this. Not unlike the new Deaver book.