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Greetings Bond fan!

While we were short of news about Bond 26 throughout the year, 2023, was an important year for Bond. April marked the 70th anniversary of Casino Royale's publication, and without that none of the rest would have happened.

And without Ian Fleming, Casino Royale wouldn't have happened. Nicholas Shakespeare's new biography of him paints a more nuanced picture of the Bond creator thanks to access to previously unseen material.

Charlie Higson delivered On His Majesty's Secret Service, his first adult Bond story. Its swift journey from concept to publication was incredible.

On the small screen, Amazon Prime introduced 007: Road to a Million. Initially met with scepticism by many Bond fans - including ME! - the first episodes of the Bond-themed reality show were enjoyable to watch for the music and locations. But by the anti-climatic final episode the novelty had definitely worn off and the links with Bond were decidedly tenuous. I really do wonder why Eon decided it was a good fit with brand 007.

With no Bond, I've been watching anything vaguely spy related on TV. Jack Ryan didn't really do it for me after season 1; The Citadel's huge budget didn't stop it from being absolutely terrible despite the reshoots; and I watched the first episode of John Wick TV spinoff The Continental but haven't had the courage to try episode 2 yet. I did enjoy Reacher though!

All suffer from plots that are impossible to follow and terrible sound that might work in a cinema, but is difficult to follow at home. And these were all TV shows!

It's about time sound mixers designed soundtracks that work at home, much like music is often mixed these days so that it works on as wide a range of systems as possible - high end sound systems, earbuds, cars and anything else you can think of. If you watch old movies they don't have this problem at all so I suspect it is something to do with mixing surround sound.

Anyway, rant over. Let's get down to the business of what's been happening in the world of 007 over the last month.
 

News

Thot much positive to report on Bond 26 this month but we did get a denial from Christopher Nolan that he will direct. And there's also an interview with the latest writer to tackle 007 in comic book form.

Nolan denies he's doing Bond 26

In a recent interview with Associated Press, acclaimed filmmaker Christopher Nolan squashed rumours linking him to the director’s chair for Bond 26.

The interview primarily focused on the promotion of the home release of his latest film, Oppenheimer. Talking about the end of the actors' strike, the interviewer dropped in a sneaky question about Bond 26.

I recorded a video of my thoughts on this, which you can watch here.
 

Comics writer Garth Ennis talks about James Bond 007: Your Cold, Cold Heart

Legendary comics writer, Garth Ennis, offers a fresh perspective on 007 in the upcoming series, James Bond 007: Your Cold, Cold Heart. In a conversation with Dynamite Entertainment, Ennis delves into his journey with Bond, revealing a shift in perception.
 

Features

Well, November saw the arrival of a new 007-themed TV show to our screens. While a reality show may not be what fans were asking for - let's face it, most of us just want some film news - we did give it a go. 

007: Road to a Million – episode 1 review

Javier E Trujillo reviews the reviews the first episode of 007: Road to a Million, Amazon Prime's Bond-themed reality show. He finds an enjoyable glitzy placeholder while we wait for James Bond to return in Bond 26.
 

Review: 007: For King and Country #5

Javier E Trujillo reviews the fifth issue of Dynamite’s newest James Bond thriller, 007: For King and Country!
 

James Bond gifts: Christmas 2023

Well it’s that time of year again and if you’re like me you haven’t got a clue what to buy anyone. Here we take a look at James Bond gifts to suit all budgets. You can use it yourself or forward it to your friends and family as a subtle hint!

And Mark Casserly takes a look at three worthwhile additions to the library of any Bond fan - three excellent Bond-related books to buy for the 007 fan in your life. 
 

Bond 26 videos

If you're looking for commentary about Bond 26 then check out the following videos:

• No actor yet! What's happening?
• Barbara Broccoli said WHAT!?
• Bond 26: Nolan denies he'll direct

I produce these videos every now and then but if you're interested in what I've got to say then make sure you subscribe to The James Bond Dossier's YouTube Channel!
 

Well that's all for now. Unless there is some breaking Bond 26 news before January - yeah, right - I'll be back at the beginning of 2024.

Have a fantastic Christmas and New Year and see you on the other side!


David Leigh
The James Bond Dossier

 

 

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