"When you can't tell your friends from your enemies, it's time to go."

The first trailer for Quantum of Solace (aka the next James Bond film) has just arrived online (watch above or over on Moviefone in glorious HD), and I'm totally hooked. First thing I noticed is there seems to be quite a bit more action this time around, including what looks to be a pretty slick speedboat scene. Like in Casino Royale, Quantum of Solace (which picks up right where Royale left off) appears to leave us with a Bond (Daniel Craig) who still can't differentiate between what's personal and what's simply business. Once again, M (Judi Dench) continues to chase after Bond, who's still somewhat of a loose cannon.

Starring Mathieu Amalric, Olga Kurylenko, Gemma Arterton and Jeffrey Wright, Quantum of Solace finds Bond on the hunt for the organization responsible for the death of his shady ex-girlfriend, Vesper Lynd. His mission eventually leads to an environmentalist (Amalric) hell bent on taking over the country's water supply. Those interested can check out the full, official synopsis after the jump.

Quantum of Solace arrives in theaters on November 7th, 2008. What do you think of the trailer?

Okay everybody, gird your loins. MGM is unveiling the theatrical trailer for Quantum of Solace -- a.k.a. James Bond 22, if this is your first time on the internet -- at 9 a.m. Pacific on Monday, June 30th. The trailer will be attached to Hancock, which comes out a mere two days later, but you'll be able to see it early over at Moviefone on this page. Of course, we'll let you know as soon as it's up.

I remember that the start of the good buzz on Casino Royale roughly coincided with the release of its terrific teaser trailer -- the one that began in black and white, with a Judi Dench voiceover -- so I trust they're putting a lot of love and effort into this one in the hopes of having another runaway hit on their hands. The project has taken a bit of a beating in the press, what with the on-set tragedies and much-ridiculed title, but I suspect once people see footage, they'll come around. The blogosphere's love affair with Daniel Craig is far from over.

Now, if only they can get this business about the song sorted out. I say they throw caution to the wind and go with Meat Loaf.

I'm just kidding. Or am I?

Maybe it's just me, but is it really a good idea to start promoting a Holocaust drama smack dab in the middle of the summer movie season? I guess you can't blame the makers of Defiance for wanting to start their promotions a little early, though. The new poster for Daniel Craig's WWII flick has been released (click image to enlarge), and it is about as dark and sombre as you might expect.

Defiance was written and directed by Edward Zwick (Blood Diamond), and tells the true life story of the Bielski partisans. The Bielskis were three brothers who escaped into the Belarus forests while on the run from the Nazis and banded together to form a resistance group to save other Jews during WWII. Jamie Bell, Liev Schreiber, and Craig (who is the only face that made it to the poster) portray the three brothers, and The Mist's Alexa Davalos also stars as a fellow escapee and love interest for Craig.

Defiance wrapped production back in 2007 (as we all know, Craig has been a tad busy working on a certain spy film ever since) and there hasn't been much hoopla surrounding the film -- with the exception of a small trailer release back in January. So even though the next three months are all about blockbusting fun, we can't forget that Oscar season is merely months away; I'm sure Zwick hasn't.

Defiance will arrive in theaters on December 19th, 2008.

A whole new batch of images from the next James Bond flick, Quantum of Solace, have just arrived online. So, in honor of a badly beaten-up Daniel Craig, we've decided that now is definitely the right time to launch our official Quantum of Solace photo gallery -- complete with good guys, bad guys and women who may or not be good or bad. (Can I just say that I absolutely love this photo above. Obviously they've had a long night -- and even though he's all sorts of damaged, Bond has that "I bet I could still tap that" look on his face.)

What do we know about Quantum of Solace? Well, it picks up right where Casino Royale left off, and it follows 007 on a mission to figure out which moron came up with the name for this film. I kid, I kid. Actually, we're with Bond as he attempts to figure out more about the organization that blackmailed Vesper -- a mission that ultimately leads him to several countries and to a couple of men; one of which, Dominic Greene (Mathieu Amalric), is conspiring to take total control of one of the world's most important natural resources. There's double the action, double the intensity and (we hope) double the love-making.

Quantum of Solace arrives in theaters on November 7. Check out our brand new gallery below.

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Last weekend brought the tragic news that the Aston Martin featured in the upcoming 007 movie Quantun of Solace was wrecked beyond repair. It turns out that's not the only danger on the set of the film, currently shooting in Italy: On Wednesday, a James Bond stuntman crashed while performing a chase scene in the area, and is currently in critical condition. suffering minor injuries It's probably better that this stuff is happening now, considering how many people were ready to pounce on the last film in order to prevent Daniel Craig from taking the reins from Pierce Brosnan. Now that the franchise appears to have a newfound groove, Quantum has a lot of positive buzz. So why does it seem like the set is suddenly cursed?

Accidents of varying degrees are commonplace on large scale film shoots, but the sense of peril can impact the final result in different ways. In the Twilight Zone movie, the helicopter accident during the John Landis-directed sequence killed three actors, causing Hollywood to avoid similar stunts for many years to come. The stuntman who suffered burns on 60% of his body on the Mission: Impossible III set, however, couldn't affect that movie, even when he decided to sue Tom Cruise. In the case of Quantum of Solace, subversively, the accidents might be a positive indicator of the sheer intensity that director Marc Forster hopes to bring to the film.

We all know 007 hops continents with ease... so where is he finding action these days? Antofagasta, Chile, home to the driest desert in all the world. Moviefone sent a spy down to set of the new Bond flick Quantum of Solace (OK, fine, we were invited by Sony Pictures) to dig up dirt from Daniel Craig and company. You can find a full report from the set of Solace Tuesday on Moviefone.com -- including rumors confirmed and debunked, and a full Q&A with Craig -- but here are a couple nuggets to whet your appetite.

--Why Chile? Antofagasta is home to the headquarters of the European Southern Observatory (ESO), which stands as the lair of Bond's latest adversary, Dominic Green (Diving Bell and the Butterfly star Mathieu Amalric). But even the ESO's funky digs (a domed, modern building which will, thanks to special effects, be blown up in the finished film) take second billing to the gritty landscape. "I think what attracted us is the beautiful landscape, which contrasts with all the other landscapes in the film," producer Michael G. Wilson told our reporter. "It reflects Bond's inner feelings."

It wasn't Darby O'Gill and the Little People that brought Sean Connery to superstardom. It was his many gigs as James Bond, stretching from Dr. No in 1962 to Never Say Never Again in 1983. But that era is over. These days, Daniel Craig is 007, and he's gearing up for the 22nd Bond installment with Quantum of Solace. So, what's that have to do with Connery? Well, according to Ace Showbiz, a new press release says that the actor has considered returning to the franchise as the big baddie.

Connery is quoted as saying: "I wouldn't mind coming back as a Bond villain. But I don't think they would pay me enough. They don't pay the money for other parts, only for the Bond character, although that wasn't the case when I was doing it." Ouch! I would think they might want to add Connery in to at least save some face. Sure, things change, but what production wants to be considered penny pinchers that only care about Craig?

Ace goes on to say: "Allegedly, the 77-year-old Academy Award-winning actor has been involved in negotiations to land a villain role with the film's producers since Daniel Craig has been tapped to bring Ian Fleming's agent back to the big screen with Casino Royale."

Could this be true? Would they ever pay enough for this to really happen? We'll have to wait and see. But in the meantime, what do you think? Should Connery return to the world of James Bond?

Should Sean Connery be a James Bond villain?

Yes!!!No way. He should leave it in the past.I don't know...I don't care...Vote

If you're old and boring like me, chances are you're not heading out to some paradise for Spring Break this year. It's cool, though, because Moviefone has got you covered. They've had the unfortunate job of combing through thousands of photos, searching for the top shots of our favorite female AND male movie characters wearing their most beloved, adorable swimwear.

On the girls side, we have one of the more geek-famous shots of Princess Leia rockin' her slave bikini. (A personal favorite, if I may say so myself.) There's Halle Berry, Jessica Alba, Elizabeth Hurley, Ursula Andress -- trust me, you'll want to check out this gallery. The men also get their time in the spotlight (though none of them beat my rock-solid abs). Let's see, we have dudes like Matthew McConaughey (who takes his shirt off in every film just so he can wind up on a list like this later in the year), Jesse Bradford, Sean Connery and, of course, Daniel Craig. You be the judge of which Bond looks better in a bathing suit.

Head over here to check out the ladies, and over here to check out the guys. And make sure you vote for your favorites at the end.

If you were looking for a reason to go see Daniel Craig's next James Bond film, Quantum of Solace, in the UK, here's your reason -- BBC reports that the film's release date has been moved up from November 7 of this year, to October 31 -- Halloween. So far, however, this means no change for us in North America. Variety reports that the film is still scheduled to roll out on the 7th.

This time around, Bond sets out for revenge against those who took out the lovely Vesper Lynd (the gal who betrayed him in Casino Royale) and travels to Austria, Italy, and South America. In Haiti, he runs into Camille (Olga Kurylenko), who has her own vendetta and leads the superspy to Dominic Greene (Mathieu Amalric). I guess Bond gets sidetracked by this dude, because he "discovers that Greene, conspiring to take total control of one of the world's most important natural resources, is forging a dastardly deal with an exiled Latin American general (Joaquin Cosio)."

But what about the title? It seems to be sticking, but I can't say that I'm entirely into Craig's reasoning why. He says it's all about relationships: "When they go wrong, when there's nothing left, when the spark has gone, when the fire's gone out, there's no quantum of solace." I actually liked the title more before ...

Depending on who you read, Daniel Craig, as well as the cast and crew of Quantum of Solace (aka Bond 22), were either caught up in the middle of a gang turf war down in Panama ... or they're completely safe without a worry in the world. Oh yes, I definitely said gang turf war -- and if the Daily Mail is right (which they're probably not), things seem to be getting hella dangerous down on the Panama set of the next James Bond film. DM says, "Daniel has had to dodge the crossfire as gangsters spray bullets at each other on the set. Bond girls Gemma Arterton, 22, and Olga Kurylenko, 28, are also under armed guard, while terrified crew are having to brave the deadliest warzones as they struggle to get the blockbuster "in the can." And that's not all -- a little above that quote, they claim Craig's guards have already "taken out" one gangster in a hail of bullets. How do you say ... AWESOME DVD extras in (what do they speak down in Panama?).

Now, according to a statement from producers Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli, this whole thing is just a big misunderstanding. In a joint statement, they say, "The filming of 'Quantum of Solace', with director Marc Forster at the helm, is on schedule and will continue as planned in Panama. None of the cast or crew have ever been in danger. Reports of troubles with gangs are untrue. The protests are to do with the fatal shooting of a construction worker in Colon and are unrelated to our filming activities. Our cast and crew have not been threatened and no thefts or muggings have occurred. These scurrilous and irresponsible reports in The Daily Star have caused distress to the UK families of our filming unit."

Really? I wonder why? Was it the part where they quote an anonymous crew member saying, "Quite a few of the crew are considering clearing out because they fear for their lives. It's chaotic." Regardless, I think someone needs to evaluate what the hell is going on in Panama right now -- last thing we need is James Bond being "taken out" when he still has a few more films to shoot.

Wow, so if this rumor is true it could potentially be very good or very bad for the Bond franchise, and, especially, Quantum of Solace. Now take this whole thing with a huge grain of salt because there is no proof or official word, but a scooper wrote into AICN with the name of an actor who might have snagged the chief villain role in the next James Bond film. No, I'm not talking about Mathieu Amalric -- who we already know is playing Bond's main opponent. And Anatole Taubman is apparently playing another baddie. I'm talking about the boss of all bosses -- the guy Bond was after in Casino Royale, and will be after in Quantum of Solace. The dude behind the entire operation -- the man behind the curtains -- the guy who reports to himself. Oh yes. Him. Well word has it Bond will finally meet up with this head boss at the end of the next film, and the actor currently rumored to be playing him is none other than -- drum roll please -- Al Pacino. Hoo-ahh!

Here's part of what the scooper wrote in to AICN: "But the big news that he leaked was that Al Pacino would be taking part in filming. I was a little shocked as the cast has been revealed already, but he said Pacino would play the head of the terrorist group introduced in CASINO ROYALE and QUANTUM OF SOLACE. Al is said to come to Pinewood in April-May to film what is said to be a brief cameo." Hmmm. Pacino? As the big villain in a Bond film? Keep in mind this is only a rumor right now, but if true, what do you think?

I think I'm ready to give up trying to figure out what's going on with this movie -- I'll just wait till November and judge it then. But here's the latest intangible -- Bollywood actress and British tabloid staple Shilpa Shetty has just joined the cast of Quantum of Solace in an as-yet undetermined role, along with moderately well-known supporting actor David Harbour, whose role is also undetermined. Although it's being touted by MI6, the source of this information appears to be that Harbour and Shetty's names both popped up on IMDB over the weekend, so I would wait for EON confirmation next week before this becomes really, really official. IMDB does have a name for her character, though -- Devi. This late casting of Shetty is a curiosity, since she was considered a prime candidate for a Bond girl during the initial casting phase, and the Bond producers were known to be interested in working a Bollywood favorite into the film to take advantage of the synchronous orbit of Bollywood and British cinema.

Surely they don't have room for three Bond girls, do they? Shetty is very popular in Britain and recently got worldwide press attention for a mini-scandal involving Richard Gere, so I think it's more than likely that this role will amount to a cameo, like Madonna in Die Another Day or like British actress Christina Cole's role as "Ocean Club Receptionist" in Casino Royale. Remember that little scene where Bond checks into the Ocean Club and has a momentary flirtation with a stop-you-in-your-tracks-gorgeous blonde behind the front desk? I'm thinking they invited Shetty to do one of those parts and she agreed, perhaps after quietly losing out on getting one of the main Bond girl parts. But what do I know -- I thought Arterton was Moneypenny. Meanwhile, filming continues to roll on, and more confusion is sure to follow.

British jazz singer Amy Winehouse, who is known internationally more for her drug problems and wild antics -- in my five seconds of research, I see that she apparently heckled Bono while he was giving a speech, which makes me think she's good people -- has reportedly been offered the chance to sing the theme song for the new James Bond film. If British rag The Sun is to be believed, the producers of Quantum of Solace have gotten themselves involved in Winehouse's personal drama by offering the singer the theme song on the condition that she get herself clean and sober by April. "That's when the Bond people make a final decision on who sings the theme," the source said. "If Amy is clean then, it's hers." I don't know who this source is -- craft services guy, maybe -- but I also wouldn't put it past the crafty Bond producers to try to stir the media into a frenzy by putting Winehouse on the payroll in such a manner. For his part, Daniel Craig has already commented on this whole drama, saying "It's just way, way off that. Everyone's speculating about it but we've got other things to deal with -- there's no point in writing the song for a movie when we haven't got a movie." Yikes.

In other Bond news, there isn't any, really, but Craig did get into another tiff with journalists over his reputation for being difficult when it comes to press, which I didn't know he had. I met Craig during the junket for Casino Royale and found him to be as warm and as forthcoming as you could expect. On that so-called reputation, Craig says "I don't think it's true, it's just lazy journalism; they want to paint me as someone difficult. I think I'm quite nice, but maybe I'm delusional. There's no point in doing Bond if you're not going to sell it."

[via MI6]

Moviefone has just unleashed the exclusive teaser poster for the next James Bond film, Quantum of Solace (click on the image above to check out a larger version), and I'm totally digging the way they went about this one. Love the shadow, love the gun in the air, and I love the fact that there's this lonely sense of dread. Or maybe I'm just reading into it too much. I'm also wondering if this poster was created prior to the Quantum of Solace title being chosen, because it's not mentioned on the poster at all. Below the above image, all we get is the classic 007 logo, followed by the words 'November 2008' underneath. Either way, it's all good.

In addition to the poster, Moviefone also has a Bond photo gallery for you to scroll through, featuring info on the new film, like how Quantum of Solace picks up 20 minutes after Casino Royale, making it the first direct sequel in Bond film history. Word has it they've practically doubled the amount of action in this flick, compared to Casino Royale, and so you Bond fans out there should definitely get your money's worth.

As an extra special bonus, check out a really sweeet Quantum of Solace behind-the-scenes video (with director Marc Forster and a beaten-up Daniel Craig, among others) below. Quantum of Solace arrives in theaters on November 7, 2008.

Shortly after I first saw Casino Royale, someone asked me what I thought about it and I blurted out "B-." How could I, a Bond fan, give the movie such a low rating, they wanted to know, to which I replied that it seemed more like a movie-movie than a Bond movie and it should have gone further in its realism, and been R-rated. "If they had made this as a sort of R-rated version of Majesty's Secret Service, it might have actually been a great film," I said at the time. All of this is a long-winded way of leading up to mentioning that Daniel Craig is apparently keen on executing an explicit nude scene in Quantum of Solace, according to reports, which would seem to necessitate an R-rating this time around. Access Hollywood recently asked Jeffrey Wright about the rumors that Craig was trying to work some full-frontal into the movie this time around, to which he replied "The world is ready for anything, but I'm not licensed to reveal that." He also conceded that the title of the film was "pretty exotic."

Meanwhile, for those of you who have completely given up on trying to remain spoiler-free, there are now many details of a key car chase that will occur in the film. The Italian press has been all over this one, with an Italian Bond fansite detailing that the chase will take place along the banks of Lake Garda, between the resort towns of Navene and Malcesine and that the cars are expected to top speeds of 125 mph. According to them "the pursuit will feature spectacular and reckless maneuvers in a series of tunnels, culminating with a scene where a truck brings the action to an abrupt halt and a huge explosion." I don't know about you, but hearing that makes me immediately depressed because I have zero confidence that Marc Forster can pull it off. I mean, really, this is the guy who couldn't even make kite-flying seem realistic.

Finally, thanks to some advance toy marketing, we know that there will be a character in this film known as 'Elvis.' There's no confirmation on who this character is supposed to be, but since he's prominent enough to be toy-worthy, expect yet another casting announcement soon.

[Via MI6]