Bond 23 gets a title and a cast

James Bond knows how to celebrate in style. Coinciding with the 50th anniversary of the day Sean Connery signed on to play Mr. Bond producers announced the title for Bond’s 23rd installment, Skyfall, which heads to the big screen in November of 2012, a full four years after 007′s last appearance in Quantum of Solace.

Daniel Craig and Dame Judy Dench will both reprise their roles as Bond himself and M, respectively. The mantle of the Big Bad will be taken up by Javier Bardem, who you may remember from his bowl-cut badassery in No Country for Old Men.

Of course, a James Bond film just wouldn’t be the same without a striking pair of leading ladies. French actress Bérénice Marlohe will make her English-language debut in a role she vaguely reveals as “a glamorous, enigmatic character called Severine”. The rumors that Naomie Harris (28 Days Later) would be reviving the role of Miss Moneypenny were, sadly, false. Instead she will appear as a field agent we know simply as Eve.

Albert Finney, Ralph Fiennes, and Ben Whishaw (Perfume: Story of a Murderer) round out an impressive cast in roles that are being kept hush-hush. Spoilers!

At the helm will be director Sam Mendes, Academy Award winner for American Beauty and self-professed Bond fanboy. The majority of his experience lies in the realm of intense, character-focused dramas.

Of making an action flick, Mendes says it’s “a world that’s new to me, and I’ve embraced it.” He reassured dubious audiences that despite his history with lower-key films there will be plenty of action, but also emphasized his belief in a balanced approach.

This film forgoes the Ian-Fleming-originated book series for a wholly original script, including no ties to the two previous films. As you may have noticed, the producers appear to be using this aspect to their advantage, cultivating an air of mystery around their characters, gadgets, and even the title. What does Skyfall mean? Producer Barbara Broccoli said only “It has some emotional context, which will be revealed in the film.”

MGM’s bankruptcy had previously left the fate of the franchise up in the air along with other anticipated studio properties like Red Dawn and Joss Whedon’s Cabin in the Woods, but Sony’s co-financing saved the project from meeting its fate in a dusty file cabinet and ensured that it will be every bit the spectacle we’ve come to expect.

Written by Kaitlin Pedri (@misssuperfluous)

Kaitlin wields a red pen like a katana and gets her kicks making fun of poorly written fanfiction. She forsook a life of editing, only to be drawn back in by the seductive allure of the misplaced modifier. The owner of an encyclopedic mind and a fangirl's heart, she bawls… More »