Author Profile: David Leigh

Skyfall has become the UK’s biggest earning film ever after taking £102.8 million at the UK box office, overtaking previous top earners Avatar and Titanic on £94.0 million and £80.1 million respectively. 2012 turned out to be the third best year for box office admissions in forty years according to British Film Institute figures, which […]

Thirty years ago 007 roared onto our screens in Roger Moore’s sixth 007 adventure, Octopussy. In the latest edition of MI6 Confidential dozens of cast and crew members reflect on this intricate and undeniably exotic Bond film. This issue features in-depth, exclusive discussions with Octopussy‘s primary cast and crew – notably director John Glen, co-star […]

With the exception of the UK there is probably no country with a stronger link to James Bond than Jamaica. Ian Fleming fell in love with the former British colony while attending a naval conference there during the Second World War and decided immediately to build a holiday home there when hostilities ended. Following the […]

Daniel Craig’s first James Bond film, Casino Royale, was released in 2006 to a hail of critical success and made good use of a variety of locations. Much of the film was shot in the Czech Republic, both at Barrandov Studios in Prague, as well as location work that included Prague, Karlovy Vary and Loket. […]

Press release: On the 23nd of July, Art Vinyl will celebrate 50 years of James Bond Soundtracks at the Aston Martin W-One showroom in Mayfair. The exhibition celebrates the best in art, photography and graphic design for the numerous soundtracks from the very first Dr No, all the way through to last year’s smash hit Skyfall. According […]

Dating as they do from the Cold War, the James Bond novels by Ian Fleming are inextricably linked to Russia, although 007 only visited the USSR late in the series. Following his ordeal against Blofield at the end of You Only Live Twice, 007 is suffering from amnesia and, triggered by the mention of Vladivostok […]

The world’s media has whipped itself into a frenzy following the claim by The Sun yesterday that Bond 24 would be based on Devil May Care by Sebastian Faulks The story appears to be completely baseless, without even the usual anonymous source quoted. Let’s face it, The Sun is doesn’t exactly have a reputation for […]

It has been officially confirmed today that Sam Mendes will direct Bond 24, which will be released in October 2015. The announcement was made through a press release on 007.com, which you can read here.

William Boyd is to publicly discuss his James Bond novel Solo when it is launched on September 26th. The event will take place at the Queen Elizabeth Hall, part of the South Bank complex in London, where Boyd will discuss 007 and Ian Fleming with GQ literary editor Olivia Cole. Source: The Book Bond

It was not until On Her Majesty’s Secret Service that Ian Fleming even hinted that James Bond had Scottish blood, but neither could we have guessed that he was half Swiss. These were things that were only confirmed at the end for You Only Live Twice, when his premature obituary was published in The Times, […]

William Boyd is set to appear at the Lyceum Theatre in Edinburgh on 30th September to discuss his James Bond novel, Solo. The event is open to the public and will see the author discuss the book with David Robinson, the Scotsman’s literary editior. Solo will be released in the UK on 26th September and […]

The United States seems to have held a particular fascination for Ian Fleming and was certainly not as familiar a destination for British readers when he was writing the James Bond books as it is today. These were the years just after the Second World War that are considered to be a golden age for […]

Yet another 007 Fragrance was launched yesterday at Goodwood, where Ben Collins, former Stig and Quantum of Solace stunt driver showed off in an Aston Martin DBS. On display alwo was a Jaguar XKR (Die Another Day), a Rolls-Royce Phantom III (Goldfinger), an Aston Martin V8 Volante from (The Living Daylights) and an Aston Martin DB5. […]

The re-launched 007 channel on Sky Movies is to feature a number of special features, according to a report by MI6. The programmes include Iconic Moments, Skyfall on Set, Bond Girls Are Forever, Now Pay Attention 007, The Bond Cocktail, James Bond Downriver, Death in Venice and Bond on Location. Fans who own DVD or […]

The first time in the books that James Bond visits France is Casino Royale, when he is sent to the fictional town of Royale-les-Eaux to defeat Le Chiffre at the gambling tables. However, he visits France on several occasions afterwards, including the drive down through France into Switzerland while tailing Goldfinger, or the events contained […]

If you think of Brazil then probably a few things come to mind; the carnival in Rio de Janeiro, beaches and football for instance; or Sugarloaf mountain, the statue of Christ the Redeemer, Bossa Nova rhythms and the Amazon rainforest; or, more recently, the pro-reform protests. James Bond touched down there in Moonraker, after finding […]

The submersible Lotus Esprit used for filming the underwater scenes in The Spy Who Loved Me is to be auctioned in September. RM Auctions, which specialises in selling iconic movie cars such as this one, is responsible for the auction having previously auctioned an Aston Martin DB5 used in Goldfinger and Thunderball for £2.9 million. Source: Auto Evolution

The modified Breitling watch worn by Sean Connery in Thunderball that recently emerged after being lost for decades was sold at auction yesterday for £104,000, smashing the estimate of up to £60,000. The watch, supposedly modified by Q-branch to include a Geiger counter, was adapted by the film’s art department and was the only example […]

Attending the premiere of his stage version of Charlie And The Chocolate Factory last night, Sam Mendes preempted any questions about Bond 24 when he told Hey U Guys “I don’t know yet” and “I won’t make any decision until this is open. It’s taken a long time to get this open and this has […]

While Greece may not be one of the first countries you think of when it comes to James Bond, it does have a couple of Bond connections. The first of those is Colonel Sun, by “Robert Markham”, but for most people the greater link is with For Your Eyes Only, Roger Moore’s fifth outing as […]