“Bond 24” – Holding our breath for the next 007 feature

James Bond fans are always grasping on to any rumour that surfaces about the movie franchise, especially when it comes to the next release in the 007 series. This time around, it’s no different as we all await the next Bond release in 2015 which has just started to generate talk and speculation about the plot and, more intriguingly, who will star in it.

   Any 007 release is exciting; it becomes an event for the entire world to reminisce over the Bond collection. Since 1962, there have been 23 Bond films released and in 2015 we’re set to see the next one aptly dubbed “Bond 24”. Producers of the Bond film franchise were aiming at a new Bond flick every two years but when “Bond 24” releases in November 2015, it will have been 3 years since the last release in 2012 which was “Skyfall”. But these spectacular films have always proven to be worth the wait.

Daniel Craig will be returning to star in the 007 instalment, playing James Bond for the fourth time. His “Skyfall” stars are also rumoured to join him again, with Naomie Harris as Miss Moneypenny, Ben Whishaw as Q and (POSSIBLE SPOILER ALERT!) remarkable Ralph Fiennes, who was fantastic in Wes Anderson’s “The Grand Budapest Hotel” this year, as the new M. “Skyfall” director, Sam Mendes, is also geared up to direct. This certainly whets our appetite.

But that’s not all. “12 Years a Slave” star Chiwetel Ejiofor is being sought to play the Bond villain. After he garnered much praise and critical acclaim for the multi Oscar-winning film, he has caught the attention of many filmmakers. The producers' decision to target Ejiofor is said to have been motivated by the winning recruitment of Oscar-winner Javier Bardem to play Silva, the villain of “Skyfall”. If Ejiofor’s performance in Steve McQueen’s “12 Years a Slave” is anything to go by, we know that he has the ability to step up to the role of even a villain.

Filming on “Bond 24” is soon to be underway after Craig and his significant other, Academy Award-winning actress Rachel Weisz, have just performed on Broadway. “Skyfall” was the most successful James Bond movie so far, breaking the $1 billion mark at the box office, which means it will be even more demanding to top that with the next film. But with a clever release date set for November 2015, wisely avoiding the crazy summer period as well as “Star Wars” Month; who knows the heights that “Bond 24” could scale to.

Eva Green – From Bond girl to kickass warrior princess

It’s not easy for an actress to break away from the Bond girl mould and achieve longevity in Hollywood. There have only been a few actresses who have had the role of James Bond’s eye-candy and have achieved the feat. But now with the incredibly successful release of “300: Rise of an Empire” over the past weekend, with Eva Green formerly best-known as Vesper Lynd in Casino Royale in 2006 of the “007” franchise, one more actress might be able to boast of this achievement.

As of the 10^th of March, the latest “300” film has dominated the competition in the States, bagging an approximate $45.1 million domestically and $87.8 million from 58 other countries. This is pretty cool seeing as the film has mighty armies of blood-thirsty men being led by a dainty, albeit feisty, woman – one, Eva Green.

Eva plays the warrior queen, Atremisia, in the movie and is not only being praised by audiences for her physique and beauty but also by critics for her performance and screen presence. She is perhaps the best thing about the movie.

Eva, who is 33 years old, was born in Paris to an actress mother and a dentist father. She also has a non-identical twin sister, Joy, who was born minutes after her. Eva found acting as a passion as a teenager and went on to graduate from the American University of Paris and then to further study Drama in Paris and London. Much more than in Hollywood, she is an accomplished actress in France.

But now that we have had a taste of Eva in leather in sword-fighting mode, we know we’re going to love her in her next release, the also highly-anticipated "Sin City 2: A Dame to Kill For". The movie also stars Josh Brolin, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Bruce Willis, Rosario Dawson, and Jessica Alba. With a cast like this, and with Eva playing a temptress who enlists Josh Brolin’s character in an attempt to escape her ex-husband, “Sin City 2” is definitely going to be another movie worth waiting for this year. Eva Green is the new ultimate femme-fatale.

Bérénice Marlohe for Omega

It wouldn’t be the first time that clinching the role as a Bond girl has set an actress’s career into top gear. And it’s no different with Skyfall’s Bérénice Marlohe.

She's been busy promoting the latest 007 movie over the last few weeks, even making an appearance in Cape Town, and posing to perfection on red carpets across the world. And now she is using her looks - and time keeping skills - to promote a new product. The French actress has become the brand ambassador for Omega watches.

All the attention the 33-year-old of Chinese, Cambodian, and French descent was getting, prompted Omega to choose her as their latest ambassador. And from the chic, elegant, and crisp images; she is sure to have many more campaign offers streaming in.

The Bond Girl

"The nature of Bond's job rules out any long term commitments. For one thing, as soon as another mission comes along, he'll fall in lust with a new girl."

They are sex-pots and saviors. They might be threats to the hero's life or the most ornamental distraction. Whatever may change in the 007 series, you can't have a James Bond film without Bond girls. The Bond girl has become an omnipresent symbol of glamour, sophistication, and beauty. Everyone knows that she is the love-interest of James Bond and that the actress who gets to play the character of one of the most sought-after roles in the Hollywood film business will have her career made.

The first Bond girl, Honey Ryder, played by Ursula Andress in Dr No in 1962 rising from the sea in a white bikini, was a Playboy centerfold in smooth motion. This first film in the series set the Bond-girl standard, as spectacularly embodied by Andress, the coolly carnal Swiss miss, extremely high and the standard has not lowered since. One of the unique traits of the Bond girl is her name. The Bond girls have had some particularly unusual and pun-infused names that have also made way for some exceptionally wry and amusing script one-liners. Honor Blackman as Pussy Galore in Goldfinger, 1964, is a perfect example. This aviatrix-dominatrix is the captain of Auric Goldfinger's all-girl pilot squad, “Pussy Galore's Flying Circus”. Her first name cued millions of teen-boy sniggers, but Blackman, fresh from TV's The Avengers, gave Miss G. a mature sensuality. At 38, she was the oldest Bond girl in the official series. Upon hearing Galore say, “My name is Pussy Galore”, Bond suavely replies, “I must be dreaming.”

The latest Bond offering, Skyfall, introduces another sultry actress playing one of the most important Bond girls to date as this year marks the 50^th anniversary of the Bond franchise. At age 33, Bérénice Marlohe, with a husky voice slightly north of Betty Bacall’s, a killer accent, and a substantial build, she is no walk-over. Unlike previous femmes de Bond, Marlohe’s does not have the pun-infused name. She is, simply, Sévérine.

The Bond girl will always be the perfect elixir of sex-appeal, girl-next-door, and femme fatale. And with Skyfall’s local release this Friday 30^th November 2012, tongues are set to be wagging in every cinema theatre at not just her form but the unmatched charm and allure.