Daniel Craig Talks ‘Skyfall,’ The Allure Of James Bond & Having A Hand In Sam Mendes Getting The 007 Directing Gig

With both 2012 marking the 50th anniversary of James Bond films and the release of ‘Skyfall’ looming large, the fine folks over at Esquire featured Daniel Craig as their latest cover story to talk all things Bond, and in particular, the upcoming 23rd 007 adventure. Now on his third outing as Bond with ‘Skyfall,’ the actor spoke on why he believes the James Bond series still has us coming back for more, “I think what’s always fantastic about the Bond stories is that there’s always a darkness involved, but it’s a darkness with a sense of humour. A black humour. It’s about danger, but a good danger, because you’re in the hands of somebody who’s saying ‘F**k you’ to risk, ‘F**k you’ to dying.”

Futhermore, Daniel Craig talked about the difference between starring in a humongous film like ‘Skyfall’ over his less high-profile roles, “Bond movies live or die on their popularity. They force you to care about what people think. And I’m involved [in the films] on a very deep level. I have it in my mind all the time…So there’s that kind of pressure, and that’s an enemy in any art form, acting especially.”

The actor also provided Esquire with some fascinating insight into how Sam Mendes came on board to direct this latest instalment, ‘Skyfall,’ “It’s a very showbizzy story. I was at Hugh Jackman’s house in New York. It was a soiree – we were in a play together – and Sam [film and theatre director Sam Mendes] was there. I’d had a few too many drinks and I went, ‘How do you fancy directing a Bond?’ And he kind of looked at me, and he went, ‘Yeah!’ And it snowballed from there.” Read the full Daniel Craig interview in Esquire’s October issue, which is out in all good (and bad) newsstands now.

Directed by Sam Mendes (American Beauty, Revolutionary Road, Road to Perdition), ‘Skyfall’ sees Daniel Craig and Judi Dench continue their roles as James Bond and M. The cast also includes Naomie Harris as a field agent named Eve, Javier Bardem as Silva; the stories leering and sinisterly creepy lead villain, Albert Finney, Ben Whishaw as Q; MI5′s resident gadgets man, Tonia Sotiropoulou, Rory Kinnear as Bill Tanner; the MI6 Chief of Staff, Ola Rapace, Bérénice Marlohe as the “glamorous and enigmatic” Sévérine, and Ralph Fiennes as Gareth Mallory - who’s been described as “darkly complex.”

I’ve got high hopes for ‘Skyfall,’ I loved the trailers and I’m a huge fan of Daniel Craig’s more gritty and intense incarnation of James Bond. This latest 007 chapter was shot at Pinewood Studios in Buckinghamshire, Scotland, Whitehall in London, Shanghai and Istanbul. The screenplay is written by Neal Purvis, Robert Wade and John Logan. ‘Skyfall’ will begin its worldwide roll-out in the UK and Ireland on October 26th, with a North American release following on November 9th. The Director of Photography is Roger Deakins, a nine-time Oscar nominee who previously shot the films ‘Jarhead’ and ‘Revolutionary Road’ for Mendes. Composer Thomas Newman will score the film.  Check out the official synopsis for ‘Skyfall’ below.

In SKYFALL, Bond’s loyalty to M is tested as her past comes back to haunt her. As MI6 comes under attack, 007 must track down and destroy the threat, no matter how personal the cost. SKYFALL marks the return of Daniel Craig as Ian Fleming’s James Bond 007, as well as Judi Dench reprising her role as M. The film also stars franchise newcomers Ralph Fiennes, Javier Bardem and Naomie Harris. The film is directed by Sam Mendes from a screenplay written by Neal Purvis & Robert Wade and John Logan. Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli are producers.

‘Skyfall’ will begin its worldwide roll-out in the UK and Ireland on October 26th, with a North American release following on November 9th. The Director of Photography is Roger Deakins, a nine-time Oscar nominee who previously shot the films ‘Jarhead’ and ‘Revolutionary Road’ for Mendes. Composer Thomas Newman will score the film. The Production Designer is Dennis Gassner, who previously designed ‘Quantum of Solace’ and collaborated with Mendes on the films ‘Road to Perdition’ and ‘Jarhead.’ The Editor is Stuart Baird, A.C.E., whose many credits include ‘Casino Royale.’ Jany Temime, whose many credits include the Harry Potter series, ‘In Bruges,’ and ‘Children of Men,’ is the Costume Designer. Action specialist Alexander Witt is the 2nd Unit Director. Gary Powell is Stunt Co-ordinator, Chris Corbould is SFX Supervisor and Steve Begg is Visual Effects Supervisor, all of whom have worked on previous Bond films.

The IMAX release of SKYFALL will be digitally re-mastered into the image and sound quality of The IMAX Experience® with proprietary IMAX DMR® (Digital Re-mastering) technology. The crystal-clear images coupled with IMAX’s customized theatre geometry and powerful digital audio create a unique environment that will make audiences feel as if they are in the movie.