Bond ( lm stirs up 007’ s past

‘ Royale’ explains his womanizing

The new James Bond ; lm will see the superspy shaken from the world of cartoonish sci- ; action and stirred in with a woman who changes him forever.

Casino Royale, which begins ; lming in January, will be the ; rst of the Bond movies to tell the story of the hero’s origins, director Martin Campbell says.

“ We’re going toward a much more realistic Bond, much more From Russia With Love

than we’ve had in the past,” says Martin, who also directed 1995’ s Golden Eye

with Pierce Brosnan.

Campbell’s Legend of Zorro opens Friday, and he’s ready to trade swords for spies as he introduces the new Bond, Daniel Craig ( Layer Cake).

The story, based on Ian Fleming’s ; rst Bond novel, was rooted in the Cold War and focuses on a gambler named Le Chiffre who tries to reclaim a fortune he lost for the Communist secret police.

“ He has to mount a card game in order to win the money back. Bond is sent in to make sure he doesn’t win,” Campbell says. But the Cold War setting is out.

Bond is teamed with female agent Vesper Lynd, who later helps him recover after being brutally tortured.

“ She forges him into the Bond thatwe all know and love,” Campbell says. “ He certainly falls in love with her, and it does change him forever.”

The reason the hero treats subsequent female companions as one- night stands also will be revealed.

“ He talks about how it’s too boring to have a relationship. You meet, and it’s all exciting, then it starts to fade, and you go through the uncomfortable part of having to get rid of the girl,” Campbell says.

“ It’s a very interesting observation given his sort of misogynistic views.”

The ; lm also will feature a lot of “ embryonic stuff” about Bond, why he prefers his martini “ shaken, not stirred,” and why he favors the Aston Martin car.

This time, however, there will be no gadget- master Q; the story is trying to avoid over- the- top weaponry.

Butwho will play Vesper?

Says Campbell: “ We were so wrapped up getting Bond, that’s what we have to do now.”

By Greg Williams, EON Productions/Reuters