Q: So we heard that your acting (inaudible) part two. Daniel: Right, well I have to. It's kind of an important scene that they have to put in. It's when the universes break apart so it has to be there.
Q: So you think it's, it's, because somebody said if you saw it in this movie you'd think the whole movie was over.
Daniel: Well I think that's debatable. I mean the point about it - you know as well as I do - is adapting a book's going to be a really difficult thing and you've got to get certain elements of the story across. And this is what happens, and it got lost. And you know it's not unusual in the movie business to lose scenes.
Q: Was the scene shot and -
Daniel: No, we shot it.
Q: May I ask you about the Northern Lights, have you seen them in real life?
Daniel: No, I haven't, no. I mean I've been, I travelled up to the arctic circle as a child and I've been up farther I've never seen them. I've seen the midnight sun.
Q: Because I'm from Iceland and we can see them -
Daniel: Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. That's beautiful.
Q: Would you be interested in going?
Daniel: I've been to Iceland. And I, yeah, I filmed Tomb Raider up there up on the glacier. And I'd love to see them, yeah. If I get the chance. Maybe we'll do it on the tour this year.
Q: The Bond tour? So that movie has started already?
Daniel: I started rehearsals last week.
Q: And...do we have a title for this Bond?
Daniel: Bond Twenty-two.
(Laughter)
Q: We heard last week that you got a villian with Matthieu Amalrie -
Daniel: Maybe. I'm the wrong source.
Q: And what would you say that this is going to be like in terms of the progression, six months after the last?
Daniel: It will actually follow on quite closely after the last story. That's in, sort of elements of what happened in the last movie are going to be putting over into this one, yeah.
Q: Was there a conscious attempt (on Bond) to sort of get back away from what Bond had become this sort of huge-budget. I mean, this was scaled down to be much gritter your picture than previous Bond movies.
Daniel: At two hundred million dollars it really was scaled down. Um - (laughter) the fact that the Bond movies are out, they were. They're great movies, I mean I've watched all of them they're really, they really work. But for me I wanted, my basis and what I kind of wanted is that I'm a fan of the very early Bond movies, the early Sean Connery's, Dr. No, and From Russia With Love and I wanted to put it back in that mold. And whatever you do, you know, these are Bond movies: there has to be an element of style, there has to be an element of something that's quintessentially James Bond about the movies. I could name any influence that's happened over the last thirty years that's influenced my decision and my feelings about Casino Royale, but James Bond is James Bond.
Q: You were filming that at the same time as The Golden Compass?
Daniel: No, we were doing publicity on the Bond and I was flying back and forth to do this.
Q: You were a fan of the trilogy, weren't you -
Daniel: Yeah, big fan
Q: Can you tell us what it was that really...
Daniel: Well, just that it's a great piece of writing. Philip Pullman's a really talented writer, he's a brilliant writer. And the message that the books, for me, were putting across I think I would want children to read. They're about keeping promises, about being faithful, finding good friends, keeping them, and being supportive, and fighting for the right causes. And that, you know, the classic book, Philip Pullman what he's done is he's used it to tell, childrens books to write very adult themes. And I, they just appeal to me. More than appeal to me. I think they're kind of fundamental.
Q: And, because people were saying when we walked out of the theater "why did Daniel Craig do this?" He's not in the movie that much, it's not that big of a part -
Daniel: Easy job. (Laughter) It's because I wanted to. Because I wanted to. That's the why and reason I did it. And for that reason I mean I, there wasn't that much to do in it. It wasn't a huge commitment for me.
Q: And what happened to Invasion, the movie you and Nicole did?
Daniel: It went down the pan.
Q: What?
Daniel: It went down the pan.
Q: I mean did you have an idea when you were in the middle of that, you know?
Daniel: I mean there are some stories you know, and I'll talk about it and at the time - the movie was made with all the right intentions. And all of the (inaudible) Nicole and I are huge fans of and it was done with all the right intention, it just went out of control.
Q: What about Eva Green? Is it a coincidence that you were in the same -
Daniel: No, she's in every movie I make from now on. (Laughter) It's contractual. Just is, no, and she was great, great casting, she plays. As is Nicole, I couldn't have thought of a better Mrs. Coulter.
Q: But I heard that you had your idea for your costume?
Daniel: Which bit?
Q: Um, I read the costume designer wasn't quite sure about the costume for The Golden Compass for you -
Q: That tweedy suit, that wonderful tweedy suit he wears?
Daniel: It's always a kind of a conversation Ruth Meyers and I had long conversations about it, just about the way we want to look at it. But we kind of based it upon, Chris and everybody, we kind of based it upon Shackleton. Shackleton, who sort of, an English gentlman but with a twist to it, I mean you know it's not , you know. We have long conversations about that sort of thing I mean that's kind of part of the process. The shoes, I chose the shoes. (Laughter)
Q: Can you say anything about fantasy films and science fiction films and what your feelings are towards it? Because obviously we feel that Bond should steer slight away from that science fiction bit.
Daniel: I'm, I mean I've been a big fan of, I mean I'm not a huge fan of science fiction novels, but I've always read them, steadily read them over the, since I was a child. You know as well as I do that any good science fiction writing or fantasy novel has a very strong message somewhere in them and is using the backdrop of a fantasy world to highlight that and extend into it. And this is no different. The messages and the things about Lyra's life, about this young lady is what I love so much about this is that the lead character is a girl and it's about her struggle into adulthood. And if you read the books, that's very much what the stories are about. And you know, we do have a tradition in this country, I mean with Tolkien, and C.S. Lewis there is a huge tradition of fantasy story telling. Usually with a very strong point behind it. And I think Philip Pullman's books are no different.
Q: Is there a particular fantasy film apart from this one that you would say is good?
Daniel: Which is the one that I would say is good?
Q: Yeah
Daniel: I mean I think they did a really, made a really good fest of the Lord of The Rings. I mean, again, as a reader I read them as a child and it will be the same with this. Fans of Philip Pullman who have read Philip Pullman are going to come and see this and be disappointed with there aren't certain things in the film. But that's the nature of what we're doing I mean it's an adaptation of a book and things get lost. My favorite fantasy or science fiction, Bladerunner's one of my favorite movies and still is. I haven't seen it in years.
Q: What about the controversey? I don't know if it's here in England but in the States and Canada and there're groups saying that it's -
Daniel: And I'm sure they've read the book as well. (Laughter) You know, look, the book deals with really very important things. One of the things it deals with is the misuse of power by any authority whether it's a religious or a political power is wrong. And that's what the book deals with so whether it, you know. Philip, he might be a bit against the Catholic church but I know for a fact the Catholic church has got big enough shoulders to weight this. And they sell Dan Brown in the Vatican now I'm sure so you know, they'll be selling this in the Vatican City. It raises a debate, it raises a very healthy debate for religion and religion shouldn't worry about these sort of things because it actually gets people talking about it. So I'm, you know. It's interesting that people should get so angry about it. The morals in this book are solid and really good. I don't have a problem with them. I think any child should read these stories.
Q: You seem to have limited screen time in the picture, is the role going to expand in the next few installments?
Daniel: For me?
Q: Yeah
Daniel: It kind of does. It will have to in the second one. But the third book's where Mrs. Coulter and I kind of get together and help save the universe.
(Laughter)
Daniel: Simply put.
Q: Can you say anything about where you're going to be filming your Bond movie?
Daniel: We're going to start Central America, in Italy, maybe Austria. And Pinewood, obviously.
Q: Does Austria mean skiing?
Daniel: No.
Q: As an International Man of the World now is there a language you would like to learn or a place you'd like to go live, a foreign country?
Daniel: I don't think there's anywhere I really want to go and live, I mean I spent a lot of time in the States, and I love New York. And I'd like to spend more time in New York, I'm a big fan of California. I love to go out there and the California coast line. They speak English over there, don't they? (Laughter) I mean, look, the lucky thing is I went to Tokyo for the first time in my life last year with Bond . And you know that's probably now one of my favorite cities. The fact is that's one of the biggest perks of my jobs that I get to travel. Luckily I usually get people who talk the language to come with me.
Q: As a fan of the trilogy, was there any point in the movie production that you got to influence Chris Weitz's vision?
Daniel: Every day I hope. Not in the sense of any aggressive way, but certainly in that I don't come to work empty handed. I kind of try and figure some things out and try and at least bring something to the part. I mean there's no point in coming to work unless you're sort of getting involved in my opinion. So, if I did then hopefully in a positive way.
Q: (Inaudible question regarding another movie)
Daniel: Yeah, it's about a group of brothers, Jewish brothers, in Belerus in the second world war who went into the forest to hide away because of the Nazi invasion and because the Jews were being wiped out systematically as we all well know. They formed a partisan group and instead of fighting, and they did do some maybe questionable things, they started rescuing Jews from the ghetto and they got to the end of the war with tweleve hundred people. It's a story of survival. And they set up a community within the forest and they had to keep moving. It's a kind of adventure story as much as anything. And what they achieved is beyond -
Q: They also saved more than Schindler then I guess it looks like.
Daniel: I don't think it's a competition.
Q: (Inaudible)
Daniel: And no one knows, the joke of it is it's one of actually really where one of those stories that's not been told. They genuinely fought, waged war, but by doing so, also, they kind of rallied with ruptured partisans and got them to protect them. No I mean, there are thousands upon thousands of people alive because of these brothers
Q: How many brothers are there?
Daniel: Three in the story.
Q: In what country was it?
Daniel: Belarus, it does exist I mean it's a very politically unstable place at the moment.
Q: We were talking about the religions today. Are you religious?
Daniel: Not particularly religious. I mean I kind of, what I find so fascinating about these books is that the spiritualism in these books is very much there. I don't think that they're...I'm not, I've never been religious but I do find religion fascinating, because it has such an influence on all our lives. I mean I've just been in Lithuania they have a very strong Orthodox church there. And you go into these places and there's all this Baroque artwork all over the place and you kind of, you can't help but be kind of moved by it in some way. But it doesn't, I'm not a church goer.
Q: You don't meditate or anything like that?
Daniel: Um...I like to try and get sleep. (Laughter) I'm not opposed to any of that sort of stuff. It's all, you know, it's all quite good stuff to think about and do.
Q: So you've played Bond, an iconic character. These films take off Lord Asriel I expect as well. So when you're walking down a street and a kid sees you who would you rather have them see, Daniel Craig Bond or Daniel Craig Lord Asriel?
Daniel: Daniel Craig would be all right. But either one it doesn't matter. That's fine. I'm chill with that.
Q: Is this kind of attention relentless it must've been a tidal wave after Bond. Did it just change everything?
Daniel: Well, strangely, I mean, in a way but I've very much tried to like kind of retreat back a bit and not, I don't go to public events. I try to purposely, because I don't, I don't sort of need to go and get that hassle. It just depends, I mean, sometimes it's really easy and sometimes it gets a bit tricky. And when it gets a bit tricky I kind of have to duck away, that's all.
Q: Shopping's a problem then, is it?
Daniel: I don't have to do it anymore. (Laughter)
Q: And have you gotten into training for this?
Daniel: I have, no, I've been trying to keep fit but I've started, yeah.
Q: For like weapons training?
Daniel: Oh I did all that. I've done all that. Was doing that two days ago, right here at the hotel. (Inaudible)
Q: Anything exploded?
Daniel: No, no. when you're firing you're firing weapons. They blow things up.
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