Connery: Memoirs Are Forever
From Sean Connery with love comes a memoir that will leave fans of the legendary actor shaken and stirred.
The original James Bond plans to unveil his long-awaited memoirs Aug. 25the day of his 78th birthdaywhich also conveniently happens to be the final day of the Edinburgh International Book Festival in his native Scotland.
Connery, who was born in Edinburgh and once worked as a milkman and a model there before becoming a movie star, will be on hand for the launch of Being a Scot, a chronicle of his life before, during and after 007 in a film career that spanned more than 50 years.
The Oscar-winning thesp cowrote the autobiography with a little help from Scottish writer and filmmaker Murray Grigor. The title is also a nod to his deep devotion to supporting his country’s independence movement.
“In this special year, it was obviously essential to bring Sir Sean back to the city of his birth, on the day of his birthday, for a world-exclusive launch of his first book,” said festival director Catherine Lockerbie.
The Book Fair kicks off Aug. 9 and is considered one of the publishing world’s biggest events. More than 800 authors will participate in 750 events, among them Salman Rushdie and Margaret Atwood.
But having Connery on hand is extra special because it’s also the centennial of James Bond creator Ian Fleming’s birth. A new adventure featuring the superspy, entitled Devil May Care and penned by Sebastian Faulks, just hit book stores last month to commemorate the occasion.
The Untouchables star quietly retired from the big screen after 2003’s box office dud The League of Extraordinary Gentleman. Connery subsequently turned down an offer by director Steven Spielberg to reprise his role as Indy’s father in a cameo in Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, saying he found retirement “just too damned much fun.”
Scarlett Johansson: Long Live the Queen
Scarlett Johansson: Long Live the Queen
Every girl wants to be queen. And 22-year-old actress Scarlett Johansson actually gets to. The Lost in Translation hottie will be playing Mary, the Queen of Scots in an upcoming film epic.
The deal was announced last week at the Cannes Film Festival. Directed by James Curran and written by Jimmy McGovern, the film will see Mary “battle political enemies, scheming allies, and affairs of the heart in her quest to reunite the warring tribes of her native Scotland.”
Mary was a very interesting queen, after all. She was a monarch at age 2, married at age 15 and widowed two years later. She was beheaded at age 44 after years in prison. Sounds like Scarlett has her work cut out for her.
There’s one thing you won’t see Johansson do in the new film… nude scenes. The actress has insisted on a “no nude scene” clause in all of her films. According to one source, “Scarlett is still very young and is aware the roles she takes are going to set out where her career as an actress takes her in the future. She doesn’t want to fall into being too controversial or too trashy so nude scenes are out for now.”
As production starts on the film, we’ll have more details and pictures for you.