Press Conference with Barbara Broccoli, Michael G Wilson, Neal Purvis, Robert Wade and Sam Mendes winners of the British Film category for Skyfall at the EE Britsh Academy Film Awards in 2013.
Q. Please welcome the winners of the outstanding British film for Skyfall: Barbara Broccoli, Michael G Wilson, Neal Purvis and Robert Wade, here eventually, and Sam Mendes. Congratulations.
BARBARA BROCCOLI: Thank you.
Q. That's £100 million in the UK, $1 billion at the global box office, which is a first for Bond, and now a Bafta. How do you feel Michael?
MICHAEL G WILSON: Fantastic. This is a great honour from all the members of Bafta and, you know, it's the first time Bond has been recognised in that way. It is a great honour. But we had a great picture and thanks to these guys and Sam and John.
BARBARA BROCCOLI: And Daniel.
MICHAEL G WILSON: And Javier. When you look at the group it's just --
ROBERT WADE: And you guys as well.
Q. You've all got one each, which is good. So you've got two. I just looked it up, this is the first Bafta for Bond since 1963 for From Russia With Love, when it won best British cinematography. So you must be pretty pleased that at long last Bond has been recognised.
MICHAEL G WILSON: Let's see what happens. We've got seven more nominations.
Q. Let's take questions from you guys.?
PRESS: Sam do you want to come to the microphone please. In your acceptance speech you spoke about Daniel Craig's bloodymindedness. Can you talk a little bit more about what that involves or what he's like when he's playing Bond?
SAM MENDES: He's just determined to do it all for real. That's what I mean by bloodyminded. The sort of tenacity and bravery of him and the fact that when you've got someone playing Bond who wants to do that and gets up in front of a crew of 250 people and does it, everyone else follows. He sets a great example and you can see it on the screen, you can feel that he's really there in real places and there's something -- it's costing him something.
So I think that that's a very important part and was from day one a very important part of the success of the film.
PRESS: Hi Sam.
SAM MENDES: Hello.
PRESS: Daniel Craig didn't get nominated. An oversight?
A. Well I think it's the curse of Bond a little bit because I think it's an incredible performance and I said in my speech that we built the whole movie around him and without him it simply wouldn't have worked but I think sometimes because Bond is the spine of the movie and you always know he's going to be there you sort of take it for granted somewhat and maybe -- I wish he had been acknowledged.
PRESS: Inaudible.
A. So there you go.
BARBARA BROCCOLI: This is for him.
PRESS: Sam is it true Daniel first raised the suggestion of this to you at a party after he had a couple of drinks?
A. Yes, that's exactly accurate. I have nothing to add. Except that he was sober the next morning and then realised it wasn't his job to offer so then he called Michael and Barbara.
Q. Barbara and Michael when did you first have the possibility of Sam raised to you?
MICHAEL G WILSON: I didn't know until after he was there.
Q. Fair enough.
PRESS: It seemed like Bond turned a corner after Quantum of Solace and Skyfall. Sam are they going to let you do another one?
SAM MENDES: Are they going to let me out there again?
MICHAEL G WILSON: They're not going to let him go.
SAM MENDES: I've had a great time and this has been a huge learning curve for me as well and I think that we all want to make a movie -- we want to believe we can make a better movie next time around and if we feel that's possible then they will let me have a go again.
FEMALE SPEAKER: No pressure.
PRESS: Will you do another one?
SAM MENDES: I would certainly consider it, I've said it all along, absolutely, but it's all about story with me and if I feel I'm the only person who can tell the story or I'm the best person who can tell the story then I'll do it.
PRESS: Barbara and Michael have you started thinking about the next one?
MICHAEL G WILSON: We're always thinking about it.
SAM MENDES: This is their burden. They can't stop thinking about it, they're not allowed it.
Q. Any more questions. Yes please.
PRESS: Now that we've got Sam back in theatre, can you tell us a little bit about Charlie and the Chocolate Factory?
SAM MENDES: Oh no, let's not talk about my next project. I think we should just be talking about the movie. I don't want to turn it into a personal press conference. I know I know, another time.
Q. A very quick last one from this gentleman up here. There we go.
PRESS: Neal and Robert, you won't be working with us for the next film, is that right?
ROBERT WADE: No.
PRESS: Have you given in any tips to John for what's coming up next?
ROBERT WADE: Get it out now! Don't let it do to you what it did to us.
Q. On that bombshell, thank you Michael G Wilson, Sam Mendes, Barbara Broccoli, Neal Purvis and Robert Wade, thank you very much.
Download this transcript
EE British Academy Film Awards in 2013 - Winners Press Conference: British Film
