2010 Dec 03

Kate Winslet to move to London with estranged husband Sam Mendes as he shoots new Bond movie

The new James Bond movie will be a family affair for Kate Winslet and Sam Mendes.

The Oscar-winning film-maker is expected to direct Daniel Craig in the latest 007 adventure some time towards the end of next year, with the production likely to be based, as usual, at Pinewood film studios.

Kate revealed that their son Joe, seven, and Kate’s daughter Mia, ten, will move to the UK with her for the period of filming.

“Sam is doing the next Bond film, all being well, and we’ll all be in England if that happens. It’s such a massive commitment for him and it’s not fair for him to commute backwards and ­forwards to New York from ­London. It would be impossible. The children will be there with me,” Kate told me exclusively.

Kate and Sam separated last year but have remained on as friendly terms as possible, primarily because of the children — and because they still like each other, despite the split.

I asked Kate if there was a small role for her in the Bond picture, perhaps as a Bond girl? She laughed and shook her head and said: “No!”

However, she did not rule out the possibility of working with Sam again. “I can see us working together again — that’s the way it is.

“We’re really good friends and have very good respect for each other. I can see it, but you’d have to ask Sam what he thinks,” Kate told me.

Sam and Bond producer Barbara Broccoli have already had many meetings over casting, and Ms. Broccoli has visited the play Deathtrap twice to see Simon Russell Beale perform.

The leading actor is an old friend of Sam’s and they’re keen to work together again.

But before filming Bond, Sam will direct Kevin Spacey in Richard III at the Old Vic in June, as part of what’s called the Bridge Project.

It will be the final production of the theatrical partnership between the Old Vic, Neal Street Productions and the Brooklyn Academy of Music.

Kate has one more day of shooting in Chicago on Steven Soderbergh’s film Contagion, where she is part of a team trying to control a virus outbreak.

The film is a thriller with an ensemble cast that includes Matt Damon, Laurence Fishburne, Jude Law and Marion Cotillard.

Kate has done just nine days of filming on Contagion, spread over several weeks.

However, she laughed at erroneous reports suggesting she was packing up and moving to Chicago for good.

She and her two children are moving to France for nine weeks in the New Year, to film Roman Polanski’s screen version of Yasmina Reza’s play God Of Carnage.

The movie will be set in America — but shot in France — with Kate as an upper-middle-class executive married to a lawyer (played by Christoph Waltz).

The pair clash with another couple (Jodie Foster and John C. Reilly) over a playground incident involving their children.

In March, HBO will begin showing the five-part drama Mildred Pierce, in which Kate has the title role. Sky will broadcast it in the UK in June.

The mini-series is based on the James M. Cain Depression-era novel and directed by Todd Haynes.

Kate said everything was shot earlier in the year, but she has a small amount of post-­production voice work still to complete.

4 Comments on “Kate Winslet to move to London with estranged husband Sam Mendes as he shoots new Bond movie”

  1. Kate putting her kids first as always, isnt she brilliant. From a bicest point of veiw it will be wonderful to have you back home in the UK, Love You Kate!!!

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