Halle Berry revelled playing a female equivalent to 007 as Jinx in "Die Another Day", and her return is already being planned... Update: Release date for "Jinx" movie and other details rumoured...

Jinx Another Day?
4th June 2003

Update: Yahoo Movies have rumoured the release date of the "Jinx" spin-off to be around summer 2005 (when taking into account Halle Berry's current schedule). E! Entertainment claimed recently that a first draft script had been completed by "Die Another Day" and "The World Is Not Enough" writers Neal Purvis and Robert Wade, and that Berry would start shooting in mid-2004 after Catwoman has wrapped. Earlier in the year Bond producer Michael G. Wilson said "MGM and ourselves and Halle thought it might be a good idea to make a Jinx film, so we`re just kicking around some ideas with the writers, to see if we can do something with that".

Production Company: Eon Productions
Producers: Michael G. Wilson, Barbara Broccoli
Writers: Neal Purvis & Robert Wade
Likely Cast: Halle Berry (Giacinta Johnson), Michael Madsen (Damian Falco, Chief NSA)
Estimated Budget: $60 - $90m
Script State: First draft completed (E! Entertainment)
Rumoured Release Date: Summer 2005 (Yahoo Movies)

12th November 2002

Perfectly timed to coincide with the invitational charity premier held in Los Angeles, rumours are churning out of the Bond movie machine that Halle Berry's Jinx could be moving on to bigger things.

The Oscar winning actress, who received her award midway through shooting "Die Another Day", plays Jinx - another attempt to create a female version of 007. It was a badly kept secret that during pre-production, Michelle Yeoh was to reprise her role of Wai Lin in the film, before having to pull out. This caused a vacuum for an ally, and the NSA agent character was created for Berry. Wai Lin didn't quite live up to expectation in "Tomorrow Never Dies", but this time around the producers seem to feel they have pulled it off. So much so that Bond producers Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli are have serious discussions about creating a spin-off franchise centred around the Jinx.

Broccoli told Zap2It: “There are talks about it, we are considering it, adding that it’s about time for a strong female action star." Michael G. Wilson added: “She is fantastic in the role, we loved working with her, we’d love to do it more”

Berry has been receiving rave reviews for her new Bond girl in the US, although several UK critics have been less than impressed. Cynics may be forgiven for theorising that this idea actually orginates from the struggling movie house MGM rather than the Bond producers. 007 is the lion's only major franchise and has repeatedly bailed the flagging company out of the red, and with Berry's popularity in the US, a spin-off franchise would be an almost guaranteed cash cow. What does the potential star of this new series think of it all? "If they ask me and play Jinx and continue on with this character, I really love her and all that she embodies, I would do it in a heartbeat,” says Halle - who now has a busier than ever movie schedule following her Oscar.

When Zap2It pressed her on the potential franchise, it seems she has had time to think it over: “It would be a huge deal to start a franchise with Jinx. To be part of the evolution of a female action hero that would never have happened 10 years ago would be very exciting.”

"Die Another Day" director Lee Tamahori can't speak highly enough of the new female James Bond he believes Jinx embodies: “I could write and make the movie tomorrow for her. She’s an American version of Bond. They’ll meet again, or she’ll have her own movie.”

Related Articles:
Latest On Bond 21 Start Date & Jinx Movie Status (May 2003)