In Memoriam of British director Michael Apted (1941-2021)

By: FSWL team

Published:
2021-01-08

FSWL is very sad to have to report the death of yet another Bond alumnus, The World Is Not Enough (1999) director Michael Apted, a month short of his 80th birthday. Our thoughts now go to Michael's family and friends.

James Bond producers Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli confirmed the sad news:

“It is with very heavy hearts that we share the news of the passing of Michael Apted. He was a director of enormous talent and range and unique in his ability to move effortlessly and successfully between all genres. He was beloved by all those who worked with him. We loved working with him on The World Is Not Enough and send our love and support to his family, friends and colleagues.”

Screenwriter Bruce Feirstein shared a personal comment for From Sweden with Love's readers:

“Michael Apted was more than just a colleague. He was a friend. Long before I was blessed with the opportunity to work with him on Bond - and to get the chance to learn from him in the process - I'd been hugely influenced by his films and his work. It was a joy and an honor to spend time with him, and a great loss to all of us in the industry.”

Screenwriters Neal Purvis & Robert Wade also shared a personal comment for From Sweden with Love's readers:

“Getting to work with Michael was quite overawing at first, as fans of some of his less well-known films - The Squeeze and Stardust - but he was courteous, unflappable, and slightly amused by the scale of the whole machine, and made it all a pleasure. A true gentleman, and a very sad loss.”

Fellow James Bond director, John Glen, also shared his thoughts on Michael's passing:

“I was sorry to hear of the unexpected passing of Michael Apted, a contemporary of mine who I introduced to the press when he directed his first Bond. He had a distinguished career and also did splendid work with the Directors Guild of America. My condolences to his family.”

The film's composer, David Arnold, tweeted: “I was lucky enough to go to the rodeo with Michael on 4 films, including Bond and Narnia. A more trusting, funny, friendly and, most importantly, kind person you’d never meet. So pleased to have known him and so sad that he’s gone.”

Garbage, who sang the title song, wrote: “Rest in peace Michael Apted. You delightful, charming soul. Thank you for sprinkling us with some of your stardust.”

Pierce Brosnan Michael Apted The World Is Not Enough

Pierce Brosnan Michael Apted The World Is Not Enough

Pierce Brosnan and Michael Apted at Pinewood Studios during the filming of The World Is Not Enough. Photo by Keith Hamshere. Copyright © 1999 Danjaq LLC. & Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM). All rights reserved.

Michael Apted obituary by FSWL contributor Mark Cerulli:

The grim drumbeat of Bond alumni deaths continues in this new year with the passing of noted British director, Michael Apted at age 79. He had a long and distinguished career on both sides of the Atlantic, helming over 40 films including Coal Miner’s Daughter, Gorillas in the Mist, Gorky Park (partly filmed on location in Stockholm), Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader and, of course, the 1999 James Bond feature, The World Is Not Enough starring Pierce Brosnan, Denise Richards and Robert Carlyle.

Apted also thrived in the documentary world, working on films like Bring On The Night (about Sting’s first solo album), Moving the Mountain (about Tiananmen Square) and The FIFA 2006 World Cup Film: Grand Finale on the historic German tournament (narrated by Pierce Brosnan) as well as the innovative UP series which chronicled the lives of some British kids, revisiting them every 7 years. On TV he directed numerous episodes of popular series like Coronation Street, Ray Donovan and Masters of Sex.

For his Bond film, Apted was reportedly hired over other directors like Peter Jackson for his proven ability to coax strong female performances. After a six month shoot in locations like Spain, France, Scotland, Turkey and the UK, TWINE became a solid hit, grossing over $360 million worldwide.

At FSWL, our thoughts are with Mr. Apted’s family and his work will live on with Bond and Cinema fans everywhere.

Sophie Marceau Pierce Brosnan Michael Apted The World Is Not Enough

Sophie Marceau Pierce Brosnan Michael Apted The World Is Not Enough

Sophie Marceau, Pierce Brosnan and Michael Apted in Spain during production of The World Is Not Enough. Photo by Keith Hamshere. Copyright © 1999 Danjaq LLC. & Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM). All rights reserved.

Articles in the press about Michael Apted's passing:

>IndieWire (8-1-2021)
>Hollywood Reporter (8-1-2021)
>The Guardian (8-1-2021)
>Variety (8-1-2021)

For more information about Michael Apted's career, check out his IMDB page.

Tags:

#in_memoriam

#james_bond_directors

#john_glen

#mark_cerulli

#news

#the_world_is_not_enough

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In Memoriam of British director Michael Apted (1941-2021)

Michael Apted obituary by FSWL contributor Mark Cerulli:

Articles in the press about Michael Apted's passing:

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