New Bond "Suspended"; MGM Woes to Blame

[AndyDursin]

Going to be a while before 007 swings back into action...as much as I'm indifferent after the putrid QUANTUM OF SOLACE (and honestly I wouldn't even care if they found another 007 in the meantime; this delay could spell the end of Craig anyway), I'm more irritated this means we'll have to wait even longer to get the remaining vintage Bonds on Blu Ray

...So today's announcement comes via the PR newswire, untypical for EON Productions which always operates with the maximum amount of secrecy. Some showbiz news outlets are mistakenly claiming the next Bond movie, #23, is cancelled. Nope. You can see it's only been postponed. This is the same pic on which Sam Mendes has been consulting and ultimately was expected to direct.

So what's really going on? Well, given that MGM is teetering on the brink of bankruptcy, and EON may have the right to take Bond elsewhere, it stands to reason that the producers wouldn't want to do anything now that further complicates ownership of Bond #23 or binds them to MGM during this precarious period for once the storied studio now in its swan song.

As you know, the James Bond filmmaker operates with great autonomy. And producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson were in pre-production on Bond #23 for release in 2011. broccoli 2(The story begins after Quantum Of Solace's and again stars Daniel Craig.) But those two have been watching the MGM auction proceed with a mixture of dismay and curiosity. Dismay because Bond's longtime home is a mess. And curiosity because Broccoli and Wilson would love to move Bond to a fully functioning studio. Like Sony, where Amy Pascal is dying to keep the famous franchise. Or Fox, which handles Bond's DVD distribution. Or maybe Warner Bros.

Broccoli and Wilson very deliberately have made certain they don't do anything on Bond #23 which ties the movie further to MGM. (That's why Mendes was hired as a consulting, not the director. Because once EON hires a director on their Bond films, it triggers a first payment from MGM.) We believe today's announcement is about that as well. With the MGM auction apparently busted, even though no official announcement has been made yet, EON Productions wants to keep all its options open. Here's the news release:

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LONDON, April 19, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- 007 producers, Michael G Wilson and Barbara Broccoli of EON Productions, today announced they have suspended development on the next James Bond film previously scheduled for release 2011/2012.

"Due to the continuing uncertainty surrounding the future of MGM and the failure to close a sale of the studio, we have suspended development on BOND 23 indefinitely. We do not know when development will resume and do not have a date for the release of BOND 23," stated Michael G Wilson and Barbara Broccoli jointly.

EON Productions have produced twenty two James Bond films since 1962. In 1995, Michael G Wilson and Barbara Broccoli took over the 007 franchise from Albert R 'Cubby' Broccoli and are responsible for producing some of the most successful James Bond films ever, including CASINO ROYALE and more recently QUANTUM OF SOLACE. The James Bond franchise is the longest running in film history. EON Productions and Danjaq LLC are affiliate companies and control all worldwide merchandising for James Bond.

http://www.deadline.com/2010/04/mgm-woe ... efinitely/

[Monterey Jack]

Man, if they miss releasing a new film in 2012 to tie into the fiftieth anniversary of the franchise...

[AndyDursin]

Man, if they miss releasing a new film in 2012 to tie into the fiftieth anniversary of the franchise...

I don't think it's going to happen MJ, not unless they work something out fast. I do wonder if the creative disappointment that was QUANTUM OF SOLACE doesn't have something to do with this also -- not to mention that Craig himself played a hand in the direction of the series with that lousy sequel.

What's also interesting here in particular is that Eon is essentially playing hardball. MGM can't force Eon, I'm guessing, but I'm also assuming Eon really can't force MGM to just "let them go" to another studio.

Bond will be back, but you wonder if this won't mean the end of Daniel Craig's tenure by the time they go to make it. Not that it's the end of the world there, since they're used to finding new 007's.

For me that'd be no great loss. CASINO ROYALE wasn't just solid it was also supposed to be the "renegade Bond prequel", but then they just retained Bond being this cold, emotionless thug in QUANTUM OF SOLACE, from what I read under Craig's suggestions. I didn't understand the whole concept of the latter after it seemed Bond got where he "needed to be" by the end of CASINO. So pressing reset with a new Bond in a story structure more similar to the franchise's past as opposed to another BOURNE IDENTITY rip-off would be superior IMO, and the timing might work out in their favor there.

And as I've said before, SAM MENDES is not the right guy to guide the Bond franchise. You're never going to get a free-wheeling Bond movie under his guidance, that's for sure. He seems to be another choice (apparently Craig's) that's just totally ill-conceived for the material.

[AndyDursin]

Just for the heck of it, lol, here are my five "off the top of my head" ideas to improve James Bond --

1). Sam Raimi. The guy knows action, he'd be perfect at adding humor and incorporating a few gadgets back into the mix. This series needs a dose of FUN after two basically cold, detached BOURNE imitations. Bring back larger than life bad guys like SPECTRE and memorable supporting characters.

2). Hugh Jackman. Bond needs to go back to someone who can charm the ladies, show a twinkle in the eye, etc. in addition to just beating up bad guys. Jackman has those elements and could charm the ladies instead of merely beating them up.

3). This would be controversial, but at this point I'd almost make it a period film. They're too POLITICALLY CORRECT to use "real world" villains like Islamic extremists -- so every recent movie is a Caucasian/Euro bad guy perpetrating some villainy on the world. For me, if you're not going to keep it current to some degree (and given Craig's political leanings, the PC aspect would only continue if it goes forward you would imagine), then it becomes pointless.

4). Shirley Bassey can still belt them out. David Arnold's working with her -- get her to do a theme song.

5) Remember your roots. This series has turned its back on the very aspects viewers loved about this franchise, particularly after QUANTUM OF SOLACE (now my pick for Worst Bond of all-time). The tide is going to turn away from the brooding, humorless genre movies we're getting now, so be ahead of the curve and go back to the mix that made classics like GOLDFINGER so captivating.

[Paul MacLean]

Andy, at the risk of stealing Eric's line, "Couldn't agree more!"

Raimi has a proven knack for blending adrenal action with humor and genuinely touching romance (they sure could have used him on the recent Batman movies!).

I totally agree about High Jackman. There isn't a better choice to play Bond these days. He's tough, but suave -- and FUNNY. (I'd like to think maybe some of that rubbed off on Daniel Craig when they were on stage together last year.)

A period piece actually would make the most sense. As M put it in Goldeneye, Bond is "a relic of the Cold War". Lets put him back in the 50s or 60s where he belongs!

Yes, Quantum of Solace is my pick for worst 007 picture to date (officially dethroning Goldeneye). Awesome teaser, but I couldn't follow the ensuing the story. In the 60s, Bond was the trend-setter, and everything else -- the Flint and Matt Helm movies, shows like The Man From UNCLE, The Persuaders, etc. were all imitating Bond. Today Bond is imitating everything else.

[Eric Paddon]

I'd give another reboot a shot if they indeed (1) stopped being PC and started being relevant because I too am tired of white Euro villains in the present age when they have no relevance to the real world at all and (2) GET RID OF JUDI DENCH!!! I'm sorry but this was the one thing that infuriated me when I read that a reboot was going to retain this intrusion from another Bond universe that was okay in the context of a long-running Bond universe but which makes no sense in a reset universe. Give us M the way M is supposed to be in the tradition of Bernard Lee. (3) Give us Moneypenny and Q. Bond movies always seemed incomplete without one scene with them (4) Try to be fun.

[AndyDursin]

I'd give another reboot a shot if they indeed (1) stopped being PC and started being relevant because I too am tired of white Euro villains in the present age when they have no relevance to the real world at all and (2) GET RID OF JUDI DENCH!!! I'm sorry but this was the one thing that infuriated me when I read that a reboot was going to retain this intrusion from another Bond universe that was okay in the context of a long-running Bond universe but which makes no sense in a reset universe. Give us M the way M is supposed to be in the tradition of Bernard Lee. (3) Give us Moneypenny and Q. Bond movies always seemed incomplete without one scene with them (4) Try to be fun.

I think Dench is a great actress but the way she's been written in these movies -- as this sort of surrogate mother to Bond, babysitting him and telling him he's a "mysogonist dinosaur" or what not -- became grating to me in GOLDENEYE and has never changed. And the one time they tried to involve her in the plot (THE WORLD IS NOT ENOUGH) they completely botched it.

The political correctness thing -- it's everywhere. Just look at 24 -- you can't have actual terrorists be the real bad guys, it's the RUSSIAN GOVERNMENT behind the conspiracy. Just like last year when it was Jon Voight and Washington insiders behind it all. And just like...you get my drift.

I agree on Q and Moneypenny. The try to be fun angle -- amen to that.

[Eric Paddon]

Thank goodness my anger over the PCing in "Sum Of All Fears" has immunized me from wanting to experience more of the same!

[AndyDursin]

Thank goodness my anger over the PCing in "Sum Of All Fears" has immunized me from wanting to experience more of the same!

They did a disservice to all of those Tom Clancy films, HUNT FOR RED OCTOBER excepted. Wasn't CLEAR AND PRESENT DANGER heavily "PC'd" as well?

[Eric Paddon]

I believe so. "Patriot Games" wasn't too bad since I can understand why they dispensed with the novel's gimmick of Ryan saving the lives of Chuck and Di (as the marriage was sliding to splitsville by then), but they did PC it to a degree with Richard Harris as the "good" IRA guy being allowed to make speeches.

Red October came off best and its the only thing with Baldwin I'll ever watch.