Bond 25 News Roundup: Stories and More Distributers
Feb 25, 2017 10:14:51 GMT
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Post by doctorvanya on Feb 25, 2017 10:14:51 GMT
Still no major announcements but production seems to be moving ahead with writers, locations and maybe a lead.
1. The Helicopter (10/02/17)
The report states that the the producers have purchased a UH-1D helicopter for use in Bond 25 although it's function within the film still remains a mystery.
UPDATE: MI6-HQ has now reported that the helicopter is not for Bond 25 but an unrelated historical war drama that EON are co-producing.
2. Croatia (22/02/17)
They Mayor of Dubrovnik, Croatia has less confirmed that they are in negotiations to shoot there. It looks like a beautiful city and I can definitely see Bond there.
The article also states that they're looking to begin filming by the end of the year so hopefully we will be getting a 2018 release.
3. Craig's Return? (24/02/17)
In a recent interview Naomie Harris said that she thinks there's a 'good chance' that Craig will return and that everyone involved with the production wants him back as well. While not an official conformation it shows the producers are still committed to Daniel's Bond and the ultimate decision rests with him.
4. The Writers (10/03/17)
The latest reports claim that John Logan has been working on the script for Bond 25 but Purvis and Wade have been brought back for some rewrites, as they did with SPECTRE. The story originated with the Daily Mail so make of it what you will.
5. Boxing Champ Wants to be Bond Villain (13/03/17)
Admittedly not really 'news' but boxing champion Tony 'Bomber' Bellew has publicly expressed an interest in moving into acting and playing a Bond villain. I have no idea what his acting is like (although he did have a supporting role in Creed) as a boxer surely he's tough enough?
6. Jack Huston: Latest Rumoured James Bond (13/03/17)
Rising star Jack Huston is reportedly on the producer's radar as a potential replacement for Craig.
I've not seen enough of him to judge his ability as an actor as a 6', dark haired handsome British man he at least hits the basic criteria for Bond.
7. Cyprus locations scouted (01/04/17)
A report from In Cyprus claims that a team from EON Productions, including Purvis and Wade, have been scouting locations in Cyprus. Places of interest include the buffer zone, Cape Greco, the ghost town of Varosha and new Eleftheria Square although permission may prove problematic with some of these locations. However the article also states that they are scouting locations around the world and Cyprus is one one potential setting they're interested in.
8. Craig ready to sign on for one last Bond? (03/04/17)
A story originating with Page Six suggests that the producers have finally managed to convince Craig to sign on for one last Bond
This comes from the old unnamed source so take it with a grain of salt. However the production is at the stage where he needs to make a formal decision one way or the other so the timing does fit. Consider me optimistic.
9. Felix Leiter will return? (09/04/17)
Not a 'story' in the traditional sense but Jeffrey Wright recently Tweeted a picture of himself as Felix leading some to speculate that he's going to be reprising his role. The Tweet may or may not mean anything but I'd certainly love to see Wright back as Bond's CIA counterpart. If he were to return then this would set a record for most times Felix has been portrayed by an actor.
10. Another Writers Strike? (10/04/17)
This one's not specifically Bond related although it would affect the production. Talks between the WGA and major studios have hit problems leading to fears of another strike. This should be cause for concern as the strike of '07 had an adverse effect on Quantum of Solace and I'd hate for those issues to be repeated.
11. Bond Franchise Rights Up For Grabs (20/04/17)
With the Sony deal come to and end five major studios; Sony, Warner Bros., Universal, 20th Century Fox, and Annapurna Pictures, are all in contention to pick up the distribution rights to Bond. It's mostly the usual suspects although I'll a little surprised Disney hasn't made a bid (maybe owning Pixar, Marvel and Star Wars turned out to be enough after all). Annapurna is certainly the outsider but perhaps the producers would rather side with a smaller company rather than one of the giants?
12. Paul McGuigan to direct? (01/05/17)
Paul McGuigan has recently completed Film Stars Don't Die in Liverpool with Barbara Broccoli and now reports suggest that he's being eyed to direct Bond 25. McGuigan's credits include Lucky Number Slevin, Gangster No.1 as well as episodes of Sherlock and I've long felt he'd would be good choice for a Bond film.
13. Craig Ready to Resign? Also Adele? (09/07/17)
The Mirror is reporting that Daniel Craig is ready to resign as Bond and that the producers are also determined to bring Adele back for theme song.
I know this is the second article I've put up about Craig resigning and the Mirror isn't exactly the most reliable source but it's been pretty quit on the news front lately so I'm just happy to see something. The Adele news seems a little odd considering she's just cancelled tour dates due to vocal cord damage although I'm not sure what her long term condition is.
14. Release Date Set, No Word On Craig (24/07/17)
Bond 25 will be released on November 1st (Europe) and November 8th (US). Beyond that details are scare with the producers telling us:
“details regarding distribution, including international release dates, the film’s cast and director, will be announced at a later date.”
Still no official word on Craig but it seems the production is going ahead regardless.
15. Director Shortlist (26/07/17)
The candidates are: Denis Villeneuve
Yann Demange
and David Mackenzie
Of the three I'm most familiar with Villeneuve's work and he's actually someone I suggested myself a while back. However given his schedule (he has Dune in the works) he also seems the least likely. The other two both seem to have a decent background in dramas and thrillers and I'm sure either of them would be up to the task of directing the next 007.
Update 09/09/17
16. Story Details Leaked? (05/09/17)
Not the greatest pitch in my opinion but could be still workable in the right hands. The report also compares the story to Taken and while I loved that film i don't think it's the best influence for Bond. Taken was a pretty basic action film in terms of story, it was Liam Neeson's performance more than anything that made the film stand out.
17. Apple and Amazon Enter Distribution Race (06/09/17)
As Bond has yet to secure a distributor Apple and Amazon have thrown their hats into the ring to take control of Bond.
And to be honest this one has me concerned. I find the comparisons to Marvel or Star Wars to be ludicrous; Marvel had a whole slate of characters who existed in interconnected continuity for decades while Star Wars has a literal universe and a story that spans generations. Whether books or films Bond has been about the exploits of one man and almost by design doesn’t have other viable lead characters. A Bond cinematic universe also doesn’t promise much diversity of genre. The MCU has spanned; high-tech action, monsters, fantasy, period war, alien invasion, conspiracy thriller, space opera, heist, psychedelia and high school comedy. In comparison what would a BCU be other than various flavours of spy/action films?
What people seem to forget is that there have been more failed attempts to start cinematic universes than successful ones and of the the reasons for this failure is that the concepts simply don’t support a cinematic universe (and good old fashioned bad management). And right now I’d say there’s only one truly successful cinematic universe: Marvel. Even Star Wars seems to be struggling thanks to behind the scenes turmoil.
In the end a Bond cinematic universe doesn’t sound like developing an underutilised property, it sounds more like strip mining that will leave the land barren for generations to come. Here's hoping this one doesn't come to pass.
1. The Helicopter (10/02/17)
The report states that the the producers have purchased a UH-1D helicopter for use in Bond 25 although it's function within the film still remains a mystery.
UPDATE: MI6-HQ has now reported that the helicopter is not for Bond 25 but an unrelated historical war drama that EON are co-producing.
2. Croatia (22/02/17)
They Mayor of Dubrovnik, Croatia has less confirmed that they are in negotiations to shoot there. It looks like a beautiful city and I can definitely see Bond there.
The article also states that they're looking to begin filming by the end of the year so hopefully we will be getting a 2018 release.
3. Craig's Return? (24/02/17)
In a recent interview Naomie Harris said that she thinks there's a 'good chance' that Craig will return and that everyone involved with the production wants him back as well. While not an official conformation it shows the producers are still committed to Daniel's Bond and the ultimate decision rests with him.
4. The Writers (10/03/17)
The latest reports claim that John Logan has been working on the script for Bond 25 but Purvis and Wade have been brought back for some rewrites, as they did with SPECTRE. The story originated with the Daily Mail so make of it what you will.
5. Boxing Champ Wants to be Bond Villain (13/03/17)
Admittedly not really 'news' but boxing champion Tony 'Bomber' Bellew has publicly expressed an interest in moving into acting and playing a Bond villain. I have no idea what his acting is like (although he did have a supporting role in Creed) as a boxer surely he's tough enough?
6. Jack Huston: Latest Rumoured James Bond (13/03/17)
Rising star Jack Huston is reportedly on the producer's radar as a potential replacement for Craig.
I've not seen enough of him to judge his ability as an actor as a 6', dark haired handsome British man he at least hits the basic criteria for Bond.
7. Cyprus locations scouted (01/04/17)
A report from In Cyprus claims that a team from EON Productions, including Purvis and Wade, have been scouting locations in Cyprus. Places of interest include the buffer zone, Cape Greco, the ghost town of Varosha and new Eleftheria Square although permission may prove problematic with some of these locations. However the article also states that they are scouting locations around the world and Cyprus is one one potential setting they're interested in.
8. Craig ready to sign on for one last Bond? (03/04/17)
A story originating with Page Six suggests that the producers have finally managed to convince Craig to sign on for one last Bond
A Hollywood source said, “Daniel was very pleased with how ‘Othello’ went and the great reviews. Now Daniel’s talks with Barbara are going in the right direction. They have a script — screenwriting duo Neal Purvis and Robert Wade [who’ve penned several Bond movies] are writing and they’ll go into production as soon as Daniel is ready to commit.”
The source added, “Plus, Barbara Broccoli doesn’t like Tom Hiddleston, he’s a bit too smug and not tough enough to play James Bond.”
The source added, “Plus, Barbara Broccoli doesn’t like Tom Hiddleston, he’s a bit too smug and not tough enough to play James Bond.”
9. Felix Leiter will return? (09/04/17)
Not a 'story' in the traditional sense but Jeffrey Wright recently Tweeted a picture of himself as Felix leading some to speculate that he's going to be reprising his role. The Tweet may or may not mean anything but I'd certainly love to see Wright back as Bond's CIA counterpart. If he were to return then this would set a record for most times Felix has been portrayed by an actor.
10. Another Writers Strike? (10/04/17)
This one's not specifically Bond related although it would affect the production. Talks between the WGA and major studios have hit problems leading to fears of another strike. This should be cause for concern as the strike of '07 had an adverse effect on Quantum of Solace and I'd hate for those issues to be repeated.
11. Bond Franchise Rights Up For Grabs (20/04/17)
With the Sony deal come to and end five major studios; Sony, Warner Bros., Universal, 20th Century Fox, and Annapurna Pictures, are all in contention to pick up the distribution rights to Bond. It's mostly the usual suspects although I'll a little surprised Disney hasn't made a bid (maybe owning Pixar, Marvel and Star Wars turned out to be enough after all). Annapurna is certainly the outsider but perhaps the producers would rather side with a smaller company rather than one of the giants?
12. Paul McGuigan to direct? (01/05/17)
Paul McGuigan has recently completed Film Stars Don't Die in Liverpool with Barbara Broccoli and now reports suggest that he's being eyed to direct Bond 25. McGuigan's credits include Lucky Number Slevin, Gangster No.1 as well as episodes of Sherlock and I've long felt he'd would be good choice for a Bond film.
13. Craig Ready to Resign? Also Adele? (09/07/17)
The Mirror is reporting that Daniel Craig is ready to resign as Bond and that the producers are also determined to bring Adele back for theme song.
I know this is the second article I've put up about Craig resigning and the Mirror isn't exactly the most reliable source but it's been pretty quit on the news front lately so I'm just happy to see something. The Adele news seems a little odd considering she's just cancelled tour dates due to vocal cord damage although I'm not sure what her long term condition is.
14. Release Date Set, No Word On Craig (24/07/17)
Bond 25 will be released on November 1st (Europe) and November 8th (US). Beyond that details are scare with the producers telling us:
“details regarding distribution, including international release dates, the film’s cast and director, will be announced at a later date.”
Still no official word on Craig but it seems the production is going ahead regardless.
15. Director Shortlist (26/07/17)
The candidates are: Denis Villeneuve
Yann Demange
and David Mackenzie
Of the three I'm most familiar with Villeneuve's work and he's actually someone I suggested myself a while back. However given his schedule (he has Dune in the works) he also seems the least likely. The other two both seem to have a decent background in dramas and thrillers and I'm sure either of them would be up to the task of directing the next 007.
Update 09/09/17
16. Story Details Leaked? (05/09/17)
"Bond quits the secret service, and he's in love and gets married. His wife then gets killed."
17. Apple and Amazon Enter Distribution Race (06/09/17)
As Bond has yet to secure a distributor Apple and Amazon have thrown their hats into the ring to take control of Bond.
"In the world of Lucasfilm and Marvel, Bond feels really underdeveloped."
What people seem to forget is that there have been more failed attempts to start cinematic universes than successful ones and of the the reasons for this failure is that the concepts simply don’t support a cinematic universe (and good old fashioned bad management). And right now I’d say there’s only one truly successful cinematic universe: Marvel. Even Star Wars seems to be struggling thanks to behind the scenes turmoil.
In the end a Bond cinematic universe doesn’t sound like developing an underutilised property, it sounds more like strip mining that will leave the land barren for generations to come. Here's hoping this one doesn't come to pass.