Skyfall - Bond 23

[MacGuffin]

Bond begins anew with scribe trio
Morgan, Purvis and Wade to write the script
Source: Variety

Producers Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli of EON Productions and MGM are moving forward on the next 007 installment, hiring "Frost/Nixon" scribe Peter Morgan, Neal Purvis and Robert Wade to write the script for the 23rd James Bond film.

Purvis and Wade most recently worked on "Quantum of Solace" and "Casino Royale."

Daniel Craig is already set to reprise his role as 007, and Wilson and Broccoli are producing. No start date has yet been set, but sources said EON and MGM are eyeing a 2011 release.

"Peter, Neal and Robert are extraordinarily talented and we're looking forward to working with the three of them," Wilson and Broccoli said in a statement.

Both "Quantum of Solace" and "Casino Royale" were co-productions between MGM and Sony, with the latter distributing. The new film will be the first to return as a full MGM release. The first 20 pictures in the franchise were distributed by MGM.

Morgan, who wrote both the play and film "Frost/Nixon" and "The Last King of Scotland" and "The Queen," has most recently been working on "The Special Relationship" for HBO, and "Hereafter" for DreamWorks. He'll begin writing on the Bond film after completing those projects.

Aside from the Bond films, Purvis and Wade have been working on "The Brazilian Job," the sequel to "The Italian Job," on which they were also writers.

Morgan's repped by UTA and ITG, Purvis and Wade by WME and Casarotto Ramsay & Associates.

[MacGuffin]

Michael Sheen 'In Talks' For 'Bond' Villain Blofeld
Source: MTV

British actor Michael Sheen, who will be seen by millions this fall in "New Moon," is reportedly in talks to join the James Bond franchise for yet another iconic role. According to an anonymous source, Sheen is up for the villainous part of Blofeld in the 23rd installment of the 007 series, which is currently being co-scripted by two-time Oscar-nominated writer Peter Morgan.

Morgan and Sheen have collaborated many times before, most memorably for "Frost/Nixon" and "The Queen," in which he portrayed former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair. It's possible that this link between writer and actor has led to speculative rumors of Sheen's interest and involvement in the Bond film, but we're hoping that it's true. Apparently Sheen has been a fan of the 007 series since his youth, so he is likely crossing his fingers, as well.

Though Sheen is a well-respected actor, he is no stranger to mainstream franchises. In addition to playing Tony Blair on more than one occasion, he's had a recurring part as the werewolf Lucian in the "Underworld" movies. His role as the vampire Aro in "New Moon" may well carry over into the subsequent "Twilight" sequels.

The skinny actor doesn't quite fit Ian Fleming's original description of evil mastermind Ernst Stavro Blofeld, who is supposed to be a former muscle man who let himself go, physically. But the character has been previously portrayed by a mixed array of actors, including Donald Pleasance ("You Only Live Twice"), Telly Savalas ("On Her Majesty's Secret Service"), Charles Gray ("Diamonds Are Forever") and Max von Sydow (the unofficial Bond installment "Never Say Never Again"), so there's certainly room for artistic license with the villain's appearance.

After Mike Myers' spoof of Blofeld in the form of Dr. Evil in the "Austin Powers" movies, it's probably for the best that he's not represented in the "Quantum of Solace" follow-up as a bald, facially scarred man costumed in a gray suit. He must still be accompanied by his trademark white cat though, regardless of how silly it might look.

[Gold Trumpet]

Michael Sheen 'In Talks' For 'Bond' Villain Blofeld
Source: MTV

Total bullshit. Speculation started because fans wanted it to happen after the Froxt/Nixon scribe was signed. A UK tabloid made their outcry look legitimate by publishing it as fact and now other media outlets are carrying it. Producers don't even have rights to the villian Blofeld anymore so it can't happen.

[Gold Trumpet]

Very excited because 1.) Morgan is involved in writing from the start. He may even be heading it. Haggis was more of a contributor to the scripts, trying make the original scripts just look better. 2.) because Bond needs this continuing change of pace. Modern franchise revivals are intent in finding new lead ins to the same old stories, but the possibilities of Bond being the new Bond is hinging on the next film.


Morgan Says "Bond 23" Is 'Shocking'
Source: Dark Horizons
By Garth Franklin
Sunday December 20th 2009 09:28PM  

While he couldn't discuss a great deal about the film, scribe Peter Morgan said we can expect 'a shocking story' for the next James Bond feature reports MI6.

Currently in Vienna, Morgan was at work on the first draft of the "Bond 23" script from July to October of this year. He's known for his scripts for "The Queen," "The Last King of Scotland," "Frost/Nixon" and "The Damned United",

Pre-production work on the film however has now been put on hold until February as the heavily in debt MGM, through which EON Productions release the 007 pictures, is up for sale.

Despite the issues it's expected that filming will commence at the end of 2010 for a release November 2011.

[picolas]

he dies? ages? has sex with a man?

[Gold Trumpet]

he dies? ages? has sex with a man?

Months ago, rumors said that Bond 23 would be the story they were going to use for Timothy Dalton's planned third Bond movie (during the early 90s) where M is kidnapped and Bond sets about to rescuing him. It would be more pertinent to Craig's Bond because he's bonded to his M much more. She is mother figure to him so the kidnapping could be a reason to look into how her death (if they killed her off) could impact him emotionally.

That's one possibility. There are many reasonable ways to make a Bond story shocking.

[picolas]

touché.

[Derek]

I don't know if I'd want to see the M killed off storyline. That would just send him on another Quantum style revenge story. I hope they go a little bit lighter and a little bit sexier with this story. Not too far in the Roger Moore direction though.

[Gold Trumpet]

I don't know if I'd want to see the M killed off storyline. That would just send him on another Quantum style revenge story. I hope they go a little bit lighter and a little bit sexier with this story. Not too far in the Roger Moore direction though.

The death could happen in many ways that wouldn't spark a new revenge storyline. She could be kidnapped, but mistakes by Bond himself could lead to her death which only spawns remorse for Bond. Or she is killed, but is killed by the organization who already killed Vesper so it's a continuation of the same storyline, but adding new dimensions to it. In On Her Majesty's Secret Service, Bond's wife is killed by Spectre but Bond's dealings with them isn't resolved until a few film's later.

[Pubrick]

bet you a million dollars he pees on the audience at some point.

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James Bond Delayed Due to MGM Woes
by Elisabeth Rappe; Cinematical

It's going to be a little longer before 007 steps in front of cameras again. According to Total Film (and passed along via MI6), Bond's 23rd adventure has been delayed by MGM's financial woes. After all, someone has to pay for all those new gadgets and when the home office is on the block, where do the new ones come from? While both Daniel Craig and Dame Judi Dench have hinted that the film will begin filming in late 2010, and will aim for a 2011 release, Bond producers Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli hinted that the shooting schedule can only be decided once MGM settles its accounts. "Well, our timeline's a little up in the air what with the situation at MGM, so we have to be flexible. We just don't know enough about the situation to comment, but we know it's uncertain."

And if you've been sitting here since Peter Morgan took the screenwriting job last summer, dreaming of a script that's at least a draft or two in, guess again. Wilson said it was far too early to start talking about where Bond will end up after he found his solace. "Well ... we've hired the writers and we've been working with them but it's just too early to say anything. You know, often at this stage, I find myself saying, 'Oh, we're gonna do this and that', then six months from now you'll say, 'That isn't in the film at all - you told me it was ...' I think we're at the stage where a lot of ideas are floating around that sound very good, but whether they make the final cut, who knows?"

Well, at least they're taking their time. Meanwhile, there's nothing for Bond fans to do but spend their time dreaming of him in those tight blue trunks (surely he spends his hiatus in them), or fantasizing about who they'd like to see as a Bond girl. If neither is your cup of tea, maybe you can say where you'd like to see Bond go in the comments below. Morgan, Broccoli, and Wilson might be listening.

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"Bond 23" On Hold Due To MGM Sale
By Garth Franklin

Unsurprisingly it seems that due to issues with MGM Studios' impending sale, production on the 23rd James Bond film has been put on hold reports MI6.

Producer Michael G. Wilson tells Total Film Magazine that "our timeline's a little up in the air what with the situation at MGM, so we have to be flexible. We just don't know enough about the situation to comment, but we know it's uncertain."

The news comes not long after comments by writer Peter Morgan, who is working on the film's script, indicated that a delay was inevitable. MGM expects the first takeover bids to be submitted within the next few weeks.

The concern here is a repetition of the legal mess back in 1989 which ended up putting the franchise on ice for six years before the Pierce Brosnan-led "Goldeneye" in 1995 revived the series both critically and commercially.



The highlighted portion is why I don't think the delay will be very long. Everyone wants the next Bond film to be made on schedule. It isn't like with Bond being delayed in the early 90s because the Timothy Dalton efforts put the franchise on the outs with the public. Bond couldn't be more popular today. Bids will come in and serious suitors will be set up very soon and it will be a discussion between MGM negotiating with a few proposals and that shouldn't take too long, especially since the buyers themselves will want certain productions to stay on track.

What's more news worthy is all the in between movie projects that will be killed off because of MGM's finances. There are projects that aren't immediate sellers that are depending on whether MGM sells to favorable buyers. Bond isn't part of that group.

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Sam Mendes to Direct 23rd James Bond Movie!
Source: ComingSoon

Sam Mendes is in negotations to direct James Bond 23, reports Heat Vision.

The Hollywood Reporter Blog says that production is being fast-tracked and could begin as early as June with an eye toward a 2011 release.

Plans for the film, again starring Daniel Craig, are moving forward despite a possible sale of MGM.

Bond regulars Neal Purvis and Robert Wade are writing, along with Peter Morgan (Frost/Nixon). Michael Wilson and Barbara Broccoli are producing.

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Oh man, I hope that's true, but I'll wait for my normal Bond filters to verify its legitimacy. Normally I want talented directors to avvoid big production movies that take up a lot of their time, but Sam Mendes can help the franchise in every way it needs help - more focus on story and character. That's all on the premise that Mendes would be allowed to do anything with the script.

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Also, this could mean Kate Winslet finally becoming a Bond girl. She's always wanted to but she says producers may be afraid of casting her because she would refuse to dress raunchily, but Mendes directing would obviously change things.