Tuesday 20 April 2010

EVERYTHING OR NOTHING

[6.05 - French Time] EON Productions Ltd, producer of the long-running James Bond 007 franchise, announced yesterday through PR Newswire that development of Bond 23 is suspended.

« 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.

Nikki Finke and Mike Fleming explain in Deadline.com that this hiatus is actually a move from Broccoli and Wilson to avoid anything that would further complicate ownership of Bond 23 or bind them to MGM during the current difficulties of Leo the Lion (http://www.deadline.com/2010/04/mgm-woes-cause-bond-23-to-be-delayed-development-suspended-indefinitely/).

This was also the reason why Sam Mendes was hired as a "consultant", not as the director of Bond 23. Because once EON hires a director on their Bond films, it triggers a first payment from MGM, as Nikki scooped in January (http://www.deadline.com/2010/01/exclusive-sam-mendes-about-to-be-hired-as-consultant-on-bond-23/).

This announcement comes after rumours that screenwriter Peter Morgan has left the project (http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/movies/news/a214201/james-bond-bosses-deny-peter-morgan-exit.html). Now the questions 007 fans will ask themselves are: how long will last this hiatus? Will Daniel Craig still be James Bond in Bond 23? Should the "indefinite" suspension lasts 4 or 6 years will there be another "reboot", "relaunch" or whatever you call an extreme makeover on the franchise.

Taylor Lautner as James Bond Junior, anyone?

http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/bond-23-delayed-indefinitely-91534579.html

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