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

STRICTLY COME NOTHING: FAME 2009

Let me do my Bruno Tonioli or my Craig Revel Horwood on this one: 3,4... "Don't remember my name - Fame!"

Panned by critics, the 2009 version of Alan Parker's Fame (MGM) makes a $10M weekend (http://www.deadline.com/hollywood/cloudy-soars-fame-and-surrogates-flop/). In June, your humble servant wrote: « In a world where Simon Cowell is king, I guess it was inevitable but this is not an excuse ». But please Mr Cowell, do accept my apologies - because produced by the mogul behind the Got Talent franchise the movie would have been a hit.

The original Fame was a masterpiece, the subsequent TV series (1982-1987) was one of the great shows of the 1980s. Gene Anthony Ray (Leroy Johnson in the movie and the series) made me like the Art of dance, I could watch the sequences with Desdemona and the Mozart sonata during hours. In 2003, an ill-fated attempt morphed Fame into a reality TV programme produced for NBC by legendary choreographer, actress and director Debbie Allen (who played Lydia Grant in the original movie and in the TV series). Debbie Allen stars in the 2009 movie but not as Lydia.

What now? Fame - The Animated series? One month before my consternation learning that there was a movie remake of Fame coming, I wrote about Fox's new TV series Glee (sorry for the indulgent self quotes): « Glee, on Fox, is fresh air in this rather bleak coming network season. The trailer and clips recall The Kids from Fame with plenty of humor, singing and musical talent, and rythm ». Fox has just ordered a full season of Glee (http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/ustv/a178522/glee-given-full-season-order.html).

P.S.: I did not mention Fame LA? Really?

See also: http://tattard2.blogspot.com/2009/09/view-to-kill.html

A VIEW TO A KILL

In the Hollywoodland jungle, the mighty Hollywoodland jungle, will Leo the Lion finally sleep? I've several times expressed my skepticism through comments on Nikki Finke's Dealdline.com website after reading recent optimistic stories about the struggling studio.

But now it seems that Kimberly Shaw's famous line before the explosion of the 1416, Melrose Place (« It's not what it looks like... It's worse ») applies to the MGM situation, according to a piece from She Who Must Be Read written yesterday (http://www.deadline.com/hollywood/exclusive-details-mgm-makes-phone-plea-to-bondholders-for-millions-to-stay-alive-both-hobbit-and-james-bond-in-peril-bondholders-tell-studio-to-go-bankrupt-mgm-calls-that-worst-possible-outcom/).

During a conference between MGM and its bondholders (in the present case I love this word... "Bondholders") Leo's masters asked the latter $20 million in short-term cash flow to cover overhead, and an additional $150 million to get through the end of year and continue funding its projects, and to start Peter Jackson's The Hobbit. But apparently the bondholders answered something like "er, well, thanks... but no thanks" (and we can suppose this is the pre-watershed version).

One of Nikki's sources used the B word (Bankruptcy). Itte missa est? Not quite for the moment as MGM now has to formally to ask for forbearance, and its bondholders to formally respond. But should it happen the king of the jungle would lose the jewel of its crown: the 007 franchise. What new home for Bond then? Sony, behind the two Daniel Craig movies before the implosion of the partnership with MGM (1), or 20th Century Fox - distributor of Die Another Day in 2002?

Many eminent analysts hope for a restructuring of MGM. But why? For more remakes in the wake of Fame (2), Red Dawn or Poltergeist? In February I wrote: « We all love the MGM brand, we owe Leo part of our interest for cinema. But with all the respect due to these three letters, today's MGM means the Bournish Bond franchise, the library and remakes of glorious MGM entries (Rollerball, The Taking of Pelham 123... Please watch the originals first!) »

Rollerball!

« So you lived to die another day... » (James Bond)

See also: http://dknowsall.blogspot.com/2009/09/hollywood-babble-on-on-379-mgm-must-get.html

(1) http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/entertainmentnewsbuzz/2008/11/the-enormous-fi.html
(2) http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/film-reviews/fame-film-review-1004015807.story?imw=Y + http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/la-et-fame25-2009sep25,0,5583318.story

CORPORATE JIGSAWS

Lot of news on the corporate front, thanks to Nikki Finke's Deadline Hollywood Daily (http://www.deadlinehollywooddaily.com/). Nikki and her blog are in top shape, in this beginning of 2009.

« Lions, and tigers, and bears! Oh, my! »

TIGER AT THE GATES (OHI'MBUBE, OHI'MBUBE)

Carl Icahn (http://www.icahnreport.com/), American Financier and Corporate raider, has increased his presence in the shareholding of Lionsgate (http://www.deadlinehollywooddaily.com/carl-icahn-increases-stake-in-lionsgate/). Amongst the company valuable assets: the Saw horror franchise, Tyler Perry's Tyler Perry movies (http://www.tylerperry.com/) and an impressive library (http://www.deadlinehollywooddaily.com/carl-icahn-may-be-amassing-a-bigger-lionsgate-stake-than-anyone-realizes/).

To be perfectly honest this news would leave your humble French servant totally cold if not completed by this most interesting scoop from Nikki: Mr Icahn seems to be interested by MGM too (http://www.deadlinehollywooddaily.com/carl-icahn-interested-in-mgm-now-too/).

Now the question is: what are the intentions of Carl Icahn behind this lion agenda? A merger? Or a catalog shopping spree on both Lionsgate titles and the MGM library? As our Canadian friend Furious D (http://dknowsall.blogspot.com/), fine connaisseur of the industry, remarks in a comment under Nikki Finke's post: « He might be thinking of adding the MGM/UA library to Lionsgate’s. As a brand MGM is good at selling history, but not as good at selling new projects » (http://www.deadlinehollywooddaily.com/carl-icahn-interested-in-mgm-now-too/#comment-206049).

We all love the MGM brand, we owe Leo part of our interest for cinema. But with all the respect due to these three letters, today's MGM means the Bournish Bond franchise, the library and remakes of glorious MGM entries (Rollerball,The Taking of Pelham 123... Please watch the originals first!) As Nikki writes: « MGM may have publicized themselves as bringing back the glory days, but it was only to build the hype which could help others see the company as desirable ». Itte missa est?

AFTER THE FOX

Scoops unlimited for DHD... Nikki Finke has announced that Peter Chernin has decided to step down as N°2 of News Corporation - owner of Twentieth Century Fox (http://www.deadlinehollywooddaily.com/source-peter-chernin-leaving-news-corp/). « Who happens next? » asks Nikki. Your humble servant believes, like many observers, that Elisabeth Murdoch - daughter of News Corp's Rupert Murdoch - is the best qualified.

But Elisabeth Murdoch doesn't wish to enter the Board of News Corp (http://www.deadlinehollywooddaily.com/new-murdoch-family-drama-report-says-daughter-elisabeth-declined-spot-on-news-corp-board/). With Shine Group, she has done a brilliant job building a tv production mini-empire in United Kingdom, reminding the days of ITC Entertainment. Shine owns Kudos, which is regularly mentioned on this blog.