Bond 25 is quite the questionable anticipated project at MGM. We know it’ll happen eventually, but will it be a complete reboot or continuation of Spectre?
A new bit of information might at least gives a window of when the release date should be.
Birth.Movies.Death was able to find a link to the MGM investors meeting, which the studio spoke about the future of their 007 franchise. They revealed that the next installment Bond 25 is eyeing a release date in the next three-four years. Giving the impression the next film could be ready between for November 2018 or 2019.
“Bond is the most valuable property that we have, and it’s been on a cycle of every three-to-four years, and I anticipate it will be on that same three-to-four year cycle.”
There is also some question what studio will land the distribution rights, as the deal with Sony has expired and it’s now a up for a studio bidding-war.
MGM says that “every studio is interested” in the distribution rights. It’s been said that Sony and Warner Bros. are currently the most interested, but it wouldn’t be terribly shocking to see studios like Paramount or 20th Century Fox attempt to secure the rights by ponying-up the cash. Paramount, able to do a very excellent job with marketing with the equally successful Mission: Impossible franchise.
If Warner Bros. did land the distribution rights this could be one step closer to have Christopher Nolan getting involved. Nolan has been open to the idea of directing a Bond film in the, but would want to be able to reshape the franchise to his vision. An assumption that a reboot would be in the cards with a Nolan Bond movie.
Baz from The Daily Mail, who has done some extensive reporting on the Bond franchise mentioned that producers indeed spoke with Nolan back in 2013. They seemed confident that Nolan would replace director Sam Mendes on Spectre, at the time Sam was non-committal to the sequel.
Christopher Nolan has been approached to direct the next 007 movie.
It’s early days, but informal talks have begun between Nolan, his representatives and the powers behind the James Bond pictures, Barbara Broccoli and Michael G .Wilson.
This didn’t obviously come together but Sam Mendes has really stepped down as director leaving room for a new person to come on board.
Nolan is about to make his WWII action film Dunkirk for WB with a summer 2017 release date.
Christopher’s schedule could allow him to be ready to tackle Bond 25’s pre-production in fall 2017 or winter 2018.
Bond producers might be willing to go with a Nolan re-imagining, if Daniel Craig walks from the role. If Craig’s good friend Mark Strong is to correct than he’s indeed done with Bond. Along with statements from Craig himself that he’d rather “slit his wrists” than make another Bond movie.
Then again, posturing like this in the press for a pay raise isn’t entirely foreign to the Bond leads.
Other excellent directors that could make decent successors to Mendes include Oscar winner Steve McQueen (12 Years A Slave, Hunger, Shame), Matthew Vaughn (Layer Cake, Kingsman, X-Men First Class) and Denis Villeneuve (Blade Runner 2, Prisoners, Sicario).
McQueen, would be a prestige choice like Mendes was when they hired him for Skyfall, and having his amazing abilities in character development and visual presence would likely overshadow his lack of action background. I’ve been championing him for a while now and feel like he’s a top prestige candidate. His schedule is also not completely filled-up, allowing him the time needed to put together an top-notch installment. It doesn’t hurt he’s an excellent writer and the Bond scripts seem to be the biggest issue currently.
French-Canadian director Denis Villeneuve, actually spoke last year to Coming Soon about potentially making a Bond film. Unlike Nolan, I feel like he might be a better fit with producers.
“I understand that each genre has its own specific rules, but for me, they are all movies. I’m just attracted to try to do different things, and I was very excited to make a movie that required more action…I was raised with James Bond. I love James Bond movies. I would love to do a James Bond movie one day. Action is very cinematic. I’m not someone that loves dialogue – I am someone that loves movement. Action, if it’s well done, can be very poetic and meaningful.”
After watching Sicario, you can totally see that he’d be able to give us one helluva Bond villain and an entertaining/thrilling action experience. Not to mention more flushed-out characters with the female leads of the film.
Vaughn, is already playing in Roger Moore era Bond sandbox with Kingsman and might be the director to revive the franchise’s energy and adventure. I think if anyone could help convince Daniel to stay for one more film it would be the man who directed him in Layer Cake. A film that helped him place him into the Bond talks to begin with.
The only problem, Matthew is already talking about making a Kingsman 3, which could conflict with eligibility. He’s also voiced interest in tackling Star Wars film, after pitching to Lucasfilm pre-Force Awakens and is still open to playing in that universe one day.
Producers seemingly do ultimately make the casting choice but it wouldn’t be terribly shocking if Idris Elba, Tom Hardy, Michael Fassbender and Tom Hiddleston do end-up in the running.
Who should star and direct Bond 25?
SOURCE: BMD