Probably the next most prominent casualty of the fall-out over MGM’s bankruptcy (after The Hobbit) was the James Bond franchise. The series had been given fresh, gritty life with Casino Royale after the shambolic CGI and ludicrous technology of Die Another Day, the goodwill was retained and the tone maintained with Quantum of Solace and then all was cast into doubt with MGM crashing and burning amongst crushing debt.
Now it seems that good news comes forth from a variety of sources. Firstly, the UK’s Daily Mail says that despite them being estranged, Kate Winslet and Sam Mendes will both move to London, with their children while Mendes shoots the next Bond film. Winslet’s quotes are laced with the usual “hopefully” and “if that happens” but she seems fairly confident that Mendes will be shooting the film towards the end of 2011, with him and producer Barbara Broccoli having already met to discuss casting.
Sam is doing the next Bond film, all being well, and we’ll all be in England if that happens. It’s such a massive commitment for him and it’s not fair for him to commute backwards and forwards to New York from London. It would be impossible. The children will be there with me.
Secondly, long-running Bond composer David Arnold has confirmed that Bond 23 is back on and that after scoring Casino Royale and Quantum of Solace, he will return again to perform those duties on the forthcoming film. In an interview with Film Music Magazine he said:-
“I haven’t thought about it yet. We only just got the news that we’re back on. But ‘there’s many a slip twixt cup and lip’ So I will keep quiet until I get a script and then start writing ideas. I just hope the next one is as good as my favorites, as I think everyone does. And I’m always interested in what Daniel Craig brings to the part. But like most things with movies, if it ain’t on the page etc… All I can say is that I’m looking forward to a great script for it, alongside every other Bond fan in the world!”
So there we go, good news as the weekend approaches, with some of MGM’s most treasured properties seemingly able to navigate their way out of stormy financial waters. Are you excited about/interested in/indifferent to a new Bond film? Does it need recasting? Comment below.
