28 replies to this topic

[thecasinoroyale]

Apologies if this has been noted, but gleamed this information from MI6...


EON Productions have rarely waited for a James Bond film to open in theatres around the world before starting work on the next, and Bond 24 is no exception.

According to a piece in Variety covering the 'top 50 game-changing lawyers' in the entertainment field, EON is already inking contracts for writing the next two James Bond films: 'Bond 24' and 'Bond 25', months before 'Bond 23' ("Skyfall") is due out in cinemas.

Given Sony and MGM's wish to see an aggressive released schedule for Daniel Craig optional fourth 007 outing in late 2014, just two years after "Skyfall" opens, work must already be underway on the storyline.

Lawyer Kevin Marks, a partner at firm Gang, Tyre, Ramer & Brown, is "representing the Broccoli family, which co-owns the James Bond movie franchise with MGM," according to the trade paper. "Marks has been kept busy working on all the above-the-line deals for the upcoming "Skyfall" and setting up writing deals for the next two Bond pics. He notes that Bond's long track record as a major performer in international markets has enhanced the films' value as the overseas box office boom continues."




If this is true, another great development in the stability of future Bond movies, and the speculation about what the future will hold for Bond, story wise!

[Wade]

Does anyone know if the general assumption is that these contracts are for Purvis and Wade?

[x007AceOfSpades]

Please Jonathan Nolan! Or if I could have my way, William Monaham and David Mamet.

[SecretAgentFan]

Although Variety is no longer reliable (printing rumors for facts etc.) - it is highly possible that EON has contracted writers for the next Bond pics. I also could imagine them to go for new writers since Mendes probably has shaken up things a lot to their liking. But at this point this is probably old news already - they must have started work on the script for Bond 24 for some time now.

[Odd Jobbies]

Please Jonathan Nolan! Or if I could have my way, William Monaham and David Mamet.

The Nolan Bros. would indeed be good news.

ETA: If it is the Nolan Bros. then is it outlandish to imagine that if they've signed them to a 2 picture deal, then could the plots be related, or even one continuous plot, shot back-to-back by Chris Nolan. He obviously enjoys doing sequels and does them rather well.

Edited by Odd Jobbies, 27 June 2012 - 09:47 AM.

[Shrublands]

Believe it. Variety are not going to make up professional details and directly attribute them to an entertainment lawyer. That would be just asking for trouble.
Never mind MI6’s take on this, here is how it appeared in Variety.

Kevin Marks
Partner
Gang, Tyre, Ramer & Brown
UC Berkeley, 1982
In representing the Broccoli family, which co-owns the James Bond movie franchise with MGM, Marks has been kept busy working on all the above-the-line deals for the upcoming "Skyfall" and setting up writing deals for the next two Bond pics. He notes that Bond's long track record as a major performer in international markets has enhanced the films' value as the overseas box office boom continues. Indeed, overseas B.O. plays a major role these days in many decisions. "I've been involved in projects where … if this person or co-financier is attached we think it will be exhibited in China," he says. Other deals include setting up David O. Russell's follow-up to "The Fighter," "Silver Linings Playbook"; writer-helmer Richard Curtis on three projects set to go into production; and producer Stacey Sher's deal on Quentin Tarantino's "Django Unchained."

http://www.variety.c...le/VR1118055725

Everyone involved with Skyfall has gone on and on about how having extra time with script benefited its quality. So, why not sighn up a writer now and set them to work as soon as possible? It’s already been said that Eon has asked John Logan to return, it could well be him.


PS. Can people stop reporting on M16 reporting on other publication’s reports. Why not simply go to the original and tell us about that?

[The Shark]

Please Jonathan Nolan! Or if I could have my way, William Monaham and David Mamet.

The Nolan Bros. would indeed be good news.

It would be nice if they could write decent dialogue, or had any sense of humour.

[Royal Dalton]

Does anyone know if the general assumption is that these contracts are for Purvis and Wade?

I wouldn't bet against it being them. For they are Eon's favoured sons.

[Shrublands]

Does anyone know if the general assumption is that these contracts are for Purvis and Wade?

I wouldn't bet against it being them. For they are Eon's favoured sons.

That would probably be the best odds bet. However, I have a strong feeling that I’d risk a bet against them right now. Mendes has changed things at Eon and I wouldn’t surprised to see him back, either for 24 or 25 – Eon certainly want him back. A long term strategy that he was comfortable with, would see them starting with a writer of his choice.

Furthermore, I also get the feeling, because...

Spoiler

That mysterious black box gets handed over in the final scene.

...there will be a plot strand that continues from Skyfall into the next film, and Eon have been very happy with Logan’s work on this script.

[Messervy]

If this means we'll get stories that are actually linked for the next few films, either directly or indirectly but share the same vibe and overall plot continuity, I'm all for it!

[Pussfeller]

P & W will almost certainly remain, even if only as the authors of the final draft. The producers clearly value the continuity and Bondological expertise of P & W, although lately they seem to recognize the need for outside collaborators as well.

[Shrublands]

P & W will almost certainly remain, even if only as the authors of the final draft. The producers clearly value the continuity and Bondological expertise of P & W, although lately they seem to recognize the need for outside collaborators as well.

Well, they haven’t been the authors of the final draft that much up until now - Once by my count. I can’t see that changing, especially with directors such as Mendes on board.

[thecasinoroyale]

PS. Can people stop reporting on M16 reporting on other publication’s reports. Why not simply go to the original and tell us about that?

Consider my hands slapped!

[Shrublands]

PS. Can people stop reporting on M16 reporting on other publication’s reports. Why not simply go to the original and tell us about that?

Consider my hands slapped!

Sorry, don’t mean to sound scolding.

Reporting on a report, that is itself a report of another earlier report, is how Chinese Whispers start and false rumours do the rounds.

Here, MI6 began with the statement, “According to Variety...” and provides a link – so it would have been just as easy to take us to the original article and not one filtered by them.

This is just intended as friendly advice to keep our info as accurate as possible. With the way Bond stories spread, it is difficult enough at the best of times.

[Matt_13]

No harm done, but yes, we don't need to be giving those guys over at MI6 too much face time on these boards.

As for the article itself...we'll see. Barbara said recently that they don't get to work on the next film until the current production is a proven success. Could EON be inking writers so that they can have a creative team on standby in the event that this is the case with Skyfall? Absolutely. As others have pointed out, it seems as though John Logan has already been tapped to work on the next film, as has Mendes. With that said, I think that this has always been the case with the Bond team. Forster was asked back, as was Martin Campbell, and we know P&W continue to get tapped for ideas and (from what we know of the last three productions, anyway) at least a first draft. I seriously hope this piece is true, though, as the pleasure the team is exuding at this moment in time regarding the script is hard to ignore. They are genuinely confident, and consequently I'd assume they'd want a string of similar experiences down the road, and having multiple years to work out a screenplay seems to be a step toward achieving that end.

[thecasinoroyale]

I know Shrublands, no harm done of course!

I actually don't know why I give MI6 credit for news stories here, it's just an automatic reaction to paste over their story - I never delve deeper but I'll make the jump from now on.

Truth is better to source rather than just rumour and word of mouth on there.

[Odd Jobbies]

Please Jonathan Nolan! Or if I could have my way, William Monaham and David Mamet.

The Nolan Bros. would indeed be good news.

It would be nice if they could write decent dialogue, or had any sense of humour.

You think Memento and The Dark Knight has no decent dialogue?

Actor's don't tend to win Oscars when the dialogue is bad.

[SteveBolton]

JAMES BOND WILL RETURN

[Simon]

Apologies if this has been noted, but gleamed this information from MI6...

Sorry, but Fleming did introduce us to this word. (If not globally Us, since Jim has Jamaican heritage)

GleaNed, as in 'Daily Gleaner'.

[S K Y F A L L]

THIS IS GREAT NEWS! Skyfall must be good if they are already signing the writers on for Bond 24 and Bond 25.

[Mr_Wint]

So, why not sighn up a writer now and set them to work as soon as possible?

Perhaps it is not always that easy. A great storyline/draft today might be worthless in 2014, because cinema itself constantly evolves. I find it hard to believe that they (EON) would waste any energy on Bond 24 now...

And all this talk about Skyfall's "fantastic" script and all the "fantastic" things Mendes has done... it is a little bit early to tell, isn't it?

[Dustin]

The report could simply mean they hired the writers now to have them at their disposal when they need them. The actual work could begin then at any given date, the guys would just not take other jobs during a window from --- to ---.

[S K Y F A L L]

If they plan to release Bond 24 in 2014 then shouldn't they be working on it now? So it will be ready a few months after Skyfall's release?

[Shrublands]

So, why not sighn up a writer now and set them to work as soon as possible?

Perhaps it is not always that easy. A great storyline/draft today might be worthless in 2014, because cinema itself constantly evolves. I find it hard to believe that they (EON) would waste any energy on Bond 24 now...

You could have turned round and said that 2 or 3 years ago about the Skyfall script. Then Sam Mendes and Daniel Craig tell us that the extra year or so did no end of good in improving the script’s quality. I know whose word I’d rather trust.

[JimmyBond]

If they plan to release Bond 24 in 2014 then shouldn't they be working on it now? So it will be ready a few months after Skyfall's release?

Let's not forget that that rumor was debunked. Though I'm sure we'll get the next Bond film sooner rather than later, it's not confirmed that it's coming out in 2014.

[L4YRCAKE]

Even as a kid the one thing that kinda bugged me about Bond movies was how each movie rarely acknowledged previous continuity, it seemed like a glaring reminder that Bond's world was a fantasyland. I was delighted later on to read the books and see that the stories had an order and continuity to them, even if it was fairly loose stuff, and I hope this news perhaps is an indication that's the direction they'll head with the Craig/Mendes era, if and when Skyfall is successful.

I don't think direct sequels are necessarily what would be right post-Skyfall, but some sort of common thread and build would be a dream come true, really. Especially if they finally bring back a certain bald-headed menace in this one.

[Pushkin]

Why do Bond films sometimes turn out bad? IMHO, it is usually because they either have a bad story to start off with or a story/screenplay that needs more polish. Time won't guarantee you a great story or script but I think it improves the odds of developing one - you have more time to come up with a great idea and correct bad ones/work out the kinks.

If they ever want to do a real Bond Triology of some sort, the way to do it would be to have worked out a story arc at the beginning of the first movie and follow it through. I think they had the opportunity to do that with the Craig movies, but sadly, Quantum of Solace, which I like more than many, was a bit of an after thought and did not really move the story of Quantum ahead that much (IMHO of course). In retrospect, I think they could have done a Quantum Trilogy but to do it correctly the writers figure would have had to thought out how the story will develop over 3 movies with seeds planted in the first movie that do not come to fruition until the final film.

Don't post much, but I read the forum very regularly.

Cheers

[Dustin]

Is it possible real trilogies in film are far more scarce than we usually expect? If I think about it I really only can name LOTR, TROIS COULEURS and BACK TO THE FUTURE, and that last started out as a one-off that grew a two-part sequel(*). Most films coming in 3-packs are still conceived and realised as three separate parts that didn't exist in concept when the first frame was shot. I suppose the aim is always to come home with a product that doesn't need prior knowledge of other entries or makes the audience feel there is something missing.

*STAR WARS perhaps?

[L4YRCAKE]

It would be interesting if we come to find that the original plot idea for Skyfall was that it would complete the Quantum story as a trilogy and yet was rewritten as a standalone before plans to film moved forward.