33 replies to this topic

[whitesox]

Richard Curtis (4 weddings..., Notting Hill...) is now rumoured to replace Purvis & Wade on the Bond 22 script. Is it true? And if it is, is it really a good choice???? I personnaly am not very found of the movies he worked on.

[Santa]

Where did you hear this rumour?

[ShySmile]

Personally I think he would do quite well... Blackadder was an extremely intelligent, not to mention hilarious comedy. Maybe he could work with Haggis.

[Orion]

Personally I think he would do quite well... Blackadder was an extremely intelligent, not to mention hilarious comedy. Maybe he could work with Haggis.

"That'd be nice"

[whitesox]

Where did you hear this rumour?

www.mi6.co.uk/mi6.php3

[Santa]

I could live with this. He surely can outdo Purvis & Wade in the intelligent humour stakes and that can only be a good thing. Much as with Daniel Craig for Bond, Curtis is not an obvious choice but I think he could turn out quite well.

[Kingdom Come]

Curtis in collaboration with Ben Elton, did some fantastic stuff - but almost all was comedy?

[Simon]

Well if P&W are not doing it, there will be less to rewrite/correct come the appropriate time....

[Mr_Wint]

First Roger Michell and now Richard Curtis... Do we really want a Bondfilm from the makers of Notting Hill and Bridget Jones...?

[whitesox]

First Roger Michell and now Richard Curtis... Do we really want a Bondfilm from the makers of Notting Hill and Bridget Jones...?

Exactly. And the answer is no.

[zencat]

Where did you hear this rumour?

This information first appeared on the mySpace CR group yesterday. The person who posted it is 16 and didn't give a source. I asked where they heard this info. They didn't respond. Not sure what to make of this. (Tom Stoppard's name is listed on iMDb.)

[Loomis]

Even though Curtis is best known for romantic comedies, this doesn't seem an unbelievable rumour by any stretch, although I'd be surprised if he were hired to write an original Bond story - much more likely that he's doing rewrite work, something which I gather he's done before (albeit not on Bond). If Haggis and (as recent rumour had it) Stoppard, why not Curtis? Very talented, very funny (although can do pathos too), very British (even though he's originally from New Zealand or wherever the heck) and very good.

Indeed, after LOVE ACTUALLY I'd be delighted if he directed BOND 22, although that is unlikely.

[K1Bond007]

This information first appeared on the mySpace CR group yesterday. The person who posted it is 16 and didn't give a source. I asked where they heard this info. They didn't respond. Not sure what to make of this. (Tom Stoppard's name is listed on iMDb.)

Stoppard was reported by the Daily Mail. Came about the same time that Michell was first rumored.

I find it hard to believe they're "replacing" Purvis and Wade especially since they've already announced that they're writing it. More like looking for a third in the vein of Paul Haggis to polish or rewrite some scenes.

[Harmsway]

Actually, it was written up in The Hollywood Reporter that P&W wouldn't be writing BOND 22 after all, and that EON was seeking a writer for an original idea by Michael G. Wilson.

[JimmyBond]

Maybe the script that Purvis and Wade were working on while CR was filming sucked? To put it bluntly, maybe Wilson, Brocolli and Craig looked at it (and if you think Craig's input doesnt count, don't forget the reason he took the job in the first place) and all vetoed it.

It'd definately possible.

[Loomis]

Actually, it was written up in The Hollywood Reporter that P&W wouldn't be writing BOND 22 after all, and that EON was seeking a writer for an original idea by Michael G. Wilson.

But I thought P&W had already started work on BOND 22 (at least, that was what I understood from [I think] Wilson's remarks at Craig's October press conference, although I forget whether he mentioned the terrible twosome by name).

If P&W's script has been thrown out (as opposed to other hands redrafting it), then I wonder whether things aren't a little tight for BOND 22's planned May 2007 start date.

[Jim]

Indeed, after LOVE ACTUALLY I'd be delighted if he directed BOND 22, although that is unlikely.

All your good works over the years Looby-Loo, shot to hell in one short paragraph.

[Harmsway]

Actually, it was written up in The Hollywood Reporter that P&W wouldn't be writing BOND 22 after all, and that EON was seeking a writer for an original idea by Michael G. Wilson.

But I thought P&W had already started work on BOND 22 (at least, that was what I understood from [I think] Wilson's remarks at Craig's October press conference, although I forget whether he mentioned the terrible twosome by name).

He did mention that P&W had started on the script. There are a few scenarios. Possibly, they did write a draft and that's currently being re-written. That's extremely plausible, and it might not even be significantly more than polish job. It might be a straight-up rewrite as has been done time and time again on these Bond films.

Or the script was chucked in its entirety. They read it, didn't like much of it at all, and tossed it. MGW comes up with his own idea and they're pursuing a writer. This seems likely just because P&W have gotten no mention since, and The Hollywood Reporter indicates they no longer have any ties with the project.

If P&W's script has been thrown out (as opposed to other hands redrafting it), then I wonder whether things aren't a little tight for BOND 22's planned May 2007 start date.

I don't think it's *that* tight, but it could potentially get down to the wire if that is the case.

[zencat]

Actually, it was written up in The Hollywood Reporter that P&W wouldn't be writing BOND 22 after all, and that EON was seeking a writer for an original idea by Michael G. Wilson.

But I thought P&W had already started work on BOND 22 (at least, that was what I understood from [I think] Wilson's remarks at Craig's October press conference, although I forget whether he mentioned the terrible twosome by name).

It could be P&W worked up the story outline and that's what MGW was talking about at the press conference. But they've hired someone new to draft the actual script.

[JCRendle]

Can Curtis do a straight script, or as straight as a Bond script can be?

[JimmyBond]

If Craig was tempted by the great Casino Royale script, doesnt it seem to reason that they'd want to get a script on that same level, to keep him happy? I mean this isn't back when Moore was Bond, or even Brosnan, where the writers dictated how the film turned out, this is possibly the first time where we (and this is speculation) have the actor possibly calling some (not all) of the shots.

[SecretAgentFan]

Can Curtis do a straight script, or as straight as a Bond script can be?

Of course he can. It

[Loomis]

I think too much may be being made of this "based on an idea by Michael G. Wilson" business. Weren't the last few all based on ideas by Wilson and/or Broccoli? TWINE was born when Babs, on a plane, happened to read an article about oil pipelines, and so on....

[JimmyBond]

[quote name='SecretAgentFan' post='587708' date='15 August 2006 - 12:22']


JimmyBond, usually I agree with you 100 percent. But where do you get your information that during the Brosnan era the writers dictated how the film turned out?

Writers don

[Mr_Wint]

Maybe the script that Purvis and Wade were working on while CR was filming sucked? To put it bluntly, maybe Wilson, Brocolli and Craig looked at it (and if you think Craig's input doesnt count, don't forget the reason he took the job in the first place) and all vetoed it.

It'd definately possible.

My guess is that the producers lured Craig to sign on for Bond by using Paul Haggis to do a "polish". Traditionally, the producers have a strong influence on a Bondscript. BTW, didn't Haggis said that the first draft was already good or even excellent?

[DaveBond21]

Well, there is a lot of speculation here, but as for Richard Curtis as a Bond scriptwriter, the one thing I know, is that he is a huge fan of Bond.

[dunmall]

Richard Curtis does Bond??

Words do not describe how happy I would be if that were true, Curtis is great at characterisation (His films are the only "chick flicks" I can sit and watch with out vomitting, ok perhaps a little harsh!)

But seriously forget his romantic comedies do you have any idea what this could mean? Actual strong characters. Actual wit! Not lame smutty sub par puns.

I am genuinely excited and hope this rumour is true.

[Stax]

Seeing as how it's reportedly Michael G. Wilson's story idea, it seems probable that P&W did write a draft based on this idea he's developing and that, after reading their take, he decided to "bring in a fresh set of eyes" or "take things in another direction" or some other Hollywoodism for you're fired.

[Double-Oh Agent]

If Purvis and Wade's script was junked, that would explain why Bond 22 will not be released in 2007 after all, as had been rumored. Had the script been good, there was enough time to make a fall 2007 Bond film a reality, as has been mentioned in previous threads. However, if the P&W script wasn't good enough, then there wouldn't have been any time to get the film out in 2007, making the delay of the release date to 2008 a lot more sensical, if not disappointing.

[SecretAgentFan]

Good thought! I also was curious why they delayed Bond 22 from 2007 ( I know, it was never officially announced for that year but still...).

Or... they let Purvis & Wade write a script for Bond 22 and during filming of CR they decided to do another story. Or they thought that Purvis & Wade are too much part of the Brosnan era Bonds and got the feeling from CR that the next Bond script has to be more in tune with that.