106 replies to this topic

[Qwerty]

Now on the CBn main page...

Bond 22: Currently No Finished Script; Planned To Open Against 'Madagascar 2'

Sony executive briefly discusses the next Bond film

[Jim]

First it was penguins...
...now it is lemurs.

Oh good.

[doubler83]

Think I'll book that day off work then.

[dinovelvet]

Hmm I can see why they want a two week buffer before the Harry Potter movie opens, and ultimately Madagascar 2 is of no consequence...No.1 or not, it won't rob Bond 22 of any of its audience, just like Happy Feet didn't.

[[dark]]

The other big Winter release looks to be Angels and Demons, the follow-up to The Da Vinci Code, but also coming from Sony and with a release date six weeks after Bond's opening, it should not pose a threat.

[doubler83]

Unless Indiana Jones 4 slips way back and isn't released until November, I don't see any problems for Bond 22.

[Skudor]

Whether or not the financial success of B22 will be diluted by the competition, I'm sure it will hold it's own if it's as good as Casino Royale.

[plankattack]

I think Bond's now stand on their own - regardless of what else is released, people will go to Bond if they hear that it's good. Even if their is a lot of competition, people will find time to see the "latest Bond" if it's a good movie. The brand, for want of a better word, puts any new Bond film on a seperate track after nearly 50 years.

Edited by plankattack, 23 March 2007 - 12:50 PM.

[00Twelve]

It's gonna be released two weeks before a Harry Potter flick? Alright. Pressure's on.

[Loomis]

Safe to say that the following, at least, will outgross BOND 22 at the Stateside box office in 2008:

THE DARK KNIGHT (formerly known as BATMAN BEGINS 2)
HARRY POTTER
INDIANA JONES 4

And the following will probably outgross it, too:

ANGELS AND DEMONS
MADAGASCAR 2

BOND 22 will be very lucky indeed to make the 2008 US top 10.

[00Twelve]

I will go ahead and agree with all your choices there except the Dan Brown. I don't remember Da Vinci Code doing as well as they'd hoped. Did it even break $100 million? Also, Indy 4 will have to have some legs to make the big money. After the huge opening weekend, it'll have to be spectacular to keep its legs, I think.

[Mike00spy]

I'm not sure about that. If what we all think about Casino Royale is correct, then the positive reaction/word of mouth will lead to higher box office for Bond 22. More people would have seen CR now its on DVD (the ones who skipped it in cinemas) and this should lead to more anticipation come Nov '08.

I will go ahead and agree with all your choices there except the Dan Brown. I don't remember Da Vinci Code doing as well as they'd hoped. Did it even break $100 million? Also, Indy 4 will have to have some legs to make the big money. After the huge opening weekend, it'll have to be spectacular to keep its legs, I think.

Last Crusade made about 200 million in 1989's dollars, so I am sure the US take will be huge.

I dont think Angels and Demons will match the Code (which made about 217 million)

Edited by Mike00spy, 23 March 2007 - 01:51 PM.

[00Twelve]

Last Crusade made about 200 million in 1989's dollars, so I am sure the US take will be huge.

Sure, I just meant it will have to be good because there hasn't been an Indy movie in nearly twenty years (Holy crap) and the pressure will be on for it to be good if it is even gonna warrant being made, much less making lots of money. In any case, as long as it's as good as CR, Bond 22 will do fine.

[dodge]

Angels & Demons shouldn't be any sweat, even if it's only half as dull as the film version of The DaVinci Cold. I'm confident the $600 Million Bond can hold his own with the others. CR did boffo business with a new Bond and a film that was unusually structured. If 22 keeps the bar high, while throwing in more action, the theaters will rock again. The key worry of the story is: no completed script so far...and no word on when it will be finished. There's still time but--really--they ought to know by now. The script ain't the icing the cake, it's the bloomin' cake mix.

[[dark]]

I wouldn't think Angels and Demons will top The Da Vinci Code's takings (it simply doesn't carry the brand recognition that the first film had), but with a heavy marketing push and the third book in the Robert Langdon series, The Solomon Key, hitting shelves in 2008, it should still be a huge success.

(As an aside, I think Angels and Demons is a superior - and, for what it's worth, more cinematic - book than The Da Vinci Code, so if they turn it into a corker of a film, it may just top the first movie's takings after all.)

[00Twelve]

There's still time but--really--they ought to know by now. The script ain't the icing the cake, it's the bloomin' cake mix.

Or the bloomin' onion. Sorry, I had to. I'm going now.

[plankattack]

The key worry of the story is: no completed script so far...and no word on when it will be finished. There's still time but--really--they ought to know by now. The script ain't the icing the cake, it's the bloomin' cake mix.

Is this starting to feel like 1996-97 revisited? TND's script problems and how they continued through shooting are well-documented. But perhaps we should take a deep breath and consider what "completed script" really means. In reality, maybe they're just not ready with a shooting script.

[00Twelve]

No, I think they mean a completed draft. But it's okay, shooting won't even begin until a year from now. TND's final script was still having problems even then.

[plankattack]

No, I think they mean a completed draft. But it's okay, shooting won't even begin until a year from now. TND's final script was still having problems even then.

Afgreed. The first draft is the most important - if they have that then they're in good shape.

[dodge]

No, I think they mean a completed draft. But it's okay, shooting won't even begin until a year from now. TND's final script was still having problems even then.

Afgreed. The first draft is the most important - if they have that then they're in good shape.

I love that word. May I steal it? Thanks! I afgreed that the first draft is extremely important, if not the most important. Stories abound of scripts that have gone through dozens of drafts. One Oscar nominee claimed to have done half a hundred or more drafts. They'll be in good shape if, if, and only if they get the first draft done in another couple of months, tops. It really needs to be done by July to allow for a couple of months's revising, inputting Craig's and the director's suggestions.

Final point: they don't start shooting a year from now. From all I've read, they start in January--and three months is a whole world of difference. They've already had all the time in the world. This dilly-dallying and mucking about is simply inexcusable. These script writers, presumably, are making millions. Let 'em earn their money now and get the damned thing down on paper.

[00Twelve]

Seems so easy considering Fleming already wrote the story for them.

KIDDING, no retaliation, please.

[dodge]

It is much easier than P&W make out: sit down and bleed and be lonely each day for as long as you can stand it: that's how all serious writing gets done. Sounds like they've got the 'sit down' part down to perfection. Now for the rest...

[Santa]

Oooh, you're feisty today.

[HildebrandRarity]

Safe to say that the following, at least, will outgross BOND 22 at the Stateside box office in 2008:

THE DARK KNIGHT (formerly known as BATMAN BEGINS 2)
HARRY POTTER
INDIANA JONES 4

And the following will probably outgross it, too:

ANGELS AND DEMONS
MADAGASCAR 2

BOND 22 will be very lucky indeed to make the 2008 US top 10.

That's hardly a gutsy prognostication given that fantasy/super-hero/wizards/talking CGI animals sells more in the US than "real/normal".

Casino Royale was the highest grossing "realistic/normal" movie of 2006 in the US, save Da Vinci (which dealt with Jesus Christ).

Let's not forget that, apart from the normal "James Bond audience", a certain amount will depend on how "good" the movie is on an out-right basis. CR benefited from extremely good critical acclaim. The acclaim, in the US, was off-set by Craig's first outing. Perhaps the US is now warming to Craig as 007 and even if Bond 22 is not as "good" as CR, it may sell as many tickets anyway.

Edited by HildebrandRarity, 23 March 2007 - 03:03 PM.

[Loomis]

Safe to say that the following, at least, will outgross BOND 22 at the Stateside box office in 2008:

THE DARK KNIGHT (formerly known as BATMAN BEGINS 2)
HARRY POTTER
INDIANA JONES 4

And the following will probably outgross it, too:

ANGELS AND DEMONS
MADAGASCAR 2

BOND 22 will be very lucky indeed to make the 2008 US top 10.

That's hardly a gutsy prognostication

I know. That's why I wrote "safe to say".

I think Bond is likely to kick Rambo's butt, though. JOHN RAMBO (due in January 2008) will probably make little more than $100 million at the Stateside box office, if that (ROCKY BALBOA took about $70 million, if memory serves).

[Safari Suit]

I'm not entirely convinced Indie 4 will outgross it. It's been a while.

[Harmsway]

I'm not entirely convinced Indie 4 will outgross it. It's been a while.

It had been a while for EPISODE I, II, and III too, and those films ate up money. It's an "event film" and those always rake in the cash. It doesn't even have to be good.

Just like people will show up for something with the Star Wars label, they'll show up for Indiana Jones. Even the skeptics. It's inevitable. Hell, I know I'll be there in a seat even if the movie is entirely panned and everyone I know tells me it was lame. And I don't even think the film is a good idea, and I think it has a fairly good chance of sucking.

[Safari Suit]

I guess so. I'm just not sure it has the same Brand recognition level as Star Wars anymore, but I could be wrong.

[dodge]

I'm not entirely convinced Indie 4 will outgross it. It's been a while.

It had been a while for EPISODE I, II, and III too, and those films ate up money. It's an "event film" and those always rake in the cash. It doesn't even have to be good.

Just like people will show up for something with the Star Wars label, they'll show up for Indiana Jones. Even the skeptics. It's inevitable. Hell, I know I'll be there in a seat even if the movie is entirely panned and everyone I know tells me it was lame. And I don't even think the film is a good idea, and I think it has a fairly good chance of sucking.

I fear you're right, hope you're wrong but prepare for turkey. The sad part, if does belongs on every Thanksgiving table, is this: this is probably Harrison Ford's last big chance. Not even Stallone needed a hit more badly--and Sly just had one.

[Harmsway]

I guess so. I'm just not sure it has the same Brand recognition level as Star Wars anymore, but I could be wrong.

I'd say it's pretty close to STAR WARS. Not quite there (and it's not as much of a little kid event as STAR WARS is), but it's darn close. There's a lot of love for Indiana Jones out there, even among today's youth.