477 replies to this topic

[jaguar007]

I have to agree with Shark on the budget of QoS. Casino Royale was made for far less money than DAD, and is a much better film. I think they need to look at what they did with CR, what made it successful and a great movie without a bloated budget (although I would hardly call it low-budget) while planning for Bond 23.

[Skudor]

I have to agree with Shark on the budget of QoS. Casino Royale was made for far less money than DAD, and is a much better film. I think they need to look at what they did with CR, what made it successful and a great movie without a bloated budget (although I would hardly call it low-budget) while planning for Bond 23.

While CR may have been cheaper than DAD, I think it could have benefited from some of the location authenticity of QOS.

Now there's talk of the Scott brothers getting involved. Either way, this MGM business is starting to look more and more like a never ending story...

[The Shark]

I have to agree with Shark on the budget of QoS. Casino Royale was made for far less money than DAD, and is a much better film. I think they need to look at what they did with CR, what made it successful and a great movie without a bloated budget (although I would hardly call it low-budget) while planning for Bond 23.

While CR may have been cheaper than DAD, I think it could have benefited from some of the location authenticity of QOS.

To be frank, to hell with location authenticity. If it means 8 locations that we barely get a glimpse of, then I'd rather it was all filmed at a back-lot at Pinewood instead.

[scaramunga]

Will the MGM saga ever end?

Bond 23 will not start production until late 2010 correct?

I would think MGM's woes would also be impacting the 2 new Hobbit films as well?

[danslittlefinger]

Will the MGM saga ever end?

Bond 23 will not start production until late 2010 correct?

I would think MGM's woes would also be impacting the 2 new Hobbit films as well?

Read this. An interview with Sir Ian McKellen who talks about being a Bond villain (if he had anything to do with it) and the filming of The Hobbit.
http://debrief.comma...p;#entry1098293

[Rufus Ffolkes]

Will the MGM saga ever end?

Bond 23 will not start production until late 2010 correct?

I would think MGM's woes would also be impacting the 2 new Hobbit films as well?

Late 2010 is looking overly optimistic at this stage. Even if a deal for MGM is made tomorrow, it's going to take months for an army of lawyers and accountants to finalize things.

And The Hobbit is affected as well:

http://www.examiner....lding-up-Hobbit

Guillermo del Toro has confirmed it. The Hobbit movies cannot be green lit until the MGM financial mess gets straightened out. It has been speculated for some time now that the financial woes of MGM have been delaying the "green lighting" of the two Hobbit movies.

Since MGM owns partial rights to the Hobbit movies, Warner Brothers does not want to green light the films until this is resolved. Time-Warner, Warner Brothers' parent company, is said to have made a bid on MGM, but the creditors rejected the bid because it was too low.

Saturday (April 3, 2010) evening, Guillermo del Toro, who is assigned as the director of the movies, weighed in on TheOneRing.net's Forum, saying that he wanted fans to know certain facts

-NO delays have been caused by "discussing" or "adapting" 3-D.
-Can't close deals with actors without a green light.
-Can't give a green light to the project when one of the studios is going through a "to be or not to be" auction moment.

Despite all the difficulties, del Toro and Producer Peter Jackson have been screening potential actors and working on pre-production. The latest news about the start of filming came from the official website of Ian McKellen, which indicates production is to begin this year in July. (See Hobbit filming date updated on McKellen website.) Whether this date will still be possible, and whether a scheduled December 2011 release for the first film will stand, remains to be seen.

[Qwerty]

MGM lenders to vote on debt extension

Yet another extension on MGM's debt forbearance agreement may be in store

[SecretAgentFan]

If it weren´t so sad one could laugh about it.

Always interesting, though, that entities with such massive debts can always ask for more time while the average guy immediately gets thrown out...

[DamnCoffee]

This is a ing disgrace. I wish this studio would just... die.

[Trident]

Not really surprising, is it?

We have had a number of members that already indicated this was entirely a business question. Yes, money does talk, but the story it's babbling now is a long and winding one where our fanboy/girl-ish enthusiasm doesn't feature very prominently.

We will have to realise that there are a number of players who have already lost the equivalent to the budget of a small country with MGM. Does anyone seriously expect these guys do much care about 2011 or 2012 for Bond 23? Sorting out this business will take foremost a big deal of negotiation and red tape on all sides. And enormous amounts of
patience and confidence on the fans side.

Somehow the situation will get solved in the end, no doubt about that. We will just have to adopt a wider horizon that from here to next week or next month.

[SecretAgentFan]

By the way - is MGM still able to release anything? Wasn´t Joss Whedon´s "Cabin in the wood" converted to 3D and about to be released in January?

[Bucky]

By the way - is MGM still able to release anything? Wasn´t Joss Whedon´s "Cabin in the wood" converted to 3D and about to be released in January?

i would hope so since it is already finished production and now we are just waiting on the conversion to 3d. wish they would have just released it as it was conceived.

[Qwerty]

Not really surprising, is it?

We have had a number of members that already indicated this was entirely a business question. Yes, money does talk, but the story it's babbling now is a long and winding one where our fanboy/girl-ish enthusiasm doesn't feature very prominently.

We will have to realise that there are a number of players who have already lost the equivalent to the budget of a small country with MGM. Does anyone seriously expect these guys do much care about 2011 or 2012 for Bond 23? Sorting out this business will take foremost a big deal of negotiation and red tape on all sides. And enormous amounts of
patience and confidence on the fans side.

Somehow the situation will get solved in the end, no doubt about that. We will just have to adopt a wider horizon that from here to next week or next month.

However disappointing that may be to consider, I'd say you're absolutely correct, Trident.

[zencat]

Another extension?

Un-ing-believable.

[Matt_13]

What else is new.

[RivenWinner]

By the way - is MGM still able to release anything? Wasn´t Joss Whedon´s "Cabin in the wood" converted to 3D and about to be released in January?

Well, 'Hot Tub Time Machine' just released, and received decent reviews. It's been doing decently well, but obviously not as well as MGM had hoped for, especially giving the film's budget.


They've got a few things in the pipeline:

-the new 'Red Dawn' comes out in November
-'Cabin in the Woods' was supposed to have been released earlier this year, but it was pushed back to be converted into 3D, a poor decision, IMO, seeing that the film was tracking well and getting good buzz, and it would have been a bit of good news for them if it would have performed well at the box office. I think it's coming out next January.

--'The Zookeeper' Now this one is an interesting one. MGM co-produced this with Sony, and was releasing it November. However, MGM felt that given the current situation, they couldn't market the film well enough, so they let Sony take the distribution rights. Apparently, the film has screened to quite favorable reviews, and Sony has now moved this picture up for the Summer of 2011.

--'On the Road' I'm not sure if this is still set up at United Artists or not, but it's expected to release next year.

--On the TV side of things, 'Stargate Universe' is currently in its second season, although ratings haven't been that strong. They've also got a new 'Pink Panther' animated series.


As far as I'm aware, that's MGM/UA's current release slate. Mary Parent has developed a lot of new projects that the studio is working on, but obviously, everything is in limbo now. They don't have enough cash to greenlight projects, and they can't really do anything until this whole mess is sorted out.

If MGM is to successfully restructure itself, it's really going to have to change its focus. It needs to stop thinking it can continue to play on the same level as 20th Century Fox, Sony, WB, Paramount and Disney. It's no longer a big, major studio. In my mind, they're going to need to focus on smaller budgeted films, seek out new talent, and perhaps focus on one major tentpole every year or two (ie, Bond). I think the studio could work if it behaved more like Summit and Lionsgate.

Edited by RivenWinner, 08 May 2010 - 09:55 PM.

[scaramunga]

Apparently WB is the last remaining bidder for the MGM studio.

http://latimesblogs....re-len-bla.html

There's also been comments that WB has $ and needs to spend or acquire something with it? Don't quite understand that, but maybe someone has a bit more insight on that. That they have too much $ and need it investing or in something rather than just petty cash?

It would be great for this to be finished one way or another. So we can get on with Bond 23 and the other 9 films that have yet to reach blu ray.

[Qwerty]

Time Warner now lone MGM bidder

Access Industries withdraws from James Bond studio auction

[Qwerty]

MGM wins fifth extension

James Bond studio given two more months break on debt repayments

[Bucky]

great news

[Skudor]

I guess MGM aint that important.

We should start a fan based take over vehicle - sell shares at $100 a pop and buy the damn thing.

[zencat]

Terrific. So now a bunch of Wall Street jack-offs are going to run MGM "more efficiently." This is a very familiar tale in old Hollywood. Suckers. They will be bled dry in a year.

[Cody]

With no start date in sight, Guillermo Del Toro has dropped out of directing the Hobbit movies after two years of pre-production.

[Gobi-1]

At last MGM, your failure is now complete. No Bond and now no Hobbit. Way to go.

[Matt_13]

Oh boy. Yeah they're done.

[Bucky]

this is moderately disappointing

[DamnCoffee]

MGM is officially dead. Let's hope the funeral is soon, so we can get on with Bond 23. There's NO way that they'll be getting another extension.

[Germanlady]

Dump question most likely, but...with Bond and Hobbit on hold because of MGM playing games - could it be, that their plan is to let those, who want to make money with the films, loose their patience and just bring on somebody, who finally throws in the amount of money, they want? Like - before we sit back and have the films we want to make go down the gutter, lets feed the dirty little mouth of the lion once more, just to get it over with and keep going.

Is there any possibility in that?

[Rufus Ffolkes]

I can't see that as being a successful strategy. Who in their right minds would sink money into a Bond film only to have MGM snap up 50% of the profits for doing absolutely nothing?

[Germanlady]

OK, Thanks. makes sense. Seems both sides are building up tension to get what they want.