I'm not sure if this constitutes a new thread or not (if not, feel free to close). I've put together a timeline/diary of news and rumours for Bond 25. It's a nice way to see what developments have been made for the film and to keep a tab on production.
Potential spoilers below
February 2015
-Rumors spark that Spectre and Bond 25 will share a two story arc, according to a report from Film Divider. Speculation suggests that Léa Seydoux and Christoph Waltz have signed on to reprise their roles, though the accuracy of these rumors is questioned
June 2015
-Variety reports that the distribution rights for the Bond franchise will be up for grabs following Spectre's release and Sony's departure from the series, and lists Warner Bros. as a viable candidate due to their recent partnerships with MGM on films such as the Hobbit franchise and the upcoming "Creed"
July 2015
-Sam Mendes reveals he will not direct any more Bonds after Spectre, making it unlikely for Bond 25 to be a direct sequel to its predecessor
August 2015
-Daniel Craig confirms in an interview he has no plans for the next 2 years, but is considering some theater work in NY, opening up the possibility for another 3 year gap
September 2015
-When asked in an interview for Esquire whether he'd be open to doing a 5th film in his tenure, Craig responds with, "At this moment, no. I have a life and I’ve got to get on with it a bit. But we’ll see.”
October 2015
-Daniel Craig hints in numerous interviews that he'll likely return for Bond 25, but is quoted as 'needing a break.'
-A questionable rumour from Express.co.uk suggests that the series' 25th entry will be a period film, with it being set in the 60s
-Spectre's ending sets us up for a return of a few key cast members
November 2015
-Following Spectre's critical success, Sam Mendes doesn't rule out making his Bond helm a trilogy
-Craig more or less confirms he will be back for Bond 25, saying he is 'not gone yet.'
-In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, producer Michael G. Wilson confirms that a new distributor for the franchise will be chosen sometime near February 2016; also reconfirms a likely return for Craig
-Michael G. Wilson hints at another 3 year gap
-Producer Barbara Broccoli reveals development on B25 could begin sometime near Spring 2016
-Léa Seydoux admits to the press she has not been asked to return for B25, but would love to if given the opportunity
-Daniel Craig is announced to play Iago alongside David Oyelowo in the upcoming "Othello" in 2016, which may interfere with his role in the development of B25
December 2015
-The Mirror stirs rumours that director Guy Ritchie of The Man from UNCLE fame has been tipped to helm Bond 25, after the producers allegedly enjoyed the film
January 2016
-According to reports, Christoph Waltz has signed on to reprise his role as Ernst Stavro Blofeld for two more consecutive Bond films, as long as Craig returns as Bond
-Multiple tabloids claim a similar story in which the producers have offered Daniel Craig to film both Bond 25 and 26 back to back, due to his requests for time off
-While on the Graham Norton show, Ralph Fiennes revealed he will return for another and possibly penultimate time as Bond's boss
February 2016
-Daniel Craig is reported to star in a Todd Field directed limited series adaptation of Jonathan Franzen's Purity
-Daniel Craig's reps confirm he is not "quitting" the role of Bond, despite reports from The Sun that claim otherwise
-Associate producer Gregg Wilson states that creative work for B25 has yet to begin, but that as far as he is concerned, Craig is still Bond
-Wilson also states that they have begun to look for the next real world threat to center a B25 plotline around
-In another likely attempt to stir rumors, The Sun reports that both EoN and MGM are desperate to keep Craig in the role, and are willing to delay B25 to accommodate for his involvements in other plans
-Actor Mark Strong, a close friend of Daniel Craig, is quoted as saying he thinks Craig is done with the role
-The producers are reportedly eyeing Croatia, particularly Dubrovnik, as a filming location for B25 according to Croatian newspaper Croatia Week, after franchises like Game of Thrones and Star Wars had filmed in the country
March 2016
-Multiple outlets report that Poldark's Aidan Turner has been tipped to succeed Daniel Craig as James Bond, and has been rather coy when asked to comment in interviews
-At the Empire Awards, Sam Mendes states that he is still unsure about whether Craig will return or not. "I think you’ve got to feel 100% to come back, and I think he knows that. He needs to have a break and do another role and see how he feels after that. I’ll be watching with as much interest as you guys."
-At an MGM conference call, CEO Gary Barber confirms that Bond films will be released on a three-to-four year cycle; also states that there is 'no rush' for making a distribution deal
-Ben Whishaw states in an interview that he thinks Craig will return
-The Mirror reports that producer Barbara Broccoli is set on The Night Manager's Tom Hiddleston as Craig's replacement, but is likely building on previous rumours
April 2016
-Tom Hiddleston denies having ever had discusstions with EoN about possibly succeeding Craig as Bond
-Sam Mendes' next project is announced for DreamWorks' The Voyeur's Motel, to be directed by Mendes and produced by both him and Steven Spielberg, effectively ruling him out for B25
-Ralph Fiennes tells Den of Geek that he doesn't know whether he will come back as M or not, and that his return relies on Daniel Craig's pending decision
-Baz Bamigboye of the Daily Mail reports that Barbara Broccoli is set to produce Film Stars Don't Die in Liverpool, hinting that there is no urgency in commencing production on B25
May 2016
-Hiddleston further deflates any rumors that he is involved with replacing Craig
-A new addition in a set of likely false tabloid rumours states that an "unknown source" has spotted Tom Hiddleston meeting with producers Barbara and Michael about possibly playing Fleming's creation in a future film
-Hiddleston's representatives deny having ever had talks with EoN
-Daily Mail reports that Daniel Craig has turned down a $68 million deal to return as Bond in both Bond 25 and Bond 26
-Just as the news was catching interest from several media outlets, BBC claims that Bond officials contacted them to deny any validity surrounding the story
-In an interview with Total Film, John Logan hints that he has no plans to script the forthcoming Bond film, going against earlier statements from MGM that confirmed his writing duties for both B24 and B25
-Daniel Craig shows further signs of his departure as he is reported to be in negotiations to star in the film Logan Lucky, alongside Katherine Heigl
-The same report confirms that development on B25 still hasn't commenced and that MGM's distribution deal is still being struck
-Jamie Bell joins a long list of Bond #7 rumours, as does Michael Fassbender
-BirthMoviesDeath, a reliable film news site, reports that Tom Hiddleston has been in "advanced talks" with EoN about Bond
-Sam Mendes announces he will not direct the 25th installment of the Bond franchise
-While talking to The Guardian, Mendes vaguely suggests that the next Bond actor "will not be who you expect." (page 206)
-According to Radio Times, Susanne Bier, known largely for directing John Le Carré's The Night Manager, is on the shortlist to direct Bond 25. If proven true, Bier would become the first female director to take on the helm of Bond film
June 2016
-It is announced that Scott Rudin's Purity TV series has been greenlit and picked up by Showtime for 20 episodes to be filmed in 2017 and air over the course of two years, which may interfere with Craig's schedule for B25
-Susanne Bier addresses Bond 25 rumors; says she would love to do the job
-Metro reports that the next Bond actor will be revealed "probably within the next two weeks" according to bookmaker William Hill. This is unlikely, as EoN's hiring process will have taken much longer had they known Craig would not return
-Former BBC creative director Alan Yentob, who recently met with Barbara Broccoli, reveals that she has not yet made up her mind about Craig's possible successor, further hinting at his departure from the series
-Fan Site James Bond Downunder reports that an announcement is expected in June, but doesn't specify as to what it is for
-Paul Haggis, who co-wrote both Casino Royale and Quantum of Solace, says he would love to come back to the series if given the opportunity
-Naomie Harris states that she is still unsure about whether she will return to the series
-Former Bond girl Caterina Murino says the need for fresh challenges is the reason why Craig is "quitting" Bond, but may simply be speculating based on recent press rumours
-007 Magazine, who have proved reliable in the past, reports that Daniel Craig has indeed gone and Tom Hiddleston is the frontrunner having already shot a Bond screentest at Pinewood
-James Bond Radio denies any truth to 007 Magazine's claim based on authoritative sources
-CEO Gary Barber is reported as saying he is considering distributing the Bond franchise through MGM, making the corporation B25's sole distributor, but may be misdirection
-Tom Rothman, head of Sony Pictures, confirms that discusstions have yet to begin regarding potential distributors, but thinks Sony has the upper hand
-At the 2016 CinemaCon, Christoph Waltz reveals he has not yet been approached to return as the classic Bond villain
-Nicolas Winding Refn expresses his interest in directing a future Bond film after acknowledging previous meetings that took place between him and EON for Spectre
-MGM renews their deal with Fox Home Entertainment to distribute Bond related home releases until 2020
-A Reddit user claims that EON have been searching for directors, allegedly having met with Joe Wright, Yann Demange, and Paul McGuigan. The user also claims that Sony will distribute the film and that the producers have hired Steven Knight to write the screenplay
-Deadline reports that Daniel Craig is set to star alongside former Bond girl Halle Berry in Deniz Gamze Erguven's Kings, a film centred around the 1992 LA Riots
Edited by Jake24, 02 July 2016 - 03:04 PM.
