James Bond last graced the silver screen in 2015 with Spectre, the second spy adventure from Sam Mendes that received mixed reviews on its way to $880.6 million worldwide. In the 1.5 years since that film's release, word has been relatively quiet on the Bond front. During Spectre's press tour, Craig frequently complained about his role as the character, making such negative comments that many thought that the chances of his return were close to none. Mendes also separated himself from the franchise, opting to tackle more theater projects and maybe prepping for an adaptation of Pinocchio at Disney. During this time, EON producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael Wilson have been shopping the series around to new distributors, as their contract with Sony ended with Spectre. With Warner Bros., Universal, and AnnaPurna floated as possibilities for several months now, there is still no announced deal. Throw in rumors of Tom Hiddleston's casting, as well as the potential involvement of Christopher Nolan and his production company, and you have a lot of action in the Bond world.
But on Monday, we got our first concrete piece of information on Bond 25. The official website for James Bond announced that the film will debut on November 8, 2019 in the US, with an earlier release in the UK and around the globe. Neal Purvis and Robert Wade will once again be on screenplay duty (they've written every Craig Bond film), but the site claimed that distribution, cast, and director were all aspects of the production that would be announced at a later date. However, that didn't stop reporters from dropping a seemingly endless barrage of scoops focused on the details of this new film. Shortly after the Monday announcement, New York Times reporter Brooks Barnes revealed that, yes, Daniel Craig will be returning to don the tuxedo one final time, fulfilling the option in his contract. Barnes cited two anonymous sources close to EON Productions and Metro Goldwyn-Maher, the studio that holds the rights to Bond.
Nobody has refuted that story so far, and all signs point to Craig coming back for a final send-off. Two questions remain- who will distribute the film and who will direct it? Earlier today, Deadline's Mike Fleming reported that there are three front-runners for the directorial position- Yann Demange, Denis Villeneuve, and David Mackenzie. Variety's Justin Kroll followed that up with a report of his own, citing that he believes Demange is leading the pack. In addition, Kroll claims that Warner Bros. is heavily favored to gain distribution rights for the picture.
The Demange news makes sense, as Villeneuve is set to direct Dune after the release of Blade Runner 2049, and Mackenzie has been rumored for a myriad of projects since the breakout success of Hell or High Water. Demange is best known for the Jack O'Connell feature '71, but he's currently in post-production on crime drama White Boy Rick, starring Matthew McConaughey. I know most Bond fans would prefer a Nolan or Villeneuve-directed film, but I think that the 25th installment is going to work best as a send-off for Craig. After the success of Logan this year, a tribute to the actor and his incredible time as the character is worthwhile in my book. Look for more Bond news in the coming weeks.
Images: Sony
Sources: 007, New York Times, Deadline, Variety
But on Monday, we got our first concrete piece of information on Bond 25. The official website for James Bond announced that the film will debut on November 8, 2019 in the US, with an earlier release in the UK and around the globe. Neal Purvis and Robert Wade will once again be on screenplay duty (they've written every Craig Bond film), but the site claimed that distribution, cast, and director were all aspects of the production that would be announced at a later date. However, that didn't stop reporters from dropping a seemingly endless barrage of scoops focused on the details of this new film. Shortly after the Monday announcement, New York Times reporter Brooks Barnes revealed that, yes, Daniel Craig will be returning to don the tuxedo one final time, fulfilling the option in his contract. Barnes cited two anonymous sources close to EON Productions and Metro Goldwyn-Maher, the studio that holds the rights to Bond.
Nobody has refuted that story so far, and all signs point to Craig coming back for a final send-off. Two questions remain- who will distribute the film and who will direct it? Earlier today, Deadline's Mike Fleming reported that there are three front-runners for the directorial position- Yann Demange, Denis Villeneuve, and David Mackenzie. Variety's Justin Kroll followed that up with a report of his own, citing that he believes Demange is leading the pack. In addition, Kroll claims that Warner Bros. is heavily favored to gain distribution rights for the picture.
The Demange news makes sense, as Villeneuve is set to direct Dune after the release of Blade Runner 2049, and Mackenzie has been rumored for a myriad of projects since the breakout success of Hell or High Water. Demange is best known for the Jack O'Connell feature '71, but he's currently in post-production on crime drama White Boy Rick, starring Matthew McConaughey. I know most Bond fans would prefer a Nolan or Villeneuve-directed film, but I think that the 25th installment is going to work best as a send-off for Craig. After the success of Logan this year, a tribute to the actor and his incredible time as the character is worthwhile in my book. Look for more Bond news in the coming weeks.
Images: Sony
Sources: 007, New York Times, Deadline, Variety
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