UPDATE: Well, not only is screenwriter John Logan writing Bond 24, but apparently he’s writing 25 as well, which he pitched to the producers while working on SKYFALL to be a two-movie arc for the series. You could argue that CASINO ROYALE and QUANTUM OF SOLACE were a part of a two-movie arc, but it wasn’t set up that way from the start. This, however, is. Here’s the rundown from Deadline: “the franchise’s producers have quietly made a deal with John Logan to write not one but two 007 films. I’m told that Logan pitched an original two-movie arc to Barbara Broccoli and Michael Wilson while they were shooting Skyfall, and that he has already begun writing the scripts. If plans work out, this would be the first Bond film with a storyline to be played out over multiple films, and it certainly makes it feasible that the pictures could be shot back-to-back.”
What do you think? Is this good news or bad news?
James Bond’s 23rd adventure hasn’t even hit theaters yet, but that’s not stopping producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson from moving forward with the 24th installment. The yet-to-be-titled pic will be penned by John Logan, who was brought in to rewrite SKYFALL, which was originally scripted by Neal Purvis and Robert Wade. Purvis and Wade have written five Bond films, starting with THE WORLD IS NOT ENOUGH, but will now be moving on to other projects, leaving Logan as the sole author of the next entry.
Many complained of the large space of time between films, especially the four-year gap since QUANTUM OF SOLACE. With Craig signed on the dotted line to sip martini’s, bed beautiful women, and shoot people in the face for at least two more films, it appears the producers don’t want to waste any more time in bringing the British spy to the big screen again. The aim is to have Bond 24 in production by next year with an eye towards a Fall 2014 release.
Although Craigh is signed up for two more, it also appears that producers are thinking even further ahead, with recent rumors that they’ve met with Idris Elba as a potential candidate to pick up the role after Craig. The British-born Elba is significant not only as a great actor, but also because he would be the first black James Bond if hired for the gig. It’s a good way down the road before this could happen, but it would be an interesting development, for sure.
Added to that, it seems that director Christopher Nolan’s interest in James Bond hasn’t fallen on deaf ears and that Wilson and Broccoli are “interested” in him directing a Bond film. Well, no shit. Producers are famous for hiring British talent and Nolan certainly fits that bill. It’s all speculation in that department for now, but what beautiful speculation it is.
How cool would it be to see Nolan behind the camera on a Bond film?
Skyfall opens nationwide on November 8, 2012 in IMAX and wide on November 9, 2012.