The Latest James Bond Headlines 
Bond 23 Suspended Indefinitely
Posted on April 20, 2010 8:32 AM
What is this, 1990?!
That was the last time a major James Bond production delay occurred - in between the James Bond tenures of Timothy Dalton and Pierce Brosnan because of legal disputes.
Bond fans everywhere can mark April 20, 2010 as the day when James Bond stalled.
Bond 23's production has been delayed indefinitely.
From the BBC News:
The production of the next James Bond film has been suspended "indefinitely" because of uncertainty over the future of film company MGM, producers say.
Producers Michael Wilson and Barbara Broccoli said they did not know when work on the 23rd Bond film would resume and there was no date for its release.
The latest Bond, due to star Daniel Craig as 007 for the third time, had been due out in 2011 or 2012.
James Bond is one of the longest running franchises in film history.
Wilson and Broccoli, of EON Productions, said: "Due to the continuing uncertainty surrounding the future of MGM and the failure to close a sale of the studio, we have suspended development on Bond 23 indefinitely."
Daniel Craig, who made his Bond debut in Casino Royale in 2006, said: "I have every confidence in Barbara and Michael's decision and look forward to production resuming as quickly as possible."
Craig is the sixth actor to play the British secret agent on the big screen, after Sean Connery, George Lazenby, Roger Moore, Timothy Dalton and Pierce Brosnan.
His first outing, in Casino Royale, was the most successful instalment in the franchise's 48-year history, taking $594m (£385m) at the global box office.
There is little doubt he will eventually return to the role, said Helen O'Hara from film magazine Empire - either with the backing of MGM or another film company.
"The last two films have done phenomenally well, and the series is a very reliable performer," she told the BBC.
"If the Bond franchise went up for sale I don't think there'd be any problem at all."
Work on the latest film was still in the early stages, Ms O'Hara added.
"I'm not sure they were vey far on," she said. "The Bond machine is always in motion and it felt like it was just beginning to heat up.
"You were beginning to have the inevitable and endless casting rumours - Rachel Weisz had been mentioned - because the British press goes nuts for it."
EON productions holds the rights to Ian Fleming's works - including the Bond series and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang - while film studio MGM owns the rights to the Bond film franchise.
The studio is also home to the Pink Panther and has a stake in the forthcoming Hobbit movie.
It is saddled with $3.7bn (£2.4bn) debt, and has been trying to find a buyer since last year.
Several companies have expressed an interest - but offers are thought to be significantly below the $2bn (£1.3bn) sought by MGM and its debt holders.
My opinion? I of course have to respect the decision. Times are tight, I get it. MGM is circling the drain - we all know that.
But let's not make this another early 90's production delay. Please? And if it is an extended delay, can Bond fans be kept in the loop? Please?
I'm not even sure what "the loop" would be in this case, but media has drastically changed since the mid-90's. It would be a shame to keep fervent Bond fans (like myself and millions of others) in the dark while a platform exists to prevent a dull, wasteful time period in between Bond movies: the Internet.
Anything. A monthly press release. A weekly blog update. A Bond 23 Twitter feed. Something that will satisfy loyal Bond fans from temporarily abandoning the series and new-found Daniel Craig Bond fans from permanently losing interest.
It's a win-win. We get Bond news, the franchise gets a steady stream of hype (albeit muted) in the meantime.
Although I'm sure it's stated in a contract somewhere or a part of MGM's sale negotiations...but what about the script? Can't writing still be accomplished here? EVERYTHING has to stop? Really?
Sad day.
