Box Office Mojo projects modest rise for Skyfall in U.S.

The Box Office Mojo Web site has projected about a 10 percent rise in North American ticket sales for Skyfall compared with 2008’s Quantum of Solace.

The Web site predicts Skyfall’s ticket sales in the region will total $185 million, compared with $168.4 million for Quantum of Solace, the most recent 007 movie. Quantum set a regional record for Bond movies in 2008.

An excerpt:

With killer previews, an Adele theme song that’s getting tons of radio play, and some of the best reviews in the franchise’s history, expect a new high mark to be set by Skyfall.

Average U.S. movie ticket prices increased 10 percent from $7.18 in 2008 to $7.93 in 2011.

Box Office Mojo’s projection isn’t a consensus. Deadline, the Nikki Finke-founded entertainment news Web site, says there are “all-in guesstimates” that Skyfall will have U.S. ticket sales of $215 million.

Skyfall is a much hotter ticket outside the U.S. The Hollywood Reporter says the 23rd James Bond movie may pass the $100 million mark in ticket sales on Nov. 1. The film opened in the U.K. and other markets on Oct. 26 and opens in the U.S. on Nov. 9.

How the Disney-Lucas deal could affect 007

The big entertainment industry news on Oct. 30 was that Walt Disney Co. agreed to buy George Lucas’s Lucasfilm Ltd. for about $4 billion. Mickey Mouse meets Luke Skywalker. But it couldn’t affect 007, could it?

What’s your next move, 007? Bond 24 in 2014 or 2015?

Don’t count on it.

Disney already planned to release The Avengers 2 in 2015. Now, the studio wants to jump start the Star Wars franchise with a new movie that same year.

The question for Eon Productions and its business partners Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (which controls 50 percent of the Bond franchise) and Sony Pictures (which is releasing Skyfall and the next two 007 movies) is when Bond 24 comes out. MGM and Sony want that to happen in 2014. Eon says 2014 or 2015.

Michael G. Wilson, in an interview with the Den of Geek Web site said Bond 24’s schedule depends. “If we’re rapid it’ll be two years, if we’re not it’ll be three,” the veteran Eon co-boss said in the interview.

Here’s what Eon has to consider: Is 2014 sufficient time for the next movie after Skyfall. If not, do you run a risk waiting for 2015, when The Avengers 2 and Star Wars 7 may suck up a lot of the box-office oxygen? If the answer is 2015, can MGM and Sony find the right place in the schedule where Bond 24 won’t get squeezed by two potential Disney blockbusters?

The Ian Fleming character Kronsteen (in his screen incarnation) once claimed to have considered all the possibilities of move and counter move. For that character in the 1963 movie From Russia With Love, things didn’t work out so well. Eon, Sony and MGM have more time on their hands. But they also may want to ponder move and counter move.

Skyfall projected to set U.K. box office record, Deadline says

UPDATE (2:15 p.m. New York Time): The Hollywood.com Web site has a COPY OF A SONY PICTURES PRESS RELEASE. It estimates Skyfall’s opening weekend in the U.K. at 20.1 million pounds ($32.4 million) and $77.7 million in 25 markets.

EARLIER: The Deadline entertainment news Web site, IN A POST LATE OCT. 27, said Skyfall is projected to set a U.K. box office record, with ticket sales of 20 million British pounds, or $32 million, in its opening weekend.

Deadline cited “sources” it didn’t further describe. Casino Royale had an opening weekend ticket sales of 13.37 million British pounds and Quantum of Solace 15.38 million, the Web site said.

Some details in an excerpt:

Skyfall‘s Friday opening day of £6.2M ($9.99M) also shattered Quantum Of Solace‘s previous recordholder of £4.9M. Saturday was expected to be higher and Sunday’s about the same. (Numbers may be refined on Sunday…) Helping total grosses, Skyfall was expected to be shown almost 75 to 100 times in round-the-clock screenings over its opening weekend at some UK cinemas in London, Manchester, Liverpool, and Southhampton.

The Web site, founded and edited by Nikki Finke, has a good accuracy record with its scoops. It was the first outlet to report that Sam Mendes was involved with Skyfall.

Bond 24 coming in 2 or 3 years, producers say

Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson, co-bosses of Eon Productions gave an interview to the DEN OF GEEK Web site. In it, they indicate that Bond 24 could arrive in 2014 or 2015.

Barbara Broccoli

Here’s the exchange:

Have any preparations been made for Bond 24 yet?

Broccoli: No, no.

How long a space do you think you’ll need?

Wilson: If we’re rapid it’ll be two years, if we’re not it’ll be three. It’ll be in that time period.

Barbara Broccoli is also quoted as saying, “So I think we just want to open this one, have a bit of a break and get on with the next one.”

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, the studio that controls half of the 007 franchise, and Sony Pictures, which co-financed and is releasing Skyfall, have indicated they want to get the series back to an every-other-year schedule.

The Den of Geek interview was posted on Oct. 25. One day later, the Deadline entertainment Web site reported that John Logan was hired to write scripts for Bond 24 and Bond 25. The Hollywood Reporter had a story reporting the same thing. Both said Logan pitched an original two-movie story line.

John Logan to write Bond 24 AND Bond 25, Deadline says

Skyfall co-scripter John Logan

First, the Daily Mail says John Logan, co-writer of Skyfall, has signed to write Bond 24. Now, the Deadline entertainment news Web site says Logan has a deal TO WRITE THE NEXT TWO 007 MOVIES.

An excerpt:

EXCLUSIVE: As buzz builds for the 23rd James Bond film Skyfall, 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.

The “I’m” refers to Deadline’s Mike Fleming, who has trumped Baz Bagimpoye of the U.K. Daily Mail, who was the first to report that Logan would script the next Bond movie.

If the Deadline report is true, it would mark a departure for Eon Productions.

In the early 1990s, Eon co-founder Albert R. Broccoli put the company up for sale. No deal resulted. Then, there was talk that Eon was stockpiling scripts so it could get off to a running start once a legal dispute between Eon and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer was resolved. But even after the legal fight ended, no multi-movie scheme occurred. Instead, everything went back to square one, which resulted in 1995’s GoldenEye.

The background of all this: MGM wants to get Bond movies back on an every-other-year schedule (MGM said this as part of it s2010 bankruptcy). Sony wants the next Bond movie out in 2014 (making an announcement to theater executives earlier this year that would happen). The one piece of the puzzle: Eon itself, where co-boss Barbara Broccoli hasn’t publicly committed to such a schedule.

As Lt. Colubmo once said, “Just one more thing.” Eon has long said it doesn’t like any of the continuation novels commissioned by Glidrose/Ian Fleming Publications after the death of Ian Fleming. Eon co-boss Michael G. Wilson, at a 1995 fan convention in New York, indicated he didn’t like any of the John Gardner continuation novels. So, if John Logan really has a two-picture writing deal, it will probably be a new story and not based on any continuation novel.

Also, to date, Eon hasn’t demonstrated the kind of long range planning that the Marvel Studios unit of Walt Disney Co. has.

UPDATE (Oct. 27): The Hollywood Reporter has a STORY ON THIS which adds Logan’s two screenplays will tell an original story and aren’t based on anything by Ian Fleming.

John Logan hired to write Bond 24, Daily Mail says

Skyfall co-scripter John Logan

And so it begins. Skyfall, the 23rd James Bond film, opens in the U.K. on Oct. 26 (Nov. 9 in the U.S.) and we’ve already had the first major report about Bond 24. The Daily Mail in a story you can read BY CLICKING HERE says Eon Productions has hired John Logan to write Bond 24.

An excerpt:

Bond 24 is already in pre-pre-production and the plan is for it to start shooting at Pinewood Studios around this time next year and be ready for cinemas in the autumn of 2014.

Screenwriter John Logan has been hired to write Bond 24…(snip) On Skyfall, he was brought in by director Sam Mendes and producers Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli to re-write the existing Skyfall screenplay that had been created by Neal Purvis and Robert Wade.

The writer is Baz Bamigboye, who has had a number of scoops about Skyfall that panned out. The Daily Mail has a trashy reputation in general but Bamigboye had a decent track record for accuracy for Skyfall. We’ll see if it’s true.

If the Daily Mail writer is accurate, that would indicate there is a serious effort to get Bond 24 out in two years’ time. Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer wants it (the studio said in court papers filed during a 2010 bankruptcy it wanted to get the 007 series back on an every-other-year schedule). Sony Pictures wants it (an executive has already told theater executives it plans to release Bond 24 in 2014). Eon Productions co-boss Barbara Broccoli hasn’t publicly committed to it.

Meanwhile, 007 movies have a bit of mixed history with screenwriters delivering late drafts who won acclaim along the way.

Bruce Feirstein did the final drafts of 1995’s Goldeneye but had a rough time with 1997’s Tomorrow Never Dies. Feirstein was the only credited writer on Tomorrow but his first draft was drastically revamped by a number of other writers before Feirstein was brought back. Feirstein’s final 007 film credit was 1998’s The World Is Not Enough, where he rewrote the initial Purvis-Wade effort.

Paul Haggis got a lot of good press for 2006’s Casino Royale, where he revised a Purvis-Wade script. Haggis’s follow up effort for 2008’s Quantum of Solace (where he shared credit with Purvis and Wade) weren’t nearly as well received.

Meanwhile, if you CLICK HERE you can read a 2002 interview Purvis and Wade gave to HMSS about Die Another Day, one of the five 007 movies they’ve worked on.

MI6 Confidential’s new issue looks at Skyfall

MI6 Confidential No. 18 looks at Skyfall, the 23rd James Bond movie that opens in the U.K. this week.

The NEW ISSUE includes interviews with star Daniel Craig and director Sam Mendes; an overview on the making of movie; a feature on producers Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli; and a look at the new documentary Everything or Nothing about the 50th anniversary of the 007 film series.

There’s also an article about the pre-007 work of Harry Saltzman, who co-founded Eon Productions with Albert R. Broccoli.

The price is 6 British pounds, $10 or 7 euros. For ordering information, CLICK HERE.

October’s other Ian Fleming 50th anniversary

Ian Fleming

This month has seen the 50th anniversary of Dr. No, the first screen adaptation of Ian Fleming’s spy hero, James Bond, as well as the world premier of Skyfall, the 23rd film in the Eon Production series.

Next week is the 50th anniversary of another milestone involving the author, but it’s not likely to get the same publicity.

Oct. 29 through Oct. 31 marks 50 years since Fleming met with television producer Norman Felton concerning a project that would emerge as The Man From U.N.C.L.E. television series that ran on NBC from September 1964 to January 1968.

The two men met over three days in New York City about the project. Craig Henderson’s For Your Eyes Only Web site has a day-by-day account that you can read BY CLICKING HERE. In a 1997 interview, Felton (who passed away earlier this year at age 99) described how it was difficult to keep Fleming focused on the subject.

On the third, and final, day of meetings, Fleming produced some notes written on Western Union telegraph blanks. The one idea that Fleming has that would stick is naming the hero Napoleon Solo. Fleming would remain interested in the project until May 28, 1963, his 55th birthday and he’d finally sign away his rights on June 26, 1963.

The author was pressured by the producers of the Bond films, Albert R. Broccoli and Harry Saltzman, to abandon a television show they viewed as an unwelcome competitor. In any event, Fleming’s U.N.C.L.E. involvement while brief, was eventful. He’d also end up supplying the name of April Dancer (which he intended as a Miss Moneypenny-type character), which would be used in the spinoff series, The Girl From U.N.C.L.E.

Barbara Broccoli plugs Skyfall’s Oscar chances

Barbara Broccoli

Barbara Broccoli, co-boss of Eon Productions, says Daniel Craig’s and Judi Dench’s performances as M in Skyfall have Oscar potential

THE TELEGRAPH CITING RADIO TIMES quotes Broccoli thusly:

“I am surprised there haven’t been acting nominations, if not for Bond then for the support.” Broccoli said she “wouldn’t be surprised if Judi was nominated for this one”.
A nomination for Daniel Craig as Bond should not be out of the question either, according to Broccoli, who described him as “that extraordinary combination of movie star and great actor”.

Broccoli also had this quote:

(Broccoli) admitted that Bond’s treatment of women in the middle years of the franchise were “distasteful”.
Ursula Andress in Dr No and Honor Blackman in Goldfinger were capable characters, Broccoli said. “Unfortunately, later in the series they got to be window dressing. [Bond] developed some rather distasteful pastimes but those have now receded into the past.
“Now it’s about the cocktail, the cars and the beautiful countries he gets to go to, [and] resourceful, strong women who give as much as they get.”

The article doesn’t provide specifics concerning which Bond women characters were distateful.

Barbara Bach’s Soviet Agent Triple-X in 1977’s The Spy Who Loved Me was the first “Bond’s equal.” Lois Chiles’s Holly Goodhead character, despite the risque name (presumably inspired by Blackman’s Pussy Galore character), was supposed to be along the same lines in 1979’s Moonraker, a woman who doubled as CIA agent and astronaut.

Broccoli and her half-brother Michael G. Wilson took over as producers of the Bond series starting with 1995’s GoldenEye. Their tenure included another “Bond’s equal” with Michelle Yeoh’s Wai Lin, a Chinese agent in 1997’s Tomorrow Never Dies. On the other hand, it also included Denise Richards portraying Dr. Christmas Jones, who some fans saw as an unlikely scientist, in 1999’s The World Is Not Enough.

Skyfall and spoilers

“NOOO! It’s a SPOILER!”

No spoilers in the text. But there are in the links. So if you don’t want to know, don’t click.

On Oct. 21, The Sun newspaper in the U.K. had a Skyfall spoiler. The story (which you can view BY CLICKING HERE if you don’t mind spoilers) had the giveaway in the headline and the URL of the online version.

In other words, if you picked up the paper or looked at the Web site, it was in your face. That includes Americans who traveled to the U.K. to see the movie this week, first for its premier and then for regular showings, who had tried to avoid spoilers.

To avoid specifics in this post, we’ll just say it was a spoiler that was categorically denied (or worded very carefully to make it sound like a categorical denial) by the principal involved and 007 FAN SITES TOOK THE DENIAL SERIOUSLY. Now, it turns out….well, we said we wouldn’t tell you because, well, it’s a spoiler.

The internet has increased the difficulty in remaining spoiler free. This, in turn, has made some fans more and more angry about spoilers.

Back in the early ’90s, just as internet message boards were getting popular, somebody wrote a post on the old Prodigy system about Alien 3. It’s title? “ALIEN 3 — RIPLEY DIES!” Responses quickly were written urging new laws to prevent this sort of thing. Those were among the milder of the responses.

It has continued since. Some folks get concerned when you give away the ending of an old movie. They don’t necessarily get upset if you mention that Rosebud is the name of the sled, but will (with a straight face) object to talking about the ending of an eight-year-old film such as Layer Cake (which has a major connection to Skyfall; we won’t tell you what it is, because it’s a spoiler).

At one time, the 007 movies didn’t seem too concerned about spoilers; soundtracks had titles such as “Death of Fiona” or “Death of Aki” among their tracks.

Skyfall’s publicity has been different, with references to all the twists in the film’s story and thus it had to be hush-hush. On the other hand, there was a press preview two weeks before Skyfall was scheduled to be shown in U.K. While most of the critics who have written about the film have been restrained with plot details, it’s hard not to give anything away.

For U.K. fans, you only have a few more days to dodge the dreaded spoilers. U.S. fans have a tougher job, especially once U.K. 007 fans start writing on the internet about the film two weeks before it shows up in U.S. theaters.