A James Bond musical and flying cars

“Oh Vesper, I adore you…Oh Vesper I cannot have you!”

Riddle me this: What do a James Bond musical and flying cars have in common?

Answer: They have the same likelihood of taking place without a disaster happening.

Stop and think about it. A James Bond film (SPECTRE) just finished principal photography. What are people talking about?

They’re talking about what a James Bond musical would be like. That’s because Merry Saltzman, daughter of founding 007 film producer Harry Saltzman, announced plans for one.

The initial stories didn’t even pose BASIC QUESTIONS about the project, much less get answers.

In this Internet age, people have run with the idea. For example, there have been stories about POSSIBLE CASTING, even if we don’t really know how realistic the production is.

Dealing with issues such as how Ms. Saltzman got the rights are messy and complicated. It’s more fun to speculate. Such as how the opening song might go….

“Oh Vesper, I adore you…
Oh Vesper I cannot have you…
One day you were here by my side…
Now you’re buried and that I cannot abide!

This reminds us of a video the satire site The Onion did in 2007. The site showed a television interviewer who persisted in asking executives of automakers about their plans to make flying cars. For now, talk of a James Bond musical is about as relevant as flying cars.

Or, to channel The Onion, “It seems the jury is still out about a James Bond musical.”

UPDATE: Nicolas Suszczyk, a Bond blogger who occasionally writes guest posts here, put this out on Twitter:

@TheSpyCommand Sorry. It had to be done. pic.twitter.com/zmagODsoVu

— Nicolás Suszczyk (@NSuszczyk) July 6, 2015

SPECTRE concludes filming, MI6 site says

SPECTRE, the 24th James Bond film, concluded principal photography this weekend, according to a story on the MI6 JAMES BOND WEBSITE.

The website said production officially ended on Sunday, July 5, the MI6 site said. Principal photography began Dec. 8, 2014.

The film is the most costly 007 film and one of the most expensive movies ever, with a budget of $300 million or more. It follows 2012’s Skyfall, which had worldwide box office of more than $1.1 billion. The new movie features a revamped version of the SPECTRE organization featured in the early James Bond films.

The end of filming was referenced on social media. Here’s a July 4 tweet from Donald Mowat, a makeup artist:

hard to believe this is our final day shooting Spectre! what a journey it has been

— donald mowat (@donaldmowat) July 4, 2015

On July 5, he sent out another Tweet:

fantastic Spectre wrap party tonight in London

— donald mowat (@donaldmowat) July 5, 2015

SPECTRE is scheduled to be released in early November by Sony Pictures.

FT tries to analyze 007’s post-SPECTRE financial future

SPECTRE teaser poster

The Financial Times, IN A STORY POSTED TODAY, tries to analyze the post-SPECTRE financial future of the James Bond film franchise.

The U.K.-based financial publication was prompted by how Sony Pictures’ deal to release James Bond films ends with SPECTRE, the 24th 007 film due for release in November.

Here are some items of note from the FT:

Releasing 007 films is a nice, but not stupendous business, for a studio: The 007 franchise is owned by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and Danjaq/Eon Productions (the Broccoli-Wilson family).

MGM, however, is too small after a 2010 bankruptcy and reorganization, to release Bond movies on its own. It needs a partner.

Sony was part of a group that owned MGM when Casino Royale and Quantum of Solace were released. Post-bankruptcy, Sony was MGM’s partner for releasing 2012’s Skyfall and this year’s SPECTRE.

An excerpt from the FT:

“While it’s a good piece of business the financial upside or downside is not significant on either end,” says a person close to the studio. “The studio can make good money but not runaway money.”

The FT story dovetails with a 2013 STORY IN THE NEW YORK TIMES that reported how Sony was third in line for profits from Skyfall, with the Broccoli-Wilson family and MGM taking their cut first.

Nevertheless, the FT said various studios — including Time Warner’s Warner Bros. and 21st Century’s 20th Century Fox — will still be interested in wrestling the Bond releasing deal from Sony.

Securing a new 007 releasing deal may be related to additional financial deals by MGM: The Financial Times says MGM may still sell stock to the public in an initial public offering or a simple sale to somebody else.

“The studio could arguably be worth more if a buyer knows a Bond distribution deal is still to be done,” according to the FT story by Matthew Garrahan. “Sony, Warner Bros, Fox and the rest of Hollywood will be watching closely.”

To read the entire Financial Times story, CLICK HERE. A shoutout to reader Paul Wynn who brought this to our attention on our Facebook page.