Bond 25 questions: James Bond Day edition

No Time to Die teaser poster

Another James Bond Day appears to be in the books. But the blog still has some questions about the meaning of the day’s events.

What’s this holiday’s name again?

In 2012, Global James Bond Day debuted. It was the 50th anniversary of when Dr. No had its U.K. debut. The new “holiday” was a marketing move to note the Bond film franchise’s 50th anniversary.

Since then, it’s had the name Global James Bond Day. Until this year.

Eon Productions (via a tweet) as well as Pinewood Studios (also in a tweet), Orlebar Brown (a maker of pricey 007-themed clothing, also in a tweet) and Aston Martin (you guessed it, in a tweet) all called it James Bond Day, with the “Global” taken off.

However, No Time to Die director Cary Fukunaga, in a video on his Instagram page, called it “International James Bond Day.”

The memo didn’t make it to many Bond fan sites that kept referring to it as Global James Bond Day.

What about the teaser poster?

It came out on (Global/International) James Bond Day. But it was a minimalist affair, with an image of Daniel Craig in a tuxedo.

What about the teaser trailer?

That’s an event for another day, apparently. We’re about six months from the debut of No Time to Die. So you’d think it’d be out sooner than later. But not on (Global/International) James Bond Day.

Who was responsible for the teaser poster?

Some fans on social media were inclined to blame studios (either MGM, Bond’s home studio or its distribution partners).

However, in 2015, Eon’s Michael Wilson said Eon does the marketing and studios just execute what Eon devises. If he was correct, Eon has some fingerprints on that poster.

What about those Bond-themed names for new roads at Pinewood Studios?

Pinewood said an expansion area will have a Michael G. Wilson Road and Skyfall Avenue. The announcement came as the future of Bond at Pinewood is up in the air.

Pinewood Group PLC, Pinewood’s owner, and Walt Disney Co. have announced a deal where Disney will lock up the vast bulk of Pinewood facilities in a long-term deal. Shepperton Studios, also owned by Pinewood Group, this summer reached a deal with Netflix that locks up most of that studio space.

It remains to be seen how this will play out. But it raises the possibility that Disney crews will travel on Michael G. Wilson Road and Skyfall Avenue so they can perform their day’s work. Not to mention going to the Albert R. Broccoli 007 Stage to do a day’s labor.

No Time to Die teaser poster released

No Time to Die teaser poster

The No Time to Die teaser poster came out this morning and it’s a minimalist work, often the case with teasers.

The poster is an image of star Daniel Craig in a tuxedo. It lists no other cast or crew members.

In March 2015, the teaser poster for SPECTRE was released. In that, Craig wore a turtleneck with a shoulder holster, evoking (depending on the interpretation) Roger Moore in Live And Let Die or Steve McQueen in Bullitt.

UPDATE (7:30 p.m. New York time): Reader @CorneelVF points out that Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Bond’s home studio, gets mentioned twice at the bottom of poster. Universal, handling international distribution, gets a logo. United Artists Releasing (handling U.S. distribution), the MGM-Annapurna joint venture, gets a logo. But no logo or mention of Annapurna proper. That’s show biz.

There’s also no sign of the Eon logo that has been used on its non-Bond films.

Michael G. Wilson gets an honor

Michael G. Wilson

Michael G. Wilson, the longest-serving member of the James Bond film franchise, is receiving an honor from Pinewood Studios.

A road in an expansion area of Pinewood will be called Michael G. Wilson Road, Pinewood said in a tweet.

Wilson, 77, has worked for the franchise full-time since 1972 when he joined Danjaq/Eon as a lawyer. In that capacity, he was part of negotiations when co-founder Harry Saltzman sold off his interest in the franchise because of financial difficulties.

Wilson’s first on-screen credit in a Bond film was as special assistant to producer for The Spy Who Loved Me. He took on the title of executive producer for Moonraker through Octopussy. He then shared the producer title with his stepfather, Albert R. Broccoli for A View to a Kill through Licence to Kill.

Wilson has shared the producer’s title with his half-sister Barbara Broccoli since 1995’s GoldenEye.

Pinewood also said another street in the expansion area will be called Skyfall Avenue, named after the 23rd film in the Eon Bond series.

The announcement was part of James Bond Day (apparently a new name, shortened from Global James Bond Day). Here’s the Pinewood tweet.

Coming soon: two new roads at our Pinewood expansion will be named in honour of @007 #JamesBondDay pic.twitter.com/uqc5nS4Kep

— Pinewood Studios (@PinewoodStudios) October 5, 2019

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