Bond 24’s title is SPECTRE, director Sam Mendes announced this morning at Pinewood Studios.
The director also confirmed the casting of actors Christoph Waltz, Monica Bellucci, Dave Bautista, Lea Seydoux and Andrew Scott, all of which had been reported but not officially acknowledged until today. It was an announcement only, with no questions taken from reporters.
The title appears to indicate that villain Ernst Stavro Blofeld will return to the film series. Mendes, however, declined to comment on the significance of the title.
Blofeld and SPECTRE were part of several previous Bond films but haven’t been in Eon’s series for decades because of legal complications. Rights to the character were secured last year in a settlement with the Kevin McClory estate. Blofeld’s last film appearance was in Never Say Never Again, the 1983 non-Eon Bond film where McClory had the title of executive producer. The U.K. Mail on Sunday has reported that Waltz will play Blofeld in the film.
Scott will play a “member of the Whitehall family,” Mendes said. Batista will play Mr. Hinx. Mendes didn’t specify what Mr. Hinx does but it has been widely reported Batista would be the movie’s henchman.
Mendes and Barbara Broccoli began the announcement but the co-boss of Eon Productions let the director do all the talking.
Besides the actors, Mendes confirmed the return of Neal Purvis and Robert Wade to the writing team.
Mendes only said SPECTRE has the same writing team as Skyfall, with John Logan, Purvis and Wade. The Daily Mail in the U.K. reported over the summer that Purvis and Wade were summoned to rewrite Logan’s draft. Purvis and Wade will now get a sixth Bond movie scripting credit. Only Richard Maibaum, with 13, has more.
Also coming back is Mendes’ preferred composer, Thomas Newman. Newman becomes only the third composer, after John Barry and David Arnold, to score multiple Bond films.
Daniel Craig was introduced last, with Mendes saying the movie would be “built around” Bond as all 007 movies “should be.”
Mendes also disclosed Bond will drive a new Aston Martin DB10 in the film. SPECTRE will have a seven-month shooting schedule.
UPDATE: Scott Hand of the 007 Forever page on Facebook passed along a press release that includes a plot summary:
A cryptic message from Bond’s past sends him on a trail to uncover a sinister organisation. While M battles political forces to keep the secret service alive, Bond peels back the layers of deceit to reveal the terrible truth behind SPECTRE.
UPDATE II: The Bond Lifestyle website has a copy of THE SPECTRE PRESS RELEASE.
Filed under: James Bond Films | Tagged: Andrew Scott, Barbara Broccoli, Bond 24, Bond 24 title, Christoph Waltz, Daniel Craig, Dave Bautista, Eon Productions, Hoyte van Hoytema, James Bond Films, John Logan, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Monica Bellucci, Neal Purvis, Robert Wade, Sony Pictures, Thomas Newman | 3 Comments »