IFP teases an announcement for Oct. 5 (err, 5-Oct.)

Ian Fleming Publications today teased an announcement for Oct. 5 (or 5-October, if you prefer).

Early today, U.S. time, the company that controls the literary Bond, said on Twitter there would be an announcement on Oct. 5, 2022. That’s the date of so-called James Bond Day. That matches up with Oct. 5, 1962, when the film adaptation of Dr. No debuted.

But the tweet soon disappeared. The first version used the U.S. version of dates (month-day-year). There was a response (I forget from whom) objecting that it should be the international system (day-month-year).

I have no idea if that was a factor, but a new IFP tweet soon appeared with the international dating system.

👀👀👀

See you on James Bond Day! #007 pic.twitter.com/RR0PX0iBhP

— Ian Fleming (@TheIanFleming) September 15, 2022

“James Bond Day” goes back to 2012 as a way by Eon Productions to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Dr. No’s premiere. Fans have subsequently embraced it. There is often fan speculation each year if there is a big announcement coming related to 007.

IFP has just launched a new trilogy by author Kim Sherwood set in the present day (or near future) featuring new 00-agents. Bond himself is missing and may be dead. Naturally, fans are curious about what IFP has in mind with this upcoming announcement.

As usual, we’ll see.

About that (lack of a) No Time to Die trailer

No Time to Die teaser poster

Some James Bond film fans are getting a little antsy waiting for a first trailer for No Time to Die. There was some buzz it might be out on Oct. 5, James Bond Day, but that didn’t happen.

Here are a couple of strategies that Eon Productions, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (Bond’s home studio) and Universal (handling international distribution) may want to consider.

MORE RADICAL: Many fans declare they despise spoilers. Some say they don’t want trailers, won’t read press releases and decry anything that goes too far in their view.

How about Eon/MGM/Universal declare something like this: “We have heard you, Bond fans. So, we will not produce a trailer. There will be no advertising until the movie comes out in early April.”

That would get a lot of attention while saving the costs of making trailers. Entertainment websites, perhaps even the mainstream business press, would likely do stories about what wasn’t happening.

Tabloids like The Express would have headlines like this: “You WON’T BELIEVE the Marketing Strategy for the New James Bond Movie!”

LESS RADICAL: Not ready to put out a trailer? But not willing to go so far as the “more radical” strategy? Try the following.

Remember that short video Eon put out in June? It showed the making of the movie without giving away plot points. It got fans talking and was more interesting that the “video blogs” that Eon put out during production of Skyfall and SPECTRE.

Eon hasn’t really put out much since then, except for a teaser poster that came out on James Bond Day. Yes, there was a ton of tourist smartphone video during filming in the Matera, Italy, area but that was hardly planned.

A new “behind the scenes” video (accompanied by another piece of up tempo music) might get people talking again. And it would buy time until a trailer (teaser or regular) was ready.

If you’ve forgotten, here’s that video from June.

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.

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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