007 questions about Bond 24

Among the unanswered questions….

Now that Bond 24 screenwriter John Logan says the movie’s first draft script is almost done, it’s time once again to pose some questions about the next 007 film adventure.

001. First draft? Only the first draft? Well, that’s what Logan TOLD EMPIRE IN AN INTERVIEW.

002. But isn’t that mean Bond 24 is behind, relatively speaking, where Skyfall was three years ago? Yes. A first draft was in place in early 2011 when Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer announced the then-untitled movie was a go and it’d be out for the fall of 2012.

Based on later statements Logan made, he came aboard around that time. He said in early 2012 he’d been attached to the Bond film for about a year. Logan revamped earlier work by Neal Purvis and Robert Wade, and all three got a “written by” credit for Skyfall. In any case, that means there was a draft for Logan to rewrite.

003. Is that cause for concern? Not necessarily.

MGM announced in November 2012 that Logan would be writing Bond 24 and 25. It’s possible — though nobody outside of a close circle of people at Eon Productions, MGM or Sony Pictures knows — Logan may have a detailed treatment done some time ago.

If (a big if, admittedly) that’s the case, major storytelling problems may have been already addressed. Then again, oversight intensifies when there’s an actual script to evaluate.

004. Any chance a rebooted Blofeld might appear now that Eon has secured the rights to the character once and for all? Logan was coy about this possibility, or whether Quantum (the villainous organization of Casino Royale and Quantum Solace) may return.

The deal with the Kevin McClory estate was made in the fall of 2013, long after Logan was signed to write Bond 24 and Bond 25, but months before the first draft was nearing completion. So, sure, it’s possible.

005. What car company will land the Bond 24 product placement deal? Despite the presence of the 1960s Aston Martin DB5, Skyfall’s real auto deal was with Tata Motors Ltd., owner of the Land Rover and Jaguar brands. Land Rover hired Daniel Craig to appear at the New York International Auto Show in 2013.

Bentley, owned by Volkswagen AG, has made noises about getting into the mix for Bond 24. (CLICK HERE to view a story on the MI6 site.) File this under “remains to be seen.”

006. Will the gunbarrel finally be at the start of the movie again for Bond 24? As a certain Bond woman once said, “I wouldn’t go banco on that.” Nobody at Eon, certainly, has promised it’ll be at the start. The gunbarrel logo hasn’t been at the start of a 007 movie since 2002’s Die Another Day. By now, standard operating procedure is no.

007. What do you think *will* happen? There’s a 99 percent probability Barbara Broccoli will say, “the money’s up on the screen,” during the news conference for the start of production.

RE-POST: HMSS Weblog marks its 5th anniversary

Originally published Aug. 19. Re-posted (with a few updates) today, the actual anniversary

The HMSS Weblog, a spinoff of the Her Majesty’s Secret Servant Web site, this year marks its fifth anniversary.

The blog was originally envisioned as a way for HMSS to maintain a presence between issues of the e-magazine. HMSS Weblog took a while to find its own voice. The first post on OCT. 8, 2008, concerned an omnibus of three Raymond Benson James Bond novels.

For a time, posts relied on embedding YouTube videos. The problem with that is such videos are often yanked from the video-sharing Web site. So, over time, that has been de-emphasized. What’s more, longer posts began appearing on a regular basis. (Click HERE, HERE and HERE for an early three-part example.)

The turning point was a series of posts leading up to GOLDFINGER’S 45TH ANNIVERSARY in 2009. The Rap Sheet, a blog devoted to crime and detective fiction gave the series a nice (and unsolicited) shoutout in a post about Goldfinger. That encouraging word along with other feedback indicated there was an audience for the kinds of posts HMSS Weblog was doing.

There are many James Bond fan sites. The effort here is do something when the blog has something to say.

Sometimes it’s a reappraisal (essentially a re-review) of films such as QUANTUM OF SOLACE, LIVE AND LET DIE and OCTOPUSSY.

Sometimes, there are posts about major anniversaries of Bond films or other spy-related entertainment. And sometimes, it’s keeping track of new James Bond and spy-related entertainment in posts like THIS ONE or THIS ONE. And don’t forget THIS POST dubbed “Goodbye, old friend.”

Also, don’t forget posts about EFFORTS TO MAKE A MOVIE VERSION OF THE MAN FROM U.N.C.L.E. and a recent series on FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE’S 50TH ANNIVERSARY.

Meanwhile, Her Majesty’s Secret Servant is on extended hiatus for various real-life reasons. A planned issue “best of” issue including Skyfall reviews in late 2012 was scrapped. The Skyfall reviews WERE EVENTUALLY POSTED ON THE HMSS WEBLOG.

The HMSS Weblog is mostly a one-man band except with exceptions such as MARK HENDERSON’S INTERVIEW WITH CARTE BLANCHE AUTHOR JEFFERY DEAVER or posts like THIS ONE about Aaron Sorkin dropping James Bond refrences into some of his television scripts. The blog will continue on as long as it’s fun and there’s something to say.

Earlier posts:

THE `BANNED’ 007 COMMENTARIES: WHAT WAS THE FUSS? (JANUARY 2012)

PRICE OF ACCESS TO 007? (JANUARY 2012)

THE MAN FROM U.N.C.L.E. CURSE (NOVEMBER 2011)

007 FIDELITY INDEX; HOW CLOSE ARE THE FILMS TO THE BOOKS? PART I

DR. NO’S 50 ANNIVERSARY CONCLUSION: LEGACY (September 2012)

HMSS Weblog marks its fifth anniversary

The HMSS Weblog, a spinoff of the Her Majesty’s Secret Servant Web site, this year marks its fifth anniversary. This post is to celebrate a couple of months early before the flow of news picks up in September.

The blog was originally envisioned as a way for HMSS to maintain a presence between issues of the e-magazine. HMSS Weblog took a while to find its own voice. The first post on OCT. 8, 2008, concerned an omnibus of three Raymond Benson James Bond novels.

For a time, posts relied on embedding YouTube videos. The problem with that is such videos are often yanked from the video-sharing Web site. So, over time, that has been de-emphasized. What’s more, longer posts began appearing on a regular basis. (Click HERE, HERE and HERE for an early three-part example.)

The turning point was a series of posts leading up to GOLDFINGER’S 45TH ANNIVERSARY in 2009. The Rap Sheet, a blog devoted to crime and detective fiction gave the series a nice (and unsolicited) shoutout in a post about Goldfinger. That encouraging word along with other feedback indicated there was an audience for the kinds of posts HMSS Weblog was doing.

There are many James Bond fan sites. The effort here is do something when the blog has something to say.

Sometimes it’s a reappraisal (essentially a re-review) of films such as QUANTUM OF SOLACE, LIVE AND LET DIE and OCTOPUSSY.

Sometimes, there are posts about major anniversaries of Bond films or other spy-related entertainment. And sometimes, it’s keeping track of new James Bond and spy-related entertainment in posts like THIS ONE or THIS ONE. And don’t forget THIS POST dubbed “Goodbye, old friend.”

Meanwhile, Her Majesty’s Secret Servant is on extended hiatus for various real-life reasons. A planned issue “best of” issue including Skyfall reviews in late 2012 was scrapped. The Skyfall reviews WERE EVENTUALLY POSTED ON THE HMSS WEBLOG.

The HMSS Weblog is mostly a one-man band except with occasional exceptions such as MARK HENDERSON’S INTERVIEW WITH CARTE BLANCHE AUTHOR JEFFERY DEAVER or posts like THIS ONE. The blog will continue on as long as it’s fun and there’s something to say.

Earlier posts:

THE `BANNED’ 007 COMMENTARIES: WHAT WAS THE FUSS? (JANUARY 2012)

PRICE OF ACCESS TO 007? (JANUARY 2012)

THE MAN FROM U.N.C.L.E. CURSE (NOVEMBER 2011)

007 FIDELITY INDEX; HOW CLOSE ARE THE FILMS TO THE BOOKS? PART I

DR. NO’S 50 ANNIVERSARY CONCLUSION: LEGACY (September 2012)

New questions about Bond 24

“More questions?”

The July 11 announcement that Sam Mendes is returning to the 007 series to direct Bond 24 and that the film will come out in fall 2015 was the biggest Bond news this year. But, once more, there are questions.

Didn’t Mendes once say the thought of directing Bond 24, after spending so much time on Skyfall, made him “physically ill”?

Indeed he did.

What happened to change his mind? Perhaps it was the prospect of a big raise. Perhaps having a break from Bond (and the chance to work on some stage projects) changed his point of view. Regardless, producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson, according to multiple accounts, courted him intensely for Bond 24, even after he turned them down. Also, when everybody is telling you how wonderful you are, that’s a powerful enticement.

Anything about the release catch your eye? In the release, there was this quote attributed to Sony executives: “EON, John Logan and Sam Mendes have come up with an extraordinary follow up to SKYFALL and we, along with our partners at MGM, can’t wait to share this new chapter with audiences all over the world.”

That might be merely hype, but it does lay down the gauntlet. The Sony executives didn’t have to say that. Thus, it’s a bit of self-induced pressure. (Sony Pictures’ Columbia Pictures will release Bond 24, as it has every 007 film since 2006’s Casino Royale.)

Anything else in the release of note? John Logan is the only writer mentioned. That doesn’t mean others might not be brought into the fold later but, for now, Logan is the man as far as scripting is concerned.

Have any other crew members been announced? No. (You can CLICK HERE to read the entire press release.) But given that Mendes has a long-standing relationship with composer Thomas Newman, it would appear to be a good guess that the Oscar-nominated composer will return and David Arnold, the five-time 007 composer, won’t.

Will the gunbarrel logo finally return to the start of a 007 movie with Bond 24? A guess: the odds are 007-1 against it. A gunbarrel logo at the start was the old 007 series. Starting with Casino Royale, Wilson and Broccoli have sought something “for ourselves.” There may even be stories about how Mendes & Co. really, really tried but just couldn’t bring it off.

Note: We’d love to be proven wrong. But until the gunbarrel actually shows up at the start of a 007 film, count this blog as skeptical.

OCTOBER 2012 POST: GOOD-BYE, SOLD FRIEND (SKYFALL SPOILER)

MARCH 2013 POST: WHY WE GUESS BOND 24 WON’T BE OUT UNTIL AT LEAST 2015

MAY 2013 POST: MORE SIGNS BOND 24 WON’T BE OUT UNTIL AT LEAST 2015

New poll from HMSS