Blog says it has `true low down’ on Bond 23; author dubbed ‘world’s worst film critic’ by U.K.’s Guardian

Now that Bond 23 is officially back on, with a 2012 release date, the rumor mill is starting to crank it up. The Pittsburgh Film Industry Examiner says it has the “true low down” on Bond 23, including an effort to replace Daniel Craig as agent 007 before it was announced this week he’d star in his third James Bond movie. Before anyone accepts the blog post as gospel, however, the term caveat emptor — let the buyer beware — comes to mind.

The Web blog post by Fiore Mastracci has this passage:

The first battle staged over BOND 23 had to do with its star, Daniel Craig. There was a concerted effort to oust Craig as Bond and insert Clive Owen. Owen has coveted the role for some time and was on the original short list of possible Bonds before Craig was selected. Craig fell out of favor with (Barbara) Broccoli and MGM with two ill timed incidents.

The reasons Mastracci cites get into National Enquirer territory. If you want to check it out, feel free to click the above link to Mastracci’s post. It should be also noted that Barbara Broccoli, co-chief of Eon Productions with her half-brother Michael G. Wilson, has previously declared that Craig is the best James Bond ever.

More reason to be wary: Mastracci doesn’t enjoy universal respect. The Guardian newspaper in the U.K. ran a article in 2009 calling Mastracci the world’s worst film critic. The Guardian article has this passage:

This guy had his own cable show in Pittsburgh. He was – God help us – a teacher on the subject of film. The reviews on his blog – Fiore Mastracci’s Outtakes – actually counted towards the rating on review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes.

Mastracci says the other Bond 23 battle is a competition between Paramount and Sony’s Columbia Pictures to be the studio to distribute the 2012 007 film for Metro-Goldway-Mayer. The Hollywood Reporter has already reported Paramount’s interest. Columbia distributed Casino Royale and Quantum of Solace, so it’s hardly a stretch the Sony-owned studio would be interested.

UPDATE: BBC America, on its Web page, has a post about rumored Bond 23 casting, including a return of Judi Dench as M and what we thought was an old rumor, Michael Sheen being considered as Blofeld. You can read it by CLICKING HERE.

Stop the Presses — No Michael Sheen Blofeld for Bond 23!

Photo © Summit Entertainment

To the surprise of absolutely no one, Twilight star Michael Sheen will not be playing Ernst Stavro Blofeld in the next (23rd) James Bond screen adventure.

Speculation about this non-casting news began when screenwriter Peter Morgan got the assignment of polishing up the Purvis & Wade screenplay. Morgan and Sheen have worked together on four previous projects, and the thought was that Morgan would drag his boy on board the Bond project.

“There is not truth to those rumors” Sheen said at the GQ Man of the Year awards (where he picked up an Actor of the Year prize). “I wish I could tell you different, but no”

Of course, knowledgeable James Bond fans around the world are shocked and dismayed at this news — they had assumed this had been forgotten about several months ago.

You can read more of the details on this nonstory RIGHT HERE. And be sure to keep watching this space for all your Bond 23 non-news!

The return of Ernst Stavro Blofeld?

The new face of Blofeld?

As the Bond 23 silly season progresses, now we hear from the Guardian that 007’s betê noir, Ernst Stavro Blofeld, will be back to bedevil our hero in the next — and as yet, unscripted — James Bond movie. And, this time, in the personage of British actor Michael Sheen ( Frost/Nixon, Underworld, etc.)

According to an “unnamed source” (cough, cough) talking to the Daily Express newspaper,

Michael is hot property right now and it’s felt that he’s the right man to bring Blofeld back to life. [He] was a Bond fan in his youth, so this would be a dream role for him.

Seasoned Bond fans can observe for themselves from the accompanying picture how Sheen can capture the implacable menace that was the essence of Ian Fleming’s greatest villain creation.

Read all about it RIGHT HERE!