WGA members ratify contract agreement

Writers Guild West logo

The Writers Guild of America has overwhelmingly approved a new contract agreement, the union said on its website.

The vote was 99 percent in favor, according to the union. The new contract will run from Sept. 25 through May 1, 2026.

The WGA went on strike on May 2 until it reached an agreement late last month with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP), which represents studios and streamers. The walkout caused the production of movies and TV shows to halt.

SAG-AFTRA, which represents actors, remains on strike and is negotiating with AMPTP.

Previous WGA strikes affected production of two James Bond movies, Licence to Kill (1989) and Quantum of Solace (2008).

Bond 26 questions: The WGA settlement edition

The Writers Guild of America has reached a tentative settlement with studios and streamers. This may enable the development of Bond 26 to proceed. Naturally, the blog has questions.

How does this affect Bond 26? You can get a hint by looking at the past. Previous WGA strikes had major effects on Licence to Kill and Quantum of Solace.

With Licence to Kill, veteran 007 screenwriter Richard Maibaum had to drop off the project after the treatment stage and Maibaum didn’t work on the final script. Michael G. Wilson, the movie’s co-producer, essentially crossed the picket line and did the script by himself.

The final film writing credit gave Wilson top billing with Maibaum second. Some early trailer credits only mentioned Wilson. Licence to Kill would be Maibaum’s 007 finale.

With Quantum of Solace, Paul Haggis submitted a script hours before the WGA went on strike. Filming began while the walkout was still underway. When the strike was settled, Joshua Zetumer was hired to do last-minute rewrites. He didn’t receive a credit. More recent accounts of the making the movie leave him out of the story.

Presuming the new WGA settlement is ratified, Bond 26 script development can proceed.

And where does Bond 26’s script development stand? As recently as early 2023, Eon boss Barbara Broccoli said there was no script. Then again, she didn’t say there was no development material. Years ago, Broccoli said Ben Whishaw hadn’t been cast as Q (even though he was). With Broccoli, it’s caveat emptor.

So when does Bond 26 get underway? Hold on there, Tex. As far as we know, there’s no director in place. You need that before a new Bond actor is cast.

The WGA settlement has the potential to remove an impediment to Bond 26. But there’s a lot that needs to be done.

WGA reaches tentative settlement with studios

Writers Guild West logo

The Writers Guild of America reached a tentative settlement to end a lengthy strike against studios, Variety reported.

“The WGA and major studios and streamers have reached a tentative agreement on a new three-year contract that promises to end the 146-day strike that has taken a heavy toll across the content industry,” the trade publication said.

The walkout had shut down the development of new films and TV show episodes. The union had negotiated with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) for five straight days after a protracted delay in talks.

“The nitty-gritty details of language around the use of generative AI (artificial intelligence) in content production was one of the last items that the sides worked on before closing the pact,” Variety said.

SAG-AFTRA, which represents actors, remains on strike.

Our newest Bond 25 questions

Image for the official James Bond feed on Twitter

There’s been a bit of Bond 25 news recently. Or has there?

Here are some questions intended to separate the wheat from the chaff.

Script? Neal Purvis and Robert Wade are working on a Bond 25 story, according to a report by the Daily Mail’s Baz Bamigboye last month. Eon Productions never confirmed it, but typically it hasn’t confirmed other 007 scoops Bamigboye had about Skyfall and SPECTRE.

How far along are Purvis and Wade? Maybe not very far.

The duo are in the midst of adapting the novel I Am Victor, according to an April 5 story in Deadline: Hollywood.

If Deadline is accurate, the writers “are understood to be finalizing the script before it goes out to cast.” That suggests Purvis and Wade are, at best, in early days of their Bond 25 work.

Meanwhile, there’s a possibility of a Writer’s Guild strike early next month, which would adversely affect movie and television production.

What about that New York Post gossip column? Page Six says Eon Productions boss Barbara Broccoli is close to getting Daniel Criag to coming back for Bond 25. But it doesn’t actually say it’s a done deal.

So? There’s still no Bond 25 director. There’s still no Bond 25 distributor. Sony Pictures, which distributed the last four 007 films, saw its most recent two-picture 007 deal with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer expire with SPECTRE.

What are you trying to say? The blog is trying to say there may be more chaff than wheat at this point.

–You have a star (Craig) who hasn’t publicly committed, despite plenty of opportunity to do so.

–You have a production company (Eon) that seems in no rush to produce the next Bond movie and is keeping busy on various non-007 projects.

–You have a studio (MGM) that seems busy with other matters.

The Wall Street Journal reported in February that MGM was trying to sell itself to a Chinese buyer but the deal fell apart. MGM never denied the story and at last month’s investor call, the subejct never came up.

Meanwhile, MGM agreed this week to spend $1 billion to give itself sole ownership of the Epix premium TV channel. If the Epix investment works out, that would help MGM’s finances every year. Bond movies, still one of MGM’s biggest assets, come out only so often.

MGM doesn’t have a studio partner to release Bond 25. Sony Pictures has released the last four Bonds, but Sony’s most recent two-picture deal expired with SPECTRE.

In March 2016, MGM CEO Gary Barber had this to say about seeking a new 007 distribution deal.

“There’s no rush,” Barber said. “We’re evaluating all of our options. We will advise on the deal when we actually make it.”

Obviously, he was right about the “no rush” part.

Meet 007 screenwriter Tom Mankiewicz

During its 2007 strike, the Writers Guild of America produced featurettes about its members. One was about Tom Mankiewicz (b. 1942), whose credits include three 1970s James Bond movies, Diamonds Are Forever, Live And Let Die and The Man With the Golden Gun.

Mankiewicz also did the final shooting scripts for two Christopher Reeve Superman movies with the vague credit of “creative consultant.” He’s also part of a clan of writer-directors who’ve had an impact on everything from Citizen Kane to All About Eve to the script for the pilot of Ironside.

Mankiewicz gets a mixed reaction among 007 fans. His scripts ramped up the humor compared to previous films. Two examples: Blofeld in drag in Diamonds, and the presence of Sheriff J.W. Pepper in Live And Let Die and The Man With the Golden Gun.

Still, in interviews for extras on 007 DVDs, the screenwriter comes across as articulate, with a gift for amusing anecdotes. So here’s a look at his WGA video: