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Whilst studios battle it out to host the 22nd James
Bond film in 2008, news breaks on the script status
and possible influences...
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Bond 22 Pre-Production Diary (1)
24th March 2007
Shooting on Daniel
Craig's second outing as 007 is not scheduled
to start until January 2008, but developments are already well
underway. MI6 keeps you up to date with the latest coverage
of Bond
22 - due out 7th November 2008.
The Battle For Bond
Rival studios are bidding for the attention
of Eon Productions as 007's traditional home at Pinewood Studios
goes head-to-head with Casino Royale's base Barrandov Studios
in Prague.
Both have enjoyed huge success with
007: Pinewood has hosted Bond from the beginning and most
of its history
is written
around the legendary spy, and Barrandov Studios was the main
base for Casino Royale in Prague - the biggest box-office
success
in the series so far.
Round one began earlier in the week when
Barrandov Studio chief Tomas Zelazko told the Czech newspaper
Hospodarske
Noviny that producers had not settled on a location for
Bond 22 yet, and that they were "very satisfied" with their
time there during Casino Royale. Zelazko said the decision
on location "could be made at any time" and the studio
had been in talks with MGM, Columbia Pictures and Eon Productions
to host the follow-up film.
Whilst the Czech Republic does not offer
an tax incentives to film productions, the production
costs are lower than
most of Europe and Barrandov Studios has just completed a
4,000 square metre sound stage to compete with Pinewood.
Stillking Films, the Czech based co-producers of Casino
Royale, said they also had been in contact with producers
about Bond 22. |
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Round two... Meanwhile back in Britain, Pinewood
Studios have almost completed work on rebuilding the famous 007
Stage after it was destroyed by fire back in July last year.
The new 007 Stage sits in the same location on the lot and measures
5481 square metres, with more usable space compared to its predecessor.
When re-opened it will regain its title as the biggest sound
stage in Europe.
Although Barrandov secured most of the action
for Casino Royale, the 007 Stage was used to host the Venetian
set from January
to July 2006. According to reports, Pinewood has already begun
talks with producers to keep Bond in Britain and host the 22nd
007 film on the newly rebuilt stage.
Above: Like a phoenix from the
flames, the 007 Stage will be re-opened next month
following it's untimely destruction in July 2006. |
Script Status
Bond regulars Neal Purvis and Robert Wade are continuing their
run of the previous three films to pen the screenplay
for Bond 22. Production designer Peter Lamont
confirmed
last week at the Festival of Valencians in France that
there have already been several script development meetings,
and for the first time in the Bond series, the story film
will be closely related to its predecessor.
According to Screen International, Purvis
and Wade are reportedly working out a script based on
Ian Fleming's short stories The
Hildebrand Rarity, The
Property Of A Lady, Risico and 007
In New York.
Above: Writers Neal Purvis and
Robert Wade on the Venetian set of Casino Royale. |
Back in January, Purvis
and Wade confirmed that the film will not be
titled Risico. The duo refused to comment on whether the plot
featured Vesper's
Algerian boyfriend being a central character in Bond's quest
to topple the organisation that Le Chiffre worked
for. Wade simply said, "I can't comment", which will
no doubt cause fans to assume the plot is alive and kicking.
Sony Pictures Entertainment executive Jeff
Blake stated to the LA Times that the Bond 22 script had
not been completed yet, but "two
things are definite: Daniel Craig is returning, and we’re
going November 7th [2008]. After that it gets complicated.”
Wade said, "the idea is for the movie
to start shooting at the beginning of next year. It would be
nice to have the draft next week. [Laughs]. The sooner the better.
It's not an easy thing to do, because the bar was raised with
the last picture, so we have to raise our game again."
You Only Direct Twice?
In an interview last week, to coincide
with the release of Casino Royale on DVD in the USA, director
Martin Campbell
made sure he 'left his soap in the shower' for a possible
return to helm Bond 22.
When Casino Royale was wrapping, Campbell
was reluctant to state whether he would be returning to
helm again, but
gave more positive vibes at the Royal
Premiere after-party.
Some days later though, he confirmed he would not be interested.
But the lure of Daniel Craig's second outing seems to have
him excited again. |
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Above: Director Martin Campbell |
He told USA Today, "After GoldenEye, I was asked to do
subsequent Bonds, but I declined because it felt as if I'd be
repeating myself. But this one is based on a Bond that's more
interesting. To be honest, I would just say I'd never say never."
Briefing
Produced by Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli (Eon
Productions), QUANTUM OF SOLACE was released in the
UK on October 31st 2008 and is directed by
Marc Forster. Principal photography started on January
3rd
2008 at
Pinewood Studios and around the UK, and foreign locations
including Italy, Panama, Chile, Peru and Austria.
Paul Haggis completed the script based on a first draft
screenplay developed by regular scribes Neal Purvis & Robert
Wade, with later polish by Joshua Zetumer. The story
is a direct continuation of the events of Casino
Royale. 007 faces off against
villains Mathieu Amalric (Dominic Greene), Anatole
Taubman (Elvis) and Joaquin Cosío (General Medrano).
Olga Kurylenko (Camille) and Gemma Arterton (MI6 Agent
Fields) play the Bond Girls. Dame Judi Dench (M), Jeffrey
Wright (Felix Leiter) and Giancarlo Giannini (Mathis)
reprise their roles as Bond's allies. It is British
actor Daniel Craig’s second outing as James Bond,
following his debut film Casino Royale released November
16th 2006.
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