Bond Producer Says ‘No Time To Die’ Supporting Characters Won’t Be Getting Spinoffs & Dismisses Idea Of Future Spinoffs Too

No Time To Die will see the end of the Daniel Craig era opening the door for a hard-reboot recasting all roles, not just James Bond. However, EON’s Barbara Broccoli has now downplayed the idea of spinoffs or even seeing more of the supporting characters of No Time To Die in solo projects.

Here is what she said to Fandango.

“We have not done [a spinoff] in the past and I don’t think we have any plans to do it in the future.”

I’m sure folks had been banking on Lashana Lynch’s Nomi getting her own movie or spinoff, but that doesn’t seem to be in the cards.

At one time, there had been rumblings of Michelle Yeoh and Halley Berry’s characters from the Pierce Brosnan era getting their own films, that also never materialized.

This likely means that they’d push against the idea of branching-out of the franchise drowning in content and will seemingly simply focus on the Bond movies, given how tough they are to put together. While MGM Studios is most likely going to be bought by Amazon (hasn’t been approved or finalized), this doesn’t mean that the streaming service will be suddenly able to bully EON around, who are the main stewarts of the Bond franchise and will likely continue to keep creative control.

Broccoli has also previously told BBC Radio 4 they’re not rushing into Bond 26 and won’t even consider the casting search until 2022 at the earliest. Meaning that there aren’t any frontrunners or anyone signed on, despite years of internet rumors.

“We want Daniel to have his time of celebration. Next year we’ll start thinking about the future.”

Today, marks the wide release of No Time To Die.

NO TIME TO DIE – Bond has left active service and is enjoying a tranquil life in Jamaica. His peace is short-lived when his old friend Felix Leiter from the CIA turns up asking for help. The mission to rescue a kidnapped scientist turns out to be far more treacherous than expected, leading Bond onto the trail of a mysterious villain armed with dangerous new technology. 

SOURCE: FANDANGO

Denis Villeneuve Willing To Tackle Big Challenge Of Rebooting James Bond After Daniel Craig’s “Ultimate” Incarnation

French-Canadian director Denis Villeneuve is doing a heap of press for the upcoming released of Dune and was asked by the Happy Sad Confused Podcast about his continued desire to tackle the next era of James Bond after Daniel Craig steps down with the latest/final installment, No Time To Die.

Admittedly, he hasn’t watched No Time To Die, but would love the challenge of rebooting Bond after Craig’s unmatched/ultimate version of the iconic spy character.

“Franky, the answer would be a massive yes. I would deeply love one day to make a James Bond movie. It’s a character that I’ve been with since my childhood. I have massive affection for Bond. It would be a big challenge to try and reboot it after what Daniel did. What Daniel Craig brought to Bond was so unique and strong and honestly unmatchable. He’s the ultimate James Bond. I can’t wait to see Cary’s movie. I’m very excited. I’m one of the biggest Bond fans.”

While we’ve been getting a lot of sci-fi from Villeneuve with Arrival, Blade Runner 2049, and Dune, his other impressive pics such as Prisoners and Sicario would certainly be an excellent resume alone to nab the James Bond gig.

Interestingly enough, Sicario had British actor Daniel Kaluuya (Get Out, Widows, Black Panther) in a supporting role years before he’d nab an Oscar for his work on Judas & The Black Messiah. Kaluuya would make an excellent Bond candidate as he’s in the right age-range and isn’t leading multiple franchises.

Director Christopher Nolan (Inception, Tenet, Dark Knight Trilogy) has also been vocal multiple times in interviews wanting to tackle a Bond reboot himself, however, we’re still in the dark what EON/MGM are planning to do with Bond 26. Producers have said they won’t even begin thinking about recasting the role until next year (Sorry, nobody has been cast despite what the internet has said), that’s not even guarantee they won’t wait longer given the time between these movies and how long development can take.

Villeneuve’s Dune will hit theaters on October 22.

DUNE – A mythic and emotionally charged hero’s journey, Dune tells the story of Paul Atreides, a brilliant and gifted young man born into a great destiny beyond his understanding, who must travel to the most dangerous planet in the universe to ensure the future of his family and his people. As malevolent forces explode into conflict over the planet’s exclusive supply of the most precious resource in existence—a commodity capable of unlocking humanity’s greatest potential—only those who can conquer their fear will survive.

SOURCE: HAPPY SAD CONFUSED PODCAST

Amazon-MGM Deal Likely Won’t End James Bond Franchise’s Theatrical Run

Today, it was announced that Amazon is going to purchase MGM Studios for an impressive $8.45 billion, which includes co-ownership of the James Bond franchise alongside EON Productions. However, as mentioned by The Hollywood Reporter, this won’t impact the release of No Time To Die’s October release and might not overturn the franchise’s box office dominance or future theatrical release.

As they point out, the deal likely won’t close and the distribution for No Time To Die will most likely stand as is.

On the theatrical front, it’s unlikely that MGM and United Artists Releasing would change plans for their remaining 2021 theatrical releases — including the James Bond pic No Time to Die — particularly since the deal is likely to take months to close. UAR is a subsidiary of MGM and handles domestic distribution duties for MGM titles (Universal has international on No Time to Die).

They also highlight that EON wouldn’t be terribly keen to pull James Bond from theaters for streaming only as the franchise is best known for a big screen presence and given Amazon won’t have full ownership they’ll have to play nice. Given the amount of money Amazon would be giving up to make Bond a streaming property wouldn’t make a lot of sense from a business standpoint, as it could be just as lucrative to make Prime Video being the streaming home for the franchise.

The Bond franchise has always been a marquee theatrical franchise that’s well known around the globe. And Bond producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael Wilson, whose U.K. production company EON is 007’s home, are especially keen on the big-screen experience. (EON and MGM share rights via a holding company.)

Daniel Craig is expected to retire from the Bond role, allowing a new unnamed actor to step in for the untitled Bond 26, which is said to be developed by No Time To Die screenwriter Phoebe Waller-Bridge.

No Time To Die will hit theaters on October 8.

The cast will include Daniel Craig as James Bond, Lea Seydoux as Madeleine Swann, Rami Malek (Bohemian Rapsody) as a new villain named Safin (Dr. No?), Jeffrey Wright (Westworld) as Felix Leiter, Ralph Fiennes (The King’s Man) as M, Christoph Waltz returning as Spectre’s Blofeld, Naomie Harris as Moneypenny, Lashana Lynch (Captain Marvel) as Nomi aka the new Agent 007, Ana de Armas (Blade Runner 2049) as Paloma, Ben Whishaw as Q, Billy Magnussen, Rory Kinnear as Bill Tanner, David Dencik, and Dali Benssalah.

NO TIME TO DIE – Bond has left active service and is enjoying a tranquil life in Jamaica. His peace is short-lived when his old friend Felix Leiter from the CIA turns up asking for help. The mission to rescue a kidnapped scientist turns out to be far more treacherous than expected, leading Bond onto the trail of a mysterious villain armed with dangerous new technology. 

SOURCE: THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER

Amazon Officially Announces Agreement To Purchase MGM For $8.45 Billion – Will “Reimagine” Their Deep Catalog

It’s been reported for days that Amazon was looking to spend almost $9 billion to acquire MGM, a major Hollywood studio that has a heap of IP titles and legacy films. The studio also has a partnership with EON Productions for the James Bond franchise.

Well, the streaming giant made the merger official this morning and dropped a press release confirm it’s going ahead, paying an impressive $8.45 billion for MGM. The press release also mentioned Amazon’s intention to “reimagine” the deep catalog, which likely means turning properties into films and television shows.

“The real financial value behind this deal is the treasure trove of IP in the deep catalog that we plan to reimagine and develop together with MGM’s talented team. It’s very exciting and provides so many opportunities for high-quality storytelling,” said Mike Hopkins, Senior Vice President of Prime Video and Amazon Studios. 

Amazon (NASDAQ: AMZN) and MGM today announced that they have entered into a definitive merger agreement under which Amazon will acquire MGM for a purchase price of $8.45 billion. MGM has nearly a century of filmmaking history and complements the work of Amazon Studios, which has primarily focused on producing TV show programming. Amazon will help preserve MGM’s heritage and catalog of films, and provide customers with greater access to these existing works. Through this acquisition, Amazon would empower MGM to continue to do what they do best: great storytelling.

The studio’s film catalog includes 12 Angry Men, Basic Instinct, Creed, James Bond, Legally Blonde, Moonstruck, Poltergeist, Raging Bull, RoboCop, Rocky, Silence of the Lambs, Stargate, Thelma & Louise, Tomb Raider, The Magnificent Seven, The Pink Panther, The Thomas Crown Affair, and many films, over 4,000 of them. Not to mention 17,000 television shows as well.

MGM is already looking to soft-reboot RoboCop with RoboCop Returns from Aussie director Abe Forsythe (Little Monsters). The Russo Brothers are producing a new incarnation of the romantic crime flick Thomas Crown Affair led by Michael B. Jordan (Creed, Black Panther, Without Remorse) as the charming thief. Jordan is about to direct and star in Creed III, making his directorial debt on the boxing drama. A new James Bond is expected to be hired for Bond 26, once No Time To Die ends the Daniel Craig era. Alicia Vikander’s Tomb Raider reboot movie is set to get a sequel from director Misha Green (Lovecraft Country). Something like Stargate would be prime for a franchise reboot as it was a feature film that spawned multiple television shows. Those are just some examples that are just the tip of the iceberg and we should expect more projects announced in the coming weeks/months given the deep pockets of Amazon Studios/Prime Video.

Amazon getting their hands on a legacy Hollywood studio should help boost their film/television library but also allowing them to create new original IP content, allowing them to become more competitive against the Netflix originals and could see Amazon attempt theatrical distribution on a larger scale as they could add global box office to their revenue stream.

Some of the high-profile Prime Video shows on the horizon are the expensive Lord of The Rings that is expected to land at least five seasons and at least two seasons of Wheel of Time series led by Rosamund Pike that is based on the Robert Jordan fantasy novels.

SOURCE: AMAZON

Amazon’s Purchase of MGM For $9 Billion Could Be Announced This Week

There have been reports circulating for a while now that streaming giant Amazon is looking to buy Hollywood studio MGM Studios, it would be their first entry into making a huge push into major feature film development.

A deal could be announced as early as this week according to a report from The Wall Street Journal and point towards a figure close to $9 billion. People have pointed out that valuation is a bit steep as the company was valued at around $5.5 billion back in December.

Amazon.com Inc. is nearing a deal to buy the Hollywood studio MGM Holdings for almost $9 billion, said people familiar with the matter, a pact that would turn a film operation founded in the silent era into a streaming asset for the e-commerce giant. An agreement could be announced as early as this week, people close to the situation said, assuming the talks don’t fall apart at the last minute.

MGM is the partner of EON Productions on the James Bond franchise and could mean that Amazon could become the streaming home of the franchise. They’re also behind the Candyman remake from Nia DaCosta (The Marvels), the Creed films with Michael B. Jordan set to direct Creed III, and they’ve been developing a new RoboCop film as well.

Amazon landing a real and established Hollywood studio means that the streaming service could branch-out to global theatrical distribution, as I don’t imagine EON would want to see their Bond franchise become some Prime Video exclusive and could see Amazon originals turn into box office earners.

SOURCE: THE WALL STREET JOURNAL

Sly Stallone Confirms He Won’t Be Appearing In Michael B. Jordan-Directed ‘Creed 3’ & Teases ‘Rocky’ Prequel Series

There was some exciting news concerning Creed 3 as MGM had decided to get Michael B. Jordan, the star of the spinoff of Sly Stallone’s Rocky franchise, would be making his feature film directorial debut on the third installment. They’ve already given the sequel a release date of November 23, 2022.

However, there is an update from Sly Stallone stating he’s unlikely gong to play Rocky Balboa again for it. In an exchange with a fan on Instagram (spotted by JoBlo), Stallone revealed he wouldn’t be reprising the role of Rocky Balboa in Creed 3. This echoes previous suggestions made by the actor on social media that Creed II was going to be the last one he would be involved with.

STALLONE: “It will be done but I won’t be in It. Keep punching.”

Interestingly enough, a week ago Stallone teased a pitch he was coming together for a Rocky prequel series.

STALLONE: “This may be the strangest posting yet. I started out this morning by writing a treatment for a Rocky prequel For streaming. Ideally 10 episodes for a few seasons to really get to the heart of the Characters in there younger years – Here is a small portion of how my creative writing Process starts…Hope it happens – And then I needed to clear my head so I went fishing… Talk about extremes!”

Stallone voices King Shark in James Gunn’s The Suicide Squad coming out on August 6, 2021.

SOURCE: SLY STALLONE

Salma Hayek Joins Lady Gaga & Adam Driver In Ridley Scott’s ‘House of Gucci’ – Spotted On Set

Filming on Ridley Scott’s fashion industry thriller House of Gucci has been underway in Italy and there is a news of yet another excellent addition to the film’s cast that already consists of Lady Gaga, Adam Driver, Jeremy Irons, Jared Leto, Jack Huston, and Al Pacino among others.

It will focus on the murder of fashion icon Maurizio Gucci.

The fashion-focused true-crime drama, based on the book The House of Gucci: A Sensational Story of Murder, Madness, Glamour, and Greed, will focus on the murder of fashion trailblazer Maurizio Gucci (Driver), with Gaga playing Patrizia Reggiani, Gucci’s ex-wife who was convicted of orchestrating his hit after he had an affair.

The Daily Mail posted set photos from Rome yesterday that revealed actress Salma Hayek is appearing in House of Gucci. It’s been confirmed Hayek will be playing Pina Auriemma in the film, the clairvoyant friend of Gaga’s Patrizia.

Hayek recently filmed Marvel’s Eternals directed by Oscar nominated director Chloe Zhao (Nomadland) that will release on November 5, 2021.

MGM has given House of Gucci an release date of November 24, 2021. The fall spot should allow the Ridley Scott film a prime spot for awards considerations as there is an expectation it could a contender at next year’s Oscar ceremonies given the subject matter and fantastic cast.

SOURCE: DAILY MAIL

Guy Ritchie & Jason Statham Action-Thriller ‘Wrath of Man’ Takes ‘Black Widow’s Former Release Date In May

Director Guy Ritchie had shot a English remake of the 2004 French film Le Convoyeur that has been re-titled as Wrath of Man, the film would be his first reunion with action star Jason Statham since the pair worked together on the long-forgotten thriller Revolver that was released back in 2005. The action-thriller also stars Jeffrey Donovan (Burn Notice, Sicario), Josh Harnett (Penny Dreadful, Pearl Harbor), Scott Eastwood (Fury, Fate of The Furious), Holt McCallany (Mindhunter), Niamh Algar (Raised By Wolves), Laz Alonso (Avatar), and rapper Post Malone.

We finally know when to expect a release date for Wrath of Man.

There is word from Deadline that the MGM and Miramax flick has swooped-in to take the vacated May 7-9 weekend release spot after Black Widow was moved by Disney to July 9.

Wrath of Man, written by Ritchie and Ivan Atkinson and Marn Davies, follows a mysterious and wild-eyed new cash truck security guard (Statham) who surprises his co-workers during a heist in which he unexpectedly unleashes precision skills. The crew is left wondering who he is and where he came from. Soon, the marksman’s ultimate motive becomes clear as he takes dramatic and irrevocable steps to settle a score.

Despite a May release, the studio has yet to reveal a first-look trailer for the Guy Ritchie flick and there are plans to release one on Monday. Below is a teaser poster for the film.

Statham and Ritchie are currently re-teaming for the international spy flick formerly known as Five Eyes. Guy is also trying to develop a series based on his film The Gentlemen and will make a WWII movie about the first British special forces unit.

SOURCE: DEADLINE

Michael B. Jordan Officially Making Directorial Debut With ‘Creed III’ – MGM Sets Release For November 23rd, 2022

Yesterday, MGM announced via Variety that Michael B. Jordan will make his feature film directorial debut with Creed III. Jordan playing Adonis Creed in the previous two films will reprise the role with Tessa Thompson and Phylicia Rashad expected to return as well.

Jordan stars in the boxing franchise as Adonis “Creed” Johnson, son of the fallen boxing champion Apollo Creed (Carl Weathers) — Rocky Balboa’s (Sylvester Stallone) former foe turned friend, who was killed in a match versus Ivan Drago (Dolph Lundgren) in Rocky IV.

The script comes from Keenan Coogler (Space Jam: A New Legacy) and Zack Baylin (King Richard) that is based on an outline from producer Ryan Coogler.

MGM has given Creed III a release date of November 23rd, 2022 which would suggest a fall or winter production start.

CREED II – In 1985, Russian boxer Ivan Drago killed former U.S. champion Apollo Creed in a tragic match that stunned the world. Against the wishes of trainer Rocky Balboa, Apollo’s son Adonis Johnson accepts a challenge from Drago’s son — another dangerous fighter. Under guidance from Rocky, Adonis trains for the showdown of his life — a date with destiny that soon becomes his obsession. Now, Johnson and Balboa must confront their shared legacy as the past comes back to haunt each man.

SOURCE: VARIETY

‘Tomb Raider 2’: ‘Lovecraft Country’s Misha Green Replaces Ben Wheatley As Director

Deadline reveals that MGM Studios has lost director Ben Wheatley on their Tomb Raider sequel starring Alicia Vikander, they’ve hired Lovecraft Country showrunner Misha Green to both write and direct Tomb Raider 2.

This will be Green’s feature film directorial debut after directing an episode of Lovecraft Country. Her HBO series produced by Jordan Peele and J.J. Abrams runs the gauntlet of genres between horror, action, thriller, crime, and science fiction. So, tackling the supernatural and action-adventure genre doesn’t seem like a huge stretch for Misha.

I do think fans are going to be puzzled why MGM was willing not to wait for someone like Ben Wheatley, who proved with his action-comedy Free Fire he really should be making more films within the action genre. He had recently signed-on to direct the sequel to Jason Statham’s The Meg for Warner Bros. and likely came into conflict with shooting Tomb Raider sequel.

Misha certainly has the writing chops to pen the film but given the scale of the film having her make a feature film debut might be scary to a lot of fans. I’m sure there is a reason why MGM selected her vision and didn’t go after a seasoned filmmaker to execute it.

SOURCE: DEADLINE