Tag: MGM Studios

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MGM Reportedly Exploring Sale – EON’s Partners On The James Bond Franchise

In a report coming from the Wall Street Journal, there are claims that MGM Holdings Inc. aka MGM Studios is now exploring the idea of a sale which includes their massive film library and involvement in the billion-dollar James Bond franchise (working with EON on the films as co-owners of the rights). Mentioning that the company is currently valued at $5.5 billion which could give you an idea of what their asking price might be.

MGM Holdings Inc., the movie studio behind the James Bond franchise, is exploring a sale, according to people familiar with the matter, betting that its library of content will prove attractive to companies pursuing growth in streaming video.

The company has a market value of around $5.5 billion, based on privately traded shares and including debt, some of the people said.

They don’t name potential suitors but allude to their valuation and attractiveness due to streaming services. Netflix and Disney are dealing with a crazy amount of debt which might put them out of the running. While Apple seems like a rational option, they recently backed-out on an offer to buy the exclusive rights to No Time To Die because MGM/EON asked too much, so those deep pockets have a limit. Not every streamer is going to have $5+ billion laying around when the pandemic has hit most entertainment companies hard.

I’m curious what this would mean for EON, who are traditionalists and have a controlling interest in the James Bond franchise and likely wouldn’t be terribly keen on turning their IP into some streaming film franchise. They’d likely want assurances that theatrical would still be on the table or it could turn into a messy legal fight, I would assume any sale would have to need EON’s blessing because the Bond stuff would be the more attractive aspect.

Here is how EON describes their relationship with MGM.

EON Productions Limited and Danjaq LLC are wholly owned and controlled by the Wilson/Broccoli family. Danjaq is the US based company that co-owns, with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios, the copyright to the existing James Bond films and controls the right to produce future James Bond films.

We’ll have to wait and see to if things will materialize next year.

SOURCE: WALL STREET JOURNAL

Posted on in Film News

‘Gucci’: Jeremy Irons Joins Ridley Scott Crime Drama Starring Lady Gaga – Releasing November 24th, 2021

The Hollywood Reporter along with other outlets are reporting that veteran actor Jeremy Irons has taken a role in Ridley Scott’s next feature film Gucci, a true-crime drama based on novel The House of Gucci with Lady Gaga in the lead role of Patrizia Reggiani.

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, with Gaga playing Patrizia Reggiani, Gucci’s ex-wife who was convicted of orchestrating his hit after he had an affair.

Irons has previously worked with Scott on the underrated film Kingdom of Heaven and most recently had a supporting role in HBO’s Watchmen series. Other actors zeroing-in on deals to appear include Adam Driver, Jared Leto, Al Pacino, Jack Huston, and Reeve Carney.

Jeremy will play Rodolfo Gucci, the father of Adam Driver’s Maurizio Gucci.

Ridley Scott had only just wrapped on the period drama The Last Duel after the pandemic paused production that was taking place in France and Ireland.

Filming is expected to take place in Italy and MGM has set the release date for November 24th, 2021.

SOURCE: THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER

Posted on in Film News

Four-Time Oscar Nominee Saoirse Ronan Would Like A Crack At Playing A ‘Bond’ Villain

With Daniel Craig’s tenure as James Bond coming to end in April, there are plenty interested to see who will end up playing the new 007 after producers confirmed they haven’t even started searching for a new actor despite rumors.

What’s always equally nice hearing is who wants to nab a Bond villain role playing opposite to the iconic MI6 Agent. Irish actress and four-time Oscar nominee Saoirse Ronan (Brooklyn, Little Women, Atonement, Lady Bird) has thrown her hat in the ring to play a Bond villain if the opportunity ever came her way while speaking with MTV News.

RONAN: “I would love to do a Bond. What I really want to is like, I want to play a villain in a Bond film or something like that. That’d be incredible but I’d love to do something really fucking big.”

It also sounds like she’d love to be involved with a large blockbuster in general.

At one point, during the development of Skyfall, there was consideration to have a leading female villain with Craig’s current wife Rachel Weisz (Black Widow, The Favourite) reportedly wanted for the part in one of the early incarnations. Oddly enough, while producers have been open to giving female characters a larger presence in MI6 they still haven’t recently made the main big-bad a female which isn’t a little crazy given all the female villains that occupied the franchise.

It’s also worth noting that Ronan has previously doubled with the spy genre with her Joe Wright-directed thriller Hanna co-starring with Eric Bana and Cate Blanchette.

When Bond 26 will begin shooting or casting is unclear but No Time To Die co-writer Phoebe Waller-Bridge is said to be currently working on the script.

No Time To Die is expected to drop on April 2nd, 2021 barring anymore release hiccups.

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: MTV NEWS

Posted on in Film News

‘The Martian’ Production Designer Arthur Max Confirmed For Ridley Scott’s Thriller ‘Gucci’ – Stars Lady Gaga, Jared Leto, Adam Driver, Al Pacino and Robert De Niro

The Ronin can now confirm independently that veteran production designer Arthur Max will be reuniting with director Ridley Scott for his thriller Gucci. The MGM project stars Lady Gaga, Jared Leto, Adam Driver, Al Pacino, Jack Huston, Robert De Niro, and Reeve Carney according to a previous casting report from Deadline.

In the new film, Gaga will play Patrizia Reggiani, the ex-wife of Maurizio Gucci, who was tried and convicted of orchestrating her ex-husband’s assassination on the steps of his office in 1995. Maurizio had two daughters with Reggiani, but he left her for another woman. She’d had a brain tumor removed, and her children blamed it for her actions; the media took a darker view of her during a sensationalized affair, depicting her as a hot-blooded woman scorned and dubbing her “Black Widow.” She was originally drew a sentence of 29 years.

Max’s credits include Gladiator, Se7en, The Martian, Robin Hood, Prometheus, American Gangster, Black Hawk Dowan, All The Money In The World, and worked on Ridley’s most recent film The Last Duel that recently has wrapped in Belfast after pausing for COVID-19.

Posted on in Film News

Michael B. Jordan May End Up Directing ‘Creed 3’ For MGM

As reports swirled that MGM was meeting with Apple and Netflix for the streaming rights for their Jame Bond film No Time To Time (reportedly not happening), Deadline added a neat update concerning MGM’s third Creed film suggesting that Michael B. Jordan may end up making his directorial debut on the Rocky franchise spinoff.

While MGM is working on a Creed sequel that Michael B Jordan is considering to direct…

Michael B. Jordan’s most recent film Without Remorse moved from Paramount Pictures to Amazon Prime Video, an action film set in the world of Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan universe as Michael will be playing lead character John Clark. Clark is a Navy SEAL turned C.I.A. operator previously played by Willem Dafoe in Clear & Present Danger and Liev Schreiber in The Sum of All Fears.

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: DEADLINE

Posted on in Film News

‘RoboCop’ Co-Creator Ed Neumeier Gives An Update On ‘RoboCop Returns’ – Praises New Director Abe Forsythe

While RoboCop co-creator and screenwriter Ed Neumeier (Starship Troopers) has talked up the potential of a prequel series featuring OCP’s Dick Jones, he also mentioned to SyFy Wire this month about the current status of RoboCop Returns. The direct sequel to the original 1987 film that recently saw Neill Blomkamp (District 9) exit and replaced with Aussie director Abe Forsythe (Little Monsters).

Ed talked about working with Abe and how he’s tackling the sequel.

NEUMEIER: “We had a deal, Neill came on, then Abe Forsythe came on and I think he’s using a lot of the stuff Neill had and some of the original stuff [from the 1998 script]. But Abe is doing his own version, which is what I wanted. I needed a fresh voice and he had a really interesting idea. We’re hoping when the next draft comes in we’ll be in a position to make it.”

“Abe made a really interesting movie in Little Monsters, but he made a really interesting Australian film about the race riots [Down Under] I was really impressed with, it was kind of a pseudo-documentary and had an ’80s style. I didn’t want to say too much, I wanted him to have the ideas and not worry about any other version of it, including ours, and just do his own thing. It was very nice to be able to say that to someone like Abe with confidence. What he came back with was really interesting, it felt relevant and really crackled. I expect to see a script any day now.“

According to Ed the studio hasn’t greenlit the film as they’re still trying to nail-down a script.

NEUMEIER: “No, we’re still trying to get a script right. We went on some wild rambles with Mr. Blomkamp, so Abe has his work cut out for him.”

It’ll be interesting to see if MGM Studios will end up making the film given all the hiccups. I recently watched Little Monsters and can fully support Abe tackling the world of RoboCop.

ROBOCOP – In a violent, near-apocalyptic Detroit, evil corporation Omni Consumer Products wins a contract from the city government to privatize the police force. To test their crime-eradicating cyborgs, the company leads street cop Alex Murphy (Peter Weller) into an armed confrontation with crime lord Boddicker (Kurtwood Smith) so they can use his body to support their untested RoboCop prototype. But when RoboCop learns of the company’s nefarious plans, he turns on his masters.

SOURCE: SYFY WIRE

Posted on in Film News

Ridley Scott’s Drama ‘Gucci’ Adding Jared Leto, Adam Driver, Al Pacino, Robert De Niro, and Jack Huston

Director Ridley Scott still has to finish production on his period drama The Last Duel, but there is already exciting casting news about his Gucci drama at MGM Studios starring singer Lady Gaga.

Gaga will play Patrizia Reggiani, the ex-wife of Maurizio Gucci, who was tried and convicted of orchestrating her ex-husband’s assassination on the steps of his office in 1995. She served 18 years before being let out of jail in 2016.

Deadline reports that Adam Driver, Jared Leto, Al Pacino, Robert De Niro, Jack Huston and Reeve Carney are in-talks for various roles. An excellent group of actors if they can convince them to all sign-on.

Robert De Niro and Al Pacino recently worked together on Martin Scorsese’s The Irishman, Robert is set to reunite with Martin alongside Leonardo DiCaprio in the thriller Killers of The Flower Moon.

Driver recently took over the Ben Affleck role in The Last Duel after Ben had scheduling issues.

The script was written by Roberto Bentivegna.

When production will begin on Gucci is a little unclear given that Scott has to complete The Last Duel and other actors will be busy with other projects.

SOURCE: DEADLINE

Posted on in Film News

Bradley Cooper Reportedly In Talks To Join Paul Thomas Anderson’s 1970s High School Drama

Paul Thomas Anderson is finally moving forward with his follow up to Oscar-winning drama Phantom Thread and The Hollywood Reporter has word that Bradley Cooper is in talks to take a unknown role in the untitled drama that has landed at MGM Studios. 

Cooper is expected to resume filming on Guillermo del Toro’s Nightmare Alley this fall in Toronto, so I wouldn’t hold my breath about their tidbit about it starting to begin shooting this fall in Los Angeles. That is unless Cooper’s role is extremely small.

The 1970s project will be set in the San Fernando Valley, the setting of Paul’s previous films Boogie Nights and Magnolia. It will focus on a child actor going to high school in the Valley. 

I’m sure we’ll be hearing more casting additions in the following weeks. 

SOURCE: THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER

Posted on in Film News

‘The Martian’ Screenwriter Drew Goddard Joins Lord and Miller’s Sci-Fi Film ‘Project Hail Mary’ – Ryan Gosling Stars

Screenwriter Drew Goddard is reportedly returning to the world of novelist Andy Weir, previously landing an Oscar-nomination for Best Adapted Screenplay after adapting the novel The Martian for director Ridley Scott.

The Hollywood Reporter has learned that Goddard will be tackling a second Weir adaptation with Project Hail Mary. MGM recently spent an impressive $3 million to secure a deal for the science fiction film that has Ryan Gosling attached for the lead role with Chris Miller and Phil Lord directing.

Centers on an astronaut who wakes up to find himself millions of miles away from home, in a tiny craft with two dead crewmates for company, with no recollection of his mission or even his name. But this man will soon discover he is humanity’s only hope for survival from an extinction-level threat.

Goddard is a director himself as he made The Cabin In The Woods and Bad Times At The El Royale. He had been previously attached to direct Marvel projects such as Sony’s Spider-Man spinoff Sinister Six and X-Men/Deadpool spinoff X-Force, those projects have since fell into development limbo.

Project Hail Mary seems like a perfect paring of creatives and I think it could end up extremely special.

SOURCE: THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER