There’s been a lot of speculation over the future of James Bond recently because of the huge financial problems over at MGM. When the studio first got into trouble, things seemed to be steaming ahead, with everyone presuming the money woes would be sorted by the time production on Bond 23 was ready to go later this year. However when Daniel Craig accepted a role in Cowboys & Aliens, which shoots this summer, many presumed this meant Bond 23 has been somewhat delayed.
Now comes news (via Variety) that the film has pretty much been put in limbo, and that MGM has completely halted development on the movie. EON Productions, the company that makes the Bond flicks, issued a statement saying that the next film, which had been planned for release next year or possibly in 2012, has been put on indefinite hold.
In a press release they said, ‘Due to the continuing uncertainty surrounding the future of MGM and the failure to close a sale of the studio, we have suspended development on Bond 23 indefinitely. We do not know when development will resume and do not have a date for the release of Bond 23.
While this doesn’t kill off the franchise – as it’s still a huge moneymaker and whoever ends up with the rights will undoubtedly want to make more Bond flicks – it does show what a quagmire MGM has gotten into, and that it can no longer afford to develop expensive pictures like Bond 23 when its future is so uncertain. At the moment the studio is still trying to find a buyer, but no one’s come close to the asking price, with some saying it’s getting to the point where it might be broken up and sold piecemeal.
It also throws into question Sam Mendes’ involvement. He put other movies aside to work on Bond 23, but may decide to leave the project altogether now it’s been put on hold, with no indication of when it might start back up. There’s also Daniel Craig’s contract, which undoubtedly puts a time limits of how long they can leave between Bond movies, before he’s free to go off into the sunset and never come back (assuming he doesn’t want to make more Bond).
It’s possible the delay will only be short, but it was similar financial problems that derailed the Timothy Dalton Bond films, and resulted in the six year gap between Licence To Kill and Goldeneye. Hopefully that won’t happen again this time.