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I assume if he is correct, and provided they've settled on a script/director by that point, production would begin by then.
You are right; my bad. I just noticed. If the Boyle rumors are true, I'm 99% sure he will get the job over Demange or whoever would be working on the P&W script. EON knows SPECTRE's script was a big disappointment.
My guess: It was one of the few things nailed down enough to make public. Craig supposedly had said prior to the July 24 announcement he was back in but, for whatever reason, they weren't ready to public with that yet. No director. No distributor as of July 24.
Also, in her Hollywood Reporter podcast interview, Barbara Broccoli briefly mentioned P&W and said they were “busy working away, trying to come up with something fantastic.”
True. However things work out, perhaps luck/fate (whatever you want to call it) will/has intervened to give us a better script as a good base for the next Bond film. I like some of the work P&W have done, but with SP they lost most of my confidence. They obviously ran out of ideas. Cashley also mentioned it seems likely for EON to sell after Bond 25, so hopefully that means more new blood - as long as they do well, of course.
EDIT: One of the most curious things is definitely Craig's commitment to returning so early with little else in place. He must have thought the P&W script was at least serviceable, right? Hard to say I guess. Could be as simple as he just wanted one more go. It'd be nice to know more about the behind-the-scenes action.
Then tweak and change depending on preferences as they go along and depending on how discussions go and what the prevailing mindset is. When they made the P&W announcement they didn't have a distributor.
The film market is changing very fast, and so I am not surprised that prior assumptions and approaches are being revisited.
Recap, distribution wise:
--Deadline: Hollywood (same outlet that reported the Danny Boyle-John Hodge news) reported the MGM-Annapurna joint venture was close to securing the U.S. distribution of Bond 25. That left open the possibility of another studio getting the international deal.
--No announcement since. Certainly possible MGM-Annapurna will get domestic and they're waiting to announce international. But we don't know.
--Meanwhile, Warner Bros. (reported by the New York Times to be interested in Bond 25 has since scheduled Wonder Woman 2 for the week before Bond 25's U.S. date. That would seem to indicate they're not in the Bond 25, but admittedly that's pure guess work. Also, Walt Disney Co. subsequently agreed to buy most 21st Century Fox assets, including the 20th Century Fox studio. Fox had been in the hunt for Bond 25, doesn't look like that's happening.
Hypothesis: The distribution situation is in flux.
The NYT originally reported (in spring 2017) that five studios seeking Bond 25 distribution.
Of the five:
--Annapurna may have a piece (through its MGM joint venture) if Deadline: Hollywood's reporting is right.
--20th Century Fox appears to be out because of the Disney deal.
--Warner Bros. seems to be out given how it scheduled Wonder Woman 2.
That leaves Sony and Universal from the original group specified by the NYT.
Then, of course, we have that Hollywood Reporter story from September saying that Apple and Amazon were sniffing around. Intriguing story, but the Hollywood Reporter never followed up. None of the other major entertainment outlets (Variety, TheWrap, et al) ever chased it (at least in posting a story). And even major news outlets like the New York Times and The Wall Street Journal, which cover both Apple and Amazon closely, haven't published anything either.
A few points and a question:
1. It's my understanding that even though Bond films make more revenue overseas, the profit margin is higher in the US on account of how the accounting is done. Does this seem correct to you?
2. If the above is the case, I would imagine that a potential 'foreign' distributor may also want the domestic piece. After all, it also allows them to more coherently control the marketing and get bragging rights stateside, in addition to shoring up the bottom line (if profit is higher stateside). It's still the biggest market, even if it's not as large as it once was in comparison to the growing Asian side.
3. I agree with you that Warner and Fox seem out of the running. Universal is an interesting choice. They have a lot of experience promoting the FF franchise overseas, where it's a behemoth.
4. There is of course the chance that the release date is moved, in which case Warner could still be in play.
5. There is definitely something going on regarding the foreign distribution. What should have been finalized a long time ago continues to still be in flux as you say, which suggests to me that they possibly aren't excited about something.
"Demange had a deal to develop the picture. They aren't uncommon. It's a way of getting talent attached to a a picture, but it by no means confirms their involvement.
Demange had been working closely with Purvis and Wade on the script and Eon had done some extensive vetting on him. Especially since he's not that experienced a director. Demange's deal has been extended a number of times (imagine a temp being asked to stay a few extra weeks by the office manager). It's not exactly a sign of faith from Eon that he is "their director" as people fall out of these deals all the time.
I mean if I'm savvy to the fact that Demange was developing a script that someone else could potentially direct (or they would drop the screenplay all together), I'm sure he was aware what was happening.
in regards, to Boyle: I suspect he'll do it.
He had been working a period musical with Tim Bevan with Ewan McGregor attached. But that's likely on the backburner if Eon make him the offer. Boyle has been on a roll of late, so I'm not adverse to him tackling 007."
This makes me more convinced that his involvement was to develop a sort of 'strawman' to shop to distributors and directors. Perhaps to gauge interest and spur creativity, in order to activate and secure a distribution deal. That's what I am taking from this anyway.
Maybe they finally have their distributor and they've decided on Boyle.
Was thinking the same thing. Interesting about Demange, but is this a normal way of doing things?
What's a strawman?
Perhaps I'm actually using the wrong term. What I'm suggesting is it's possible that Demange/P&W were paid to come up with a template concept to pitch to studios (and possibly directors favoured by the studio) to get their creative juices flowing. Either one of them would have gone for it, or it would have helped to spark new ideas and discussion.
There was of course always the possibility that it could be outright rejected, in which case a prospective (or recently signed) distributor would insist on their own director and writer, which may be what has happened.
EDIT: Or alternatively there are two studios vying for the final job. One is in favour of Demange/P&W and the other is in favour of Boyle/Hodge.
A little different than the strawman as a distraction or false argument, regularly used to divert or mislead in politics.
Well they are getting very desperate for a director, he may have been on their fall back list. ;)
In order:
1. I don't know about accounting. However, studios keep a higher percentage of the box office in the U.S. compared to other markets. In China, for example, studios/distributors only get 25 percent of the total take. It's around half (I don't know the exact percentage) in the U.S.
2. Depends whether the U.S. is locked down. If, say, the MGM-Annapurna joint venture has U.S., it's still a decent business to be distributor for international.
3. True, re: Fast and Furious.
4. True.
5. Very possible.
As another poster said, there's a lot we don't know. Given how MGM spent much of 2016 negotiating with a Chinese buyer (which didn't result in a deal) I am sure there are some wild cards out there.
Ok, so the one thing in this post I’m concerned about is the statement that reads “But the delays to TRS have made EON rethink.”
What exactly is it that EON is rethinking? The director/script or the April pre-production date? If pre-production does indeed move forward come April I think some of my worries will be quelled.
If that's true Bond 25 will be delayed again. Argh! I wanted Bond 26 for the 60th anniversary, but if Bond 25 doesn't come out until early/mid 2020, that doesn't seem likely anymore. 3:-O
But it does make sense.
Lazenby - 1 film
Dalton - 2 films
Brosnan - 4 films
Craig - 5 films
Connery - 6 films (EON)
Moore - 7 films
There's just room for Bond actor 007 to come in and do a trilogy then the whole thing is complete, and we can call it a day.
I agree! It’s cool that each actor has done a different number of films up to this point! The seventh must do 3, seeing as 8 is quite unlikely.
They should bloody honour Gilbert by making a film as good as TSHLM.
Does that mean Bond 25 is likely to be the third remake of YOLT?
And it is heavily suspected that EON are eyeing Nolan next, which means he could be the man to direct a Bond trilogy after Craig with say Tom Hardy. It all fits, really.