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Mendes helping with plot?
New interview from P&W
http://www.superherohype.com/news/articles/173699-purvis-and-wade-confirm-their-007-departure
"I know that John Logan and Sam Mendes have come up with a plot for another one, which takes the pressure off because these films take up a lot of time."
http://www.superherohype.com/news/articles/173699-purvis-and-wade-confirm-their-007-departure
"I know that John Logan and Sam Mendes have come up with a plot for another one, which takes the pressure off because these films take up a lot of time."
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“We’re very happy to have done five Bond movies, I think we’ve gotten it to a good place. I know that John Logan and Sam Mendes have come up with a plot for another one, which takes the pressure off because these films take up a lot of time.”
Mendes has yet to commit to returning for a further Bond entry, but it’s reassuring to know that he and Logan have an idea of where the story could pick up following the killer ending to Skyfall. Hit the jump to read the full press release, and click here to watch Steve’s recent interview with Mendes about the film.
Here’s the press release:
Doha, Qatar; November 19, 2012: As Skyfall becomes the most successful Bond film in its 23 film history, British screenwriting duo Neal Purvis and Robert Wade took part in a master class at the fourth Doha Tribeca Film Festival (DTFF) to lift the lid on writing for one of the iconic film franchises of all time.
“When we were originally asked to come in to meet the Bond people, we weren’t expecting to be walking straight into a meeting with Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson” said Neal Purvis, describing the moment they first started collaborating with franchise’s producers. “Usually there are many other layers of people that stop you getting to the head honchos and we certainly were not expecting to be kept around for 15 years”
“When we met Eon Productions, only two of our screenplays had been made into films. It just seemed preposterous to us that they wouldn’t have other writers on the project” added Robert Wade. “But they’d read a few of our other scripts and liked our sense of character and action. If there’s action without a story or a character angle, then it’s just boring.”
Meeting at 22, the pair who has been writing together for 28 years wrote their first script during the Los Angeles Olympic Games.
“The British Film industry in 1984 was not in a great shape. We’d write pop video’s to make extra money,” said Purvis. ”The tragedy is we were getting paid in the 80’s what screenwriters are still being paid today”
Since then, they’ve written a total of 41 scripts, with ten being made into films. Wade said “We were told don’t expect anymore than one in ten of your screen plays to be made. She was right. We thought yes, that’s probably true, however that won’t apply to us.”
“Now were on our 41st script and have have ten films made. You wouldn’t write each day if you didn’t believer that your scripts were going to be made,” added Purvis.
Addressing the production delays this latest outing, the duo shed light on how important this additional time was “We benefited from the delays as we hadn’t gotten the story right. The film would not have been made without them,” explained Wade.
“The third act wasn’t right. We gave ourselves a few weeks to come up with a new concept, which ultimately became a metaphor for our journey working on these movies – our own Skyfall” added Purvis.
When pushed on if the partners were intending to write more Bond films Wade said “We’re very happy to have done five Bond movies, I think we’ve gotten it to a good place. I know that John Logan and Sam Mendes have come up with a plot for another one, which takes the pressure off because these films take up a lot of time.”
Purvis added, “We were going to stop with Quantum of Solace, but it’s good to go out on a high with Skyfall.”
Asked about other projects outside of Bond, Wade divulged “We did get hired to write a script about Elton John stealing 11 of the best footballers in the world, to play against a team of robots on another planet. “That was our second paid job,” explained Purvis.
And what’s the only thing as a bond writer you can’t do? “Time Travel” says Purvis. “And killing him off” said Wade, before adding “although we have been tempted”
Oh, so basically DAD?
By now it is known that Tamahori was to blame for a lot that is wrong with DAD, why do you keep flogging a dead horse? They were involved in CR, QoS & SF as well, remember.
They were a part of three sub-standard Bond films with TWINE, DAD and QOS....
Yet they were also part of my two favorite Bond films ever with CR and SF. I'm truly curious to see how much of their CR and SF made the final cut, however...
The only film they got to write by themselves was DAD, and well....yeah. That leads me to believe that it really mattered as to who P&W were writing with (ex. Logan, Haggis).
Yes i do not believe these guys claim to work so hard and spend so much time on a script
The most interesting part of this article is though that Logan and Mendes are working on a new story.. Did they say too much about his involvment in the next one?
They say Sam Mendes has come up with a plot for 'another one' - That could mean Bond 25 as John Logan will be working on that film also.
So yeah Sam will be back for maybe Bond 24 or 25 or both.....
I think we can have script doctors to thank. Something tells me the hits P&W have had are only successful because the right people came on board and fixed their scripts.
Was it really known for some time that Logan came up with a plot for Bond 24 together with Mendes?
No, sorry. I was referring to Purvis and Wade not being involved with the next two films.
They even talk about the directors wife having a go at the script (I can only guess DAD)
Also they claim the invisible car is nothing to do with them and it was more like predator camouflage in their script.
The podcast has certainly changed my persepctive of them. I recommened a listen.
But for me, John Logan is a much better writer and I'm very very very happy he is going to have a go on his own.
Even happier if Mendes rumours are true.
It's akin to the exchange between Q and Bond in Skyfall, I think:
Q: Age is no guarantee of efficiency.
James Bond: And youth is no guarantee of innovation.
Solely responsible? What about the producers, director etc....
No, the movie in question was TWINE, Dana Stevens, the wife of director Michael Apted , who changed a lot of the script. And in DAD Ithink, it was indeed Lee Tamahori who wanted the invisible car... At that point Babs and Mike should have sacked him immediately.
http://screenrant.com/james-bond-24-director-sam-mendes/
Sam Mendes’ Skyfall had the biggest box office opening in James Bond history – not adjusted for inflation, of course – and is one of the most well-reviewed Bond films of the past two decades (read our review). So it shouldn’t come as much of a surprise that some fans would want to see Mendes return for directing duties on James Bond 24.
After initially indicating that he would probably not direct subsequent Bond films, Sam Mendes has now walked back his reluctance. Plus, Neal Purvis and Robert Wade – co-writers for the Bond franchise going back to The World is Not Enough - have officially confirmed that they won’t be returning for Bond 24.
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Sam Mendes recently told Time Out (via Contact Music):
“I’ve enjoyed it enough to do it again. I think the choice is in the audience’s hands. If people love the movie and they want to see another one from the same people who brought you ‘Skyfall,’ then that would mean a lot to me. I would feel like, ‘Well, actually there are people who really want to see it’.”
The last time Mendes spoke about possibly returning to direct future Bond installments, he was seemingly much less keen on the idea. Here’s what he said in October:
“It’s been a fantastic experience, but it’s been completely exhausting. Do I want to do another one? I’m a shadow of my former self. [laughs] No, I don’t know. I felt like everything I wanted to with a Bond movie, I put into this film. So I would have to be convinced that I could do something that I loved and cared about as much if I was to do it again. I think the great risk of repeating oneself is that one doesn’t have the great store of ideas that you have when you first tackle a project.”
Obviously, he wasn’t totally sure that he wouldn’t be directing James Bond at the time – just like he’s not totally sure he’d be willing to return for the next one now – but it’s interesting to see how far his position has moved in just a few short weeks. If the decision to direct the film is wholly dependent on whether or not people have enjoyed Skyfall, then there’s a very good chance he’ll be directing the film.
Meanwhile, five-time Bond screenwriters Neal Purvis and Robert Wade have officially declared that they’re departing the James Bond franchise for good. James Bond 24 (and possibly 25, if rumors are to be believed) will be written by John Logan, co-writer of Skyfall.
Here’s what Wade had to say about it:
“We’re very happy to have done five Bond movies, I think we’ve gotten it to a good place. I know that John Logan and Sam Mendes have come up with a plot for another one, which takes the pressure off because these films take up a lot of time.”
The buried lead there seems to be that, yes, Sam Mendes is working on the next Bond film, even if he’s not officially signed on to direct it yet.
It’s worth noting that Skyfall was only the second Bond film co-written by Purvis and Wade that has been mostly well-received, the other one being Casino Royale. And both Casino Royale and Skyfall had other writers working on them (Paul Haggis and Logan, respectively). Everything else Purvis and Wade had a hand in writing – from The World is Not Enough to Die Another Day to Quantum of Solace – was pretty much universally panned. In short, the Bond franchise will probably survive without them.
But what of the next Bond film’s plot? Will it be the first part of a two-part film, as has been rumored? Will some variation of S.P.E.C.T.R.E. (possibly Quantum) play a role? And will an updated version of Blofeld make an appearance, as writer John Logan has hinted at, time and again?
As much as I enjoyed Skyfall, I have to say I was a tad disappointed we didn’t get a follow-up that explored the lingering threads left by Casino Royale and Quantum of Solace. Sure, Solace was an extremely forgettable Bond movie, but not because of the evil organization that was first established in Royale. Perhaps we’ll see more of that mysterious criminal syndicate in the next film – or even the next two films.
Would you like to see Sam Mendes return to direct James Bond 24, Screen Ranters? Let us know in the comments.
Skyfall is currently in theaters. James Bond 24 is expected to hit theaters in fall 2014.
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Follow me on Twitter @benandrewmoore.
Sources: Time Out [via Contact Music] & Coming Soon
The first 16 Bond movies had 5 different directors. The last 7 have had 6.
It's time for someone to put their stamp on Bond again, and Sam's first go was pretty nice...
Think about it; think about our producers.
If they are aiming for a 2014 release date, which the studios are, they would not be holding out hope for Mendes to take his time making a decision.
They would tell him he's either on board or they're going to find someone else.
This 'well.. if I might' bull crap will have to end VERY soon to get started on production.
I don't think it's very fair that if Mendes isn't directing Bond 24, he gets to help with the script. That's what the new director should be doing.
Point: I'm confident Mendes is returning. He's professional enough not to linger and then back out, and the producers are professional enough to know they need him to make a decision.
This 'well I would if I thought I could do a good job again' is either a waste of everyone's time, or an attempt to cover up B24 details.
Thanks. Tamahori sounded like a bond villian in his own right. Maniac in charge. "get me madonna, make the car invisible, put the clash in the soundtrack"