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Indeed, I think we should reserve judgment. The leaked emails gave us a "behind-the-scenes" peek at what usually goes on in the development of a film--even classics like Jaws had development issues. Heck, I would bet that similar emails and critiques took place for SF and CR. (Let's not forget: Jez Butterworth was brought in to jazz up the SF script, as well.)
As you mention, Craig does like the script:
http://www.nme.com/filmandtv/news/daniel-craig-new-bond-film-spectre-has-a-better-sc/365225
Let's not hit the panic button, folks.
how are you so sure?
Bits and pieces I've heard regarding the leak
Anyway, regarding other speculation which for me was a very serious issue was, tge hand to hand fights in SF were terrible.
Luckily I anticipate and expect for SPECTRE to be the most violent, visceral and aggressive movie not just in the Craig era but in the entire series.
we have 2 new guys in charge of the fight choreography; choreographer and fight ads is tan, Olivier Schneider and Yves Girard respectively who were responsible for the fights in such films as Taken, fast 6, Unknown and Safe house; movies which imo offer more thrilling and kinetic fight scenes than any Bond movie to date and with these guys working on SPECTRE, I have a lot to be happy about especially after I was so dissatisfied with the fight offerings of SF.
Mendes is a director the likes of Nolan, Tarantino and JJ Abrams our auteurs whose films have there own identity. The issue is they want another SF. I would forget about it and if you need to tie up the previous three films then do so. Nolan for example has a hit film and then forgets about it and makes the next film a hit. Thus, he has moved on from Batman. So move on from SF and if what we read is true sort he screenplay out, as they have been working on it for nearly two years. Most screenplays take up to seven months to write and most studios use the Heroes Journey, Sydney Field or Save The Cat Model to writing a screenplay. So can't see what the problem is.
Furthermore someone mentioned that this could be Craig's last because of his age...I don't think so. He's only 46 and looks younger than he dud 2 years ago not to mention his look has a settled appearance meaning he can look noticeably the same for quite a few years to come. Also, I know Moore looked young for his age but in terms of physical fitness he's never been in Craig's league and he was 45 when he did his first movie out of his total 7. Brosnan was 49 by the time DAD came out and people here and all over the world were sure he'd do a 5th and were dismayed when the role was recast. He would have been in his early 50s had he done a 5th. Then there's Tom Cruise who is 51 and is filming mission impossible......and the big one; we have a 50 year old Bond girl! If a Bond girl can be cast at 50 do you think a 50 year old Bond is out of the question? Of course not, it only cements and advocates Craig not only doing his contracted 5th but a possible 6th from the perspective of age.
Lastly, the 2 film arc Logan proposed was debunked ages ago, I think we already knew this towards the beginning of the year or late last year and Craig's 5 film contract was still known to be in place so there's that to consider too.
I'm wondering if some these drafts have been radically changed or maybe not.
This is not what I thought we were getting with Spectre, I would of thought introducing the organisation and possibly Blofeld (also this seems a given now) in order to give the series something continuing to use. Maybe not all the time just dipping in and out Spectre like they did with Connery's tenure.
I've seen the broad outline of this and know how it's supposed to end but not the detail some seem to have but I have to say a small amount of disappointment that this acquisition is to be all spent in one film.
Unless Craig agreed after Mendes said no 2 film film arc that he would sign off on Bond 24 and then they'd reboot able to tackle the Spectre element in a new universe, Mendes effectively doing with Bond what Nolan did with Batman.
EON would start again after this more experimental phase and settle into a more traditional route with the series and new actor in the role, maybe BB & MGW are proud of the Craig era but agree that they can't continue in this time line and has a thank you to Daniel for all he's bought to the series give him a proper sign off as the character.
I'm not saying I like it but it seems possible, unless they've used some of the leaks linked to the Korean threat and now started leaking stuff themselves in an order to misdirect those who can't but help hunt this stuff down. This all sounds far too elaborate but possibly they have something new that hasn't leaked and are just letting older drafts and stuff that has just been made up to leak in order to keep the plot under wraps. I know it's wishful thinking and knowing Mendes approach as seen in Skyfall I can see most of what has been revealed to be likely true.
Having read some of the speculation myself, I too believe that Craig will not likely return for B25 unless Mendes is back. He had a big influence on EON choosing Forster for QoS and also Mendes for SF. He had no influence on EON's selection of Campbell in CR (ironically CR is his best performance to date IMO and his best film also).
So I think he's wed to Mendes (since Forster did not work out all that well). I don't think he'd want to go back to a journeyman director or a newbie for his swansong in B25, if Mendes does not return. So if I were him, it makes sense to call it a day and go out on a high in SPECTRE.
Also, this give EON cover, as you surmise, so that they can then go back to making regular Bond movies in the future, post Craig. I have a feeling we may not actually see Blofeld in SP. He's going to be left for future Bond movies (and possible future Bond actors) to tackle in later installments. There could be a redherring leader of SPECTRE in SP and a surprise revelation that all is not as it seems at the end.
Also, I believe SP is the end of Sony's distribution rights on the franchise (not sure) and given this leak fiasco, EON may go elsewhere, since heads are likely to role at Sony (namely Amy Pascal). So B25 may be a new deal all around.
Having said that, if SP is a massive moneymaking success, I'm sure Craig & Mendes will definitely be back for B25. Money talks.
I know some films have done well which have initially being dismissed due to production issues (Titanic most notably) but we live in a different world to when that was released and the internet is rife with stuff everyday, you only need for this to continue and it will start to stick and it only takes a few people to say this new Bond flick sound crap and word will spread.
I don't see this situation as good at all and although it's publicity I can't see it helping the production or the finished product. We are but a small element that will read between the lines and see through the BS but the average person in the street and more people see this stuff than you probably realise are only going to see the new Bond film is in big trouble and if that catches on the box office will be affected.
I know some of us say I'm not bothered about profits and grosses but if this film flops especially with the reported budget that Spectre has it will have a hugely detrimental effect on the series, I'm incredibly concerned.
I hope I'm just getting over dramatic with my assessment but I've a feeling I'm not, we've not seen this amount of bad will before especially when the film only started production on Monday.
Money isn't the issue here. Bond will always make big money, it always has and after the financial success of SF if Mendes was still not willing to return to direct Bond 24 (at that time) then clearly, this isn't some sort of Damon/Greengrass pact going on here. Bond is bigger than Craig and Mendes and Mendes isn't the only director in town. With changes like casting a 50 year old Bond girl, God only knows what other traditions may change in hiring a director. What has been revealed in the leaks clearly isn't a concrete proof on how the movie will play out and end, what is clear is, everybody involved in the process of making this movie are pleased and leaks aside, things are looking good. However, I stand by my belief that Craig will return for Bond 25 and I'm willing to take bets.
Even if their plans have changed in regards to SP and Bond 25 I highly doubt Craig would have renegotiated his contract to make one less movie and thusly leaving millions of dollars on the table. In recent years it seems like Craig has relished in being Bond more and more. He hasn't really even played anyone else since 2011. I believe the supposed ending of SP will be a red herring and Craig's Bond will be needed back for Bond 25.
And even if Mendes doesn't return for Bond 25 there are plenty of excellent and high profile directors who've expressed interest in helming a Bond film.
Marc Forster said he'd be open to coming back one day. Just not right away.
What's Nolan up to? They've talked to him for sure. I think that was confirmed recently.
All big film projects go thru script development hell, but none of them have had to read about it in leaked private emails with all kinds of ignorant or dated remarks that the press can exploit. They are lucky they just started shooting and have the flexibility to change some of the script. Think how horrible it would have been if the film had already just been shot, with more leaked emails bitching about completed scenes, and horror of horrors, the unreleased film could also be leaked, like Anne just was.
I think we're all hoping that if the film is good, none of this mess will matter much, but you can bet books will be written about this hack, and Spectre's unwilling part in the mess.
As I said maybe I'm over egging my worries and a lot of this is news networks leaking stuff out of context, those who have seen or claimed to have seen the screenplay (whatever version this is) seem to be more optimistic about this than these stories posted about film execs criticising the script.
The fact that Blofeld is not getting mentioned and only Sony is referring to the character as that is interesting and now a character well known to the series has been mentioned as part of the script that according to the poster should please a good number of us.
I'm all for a modern updating of Blofeld
I'm not hitting the panic button. But I also remember Craig said Quantum was just fine in 2008. Three years later, he talked about how he and Forster had to "write" the film as they filmed.
Did anyone actually read this article? It shows how I think about all this.
Did I miss something? Irma Bunt?
Apart from that, the only surprising thing about this leaks is, that not some insiders leaked that, but that the hackers actually got to the notes and mails of studio execs. But then, as somebody said, in today's media world, it will be really difficult to avoid confidential news safe.
The nastier gossip types like the Daily Mail have been out for Craig since he sued them years ago and so this is red meat to them. There have been plenty of huge budgets just as big or bigger than Spectre but the studios lie about them and are able to hide them. The budget has likely already been scaled back, but the press is never going to note that. It will always be the $300m Bond and that is a dangerous phrase to hang around any films neck.
So due to the hack, Spectre literally has been knifed in the back by MGM and Sony, it's own studios. The irony of it is horrible. and it must make EON, Mendes and Craig livid. They saved MGM's bacon, and this is their payback. In fact some of the worst email leaks come from the MGM head whose salary and life style has no doubt been paid for by Bond profits. They must want to strangle the guy, but Pascal will likely be the first to get canned and she has always been a big Bond and EON supporter.
But did Moore and Brosnan do their own stunts at that age? No. Of course, I am just speculating, but I don't think Craig will continue if he doesn't think he can do the films right: which is doing most of his own stunts.
On a separate note: how much of the poor third act is attributed to Logan working on the script several months before EON even got the rights to the Blofeld character? I can imagine Logan having a early draft with an original villain, and then EON instructs him to put Blofeld into it. So he has to dig the thing up, creating a mish-mash of ideas.
Moore and Brosnan were not and never have been in the same league as Craig when it comes to physical fitness and like I mentioned, Moore was in the role beyond 50 and had Brosnan done his 5th he would have been at least 51 or 52 by the earliest release of his 5th movie. Tom Cruise as I mentioned is 52 and the man is doing impressively crazy crazy stuff. Lastly, with a role and movie series that Craig has shown proactive dedication to, become fittingly confident in and has much respect for the craft, not to mention if the stories are great, the talent top notch and the money being right; to hinge it all on whether or not he can do most of his own stunts is silly.
He is but people are getting overzealous and carried away, making assumptions based on a lack of concrete evidence.