Bond 23 suspended 'indefinitely'
007 grounded as MGM struggles
The producers of Daniel Craig's third outing as James Bond have suspended the production "indefinitely" due to "continuing uncertainty surrounding the future of MGM and the failure to close a sale of the studio".
According to the BBC, Michael Wilson and Barbara Broccoli of Eon Productions said they didn't know when work on Bond 23 would resume and had no release date for the movie. It had been due to hit the big screen in 2011 or 2012.
Daniel Craig said: "I have every confidence in Barbara and Michael's decision and look forward to production resuming as quickly as possible."
MGM is struggling with a $3.7bn debt which has led lenders to push for "either a sale of the company or a restructuring with an infusion of capital to remain a stand-alone operation", the Los Angeles Times explains. Among the offers on the table is a $1.5bn bid by Warner Bros, but it will be several weeks before a "resolution" of the studio's future. ®
COMMENTS
"Now pay attention, 007...
...This is our newest device - it's a venture capitalist; you press the red button here, twist the head so and it simultaneously deploys a smokescreen and a parachute made of billions of dollar bills, which automatically combusts after use; completely untraceable - DARPA have been working on something similar for years, but we think we've got the jump on them this time..."
BH to the Montana complex, because my Icelandic crater hideout with mega-laser just got smoked...
Yarrrrrrr
It'll be those pesky pirates that've done this to them, nothing whatsoever to do with a global downturn, a series of over budget productions or paying 'stars' and execs tens of millions every time they fart.
Shame it's hit the Bond films though, they'd just started getting very good, Bond almost the way I'd imagined him from reading Fleming's books.
James Blond
Do a low budget 007 film instead. Staring Jácób Blonde of the Swedish secrete service - fill it with loads of "action" of a more porny nature - sell loads of dvds and merchandise (which is only available to buy in this country from licensed premises) that should help clear some of the debt and refresh 007's image at the same time.
They got good, then they got bad again
But I'm ever hopeful they'll get good once more.
Demise
This sort of publicity will hasten the demise of MGM.
What large Japanese corporation requires a large media library to influence the push of their technology ? Panasonic. Or perhaps the Koreans will be interested - Samsung ?
