James Bond falls prey to a new kind of plot
For those eagerly awaiting Daniel Craig’s return to the screen as Her Majesty’s Secret Service agent James Bond, you’ll have to keep waiting—indefinitely. The 23rd film has been in flux since writers were initially hired to work on it near the beginning of 2009, and is now on hold.
Daniel Craig was initially contracted for four films, of which two have been released: the series-redefining Casino Royale and its direct sequel, Quantum of Solace. Fans expected the next film to continue the storyline of Bond’s investigation into the evil Quantum secret society. Daniel Craig also mentioned that the new film would also focus on the origins of Moneypenny, Bond’s flirtatious liaison in M’s office, and Q, Bond’s go-to gadget guy.
In an exciting turn of events, American Beauty director Sam Mendes signed on to direct the film, with Patrick Marber (Closer, Notes on a Scandal) set to write. These two artists promised to bring a new level of quality to the film, possibly never-before-seen in a James Bond film. However, as in any Bond flick, just as things looked brightest, disaster struck.
MGM fell prey to a series of financial problems, which has them now considering options such as an outright sale, an auctioning off of notable properties (including the Bond franchise), and a merger with Lions Gate Entertainment. The company announced its shelving of the property in April.
Things looked up when it was revealed that Sam Mendes was still under contract, but on July 4, EON Productions announced that the film was officially cancelled. While it’s unlikely we’ve seen the last of Bond, no one can predict when or where the next film will be showing up, although a remake of the video-game GoldenEye is currently in production featuring Craig’s likeness.