EXCLUSIVE: As buzz builds for the 23rd James Bond film Skyfall, the franchise’s producers have quietly made a deal with John Logan to write not one but two 007 films. I’m told that Logan pitched an original two-movie arc to Barbara Broccoli and Michael Wilson while they were shooting Skyfall, and that he has already begun writing the scripts. If plans work out, this would be the first Bond film with a storyline to be played out over multiple films, and it certainly makes it feasible that the pictures could be shot back-to-back. (I might be getting ahead of myself here, but anyone named Fleming has to be permitted to froth over James Bond films.) Skyfall opens here November 9, but it is beginning its international rollout this weekend and it is shaping up to be possibly the biggest opening of any film ever in the UK.
Logan has been nominated for three Oscars for co-writing Gladiator, and scripting Hugo and The Aviator. His work also includes Rango, Coriolanus, Sweeney Todd, The Last Samurai and Any Given Sunday, and he won the Tony, Drama Desk and Outer Critic Circle awards for his play Red. He’s repped by CAA.
severe love/hate for Logan.. I fear the only love is Scorceses influence on him. Hes certainly overrated. I was hoping the Bond movies may become more interesting with Mendes/Deakins involvement. this seems like much less of a daring move…. overrated
Great news! Too much time between QoS and Skyfall. Glad they’re looking to have another one out by 2014.
The events in Quantum of Solace were a DIRECT continuation of the events in Casino Royale! They even open QoS with the character he caught up to in the last scene of CR, it’s not like it’s the least bit subtle…
Now all they have to do is lock up Sam Mendes to direct and they’ll have a recipe for success. Skyfall is an Awesome film.
First, this is great news! Second, correction Mr.Fleming, this would be the second set of bond films to have a story played out over multiple films. See Casino Royale, and Quantum of Solace.
“If plans work out, this would be the first Bond film with a storyline to be played out over multiple films”
Not really. Quantum of Solace continued directly after Casino Royale, and the two together are one big storyline of Bond discovering the secret Quantum organization AND earning his stripes as a 00 agent. Unless you are referring to a single plotline, since those two films did carry two distinct plots through the story arc.
Also, the earlier films from You Only Live Twice to Diamonds Are Forever dealt with Bond’s search for Blofeld, though in a much more episodic way and certainly without the continuity that CR and QoS shared.
Logan is vastly overrated as a screenwriter, along the same lines as Akiva Goldsman. His script for Star Trek: Nemesis should tell you all you need to know.
Hey, Vader
Have you ever read Logan’s original script for ST:N, or are you judging it on the production of a movie? Two very different things.
I don’t think he’s in the same bargain basement level as Goldman.
You really should read his script. Because you’ll have a problem then to state again what you have written. But I think he should have removed his name from the credits. Thanks to Mr. Stewart and Mr. Spiner who at that time had more influence than the screenwriter and the director.
Consummate pro. Kudos. Looking forward to the series having this kind of creative thru-line.
I was so let down over Quantum of Solace after Casino Royale. Just went from A plus to C. Hope Skyfall brings the rating back up. John Logan seems a great fit to scribe a Bond who can truly love.
Jane, I think you were very generous in your award of “C” to Quantum of Solace.
Given that Craig only has two more Bond films in his deal anyway, I’m all for them shooting these back-to-back — especially since the sooner they get those done, the sooner they can cast Michael Fassbender as his successor.
I don’t quite get what the point of casting someone who is so obvious he’s boring.
Now if they can bring on Cumberbatch for a two film baddie arc I’ll be very happy
Critics are raving that Skyfall is maybe the best Bond film ever.
If you’re into ‘arty’ Bond staring at nothing time and time again then this is the film for you. Personally I found it quite dull. Sure there are good parts but it was pretty boring.
Give me Matt Damon as Bourne any day.
Matt the Brit
the best Bond films are From Russia with Love and Goldfinger. The first was a true spy story without crazy stunts and explosions, and Goldfinger was the slickest movie that set the mold. The movies today appeal to the short attention span of todays filmgoers who need one gigantic stunt after another to hold their attention.And todays’s writers who can’t write anything withou these devices.
They needed new blood, Logan has more experience than what they had there and he usually does a consistent job, and Rango had an amazing script.
I feel his scripts will be solid enough, it just depends on the filmmaking, they went big with Mendes and Deakins, they just need to stick to it.
Danny Boyle?Or at least some high profile director.
All writers are overrated…. its about who is hot and maintain the bullshit facade. Not saying the writers can’t do a competent job but there are non published writers out here who can write a good script. As said about A. Goldman, he has an Oscar but he wrote Batman & Robin and some other clunkers at WB
I was thinking this very same idea not long ago, and hey presto, funny how things work out! There’s never been a single 007 story-line played out over two Bond films and it’s a fantastic idea to do so… I presume they plan on making each film individually, so the first part is shot and released in 2014 and the second shot and released in 2016, and I agree this is probably the best way to go about it.
After that, Daniel Craig’s contract will be up and may I suggest that the producers look seriously at Jim Caviezel for the next Bond – that is, if ‘Person of Interest’ isn’t still on the air – he is both suave, handsome, intensely charismatic, and can kick butt with the best of ‘em, there’s no reason they can’t pick an American as Bond, they very nearly did back in 1970 with John Gavin and 1982 with James Brolin…
Strange, but the worst Bond as Lazemby, but he looked more like the Bond described in the books than anyone. sad that Sean, who is a great actor, couldn’t have done that one. the story was great.
Isa nailed it. Connery and Rigg would have been a wonderful combination.
Lazenby did resemble Ian Flemings James Bond but the true james Bond and closest to Ian Flemings idea is is Timothy Dalton of Living Daylights, Licence to Kill, as far as Sean returning he did and the remake was awful.. Never say Never Again.. so in my opinion Timothy best fitted the mole for James Bond
I love Caviezel and wanted him to be cast as SUPERMAN back when he was (supposedly) in the running, before Singer picked Brandon Routh. In the COUNT OF MONTE CRISTO, there’s a scene later in the film where he confronts someone in a steamy bathhouse, but being the period piece that it is, he’s wearing a cape. And the whole time that he’s walking about…dramatically confronting one of the villains…all I could think was “Holy crap, he looks PERFECT.”
The total IRONY of this being that the young man playing his son in the MONTE CRISTO…was Henry Cavill who now IS playing Superman in the MAN OF STEEL reboot.
As I understand it, when they were casting Bond, Cavill was actually the runner-up to Craig and came thisssssss close to getting it. If Craig really only has two more films to his contract…and if they even did something wild like film the next two Bonds back-to-back, to save on time, money, and to not spread the movies out TOO much given Craig’s now advancing age…and depending on how MAN OF STEEL ultimately does…
…I wonder if Cavill would have a chance to step into the role. At which point he’d be pulling a Brosnan — the way the producers wanted him at an earlier point (but he was still locked into REMMINGTON STEELE), at which point they went with Dalton instead — though Pierce finally got his chance, just later down the road.
As for Logan, good for him. Don’t agree with others here taking cheap shots and saying he’s overrated and all that. Sure, his work might be up and down in some instances — but, come on, that’s Hollywood. Where SO many people want to stick their fingers into the production pie and have a say (and often get their way unfortunately). I think it was Alfred Hitchcock who jokingly noted that given how many people work on a film and given all the things that can go wrong, it’s actually a miracle when they EVER turn out good in the end.
I agree with my friend robogeek. I would be more appropriately cast, wearing a bear skin, in a remake of the fabulous Raquel Welch’s 1,000,000 B.C.
What this article does not discuss is: Are Neal Purvis and Robert Wade going to be involved in the writing, or is John Logan going to write them alone? Purvis and Wade wrote the first drafts for the last couple of Bond films, and then a “hot” screenwriter took over. I assume that they are still going to be involved. However, if they are not and Logan is going to receive sole credit on the screenplay, then he has just pulled off a major coup d’état.
Not really. If Logan pitched the arc and is writing the script, why would Purvis and Wade get credit? Doesn’t sound like they’ll be writing any of the drafts.
Wade and Purvis have done more than the last couple of Bond films. They’ve worked on like every Bond film since The World is Not Enough.
I think it’s been time to get them off the franchise for quite a while. Time to get some new vision and blood on this.
I think they should start using some of the material in the Rubin and Gardner Books. Just like the producers did with Ian Flemings novels with the exception of On Her Majesty’s Secret Service which was actually close to the book. If your going to re invent the wheel. make sure it works properly..
Skyfall was perhaps the worst story structure of any bond movie. The level of absurdity topped even Brosnin movies surfing a tsunami. The idea tha MI6 chief would be holed up in some old house in Scotland while the bad guys strafe everything with a helicopter gunship having just seen every high tech tracking gadget in use is a non sequitor beyond comparison in movie history. The old waving his flashlight all over the place while making a getaway = ridiculous. The recasting of moneypenny as some field agent, annoyingly absurd, removal of all gadgets save a unique activation handgun that just happens to be the escape hatch for a fight scene… oh the calamity.
Bond is epitomized in the restaurant car scene of Casino Royal, Dialog that revealed more about who bond is than endless “old school” sequences of rustic houses in the moors.
Bod is about solving problems and charismatically turning situations to his advantage. He must confront ordinary challenges yet solve them with his unique BELIEVABLE style. Look at Roger moors alligator pond escape or the fuel starvation elephant boy in Thailand. Superb examples of elegant and simple yet power full solutions to complex problems.
I could come up with 20 action sequences without trying that topped anything in Skyfall – the ONLY bond movie I seriously considered walking out of. The only reason I stayed was to see just how bad a structural train wreck it really was.