James Bond producers concerned by film delay, says Hollywood Reporter

James Bond’s state of suspended animation hasn’t kept the superspy out of the news. Today, in the wake of Activision launching its next original 007 adventure Blood Stone, the Hollywood Reporter leads with the latest on Bond 23‘s inertia.

Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson

According to the trade paper’s source, a former MGM insider, James Bond producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson are “deeply concerned” about the effect the delay will have on the picture when it finally moves forward.

“They’re completely panicked that if they go five, six years without a Bond movie, it’ll be over,” a former MGM insider told the paper. “They don’t want to kill the golden goose.”

The source claims Broccoli is hoping MGM will be sold to Time Warner, whose bid for the studio is the highest that has so far been offered. The producer is said to have doubts about whether other interested studios, including Spyglass Entertainment, Summit Entertainment and Lionsgate, could handle the scale of a Bond production. However, at $1.5 billion, Time Warner’s offer is well below the amount sought by MGM’s creditors. MGM is currently buckling under $4 billion of debt.

“They want to continue with Sony since Sony spends.” – Former MGM insider

The former MGM insider told the Hollywood Reporter, “Bond’s the entire yearly production budget for Lionsgate, and you’ve got Carl Icahn [the US investor currently seeking to acquire Lionsgate] saying they’re spending too much money. These [prospective MGM buyers] freak them out. [But] all they can do is work behind the scenes to get what they want.”

Eon were previously reported to be interested in MGM being bought by Time Warner last month.

Broccoli and Wilson are also keen to continue their relationship with Sony Pictures, which began with 2006’s Casino Royale. “They want to continue with Sony since Sony spends,” the Hollywood Reporter’s source said.

The Bond producers are clearly protective of their family’s legacy. According to the Hollywood Reporter, Broccoli was quizzed by Sony’s top brass early in their relationship about what they like to see in studio executives. According to the paper’s source, “Barbara said, ‘We generally like studio executives, but we don’t like assholes like John Calley.’ [Sony chairman, president and CEO] Howard Stringer finally cut her off. It was the most awkward moment. [But] it was her way of firing a shot across the bow.”

Daniel Craig as James Bond

Eon’s influence over the studio is evident in their successful hiring of Daniel Craig for Casino Royale. Broccoli took note of Craig after MGM requested she watch Matthew Vaughan’s Layer Cake, who was under consideration to direct Casino Royale.

“Barbara said, ‘I really like this guy, Daniel Craig,’ ” the Hollywood Reporter’s former MGM insider said. “We were horrified. We liked Eric Bana, Hugh Jackman. To her credit, she thought [Craig] was a great actor, had this magnetism. We wanted to do one more with Pierce [Brosnan]. [The producers] are generally cautious, but they are capable of doing bold strokes.”

“James Bond will return. It’s been true for 50 years.” – Bruce Feirstein

Meanwhile, past 007 alumni were quick to dispel fears the franchise would lose steam should Bond 23 not move ahead in the near future.

“I’m not worried about 007,” said James Bond screenwriter Bruce Feirstein, who most recently penned the scripts for Activision’s GoldenEye and Blood Stone. “There’s a line at the end of every movie which we used in the video game: It’s that James Bond will return. It’s been true for 50 years. A hiccup like what’s going on at MGM is not going to change that.”

Feirstein also noted that interest in James Bond didn’t wane during the six-year gap between 1989’s Licence to Kill and 1995’s GoldenEye.

GoldenEye‘s casting director Pam Dixon agreed. “The long break was a plus in that instance,” she said.

Broccoli and Wilson declined to comment to the Hollywood Reporter. However, there’s no doubting the sentiments behind behind Michael G. Wilson’s opening quip at the Blood Stone launch: “I wish we were launching a movie.”

Be sure to check out the Hollywood Reporter’s full coverage.

Development on the latest James Bond film has been suspended since April 2010.

Keep watching CommanderBond.net for all the latest Bond 23 developments.

First Nintendo DS GoldenEye details emerge

GoldenEye on Nintendo DS

Video game developers n-Space have revealed the first details of the Nintendo DS version of the upcoming GoldenEye remake.

The first snippets of information were released to coincide with Activision exhibiting 2010’s two new James Bond games – GoldenEye and Blood Stone – at San Diego Comic-Con.

Courtesy of n-Space’s blog, here’s what gamers can expect from the DS version of the anticipated 007 remake…

GoldenEye 007 for the Nintendo DS is an all new first-person action game developed by n-Space in conjunction with the Wii title. GoldenEye 007 for the DS offers all of the epic action of James Bond’s greatest adventure, built from day one to push the capabilities of the Nintendo DS to its absolute limits. In both single and multiplayer, GoldenEye 007 delivers covert action on a handheld like you’ve never seen it before.

What makes GoldenEye 007 so special?

James Bond in GoldenEye in 2010

GoldenEye 007 is a re-envisioning of the film’s original story. Rather than a one for one remake of the original game, GoldenEye 007 takes the undeniable finesse of James Bond and the incredible events of the 1995 film and delivers them in a handheld game that incorporates all of the elements that made the classic game great, all with the quality and style of a modern day shooter.

GoldenEye 007 delivers the complete saga of GoldenEye re-envisioned by famed Bond author Bruce Feirstein for 2010 starring Daniel Craig as the world’s greatest secret agent. The game features the same full voice cast as the Wii title – Dame Judi Dench, Rory Kinnear, a cast of new talents as the classic GoldenEye lineup, and of course Daniel Craig as James Bond.

Travel the world as James Bond, through locations both vintage and new, taken from both the original film and the zeitgeist of the modern era. Tear through the dam at Arkhangelsk, snake through the snowy surface of Severnaya, and rampage through St Petersburg in a tank – all with the skill and style of 007.

Covert Action on the DS

GoldenEye 007 is a covert action game, using a combination of tactical shooting encounters and stealth ops situations to let the player experience what it truly feels like to execute a mission as James Bond 007.

GoldenEye 007 is a “thinking man’s shooter,” rewarding brains over bullets. Bond’s greatest weapon is his mind, and the player is rewarded for making tactical decisions rather than charging in and spraying gunfire. Environmental kills, unconventional routes, distractions, and silent takedowns are the norm in GoldenEye 007.

GoldenEye 007 is built from the ground up to take full advantage of the Nintendo DS’s special features. The player also uses the Touch Screen for feats of both strength and skill – smashing through barricades, escaping a doomed helicopter, and leaping from the Arkhangelsk dam!

Unparalleled Handheld Multiplayer

GoldenEye 007 recreates the classic fun of the original title with a focus on multiplayer first-person gaming never before seen on the DS.

GoldenEye 007 supports 6 players in both wireless and Wi-Fi connections across the globe. A full suite of game modes are available, with vintage modes like Golden Gun and Flag Tag making a return alongside some new game types.

A full spread of modifiers allows players to change the state of the game to create a whole new experience in an all-new way.

An enormous number of multiplayer awards are available for players to unlock; guaranteeing hours of both cooperative and competitive play online.

We look forward to sharing more about this great new DS title in the coming months!

Screenshots from the DS version of GoldenEye remain forthcoming.

n-Space are also developing the DS version of Blood Stone.

Stay tuned to CommanderBond.net for our full report direct from San Diego Comic-Con.

"I want to get going on it as quickly as possible."

A brief update on the 23rd James Bond film today courtesy of Empire magazine.

The Empire team shared the following tweet an hour ago from San Diego Comic-Con…

“Bond is on hold, but all I can say is I want to get going on it as quickly as possible.” – Daniel Craig. Ten seconds ago. @empiremagazine

Craig appeared with Harrison Ford at San Diego Comic-Con to promote Jon Favreau’s Cowboys & Aliens, in which the pair star.

Last week at the launch of Activision’s Blood Stone, producer Michael G. Wilson also shared his commitment to making Bond 23. “[We’re] convinced that we’ll be bringing you another Bond film soon.”

Craig has lent his voice and likeness to two James Bond video games to be released this year: GoldenEye and Blood Stone.

Development on the latest James Bond film has been suspended since April 2010.

Keep watching CommanderBond.net for all the latest Bond 23 developments.

Ian Fleming 2010 Steel Dagger shortlist announced

Ian Fleming

The Crime Writer’s Association announced the shortlist for the 2010 Ian Fleming Steel Dagger Award at the Harrogate Literature Festival. As always, the winning author will receive £2000 and a handcrafted steel dagger based on the weapon used by Special Forces during World War II. Past winners include John Hart (2009), Tom Rob Smith (2008), and current Bond author Jeffery Deaver (2004).

Finalists will be announced on 9 August as part of the Official Specsavers Crime Thriller Season on ITV3.

The books shortlisted are:

• 61 Hours, Lee Child (Bantam Press)
• A Loyal Spy, Simon Conway (Hodder & Stoughton)
• Gone, Mo Hayder (Bantam Press)
• Slow Horses, Mick Herron (Robinson)
• The Dying Light, Henry Porter (Orion)
• Innocent, Scott Turow (Macmillan)
• The Gentlemen’s Hour, Don Winslow (Heinemann)

For further details regarding the Ian Fleming Steel Dagger Award and other CWA awards click here.

Updated: Meet Jeffery Deaver

Ian Fleming Publications and Hodder & Stoughton invited select members of the press to a “Top Secret” meeting with new James Bond author Jeffery Deaver today. In true Bond style, the one-on-one meetings with the author took place in the crypt of St Andrews church in Holborn/London. The location was only revealed to attendees after they RSVP’d, and it was not revealed in advance that the meeting would be with Deaver (who recently arrived in the UK to start his latest book tour).

Commanderbond.net’s own ‘Admiral’ was there, but he has yet to report back on what exactly went on. Watch this space for further information, which we’ll post here as soon as we have them on our desks.

Update: Read the debrief on the event in the CBn forums

Jeffery Deaver on updating James Bond

Details about the next James Bond novel – tentatively called Project X – remain sparse, but author Jeffery Deaver has dropped some more hints about his approach to writing about 007 in an interview with the News & Observer.

Jeffery Deaver

The bestselling thriller writer confirmed that his Ian Fleming Steel Dagger award-winning book Garden of Beasts was what landed him the 007 gig. “What happened was, a book of mine, Garden of Beasts, was a hit in Europe. It’s a historical thriller about a hit man in America given the option to go to Berlin for 1936 Olympics and assassinate the guy that was helping Germany rearm after World War I.”

“It’s actually my favorite book of any I’ve written, and it won an award in Europe that was sponsored by the Ian Fleming estate. When I accepted the award, I said how it meant a lot to me because I had read all the Bond books when I was young and they were a big influence on me.”

“I didn’t think anything of it beyond that. Then out of the blue, my agent got a call, and – was I interested in writing the next James Bond novel?”

“The Russians never did attack America; the threat of nuclear war didn’t happen. It’s hard to generate tension with those things anymore.” – Jeffery Deaver

However, there were a number of hurdles to overcome before Deaver accepted the offer. “I almost had to turn it down due to legal issues with my other publishers. And I also didn’t want to do a period piece. The Russians never did attack America; the threat of nuclear war didn’t happen. It’s hard to generate tension with those things anymore. There are new threats other than Cold War threats. But as it turns out my fears were unfounded because they want me to write a book in the modern day.”

“I joke that I have a co-author, Mr Fleming, because his estate is looking over my shoulder.” – Jeffery Deaver

But how exactly does Deaver plan to update Ian Fleming’s quintessential spy for the 21st century? “I’m writing the book myself, but I joke that I have a co-author, Mr Fleming, because his estate is looking over my shoulder. The work that I’ve done has been preliminarily approved. But I do have to go back and forth with them to get the details straight, which we’ll do over the next few months.”

“The book will be set in mid-2011, which is when the book will be coming out. Bond is a 29- or 30-year-old agent for British security, doing what he did in the original books. And he will be a veteran of the military campaigns in Iraq and Afghanistan. You’ll see the cast of characters readers are familiar with – Miss Moneypenny and M – but updated for the present day.”

“The character in the books is much more complicated. He’s darker. He’s a killer.” – Jeffery Deaver

It’s clear Deaver is taking his time to craft a well-plotted adventure. The author’s finished outline runs at about 180 pages. “What I’m doing is taking two templates, or formulas. One is taking the very complicated and edgy character that Fleming created. If people know Bond only from the movies, that’s just one interpretation. The character in the books is much more complicated. He’s darker. He’s a killer. The 00 classification, the license to kill, didn’t mean he was allowed to kill someone defending himself. It meant he was sent out on assignment for the express purpose of assassinating someone.”

“It takes a very special kind of person to do that. Now in fact, he rarely did. In some books, he didn’t kill anybody. He took a life if he needed to, regretfully. He didn’t enjoy it. Which, I think, makes him all the more human. He’s a flawed character. So that’s template one. And that will all translate into the modern day very well. It’s a post-modern character, really.”

“The other template is my kind of storytelling – very intricate plotting, very fast paced. The book will take place over only a few days. There will be exotic locations – and that’s part of the Bond formula as well, of course. It will have a lot of twists and turns and misdirections, and several big surprise endings.”

Be sure to check out the full interview, in which Deaver discusses more about his approach to thriller writing, in the News & Observer.

Deaver plans to deliver the Project X manuscript by 30 October. The book will be published around 28 May 2011 by Hodder & Stoughton in the UK and Simon & Schuster in the US.

Keep watching CommanderBond.net for the latest literary James Bond news.

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Blood Stone theme now online

The theme to the upcoming James Bond adventure Blood Stone has found its way online courtesy of IGN and Activision. Titled “I’ll Take It All”, it was written by Joss Stone and by Eurythmics’ Dave Stewart, and performed by Joss Stone who is pulling double duty as Bond girl Nicole Hunter as well.

Although not much about the story is known, the game obviously has something to do with diamonds as confirmed in the title credits video above. The video also seems to be clearly inspired by Casino Royale. Daniel Craig’s silhouette is back taking on foes that instead of breaking apart into suits from a deck of cards, explode into diamonds. Locations for the story include Istanbul, Siberia, Bangkok, Athens, and the South of France.

More information on the game can be gleaned from Activision’s Blood Stone website at http://www.bloodstonegame.com

007 producers confident Bond 23 will move ahead soon

James Bond film producer Michael G. Wilson quashed rumours that the 23rd 007 film has been cancelled at the London launch of Activision’s Blood Stone this week.

While Wilson refused to be drawn on MGM’s financial woes – the reason behind production on Bond 23 stalling – the long-time producer told IGN UK, “Both Barbara [Broccoli, Wilson’s producing partner] and I are convinced that we’ll be bringing you another Bond film soon.”

Speculation that Bond 23 had been outright cancelled moved through the press earlier this month when the Daily Mirror published an article claiming production staff on the film had been given their marching orders.

However, the trade press were quick to dismiss the report, with a number of outlets claiming Daniel Craig and director Sam Mendes remain committed to making Bond 23.

Development on the latest James Bond film has been suspended since April 2010.

Keep watching CommanderBond.net for all the latest Bond 23 developments.

Blood Stone is official

After a series of delays and rumours Activision has finally announced James Bond: Blood Stone, a third-person shooter (with cover system and hand-to-hand combat). Coming from developer Bizarre Creations this holiday season the game will be released for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and the PC. Developer N-Space is creating a game of the same name for the Nintendo DS.

Blood Stone is an original story by Bond screenwriter Bruce Feirstein, best known for his involvement in the Bond films GoldenEye, Tomorrow Never Dies, and The World Is Not Enough. He also wrote scripts for the video games Everything or Nothing, From Russia with Love and recently was announced to have rewritten GoldenEye 007 for Activision.

Daniel Craig returns as James Bond in both likeness and voice with additional voice work supplied by Judi Dench and Joss Stone who not only has a role in the game, but will also provide an original music track titled “I’ll Take It All,” along with Dave Stewart of the Eurythmics.

Check out the trailer above. We’ll have further news including screenshots on Blood Stone soon.

AWARD WINNING ARTIST JOSS STONE GOES UNDERCOVER IN ACTIVISION’S JAMES BOND 007™: BLOOD STONE

James Bond 007: Blood Stone Delivers Intrigue and Explosive Third-Person Action for the Xbox 360®, PlayStation®3 system, Windows PC and Nintendo DS™ This Holiday Season

Santa Monica, CA – July 16, 2010 – Award winning artist Joss Stone is set to debut as the newest Bond girl in Activision Publishing, Inc.’s (Nasdaq: ATVI) James Bond 007: Blood Stone, an original Bond experience from legendary screenwriter Bruce Feirstein. In addition to stepping into a leading role, Grammy and BRIT Award winner Joss Stone will create original music for the game, luring players into an explosive third-person action adventure where they will unravel an international conspiracy across exotic locales. Players will experience full-throttle, behind-the-wheel action on land and sea while using the most high tech gadgetry known to James Bond 007, the world’s most skilled secret agent.

“James Bond 007: Blood Stone captures the cinematic intensity of a Bond film by immersing players in an intriguing conspiracy that will require them to think and act like James Bond,” said David Pokress, Head of Marketing for Licensed Properties, Activision Publishing. “In addition, the game will feature a diverse array of multi-player modes and debut strategic objective-based gameplay that will allow Xbox 360, PS3™ and PC players to battle as teams of spies and mercenaries through authentic Bond locales.”

James Bond 007: Blood Stone features the likeness and voice talent of Daniel Craig, Joss Stone and Judi Dench and features an epic, original story developed by legendary screenwriter Bruce Feirstein. Players can engage in cover-based firefights, lethal hand-to-hand combat and speed their way through explosive adrenaline-fueled driving sequences as they embark on a global chase leading to action on land and sea through Athens, Istanbul, Monaco and Bangkok. Gamers can also feel what it is like to be a 00 agent, as they take the battle online in several robust 16-person multi-player modes that require skill, teamwork and strategy as players compete in matches that will have spies battling mercenaries.

Joss Stone provides an original musical track to the game titled, “I’ll Take it All” written and performed by her and Dave Stewart of the Eurythmics. The song will be featured exclusively in James Bond 007: Blood Stone.

The James Bond 007: Blood Stone video game is being developed by critically acclaimed developer Bizarre Creations for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system, and Windows PC under license from EON Productions Ltd and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. (MGM). Additionally, an original Nintendo DS™ game is being developed from the ground up by n-Space. For more information about the game, visit www.007.com.

About Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc.

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc., through its operating subsidiaries, is actively engaged in the worldwide production and distribution of motion pictures, television programming, home video, interactive media, music and licensed merchandise. The company owns the world’s largest library of modern films, comprising around 4,100 titles. Operating units include Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc., Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures Inc., United Artists Films Inc., Ventanazul, MGM Television Entertainment Inc., MGM Networks Inc., MGM Domestic Networks LLC, MGM Distribution Co, MGM International Television Distribution In, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Home Entertainment LLC, MGM ON STAGE, MGM Music, MGM Worldwide Digital Media, MGM Consumer Products and MGM Interactive. In addition, MGM has ownership interests in international TV channels reaching nearly 120 countries. MGM ownership is as follows: Providence Equity Partners (29%), TPG (21%), Sony Corporation of America (20%), Comcast (20%), DLJ Merchant Banking Partners (7%) and Quadrangle Group (3%). For more information, visit www.mgm.com.

About EON Productions/Danjaq, LLC

EON Productions have produced twenty two James Bond films since 1962. In 1995, Michael G Wilson and Barbara Broccoli took over the 007 franchise from Albert R ‘Cubby’ Broccoli and are responsible for producing some of the most successful James Bond films ever, including CASINO ROYALE and more recently QUANTUM OF SOLACE. The James Bond franchise is the longest running in film history. EON Productions and Danjaq LLC are affiliate companies and control all worldwide merchandising for James Bond.

About Bizarre Creations

Bizarre Creations is a video game developer based in Liverpool, England. Established in 1994, the company is famed for such high profile franchises as Blur, Formula 1, Fur Fighters, Geometry Wars, The Club, and the Metropolis Street Racer and Project Gotham Racing series. With 200+ staff working out of a custom-built development studio, the company now simultaneously develops several next-gen projects across various platforms. They can be found online at www.bizarrecreations.com.

About Activision Publishing, Inc.

Headquartered in Santa Monica, California, Activision Publishing, Inc. is a leading worldwide developer, publisher and distributor of interactive entertainment and leisure products.

Activision maintains operations in the U.S., Canada, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Sweden, Spain, Norway, Denmark, the Netherlands, Australia, South Korea, China and the region of Taiwan. More information about Activision and its products can be found on the company’s website, www.activision.com.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-looking Statements: Information in this press release that involves Activision Publishing’s expectations, plans, intentions or strategies regarding the future are forward-looking statements that are not facts and involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Activision Publishing generally uses words such as “outlook,” “will,” “could,” “would,” “might,” “remains,” “to be,” “plans,” “believes,” “may,” “expects,” “intends,” “anticipates,” “estimate,” future,” “plan,” “positioned,” “potential,” “project,” “remain,” “scheduled,” “set to,” “subject to,” “upcoming” and similar expressions to identify forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause Activision Publishing’s actual future results to differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking statements set forth in this release include, but are not limited to, sales levels of Activision Publishing’s titles, shifts in consumer spending trends, the impact of the current macroeconomic environment, the seasonal and cyclical nature of the interactive game market, Activision Publishing’s ability to predict consumer preferences among competing hardware platforms, declines in software pricing, product returns and price protection, product delays, retail acceptance of Activision Publishing’s products, adoption rate and availability of new hardware (including peripherals) and related software, industry competition including from used games and other forms of entertainment, litigation risks and associated costs, rapid changes in technology, industry standards, business models including online and used games, and consumer preferences, including interest in specific genres such as music, first-person action and massively multiplayer online games, protection of proprietary rights, maintenance of relationships with key personnel, customers, licensees, licensors, vendors, and third-party developers, including the ability to attract, retain and develop key personnel and developers that can create high quality “hit” titles, counterparty risks relating to customers, licensees, licensors and manufacturers, domestic and international economic, financial and political conditions and policies, foreign exchange rates and tax rates, and the identification of suitable future acquisition opportunities and potential challenges associated with geographic expansion, and the other factors identified in the risk factors sections of Activision Blizzard’s most recent annual report on Form 10-K and any subsequent quarterly reports on Form 10-Q. The forward-looking statements in this release are based upon information available to Activision Publishing and Activision Blizzard as of the date of this release, and neither Activision Publishing nor Activision Blizzard assumes any obligation to update any such forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements believed to be true when made may ultimately prove to be incorrect. These statements are not guarantees of the future performance of Activision Publishing or Activision Blizzard and are subject to risks, uncertainties and other factors, some of which are beyond its control and may cause actual results to differ materially from current expectations.

Blood Stone © 2010 Danjaq, LLC and United Artists Corporation. 007 and related James Bond trademarks © 1962-2010 Danjaq, LLC and United Artists Corporation. 007 TM and related James Bond trademarks are trademarks of Danjaq, LLC licensed by EON. All Rights Reserved. Game Code © 2010 Activision Publishing, Inc. Activision is a registered trademark of Activision Publishing, Inc.

Rumour: Joss Stone and Dave Stewart on Blood Stone title track

Unofficially, we know there’s a video game by Bizarre Creations currently in development that may or may not have something to do with racing or have a major focus on driving. It’s also believed to be titled “Blood Stone” – or is it “Bloodstone”? Hard to say because officially we know nothing. Not a peep has been made about the game despite knowing of the game’s existence since 2007.

Regardless, a new rumor just landed on CommanderBond.net’s desk about the game. The title track is supposedly being performed by Joss Stone and Dave Stewart. Further whispers say an official announcement could be coming Friday.

Earlier this year, Activision stated that their follow-up to 2008’s Quantum of Solace was still on track for a release in the second half of 2010 though this (supposed) racing-oriented Bond title was missing entirely from E3. Originally due out in September 2009, the company elected to delay the release.

Be sure to keep checking the CBn main page and our Discussion Forums for all the latest news as it becomes available.