Morgan: 'James Bond lacks realism'

[Blowfeld]

Bloody Morgan is back!
This is short story based on his longer interview with Indie Wire, I will be positing the longer interview compete with video soon.

However is this is any indication of the thinking going on behind the scenes Bond is a lot worse off then I originally feared

Monday, October 25, 2010
Morgan: 'James Bond lacks realism'

By Simon Reynolds

Oscar-nominated screenwriter Peter Morgan has claimed that the James Bond series lacks realism.

The Queen and Frost/Nixon writer, who was hired to pen a script for the 23rd franchise instalment before MGM's financial problems postponed the project, told indieWire that he struggles to "still believe a British secret agent is saving the world".

He said: "I do think there's an absence of social reality in the Bond films. If they fix that - which I so hope they will - where you can actually believe in him [and] he isn't just a person in a dinner jacket. He's a creature of the Cold War."

Morgan added that he was "encouraged" by director Sam Mendes's attachment to the project: "He wouldn't put his name to a load of nonsense... He wouldn't want to do a Bond film and make it a panto."

Morgan, who said that he only penned a treatment and not a full script for the Daniel Craig spy movie, admitted that he wasn't confident about seeing any of his work make it to the big screen.

"I suspect that if they start again then they'll start entirely again," he commented. "I think that there was momentum behind my idea for a moment and I suspect that moment has probably gone."

This story can be found at http://www.digitalspy.com/movies/news/a ... alism.html

[Blowfeld]

[video][/video]
PART 3: His aborted flirtation with directing and his unlikely future with the Bond franchise.

[video][/video]
PART 4: Writing the Freddy Mercury/Queen screenplay vs. trying to resurrect James Bond for director Sam Mendes.

http://blogs.indiewire.com/thompsononho ... r_morgan/#

"[Working on Bond 23] was short lived. I started work on it and then the whole thing went to hell. Now, I'm so happy doing something else, I wouldn't [necessarily go back] even if the whole thing came back. They've got a tough job. When I was involved last year it was from scratch. I have no idea if they've even regrouped yet with the situation being the way it is. There came a point where we all just had to say, 'look, I'm just going to step off'. I just wrote a treatment, never a script."

"I went [to EON Productions] with an original idea. I pitched the idea. They had already expressed interest and we had met a year before in 2008. So I said, 'if I come up with something, I'd be interested, but if I don't come up with anything, I'm probably not your man'. But then I came up with something and everyone was interested in the idea, so I wrote the treatment, and it remains to be seen what they do! I suspect if they start again, they'll start entirely again [from scratch]. I think there was momentum behind my idea for the moment, and I suspect that moment's probably gone."

"I feel far more liberated working on the Freddie Mercury project. I think for most British men, especially those over 40, the Bond idea is heaven. I was thrilled to be involved... But I feel like it's a dated idea now. Having tried to do it, I'm not sure it's possible to do it. But I wish them luck, because I'm first in line [to see it]. I do think that the absence of social reality in the Bond films [is a problem] - and I do hope they manage to get that in a script - that you can believe in him and he's not just a man in a dinner jacket. He's a creature of the Cold War. I personally struggle to believe that a British secret agent is still saving the world."

"I'm very encouraged if Sam Mendes [directs the film], because I'm sure he wouldn't put his name to a load of nonsense. He's smart and he's British and he would care deeply about the franchise. He's got his feet on the ground and understands what's going on in the world. He wouldn't want to do a James Bond film to make it a pantomime. The holy grail is to combine thought and action, and if you can deliver a mainstream piece of entertainment that is also highly provocative, and original... Everybody's got their fingers crossed that [they can raise the bar]."

[oscartheman]

Good news is they got nothing.When bond 23 does start it will be from scratch so casting the new Bond won't be a big deal.Bad news is they want to destroy Bond.Shouldn't be a big surprise after all it's the reason Craig was cast.

[Kristatos]

Yeah, what Bond really needs is more social realism

[video][/video]

[katied]

"Bond lacking realism"-that wins the stating the freaking obvious award for all time!

[Dr. No]

I've been thinking about this for a day. A few things I got to say about it.

James Bond series lacks realism

I thought Craig fixed all of that...Guess not. Bond shouldn't be realistic no matter how it is defined. It plain ol will not work. Bond was never realistic in the books and/or movies and that is why they are fun. Lord of the Rings isn't realistic either but it is fun. I don't think they can take a decadent spy living well in the 50s with a unrealistic plot of a card game funding they bad guys commy operations and beautiful women who need saving who are too willing to demonstrate their appreciation and suddnly make it real. It wasn't real bakc then england was in bad shape after the war and the empire was declining more and mroe each year, Bond was escapism for that age I admit but nothing about it has changed or needs to be changed. I can see updating it but the goal from what is said here is to make Bond real and this is the death of the franchise.
I was bothered by the pseudo terrorism plot in CR, completely wrong for bond and done poorly IMHO apparently it is the one part of CR they think they did right.

I am glad Morgan is off Bond from what he has said he has no idea what Bond is about or why it lasted 40 years. Sam Mendes is more of concern from what Morgan said about him and if what he said is behind the goal of having him direct they might as well go with the opening of FRWL except roll the credits ending the movie before the mask is pulled off the double because they will be doing the same thing. Craig will be the death of Bond but no in the way imagined his choice of directors and writers will kill of the franchise for good.

[carl stromberg]

Maybe Eon ought to read the reviews for QOS, and then hire someone who likes James Bond to write a script.

[Dr. No]

Maybe Eon ought to read the reviews for QOS, and then hire someone who likes James Bond to write a script.

Why don't they get a director and actor who like Bond as well

"I'm very encouraged if Sam Mendes [directs the film], because I'm sure he wouldn't put his name to a load of nonsense. He's smart and he's British and he would care deeply about the franchise. He's got his feet on the ground and understands what's going on in the world. He wouldn't want to do a James Bond film to make it a pantomime. The holy grail is to combine thought and action, and if you can deliver a mainstream piece of entertainment that is also highly provocative, and original... Everybody's got their fingers crossed that [they can raise the bar]."

If this is what eon is thikning and what criag is thinking demanding Mendes then MGM bankruptcy may have just saved Bond!

[mcbride007]

I watch Bond for escapism. There is plenty of misery in the world and millions of movies and tv programs showing that misery.

[Blowfeld]

I watch Bond for escapism. There is plenty of misery in the world and millions of movies and tv programs showing that misery.

I agree. Plenty of shows I do not watch for this very reason.

[katied]

Thirded. I mean, not every show has to be sunshine and puppies and everyone's happy, but the doom and gloom stuff gets old. I hardly ever watch the news anymore. That's why stories like the Chilean miner rescue are so great!

[Kristatos]

I don't object to social realism per se, but it's not why I watch a Bond film.

[Captain Nash]

I watch Bond for escapism. There is plenty of misery in the world and millions of movies and tv programs showing that misery.

I agree. Plenty of shows I do not watch for this very reason.

To some degree I agree with you, but Bond cannot live on escapism alone.
There needs to be a threat or reason for him to function based in a relevant reality. People wont buy someone has hollowed out a volcano and has a secret organisation trying to take over the world anymore. Or a supertanker that swallows submarines. There are though plenty of better reasons than for Bond to overcome his inner demons and to stop Bolivia's water supply drying up.
Even though alot didn't favour the storyline of CR it did have a good hook in the angle of Bond losing and directly assisting in funding world terrorism.
I think the best thing that EON could do is not get on the back of world terrorism, that so many seem to do nowadays, but to come up with an original story (no drug barons) that steps away from the current global climate. Now there's a challenge for you.

[katied]

Drug barons have been done.to. death. Couldn't agree with that more.

[Kristatos]

I watch Bond for escapism. There is plenty of misery in the world and millions of movies and tv programs showing that misery.

I agree. Plenty of shows I do not watch for this very reason.

To some degree I agree with you, but Bond cannot live on escapism alone.
There needs to be a threat or reason for him to function based in a relevant reality. People wont buy someone has hollowed out a volcano and has a secret organisation trying to take over the world anymore. Or a supertanker that swallows submarines.

I disagree. Look at the list of billion dollar movies and you'll see zombie pirates, teenagers shooting webs from their wrists, wizards, and a romance between a paraplegic US Marine and a giant alien Smurf. It's called willing suspension of disbelief.

[carl stromberg]

Why do Eon feel the need to be overly radical after the success of Casino Royale? There are lots of reasons why the old Bond formula was successful for 40 years.

[JackWade CIA]

I don't know how everyone else in Bond fandom is reacting to this. Those who still believed the "Official Bond" series can do no wrong have got to be shaken to the core. Mr. Morgan a very talented writer had no idea what he was doing with Bond and for all intents before the MGM meltdown his treatment was going to be used. The rational behind Sam Mendes seem to fly in the face of what should be sought in a Bond director.

Casino Royale a great example of filmmaking diminished by Quantum of Something, now it appears was on the cusp of being diminished further with the next planned script which would make Quantum appear well crafted.

I am almost ready to get fully on board with the idea Daniel Craig was a destructive choice for the franchise. The goals of the franchise shifted with Casino, which I understand why fans would have issue with it. The problem they have moving forward after Casino appears to be the producers want to make a serious spy documentary with a running political commentary. Was Michael Moore too busy to consult Bond 23?

[Kristatos]

The problem they have moving forward after Casino appears to be the producers want to make a serious spy documentary with a running political commentary. Was Michael Moore too busy to consult Bond 23?

At least Moore would put some jokes in.

[katied]

I don't have a problem with jokes. As it is,there are always a few lines in a Bond film that get a chuckle out of me. It's when they get stupid with it that it's an issue.

[Kristatos]

I don't have a problem with jokes. As it is,there are always a few lines in a Bond film that get a chuckle out of me. It's when they get stupid with it that it's an issue.

Yes, my point was that MM takes himself far less seriously than the current Bond crew, despite tackling serious themes in his work.