Javier Bardem Offered Big Bond #23 Role;

[Blowfeld]

The cast for Se7en was better.

Sony or whoever, get the ball rolling already! This reminds me of every breaking news story dealing with the bankruptcy, suddenly some Emir or wealthy potentate was going to snap up MGM.

My question is can EON step up and be ready on time. I don't think they can.

[Alessandra]

I am not certain GWTDT is a sleeper hit or a big draw. It should certainly do well enough to warrant sequels but I guess it depends what they are trading for it.

I don't like making box office predictions, but since Fincher is involved, my guess is that it will do Se7en-type numbers, adjusted for inflation.

Se7en numbers, I will be truly impressed. I was thinking closer to Curious Case of Benjamin Button. The subject is popular but will the advertising campaign be enough to get people out of their homes to see it. Again if they saw the original films.
David Fincher is a good choice for this project, my feel is the BO might be weak and home video strong. Still plenty of time to get the buzz going.

BTW Spyglass was trying to get Paramount to give them a % of Transformers 3. Strange that Spyglass seem to be willing to back off some things for Sony, arguably lesser offerings and gave Paramount a hard time for the same % as a distributor. My guess is the game is very much a foot.

I am unsure they will make Se7en numbers... there's no Brad Pitt to market here. And no Kevin Spacey. And Craig isn't nearly as much of a draw.

Spyglass seems to be wanting someone who will further their stance for Bond... which isn't the same as Babs's. In short: either they get someone new and get to be partners with them, as in directly involved in projects so they can count on THEIR vote too when it's time to do an MGM project, or they will go back to Sony, knowing full well what feud there is between them and Babs. Result is the same: a partner that stands on their same side rather than Babs's. I think the last deal screwed over EON rather than MGM.

I'd love Sony to get the deal, then they'd have leverage to force EON to make the two movies they own Sony.

Exactly

[Mazer Rackham]

Forgetting about Bond for a moment the last time MGM and Sony did this dance MGM was furious at Sonys mismanagement. Eventually Sony admitted they mishandled the MGM library but what was done was done. MGM was so upset they stared the process of paying Sony off to get rid of them.

It is sort of good and sort of bad to see all of this happening. Sort of good because maybe MGM is playing it smart for a change and will mange their money smartly. Sort of bad since they are burning bridges and in three to four years may be back where they started -trying to find a buyer.

I have to wonder what happened to screw up the Paramount deal, it was so close to being done even the Brocs were on board, then this.
It is smart to try to diversify it if only to have more income coming in from different sources as well as make sure any partners have a vested interest in MGMs success, but all of this reminds me of Icahn.

[Omega]

Javier Bardem is doing Dark Tower over Bond. Should add if the news is correct.

[Alessandra]

Javier Bardem is doing Dark Tower over Bond. Should add if the news is correct.

Where was that reported? Depending on where it was said, we can infer whether accurate or not. Nikki Finke was still reporting about Bardem being in talks for Bond on Tuesday, so this must be today's news if it's accurate. Weird that she doesn't have it yet if that's the case (I checked). I will try and see if I can get someone to confirm the story. Stay tuned!

Oh wait, Deadline (the Nikki Finke site) has this from Tuesday:

EXCLUSIVE: Akiva Goldsman is set to make his feature directorial debut on Winter's Tale, the 1983 Mark Helprin novel that Goldsman adapted. Warner Bros has set the picture for a spring 2012 start. Goldsman will make the picture after he, Ron Howard and Brian Grazer complete The Dark Tower, the adaptation of the Stephen King novel series for Universal Pictures, which has Javier Bardem in talks to star as mythical gunslinger Roland Deschain. Goldsman wrote that script and is producing The Dark Tower with Grazer and King.

So he may actually have made a decision today. Looking at this, he'd be a FOOL to even consider Bond for a second over such a huge project, with Howard and Grazer as producers, not to mention it's a novel series, which of course means franchise. I'll try to dig up some more.

[Omega]

http://www.reelmovienews.com/2011/03/ja ... ark-tower/

In an interview with MTV news, Grazer confirmed that Javier Bardem is ready and willing to play the lead role of Roland Deschain in the adaptation of The Dark Tower.

It's from a different place and seems less like a sure thing. I thought if he does the Dark Tower he is out of Bond.

[Omega]

Here is another
http://blog.moviefone.com/2011/03/02/da ... er-bardem/

Maybe he did decide today.