Spyglass near to closing a deal with MGM

[katied]

Enough of the linebacker in a suit scowling at the camera.

Amen to that! Looks like they'll be looking for a new Bond. To keep Craig around if this thing goes on for too long would be insanity.

[The Sweeney]

Enough of the linebacker in a suit scowling at the camera.

Amen to that! Looks like they'll be looking for a new Bond. To keep Craig around if this thing goes on for too long would be insanity.

The longer this drags on, the less likely I can see Craig coming back.

[Mazer Rackham]

When I heard the India buy out rumor involving Babs I was wanted to know what she leveraged to get the other $500m for the offer. The best minds in the business went over the every conceivable aspect of the MGM deal and nobody could reasonably recommend a higher bid than the $1.5b that slid across the table.

Wonder if Mikey knew this would happen when he pushed the 3 year hiatus. He wasn't and isn't a fan of Craig, he knew how shaky MGM was looking. The 3 year break turns to 4, likely 5 to 6 by the time MGM has enough green to throw it at Bond. He probably has list of names along with a script gathering dust in his desk drawer waiting on his sister to some crying in after the new studio bosses push recast to catch a younger, bigger audience.

Personally I don't think either of them are capable of planning that far ahead, sadly no secret plans. More likely than not no plans at all. It will probably come down to the studio wanting a fresh face and the once favored Craig being too busy.

If I could ask EON one question it would be when are they starting production on those four non-Bond films they are supposed to have in the works?

[katied]

If I could ask EON one question it would be when are they starting production on those four non-Bond films they are supposed to have in the works?

Yeah, we haven't heard anything about those for a while. Are they not going to happen, or are they going to happen after all this mess with MGM gets sorted out?

[Blowfeld]

This backups what Mazer said to me in a PM when it all started. Also poirot at the Alternative 007 forum has some very interesting insights on the situation as well.

I think Bond 23 is dead in the water. The comparisons to the Hobbit production getting ready are incorrect because Warners is keeping the Hobbit fires burning so they don't lose the rights they have for this collaboration. Where with Bond it looks as if nobody is doing anything and nothing will be happening on that front for quite a while.

My own speculation is that Maybe Barbara and Michael were in on this deal when it fell through so quickly they made moves to publicly distance themselves. (My own speculation nobody is saying this to me) If Bloomberg hadn't had the original story it would be easier to write off as uninformed gossip.

Indian Bond, no more

World Cinema almost would have had its first Indian James Bond if not the struggling Hollywood studio MGM (Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer) had rejected Sahara India Pariwar’s bid of more than two billion dollars for a takeover. Way back in April, the entertainment industry worldwide was shocked when reports were released informing about the fourth extension that creditors gave the renowned studio to pay off debts that amounted to four billion dollars.

While several companies have been bidding to take over this ailing studio, it was quite a surprise move when the Sahara India Parivar announced recently that it was going to bid to acquire the world-famous studio that has the rights to the James Bond franchise and owns half of the upcoming movies based on J R R Tolkien's The Hobbit. This attempted bid almost reminded us once again of how Reliance Entertainment finally struck a deal with Steven Spielberg’s DreamWorks that marked a potential power shift in Hollywood.

However, interestingly a couple of days ago, Sahara admitted that its offer to buy out MGM had been rejected. It was reported that Subrata Roy, the company's chairman, had a conference call with creditors last week. The company added that the offer was rejected within hours.

It is also being said that the studio’s creditors are working on an alternate plan to bail it out. Interestingly, several international media groups also reported that the sequence of events culminating in the rejection of the bid was quite predictable. They also reported on a “leaked memo” that indicated that the MGM buyout wouldn’t go through.

As soon as the news of Sahara bidding for MGM was announced, speculations were on if the studio that has rights to the James Bond franchisee would see an Indian actor playing Bond. In fact there was further speculation if the trademark line that the character of James Bond says while identifying himself, “My name is Bond…James Bond” would become “Mera naam hai Baand…James Baand.” For movie buffs in India who had rather hoped that a contemporary Indian actor would get to fill in Bond’s shoes (Hollywood hunks like Sean Connery, Roger Moore, Pierce Brosnan and Daniel Craig have played Bond over the years), the failure of this bid has brought in a lot of disappointment. Almost there, and yet so far away!

This can be found at http://ibnlive.in.com/news/indian-bond- ... -8-67.html

[katied]

I think Bond 23 is dead in the water. The comparisons to the Hobbit production getting ready are incorrect because Warners is keeping the Hobbit fires burning so they don't lose the rights they have for this collaboration. Where with Bond it looks as if nobody is doing anything and nothing will be happening on that front for quite a while.

It'd be interesting to see what sort of reaction posting that on some of the fan sites would get, since there are a lot of people who are under the delusion(and it is a delusion, no two ways about it)that Bond 23 is going to start production.. soon.

[Blowfeld]

I think Bond 23 is dead in the water. The comparisons to the Hobbit production getting ready are incorrect because Warners is keeping the Hobbit fires burning so they don't lose the rights they have for this collaboration. Where with Bond it looks as if nobody is doing anything and nothing will be happening on that front for quite a while.

It'd be interesting to see what sort of reaction posting that on some of the fan sites would get, since there are a lot of people who are under the delusion(and it is a delusion, no two ways about it)that Bond 23 is going to start production.. soon.

It would be an interesting discussion that's for sure.
I'm not just saying it to be provocative, I believe that is where the franchise is at this moment. If it wasn't for Warner I think the Hobbit would be in the same shape. Althou Peter Jackson and his team are on the job big time, so maybe Warner is not all that important but Warner's experience with LOTR , also their financial stability probably give the people involved a sense of confidence and support from their backer.

I said somewhere I thought if DAD had had the same sort of delays in 2001 I did not think it would be a 2002 movie, probably would have been a 2004 movie. I think Bond 23 however it may turn out, with or without Daniel, is facing the same kind of lag. From word go, to preproduction, production and then finding a viable window to release it.
Personally I think Daniel makes less and less sense as time goes on a new Bond will be the refreshing the series needs.

[katied]

There will be people who want Craig for Bond 23 no matter how long the wait is, and no matter how wizened he looks then. What next?Are the diehard fans going to start sacrificing their non-Craig believer brethren-or anyone -like Honor Blackman- who throws Craig under the bus?

I'm kidding, of course.

[Blowfeld]

Trouble in Hobbiton. Maybe more trouble at MGM and Spyglass. Making the rounds I read a post about the NZ Unions messing up the Hobbit deal that could mess up the MGM-Spyglass deal. Reality is I think Bond 23 is a long long way off.

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/entertainment ... d=10676939
http://alternative007.proboards.com/ind ... 7&page=295

Mazer any updates for us?

[FormerBondFan]

The Hobbit needs to be filmed starting the beginning of next year.

[Omega]

The Hobbit is something different a movie that fulfills a purpose The Harry Potter movies are special too making nostalgia not exploiting it. Bond 23 is just another excuse to make money of the gullible longing for nostalgia. The Hobbit and Potter are making history Bond cut free from all of that back in the Moore's day. It would be a crime to have the return to Middle Earth delayed while Bond can stand a spring cleaning.

[Kristatos]

Trouble in Hobbiton. Maybe more trouble at MGM and Spyglass. Making the rounds I read a post about the NZ Unions messing up the Hobbit deal that could mess up the MGM-Spyglass deal. Reality is I think Bond 23 is a long long way off.

If this scuppers The Hobbit, might it not make Bond 23 more likely? If it's an either/or choice between the two films about a hero who's half the height of an average human being, then I'm guessing The Hobbit will get first dibs, but if it is taken out of the equation, then doesn't that free MGM/Spylass/whoever to concentrate all their resources on Bond? Or doesn't it work like that?

[Blowfeld]

Trouble in Hobbiton. Maybe more trouble at MGM and Spyglass. Making the rounds I read a post about the NZ Unions messing up the Hobbit deal that could mess up the MGM-Spyglass deal. Reality is I think Bond 23 is a long long way off.

If this scuppers The Hobbit, might it not make Bond 23 more likely? If it's an either/or choice between the two films about a hero who's half the height of an average human being, then I'm guessing The Hobbit will get first dibs, but if it is taken out of the equation, then doesn't that free MGM/Spylass/whoever to concentrate all their resources on Bond? Or doesn't it work like that?

That is what I was thinking too. From what I've read it appears the MGM rebuild was putting all their eggs on The Hobbit going smoothly. I have no idea if The Hobbit hiccup screwed up Spyglass, I am hoping we will hear from those who might know about it. What this seems like is MGM was not going to and will not lead with Bond 23, in a way that could make sense since Eon has recently shown themselves to unreliable.(aside their movies being shaky in quality since Cubby died.) They are not working on Bond 23 and were working behind the scenes to undermine things. From comments made it appears their primary concern is keeping their budgets big and not making new Bond movies which could be done well nearly on any budget. It is worth talking about however I hope we hear from someone with insight on this cause I'm a doughy fanboy out of my depth following this.

Bottom line I can see MGM wanting to go with the LOTR monster franchise first. Bond lost a lot of lustre since Cubby was there keeping steady hand on the franchise in good times and bad, Michael and Barbara are almost bipolar in their day to day operations.

[katied]

Michael and Barbara are almost bipolar in their day to day operations.

They really should be on medication for that!

[James]

Personally I think Daniel makes less and less sense as time goes on a new Bond will be the refreshing the series needs.

I know Barbara loves DC and would happily make films with him until the end of time but if this drags on into 2012 or even 2013 then even Eon might question the wisdom of bringing back Craig for might only be one more film.

[katied]

I know Barbara loves DC and would happily make films with him until the end of time but if this drags on into 2012 or even 2013 then even Eon might question the wisdom of bringing back Craig for might only be one more film.

As I'v said before, Babs is probably not above paying for Craig to have plastic surgery to keep the facade of him looking young. There is only so much you can do, though.

[Blowfeld]

In Hollywood the bigger the movie production the more drama it has surrounding it, even the ones with guaranteed profit margins. Notable recent examples include the Spider-Man franchise losing its director and star and getting the reboot treatment, and the next James Bond movie feeling the force of MGM’s financial challenges.

However, more than any other project in recent memory, The Hobbit has had troubles of monumental proportions. Everything from director Guillermo del Toro walking away – prompting Peter Jackson to dutifully step in – to resulting delays of MGM’s financial problems even calling into question whether or not we’ll even see The Hobbit at all.

But Hobbit fans can breathe a little easier knowing that the two-part adaptation may finally be over the bumps in the road and on the straight and narrow as it’s being reported that the project is close to getting the crucial greenlight. For real this time…

LA Times is reporting from “several people familiar with the matter” (who didn’t disclose their identity due to not being allowed to talk about the situation in public) that Warner Bros. (specifically its subsidiary New Line Cinema) and MGM are close to finalizing a deal with Peter Jackson who would fulfill co-writing, producing and directing duties.

Peter Jackson is in Negotiations to Direct The Hobbit

An update to the story yesterday from two people close to the production states that both MGM and WB have already spent $45 million on pre-production including scripting fees, visual effects, set preparations and casting meetings.

Although problems of all kinds have plagued The Hobbit for a long time now, most of them have reportedly been sorted out, including the issues over the estate of J.R.R. Tolkien (a deal was reached last year). WB and New Line are already set to commit their half of the money and now up to MGM’s side. Even if things are looking better for The Hobbit, negotiations are still a bit shaky at this stage as MGM still has to reach an agreement with the 140 lenders it owes debts to (remember these are the folks who ultimately control the future of the troubled company).

MGM is scrambling to put together a workable reorganization plan which would include new management being put in place (expected to be Spyglass Entertainment chiefs Gary Barber and Roger Birnbaum). There’s also the chance of an Indian company making a play – Sahara India Pariwar have reportedly had “exploratory talks” about buying MGM for $2 billion.

MGM is very eager to make the movie (who wouldn’t be?) and if they do commit we will likely hear word in the next few days. Twentieth Century Fox has also been mentioned as potential investors since they already have a deal with MGM for international distribution of other movies. WB may also loan the money which would give that studio more power than it already has including additional distribution rights.

Warner Bros signs 20 film deal with IMAX - The Hobbit pushed back to 2013

If and when The Hobbit gets the go-ahead, the aim is to start shooting in mid-January 2011. This coincides with what Sir Ian McKellen said recently about The Hobbit aiming for a January start next year. Release dates for both parts have already been set for December 2012 and December 2013, so production needs to begin in the first quarter of 2011 or else we’ll be looking at even more Hobbit delays.

Those of you who have been following The Hobbit news will likely be aware of yet another snag the production has recently hit in the form of members of the Screen Actors Guild being advised not to work on the film(s) because of accusations of it being a non-union production (Jackson swiftly hit back). However, sources are saying that the SAG issue will likely be resolved soon which adds to the clearing of the way for a greenlight.

Continue to page 2 for news on Jackson’s Weta Workship fire issues and info on The Hobbit coming in 3D…

Things may finally start to go well for the troubled ‘Hobbit’ adaptation as it’s reportedly close to getting officially greenlit, with both parts possibly coming in 3D.

Peter Jackson In Negotiations to Direct The Hobbit in 3D

So things appear to be looking up for the much-troubled production of The Hobbit. But wait! There’s time for one more bump in the road: Reports have come in that Peter Jackson’s miniatures workshop in New Zealand has burned to the ground. The fire broke out on Friday and it apparently took 50 firefighters three hours to put out the blaze.

This is the same workshop (one of the few of its kind in the world) that was used for the miniatures special effects work done for both the Lord of the Rings trilogy and Jackson’s King Kong remake. It would have been the one utilized for The Hobbit but a burnt building is all Jackson has left. Presumably it will be rebuilt but this throws more unforeseeable trouble at The Hobbit that it just doesn’t need.

In addition to all this Hobbit news, both good and bad, there’s also reports surfacing about the films being in 3D (you can decide for yourself whether that falls into the “good” or “bad” category). This has been rumored before and apparently those rumors were squashed when at Comic-Con it was said that The Hobbit was more intimate than the Lord of the Rings trilogy and thus would stay in 2D.

The Hobbit mgm delays

However, after the success of 3D movies like Avatar, Alice in Wonderland and Clash of the Titans (to name but a few) it appears The Hobbit will be taking the leap into that third dimension after all. The New York Times reports the news from one person who has been briefed on the plans, although it’s noted that since the source is anonymous that nothing is certain on The Hobbit 3D front. If it does turn out to be true we can expect official word pretty soon as I imagine (read: hope to hell) Jackson and Co. would want to shoot the film in 3D rather than convert it in post-production.

Whenever The Hobbit officially sets sail, it is expected that both parts (which are planned to be shot back-to-back a la LOTR) will come to a whopping cost of $500 million to produce. For comparison the Lord of the Rings trilogy cost less than $300 million (not including marketing) to make and that had one more movie than The Hobbit will have. But I’m sure when all is said and done it will make its money back (and then some!), not just because it has the massively popular LOTR to help its reputation and appeal but also that it’s based on a book beloved by readers of all ages. And of course there’s the overpriced 3D tickets.

The Hobbit greenlight3D

Could we see The Hobbit break Avatar‘s worldwide box office record? Even for the prequel tale of the adventures of Bilbo Baggins that seems like a tough challenge. But for all it has going for it, I wouldn’t be surprised if we saw a new all-time box office record holder after the release of The Hobbit.

Stay tuned to Screen Rant to find out if The Hobbit gets the greenlight soon, if the latest 3D rumors are true and of course the much-awaited official casting announcements (Martin Freeman appears to be a frontrunner for the coveted role of Bilbo).

If all goes to plan we will see Part 1 of The Hobbit hit theaters (possibly in 3D) on December 19th, 2012, with Part 2 following a year later in December, 2013.

this story can be found at http://screenrant.com/the-hobbit-3d-gre ... s-81129/2/

[FormerBondFan]

The Hobbit needs to be ready for filming, starting early next year.

[katied]

Getting more excited about The Hobbit than I am Bond 23. There, I said it.

[Blowfeld]

There isn't much to get excited about by Bond 23, Hobbit is a work in progress there is something tangible to get excited about. Bond 23 is dead in the water at this point only slobbering fanboy drum circles are excited about easily debunked rumours and imagined possibilities conjured on their own.

Bond hasn't been this bad off since 1989, the surface difference is last Bond movie did not bomb at the Box Office althou it bombed in it's own right. However the mechanics of the situation eerily similar. In the 3 year 2002 - 2005 production break they could have come back with Pierce again, either person politics between Pierce and Eon or Barbara's own dementia ruined a perfectly good situation further causing a painful schism of the 007 movie fan base and generated ill will because of their shoddy treatment of beloved star and broken promises to their fans.