It’s a glorious time to be a movie geek.
Star Wars is in full revival mode, and we’re going to be getting our first peek at Episode VIII any day now. There’s a new Alien movie from Ridley Scott coming out next month, followed by seasons of Marvel and DC superhero epics. The long-anticipated sequel to Blade Runner is shaping up to be astounding. Festival word-of-mouth on Edgar Wright’s Baby Driver is phenomenal. Steven Spielberg is working on multiple films, including a drama on the Pentagon Papers and an adaptation of the sci-fi book Ready Player One, but is apparently still doing Indiana Jones 5 for 2019, the same year James Cameron reacquires certain rights to his own Terminator movies.
As for James Bond, there hasn’t been much to report about for Bond 25 other than speculation on who might replace Daniel Craig and director Sam Mendes if push comes to shove.
The big news is that a script has been finished and locations are been scouted in Croatia and New Zealand.
Bigger news is that Daniel Craig has reportedly recently indicated “serious interest.” This despite last year’s news that he turned down a reported $100 million payday for a two-film deal, and this long after his morning-after hangover interview the day after SPECTRE wrapped where Craig indicated he’d rather slit his wrists than make another Bond picture right away. It’s no longer “right away” and perhaps enough time has passed that Craig has recharged his batteries, satisfied his love for theater by getting a few stage performances out of his system, and done enough other film work that he’s reacquired his thirst for 007.
However, director Sam Mendes removed himself from consideration by busying his schedule, and with Mendes definitely out, a new director is obviously being courted (or has been courted but the producers, ever tight-lipped, haven’t announced anything yet).
If Craig comes back for Bond 25, the producers will undoubtedly continue the multi-film arc of Craig’s previous four missions, but will hopefully conjure a more appropriately larger-than-life threat from the organization SPECTRE, as well as a juicier turn for its leader Ernst Stavro Blofeld. If Christoph Waltz returns as Blofeld, it would mark a series first for the role, a villain previously given face by the likes of Telly Savalas, Donald Pleasance, and Charles Gray, but none of them twice.
Stay tuned for more news to come.
