Roger Michell Cites Script

Moore Not Less

From MI6.

Director Roger Michell cites script as reason for pulling out of Bond 22

http://www.mi6.co.uk/news/index.php?itemid=4783

Even before Casino Royale had been released, news was breaking about the forthcoming production of the 22nd Bond movie - due out on November 7th 2008.

One of the biggest stories was Roger Michell ( "Notting Hill", "Venus") who was rumoured to be directing Daniel Craig's second outing as 007, and later confirmed in October 2006 that he had pulled out of the film for "creative differences" with producers Michael G Wilson and Barbara Broccoli.

Talking to HIT this week, Michell confirmed that he was offered to helm Bond 22 - but despite the fact that he would have liked to have worked with his old friend, Daniel Craig - he ultimately passed on it, because he didn't like the script.

"We couldn't find a way of making us all happy with the script. It's been through various drafts, but I just decided to say no before I got too far into it", Michell says. "As far as I know, it's absolutely up for grabs at the moment".

Back in January, Michell said that he "got into a bit of a panic at the prospect. At that time, the film was due to start shooting in January, and I just felt this terrible pressure of scrambling to get a script together with the clock ticking. To go into a film like James Bond when you don't really know what's happening would be a recipe for hell."

jamesbondagent007

Uh oh. I sorta knew this would happen. They would enjoy vast success with CR, not actually knowing how much of it was due to Fleming and Haggis, and then try and make a good sequel using Beavis and Butthead again. They are HACKS.

blueman

Sounds like EON at one point wanted to turn around and go right into production on Bond 22, had an idea roughed out, got Michell on board, but it wasn't coming together. Happens. And, I'm guessing a P&W rough draft is pretty scary...

Resetting the release date, having more time to work on the script makes sense. Sort of a, calm down everybody. Wasn't this--Michell on board, Michell stepping off and the release date reset--all reported while CR was still in production? Not surprised EON got all excited about Bond 22, seeing the rushes coming in from CR. Patience, 007.

Hardyboy

Sigh. . .Purvis & Wade bashing again. Whatever happened to the phrase, "What have you done for me lately?" Michell didn't say it was a bad script--in fact, he didn't say a word about its quality--he simply said it had been through several drafts and that he and the producers (not the screenwriters) couldn't agree on it. But what's the big deal? I don't think there's a single Bond film script that hasn't gone through numerous drafts. For that matter, MOST film scripts go through multiple drafts. Lighten up, folks!

Loeffelholz

As with CR, I'm sure they're going to want to have their ducks in a row by this October, to allow ample pre-production time for commencement of principal photography in January. I'll be surprised if they don't have a director on board by November, at the latest.

Of course, I'm forever being surprised...

taity

Traditionally, a director is signed mid year for the script. They are signed early because they have imput on script and so forth. However, they really only add ideas to the story already in place by the producers and screen writers.

highhopes

Hardyboy wrote:

Sigh. . .Purvis & Wade bashing again. Whatever happened to the phrase, "What have you done for me lately?" Michell didn't say it was a bad script--in fact, he didn't say a word about its quality--he simply said it had been through several drafts and that he and the producers (not the screenwriters) couldn't agree on it. But what's the big deal? I don't think there's a single Bond film script that hasn't gone through numerous drafts. For that matter, MOST film scripts go through multiple drafts. Lighten up, folks!

Thank you, Hardy. Indeed, the sky is not falling, so there isn't any reason for us to act like Chicken Littles. Look at it this way -- at some point, someone looked up from their copy of Die Another Day and said: "Wow -- This is perfect. Let's start shooting right away!!!"

John Drake

Moore Not Less wrote:

Back in January, Michell said that he "got into a bit of a panic at the prospect. At that time, the film was due to start shooting in January, and I just felt this terrible pressure of scrambling to get a script together with the clock ticking. To go into a film like James Bond when you don't really know what's happening would be a recipe for hell."

In other words, Michell is saying this sounds too much like hard work. There are better directors about. I am really not concerned with losing Michell at all. He's better suited to small intimate dramas, like the overrated 'Venus.'

Gassy Man

blueman wrote:

Sounds like EON at one point wanted to turn around and go right into production on Bond 22, had an idea roughed out, got Michell on board, but it wasn't coming together. Happens. And, I'm guessing a P&W rough draft is pretty scary...

Resetting the release date, having more time to work on the script makes sense. Sort of a, calm down everybody. Wasn't this--Michell on board, Michell stepping off and the release date reset--all reported while CR was still in production? Not surprised EON got all excited about Bond 22, seeing the rushes coming in from CR. Patience, 007.

That's true, Hardy, but in fairness, P & W do pretty much suck.

Tee Hee

highhopes wrote:

Look at it this way -- at some point, someone looked up from their copy of Die Another Day and said: "Wow -- This is perfect. Let's start shooting right away!!!"

We should never trust a crossdresser/prostitute to make the final call ever again! )

As much as I think that the producers could have hired a better writing team, Purvis and Wade did give us "The World Is Not Enough." I have to give em' props for that.

Still, no objections to bringing in another script polisher.

Moore Not Less

Tee Hee wrote:

Still, no objections to bringing in another script polisher.

I have no objections to a script polisher. And I certainly would not object to Paul Haggis returning. Is he available for Bond 22?

Hardyboy

Gassy Man wrote:

blueman wrote:

Sounds like EON at one point wanted to turn around and go right into production on Bond 22, had an idea roughed out, got Michell on board, but it wasn't coming together. Happens. And, I'm guessing a P&W rough draft is pretty scary...

Resetting the release date, having more time to work on the script makes sense. Sort of a, calm down everybody. Wasn't this--Michell on board, Michell stepping off and the release date reset--all reported while CR was still in production? Not surprised EON got all excited about Bond 22, seeing the rushes coming in from CR. Patience, 007.

That's true, Hardy, but in fairness, P & W do pretty much suck.

Right guy but wrong post, GM. :v

jetsetwilly

Tee Hee wrote:

As much as I think that the producers could have hired a better writing team, Purvis and Wade did give us "The World Is Not Enough." I have to give em' props for that.

Indeed. In fact, being the senile old bugger that I am, I can remember when the rumours of TWINE's scriptwriting process were doing the rounds. The general feeling at the time, if I recall, was that Purvis & Wade's excellent work was going to be ruined by the hack Bruce Feirstein, who was at that time, evil in screenwriter form. How things change, eh?

taity

jetsetwilly wrote:

The general feeling at the time, if I recall, was that Purvis & Wade's excellent work was going to be ruined by the hack Bruce Feirstein, who was at that time, evil in screenwriter form. How things change, eh?

Thats the guy who gave us everything or nothing, by far the best Brosnan Bond outing (take that TND!)

Gassy Man

Hardyboy wrote:

Gassy Man wrote:

blueman wrote:

Sounds like EON at one point wanted to turn around and go right into production on Bond 22, had an idea roughed out, got Michell on board, but it wasn't coming together. Happens. And, I'm guessing a P&W rough draft is pretty scary...

Resetting the release date, having more time to work on the script makes sense. Sort of a, calm down everybody. Wasn't this--Michell on board, Michell stepping off and the release date reset--all reported while CR was still in production? Not surprised EON got all excited about Bond 22, seeing the rushes coming in from CR. Patience, 007.

That's true, Hardy, but in fairness, P & W do pretty much suck.

Right guy but wrong post, GM. :v

D'oh! Between the crackpipe and the swift kicks to the head, I don't know whether I'm coming or going anymore.

(Sorry, blue!)

blueman

Huh, which way? What'd I miss?

Predator

highhopes wrote:

Look at it this way -- at some point, someone looked up from their copy of Die Another Day and said: "Wow -- This is perfect. Let's start shooting right away!!!"

:chortles:

The 8 months before filming are a lifetime away. I feel sorry that there were differences of opinion over the script, but I too remember the troubles long before P&W came onboard ... TND was a very troubled script but it made a halfway decent Bond film.

(Although in saying that, P&W ran out of ideas during TWINE ... CR relied on Fleming's genius, my recommendation for P&W would be to throw all of their concepts out of the window).

Loeffelholz

Predator wrote:

...P&W ran out of ideas during TWINE ... CR relied on Fleming's genius, my recommendation for P&W would be to throw all of their concepts out of the window.

Quite right. Following CR (a Fleming adaptation) is going to be tough enough, IMRO. I certainly hope they're not going to turn their back on source material now, simply because all the titles have been used...

My hope is that they would dig through the Fleming books---beginning with LALD---for unused elements (the broken finger, the parking garage violence, a fortune in lost pirate treasure, etc) and build upon what they find...of course, it's probably too late for that

Still, it's very early in the game for #22, and my optimism, re: CR was rewarded far too handsomely to abandon it now...

highhopes

Loeffelholz wrote:

Predator wrote:

...P&W ran out of ideas during TWINE ... CR relied on Fleming's genius, my recommendation for P&W would be to throw all of their concepts out of the window.

Quite right. Following CR (a Fleming adaptation) is going to be tough enough, IMRO. I certainly hope they're not going to turn their back on source material now, simply because all the titles have been used...

My hope is that they would dig through the Fleming books---beginning with LALD---for unused elements (the broken finger, the parking garage violence, a fortune in lost pirate treasure, etc) and build upon what they find...of course, it's probably too late for that

Still, it's very early in the game for #22, and my optimism, re: CR was rewarded far too handsomely to abandon it now...

I think we also have to remember that before CR, P&W and the whole Eon team had to conform to the almighty Formula. That can be a straitjacket sometimes. You either have to take a square peg of an idea and force it into the round hole, or never allow yourself the creativity to even think in terms of square pegs at all: the formula was limiting in terms of what was and wasn't acceptable in a Bond film. Hopefully, that's gone now. Given those built-in limitations, P&W's pre-CR outings may not -- I emphasize the "may" not -- reflect what they can actually do when unfettered by tradition.

Gassy Man

blueman wrote:

Huh, which way? What'd I miss?

Sorry, blue -- I wanted to post to Hardy's but accidentally posted to yours. That made it seem like I was responding to you.

taity

I hope that whatever the next movie is that they use some titles of chapters from the novels. We could have a title like "the undertaker's wind" whereas what we've been getting is "die another day"

blueman

Agree, taity. Fleming had great chapter titles, EON should use 'em.

Solaris

My favourite Felming chapter title is "Reflections in a Double Bourbon" not a very good film title but still a very nice Chapter title.

If we're looking for a film title in Fleming's chapters, things like...

The Undertaker's Wind
The Eye that never sleeps
The Bleeding Heart
The nature of love

...spring to mind

But with Fleming chapter titles, some work perfectly as Film titles, others not as much, others wouldn't work at all.

Hardyboy

"Felming?" :007) Anyway, to my mind the only Fleming chapter title that would really work as a film title comes from Diamonds Are Forever: "Death Is So Permanent." I dunno--I feel that Fleming's chapter titles tend to be either bland ("The Secret Agent") or overly melodramatic ("Night Falls in the Passion Pit"). I also can't support "The Undertaker's Wind," as it's a fart joke waiting to happen (I wanted to write "I can't get behind 'The Undertaker's Wind,'" but I stopped myself for just that reason); and "The Eye That Never Sleeps" is the real motto of the Pinkerton Agency and doesn't stand out as uniquely Bondian. Just my opinion.

Say--where did the topic of this thread go?

darenhat

Hardyboy wrote:

I also can't support "The Undertaker's Wind," as it's a fart joke waiting to happen

But can't you imagine the Weird Al take-off on the title song...if only I had that Alternate Reality Time Travel Machine!

As for the script? Well, it's a bit normal for directors to drop a project because they can't get the script to conform with their vision. Not a biggie, IMO...and it doesn't mean the script is bad, like HB mentioned. It simply means that it isn't another 'Notting Hill' (thank goodness!)

jetsetwilly

All Cats Are Grey! All Cats Are Grey!

Best Fleming chapter title, ever. Please use it.

Loeffelholz

"The Death Collector"

Solaris

The Death Collector, sounds like a bad film starring Mel Gibson or Arnie or something.

Willie Garvin

highhopes wrote:

Loeffelholz wrote:

Predator wrote:

...P&W ran out of ideas during TWINE ... CR relied on Fleming's genius, my recommendation for P&W would be to throw all of their concepts out of the window.

Quite right. Following CR (a Fleming adaptation) is going to be tough enough, IMRO. I certainly hope they're not going to turn their back on source material now, simply because all the titles have been used...

My hope is that they would dig through the Fleming books---beginning with LALD---for unused elements (the broken finger, the parking garage violence, a fortune in lost pirate treasure, etc) and build upon what they find...of course, it's probably too late for that

Still, it's very early in the game for #22, and my optimism, re: CR was rewarded far too handsomely to abandon it now...

I think we also have to remember that before CR, P&W and the whole Eon team had to conform to the almighty Formula. That can be a straitjacket sometimes. You either have to take a square peg of an idea and force it into the round hole, or never allow yourself the creativity to even think in terms of square pegs at all: the formula was limiting in terms of what was and wasn't acceptable in a Bond film. Hopefully, that's gone now. Given those built-in limitations, P&W's pre-CR outings may not -- I emphasize the "may" not -- reflect what they can actually do when unfettered by tradition.

I'll agree with this.For years the Bond films pretty much adhered to a strict formula.Casino Royale departed from that in many ways.In spirit and tone it harkens back to the earlier character driven Bond films like From Russia With Love and On Her Majesty's Secret Service.However, I doubt that this change in style can be attributed entirely to Paul Haggis' polishing of the Purvis/Wade screenplay.

I know that whenever I think who'd be the very best man to work on a script for a James Bond film, the creator of "Who's The Boss" and "The Facts of Life" and the co-creator of Lone Wolf McQuade--er,I mean,"Walker, Texas Ranger"--immediately leaps to mind....:v

Seriously,Eon's apparently happy with what P&W have done for them and they seem to trust these writers to continue contributing to the series--or they'd have long since replaced P&W.I can't imagine Purvis and Wade's screenplay for CR was somehow so inept that it required extensive revisions by another hand--even if he'd recently won an Academy Award.Haggis himself has said that what he did with the CR screenplay wasn't a radical overhaul of Purvis and Wade's work, and I'm inclined to believe him.

Let's be fair.Writing a James Bond movie that'll please as many people as possible can't be an easy task for anyone.

Anyway,hopefully Mr.Michell didn't expect to get one of those special credits like "A Film By..." with Bond 22 because that's never going to happen with a James Bond movie.These are all producer motion pictures.There's only one star at Eon-and that's the James Bond character.

In all honesty,I suspect that Bond 22 simply turned out to be a bigger and much more involved project than Mr.Michell had originally anticipated and that's the reason he departed.

positivelyshocking

I agree with WG completely here. Paul Haggis whilst obviously being a talented scriptwriter has been feted as the responsible person for the "reboot" (anyone else hate that term?) with no thought that P&W had any input.

I for one remember that it was Michael Wilson who wanted the films to go more back to basics at the beginning of the Dalton era. As I understand it he wanted to tell the story of Bonds first days in the service (much as CR has done) so I think we should remember that a Bond script has input from all sorts of sources.

I also agree that writing a script that pleases everyone is impossible. (As a quick peruse of this site and the various opinions therein demonstrates!)

My guess is that whoever does come on board to replace Mr Michell will probably also bring some kind of script doctor too (a la Richard Donner bringing in Tom Mankiewicz to Superman).