Never heard of them…but then I don’t ‘do’ social media at all, so not a surprise…but what have they got right to make you say “usually reliable”…?…and what have they got wrong..? 🤔
It's not too good news for Paul Mescal fans. Beyond the Trailer Youtube channel movie critic and showbiz news personality Grace Randolph is giving Gladiator II about 7 out of ten, and she tends to be on the kind side to the movie and TV industry.
Worse for Mescal is that Randolph says Mescal is not cutting it as a leading man. When I watched Daniel Craig in Layer Cake just after he was announced as Bond I thought Craig's Layer Cake performance was very strong. Looking at Mescal's IMDB page Gladiator II is really his only movie lead role. I've seen Foe, where he has a co-lead with Saoirse Ronan, and I couldn't get all the way through the film and I think Saoirse Ronan is a great actress. Sadly, it looks like Gladiator II won't be Mescal's route to Bond. Rather like AJT his leading man chops seem to be a bit "mid," as the kids say.
The reviews are now in on Rotten Tomatoes. Very mixed.
Whereas The Guardian that "there is something awe-inspiring in seeing Paul Mescal’s triumphal march into the A-list" and the Telegraph says he impresses. Maybe one person's review isn't the objective truth.
Barbara Broccoli and Michael Wilson are awarded the Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award this weekend. I would imagine there would be some word from them, maybe a glossy Variety or THR feature. Though we may just get a few choice words on a red carpet. In any case, I suspect we hear something. If we get the typical, "We haven't even thought about it yet" comment, then I will spit my dummy out of the pram.
In other news, Jacob Elordi looks fire in the new Chanel advert with Margot Robbie
I’ve read quite a few reviews today…to paraphrase, most say the film is an enjoyable watch but isn’t memorable and Mescal is somewhat lacking as a lead but is ok.
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It's a shame, I was hoping he'd be a clear choice as I have grave doubts about AJT. The actor who gets it in the end maybe a complete unknown. I am a cinephile and go to the movies a lot and enjoyed Elizabeth, Road to Perdition and Lara Croft: Tomb Raider (for obvious reasons), which Daniel Craig was in, and when Daniel Craig was announced my reaction was, 'who?' I think it was his performance in Elizabeth that first attracted Babs Broccoli.
New comments from Barbara Broccoli ahead of the Academy's Governors Awards, where she gets the Irving Thalberg award. She confirms the hunt for the new Bond is underway:
They’ve teased some things: It will be a man. He’ll likely be in his 30s. Whiteness is not a given. And whoever says yes is doing so with the expectation of at least a decade’s worth of films. One thing is certain: There's going to be a period of adjustment for audiences in the transition. Every Bond had its detractors, especially at the start. Broccoli saw firsthand the vitriol of the internet era when Craig was cast ("anti-Daniel nonsense," she called it.)
But when people finally saw “Casino Royale,” the sentiment shifted to love. The five Craig Bonds are the highest grossing in the series, not adjusting for inflation. It remains one of her proudest moments. And a new Bond means new opportunity.
“Every time we cast a new actor, the films change. It’s the excitement of a new Bond, a new direction,” Wilson said. “Every one of these people who took on the role offered something new and different.”
I don't see any reference to the hunt being underway either. The comments about a future Bond actor are a rehash of past statements. For me, the interesting comment is this:
“People are playing it very safe. I think in times of crisis like this, you've got to be brave," Broccoli said. “It’s certainly a new era in the movie business, so we’re trying to figure it out."
The comment comes after a reference about Amazon's purchase of MGM and the Broccoli's intent that Bond26 has a theatrical release, and not a streaming movie.
The Craig era Bond movies have made huge sums of money, more than some Marvel movies, and that was when Marvel movies were doing well, why wouldn't a future Bond movie be in cinemas?
I see on social media the Hollywood industry talking about "just survive to 2025" after the strike. Maybe that's what she means by people playing it safe. It's noticeable how few big budget movies there have been this year.
IMHO it's a new era in the movie business because for some films people just think, 'I'll catch it on streaming later,' because the film just doesn't offer a cinematic experience or the film is not considered worth the price of an evening at the cinema.
If I were "trying to figure it out" I think Bond movies have an ace up their sleeve and it is a reputation for big expensive action, beyond what other franchises can deliver, that is worth going to the big screen for. I just hope BB and MGW don't decide that an "event movie" only comes once every 4-5 years.
That could, horribly, be their calculation, but that flies in the face of their comment before that an actor would have to commit to ten years. Two movies in 10 years? I think four over 12 years is a better bet.
I think "being brave" could mean that "go big or go home" is the conclusion they have drawn. The history of Bond film grosses, adjusted for inflation, shows that spectacular is a winner.
As for what sort of Bond we'll get, what tone, I think while Moore's lighter tone was popular, the Connery and Craig, more serious tones, were more appealing looking at the top grossing Bond movies. The Bond films have always been influenced by the times in which they were made and I think, now, when people openly talk about WWIII, a Goldeneye, Thunderball, Skyfall tone is a safer option.
I think, now, when people openly talk about WWIII, a Goldeneye, Thunderball, Skyfall tone is a safer option.
TB is not a film I would link with GE and SF in terms of tone. Although the stakes are stressful, the film itself remains the quintessence of fun, escapism and glamour. In the Connery era, DN and FRWL are much darker than the rest. The tone is brutal, the threat is insidious and there's an eerie atmosphere. It's also in these ones Connery's performance is absolutely mind blowing, which is not the case anymore from GF.
Weird, the Guardian have read a new interview with B&W and taken the bit of the article which references a previous, much earlier interview as the headline news from it.
Somehow I missed the last quote in the story: “He always said films were like the circus coming to town,” Broccoli said. “You set up your tent, everybody comes and you create magic. It's all about pleasing the audience, making sure that people get their bang for their buck.”
"Bang for their buck". I think that means more spectacle. But previously we had been told "espionage" would be a thing for the next Bonds. That said to me, more subtle thriller, detective Bond, not brash Bond.
I can't agree with Dr No being darker, it's a tame almost late-1950s movie compared to the later Bonds. FRWL is a good example of a true thriller with twists and turns. As for TB being "the quintessence of fun, escapism and glamour," while it is an enjoyable film, I wouldn't say it was fun as in, say, Octopussy.
OP is fun indeed, but in another way than TB. These movies just use different ingredients, which doesn't necessarily mean one does bring fun to the audience while the other doesn't. I don't think such a concept is exclusive.
According to Ajay Chowdhury, one of the authors of Some kind of Hero: The Remarkable Story of the James Bond Films, the Governors Awards could be an interesting opportunity for Broccoli (and Wilson to a lesser extent) to say something about the next film. I don't know what it may be (perhaps the fact they're currently working on the development). The ceremony is not televised so I'm afraid this is unlikely. Of course, it would be great to learn something 'tonight'.
Will Chowdhury's assumption be correct? The answer very soon.
in Thunderball, it appears that James Bonds job is to hang out on the beach all day, picking up chicks and saving the world in his spare time. The Bond fantasy at its wish-fullfing-est.
The Governor's Awards include the Irvine Thalberg. The AP interview with BB and MGW related to that event came out the other day for the event that took place at the weekend.
At the actual event, no new news. In this video of BB's acceptance speech I have to say MGW was looking a lot healthier than I was expecting.
I wish I could be more positive, but Mescal's performance in Gladiator is not good. Admittedly, for me anyway, as the alleged lead character he's not in it as much as you think, Connie Neilson and Denzel Washington get A LOT of screen time, and perhaps that was the problem, but Mescal's performance portrayed a very ordinary man, who has one apparent skill, fighting.
I do wonder, with Craig's new Bond comment, if he has been involved in some way? Will he be a co-producer on Bond26?
I didn't personally think these award ceremonies would be the platform to make an announcement on the future of the series since they seem to be reflective of past achievements and contributions.
Note that he says "Let's get something out the way. You came here this evening to find out who the next James Bond is. Don't look at me, but he might be in the room. I'm just joking ... maybe I'm not."
His words do seem to be quite telling. If Paul Mescal was in attendance, then the rumours do seem to be adding up very subtly.
I don't think we should judge Mescal's performance in Gladiator II too harshly. It could be that the character just didn't suit his acting abilities. (I haven't seen the film yes so I can't say anything about his performance).
@sinlum that assumption from Chowdhury was not so crazy if you think about it. I don't think talking about the future at the very end of the acknowledgements - without saying too much of course - would have been shocking or uncalled-for.
Concerning Mescal, I don't think he'll be the chosen one, so why bother?
Comments
Never heard of them…but then I don’t ‘do’ social media at all, so not a surprise…but what have they got right to make you say “usually reliable”…?…and what have they got wrong..? 🤔
We're now 37 months since the release of NTTD.
DC was named as Bond 35 months after DAD.
The gap between June 1989's License to Kill and November 1995's Goldeneye was 77 months.
The gap between NTTD and Bond26 will surpass that in 3 years four months.
It's not too good news for Paul Mescal fans. Beyond the Trailer Youtube channel movie critic and showbiz news personality Grace Randolph is giving Gladiator II about 7 out of ten, and she tends to be on the kind side to the movie and TV industry.
Worse for Mescal is that Randolph says Mescal is not cutting it as a leading man. When I watched Daniel Craig in Layer Cake just after he was announced as Bond I thought Craig's Layer Cake performance was very strong. Looking at Mescal's IMDB page Gladiator II is really his only movie lead role. I've seen Foe, where he has a co-lead with Saoirse Ronan, and I couldn't get all the way through the film and I think Saoirse Ronan is a great actress. Sadly, it looks like Gladiator II won't be Mescal's route to Bond. Rather like AJT his leading man chops seem to be a bit "mid," as the kids say.
The reviews are now in on Rotten Tomatoes. Very mixed.
https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/gladiator_ii/reviews
Yeah, I've only seen him in Aftersun and Normal People, but I didn't really catch any A-List leading man vibes from him..
Whereas The Guardian that "there is something awe-inspiring in seeing Paul Mescal’s triumphal march into the A-list" and the Telegraph says he impresses. Maybe one person's review isn't the objective truth.
I’ll hold out for seeing him in Gladiator II then… 🤞🏻
Barbara Broccoli and Michael Wilson are awarded the Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award this weekend. I would imagine there would be some word from them, maybe a glossy Variety or THR feature. Though we may just get a few choice words on a red carpet. In any case, I suspect we hear something. If we get the typical, "We haven't even thought about it yet" comment, then I will spit my dummy out of the pram.
In other news, Jacob Elordi looks fire in the new Chanel advert with Margot Robbie
77% 'fresh', at the moment. 66 reviews....
Hopefully we will get a comment or two at the Irving Thalberg thing. Nice spot Lucius.
I’ve read quite a few reviews today…to paraphrase, most say the film is an enjoyable watch but isn’t memorable and Mescal is somewhat lacking as a lead but is ok.
If by ‘fire’ you mean awful, then I would agree. Unless they go down the campy unrealistic comedy route again.
And if by "awful" you mean .... etc.
I think Elordi looks good, but of course my eyes were mainly on Margot. 😃
Exactly.
It's a shame, I was hoping he'd be a clear choice as I have grave doubts about AJT. The actor who gets it in the end maybe a complete unknown. I am a cinephile and go to the movies a lot and enjoyed Elizabeth, Road to Perdition and Lara Croft: Tomb Raider (for obvious reasons), which Daniel Craig was in, and when Daniel Craig was announced my reaction was, 'who?' I think it was his performance in Elizabeth that first attracted Babs Broccoli.
New comments from Barbara Broccoli ahead of the Academy's Governors Awards, where she gets the Irving Thalberg award. She confirms the hunt for the new Bond is underway:
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/barbara-broccoli-ap-james-bond-roger-moore-hollywood-b2646395.html
It’s a big decision,” she said.
They’ve teased some things: It will be a man. He’ll likely be in his 30s. Whiteness is not a given. And whoever says yes is doing so with the expectation of at least a decade’s worth of films. One thing is certain: There's going to be a period of adjustment for audiences in the transition. Every Bond had its detractors, especially at the start. Broccoli saw firsthand the vitriol of the internet era when Craig was cast ("anti-Daniel nonsense," she called it.)
But when people finally saw “Casino Royale,” the sentiment shifted to love. The five Craig Bonds are the highest grossing in the series, not adjusting for inflation. It remains one of her proudest moments. And a new Bond means new opportunity.
“Every time we cast a new actor, the films change. It’s the excitement of a new Bond, a new direction,” Wilson said. “Every one of these people who took on the role offered something new and different.”
Perhaps it's me but I don't see where in the article she confirms such a thing.
Is there a line where she says 'The script is finished. We are currently looking for a director and an actor'?
I can't see it either.
I don't see any reference to the hunt being underway either. The comments about a future Bond actor are a rehash of past statements. For me, the interesting comment is this:
“People are playing it very safe. I think in times of crisis like this, you've got to be brave," Broccoli said. “It’s certainly a new era in the movie business, so we’re trying to figure it out."
The comment comes after a reference about Amazon's purchase of MGM and the Broccoli's intent that Bond26 has a theatrical release, and not a streaming movie.
The Craig era Bond movies have made huge sums of money, more than some Marvel movies, and that was when Marvel movies were doing well, why wouldn't a future Bond movie be in cinemas?
I see on social media the Hollywood industry talking about "just survive to 2025" after the strike. Maybe that's what she means by people playing it safe. It's noticeable how few big budget movies there have been this year.
IMHO it's a new era in the movie business because for some films people just think, 'I'll catch it on streaming later,' because the film just doesn't offer a cinematic experience or the film is not considered worth the price of an evening at the cinema.
If I were "trying to figure it out" I think Bond movies have an ace up their sleeve and it is a reputation for big expensive action, beyond what other franchises can deliver, that is worth going to the big screen for. I just hope BB and MGW don't decide that an "event movie" only comes once every 4-5 years.
That could, horribly, be their calculation, but that flies in the face of their comment before that an actor would have to commit to ten years. Two movies in 10 years? I think four over 12 years is a better bet.
I think "being brave" could mean that "go big or go home" is the conclusion they have drawn. The history of Bond film grosses, adjusted for inflation, shows that spectacular is a winner.
https://www.reddit.com/r/JamesBond/comments/18nmbka/bond_films_rank_ordered_and_adjusted_for_inflation/?rdt=62646
And so Bond26 could be a $300 million behemoth. Hence the immense focus on the script and the 'script troubles' rumours of late. https://www.worldofreel.com/blog/2024/11/6/james-bond-26-plagued-by-script-problems
As for what sort of Bond we'll get, what tone, I think while Moore's lighter tone was popular, the Connery and Craig, more serious tones, were more appealing looking at the top grossing Bond movies. The Bond films have always been influenced by the times in which they were made and I think, now, when people openly talk about WWIII, a Goldeneye, Thunderball, Skyfall tone is a safer option.
I think, now, when people openly talk about WWIII, a Goldeneye, Thunderball, Skyfall tone is a safer option.
TB is not a film I would link with GE and SF in terms of tone. Although the stakes are stressful, the film itself remains the quintessence of fun, escapism and glamour. In the Connery era, DN and FRWL are much darker than the rest. The tone is brutal, the threat is insidious and there's an eerie atmosphere. It's also in these ones Connery's performance is absolutely mind blowing, which is not the case anymore from GF.
This may be of interest -
Weird, the Guardian have read a new interview with B&W and taken the bit of the article which references a previous, much earlier interview as the headline news from it.
The Independent article is this Associated Press story The Guardian is linking/referring to.
https://apnews.com/article/james-bond-producers-fcb0077975022c4c3771af8752afb370
Somehow I missed the last quote in the story: “He always said films were like the circus coming to town,” Broccoli said. “You set up your tent, everybody comes and you create magic. It's all about pleasing the audience, making sure that people get their bang for their buck.”
"Bang for their buck". I think that means more spectacle. But previously we had been told "espionage" would be a thing for the next Bonds. That said to me, more subtle thriller, detective Bond, not brash Bond.
I can't agree with Dr No being darker, it's a tame almost late-1950s movie compared to the later Bonds. FRWL is a good example of a true thriller with twists and turns. As for TB being "the quintessence of fun, escapism and glamour," while it is an enjoyable film, I wouldn't say it was fun as in, say, Octopussy.
OP is fun indeed, but in another way than TB. These movies just use different ingredients, which doesn't necessarily mean one does bring fun to the audience while the other doesn't. I don't think such a concept is exclusive.
According to Ajay Chowdhury, one of the authors of Some kind of Hero: The Remarkable Story of the James Bond Films, the Governors Awards could be an interesting opportunity for Broccoli (and Wilson to a lesser extent) to say something about the next film. I don't know what it may be (perhaps the fact they're currently working on the development). The ceremony is not televised so I'm afraid this is unlikely. Of course, it would be great to learn something 'tonight'.
Will Chowdhury's assumption be correct? The answer very soon.
in Thunderball, it appears that James Bonds job is to hang out on the beach all day, picking up chicks and saving the world in his spare time. The Bond fantasy at its wish-fullfing-est.
"Maybe one person's review isn't the objective truth."
Especially when it's Grace Randolph
The Governor's Awards include the Irvine Thalberg. The AP interview with BB and MGW related to that event came out the other day for the event that took place at the weekend.
At the actual event, no new news. In this video of BB's acceptance speech I have to say MGW was looking a lot healthier than I was expecting.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1wJ_fRJ8lAg&t=175s
Daniel Craig was there and made a more interesting comment about the new Bond potentially being in that audience.
According to this story, the "stars" of Gladiator II were there.
And sure enough here is video of Paul Mescal being there.
I wish I could be more positive, but Mescal's performance in Gladiator is not good. Admittedly, for me anyway, as the alleged lead character he's not in it as much as you think, Connie Neilson and Denzel Washington get A LOT of screen time, and perhaps that was the problem, but Mescal's performance portrayed a very ordinary man, who has one apparent skill, fighting.
I do wonder, with Craig's new Bond comment, if he has been involved in some way? Will he be a co-producer on Bond26?
I didn't personally think these award ceremonies would be the platform to make an announcement on the future of the series since they seem to be reflective of past achievements and contributions.
The clip of Daniel Craig's part:
Note that he says "Let's get something out the way. You came here this evening to find out who the next James Bond is. Don't look at me, but he might be in the room. I'm just joking ... maybe I'm not."
His words do seem to be quite telling. If Paul Mescal was in attendance, then the rumours do seem to be adding up very subtly.
I don't think we should judge Mescal's performance in Gladiator II too harshly. It could be that the character just didn't suit his acting abilities. (I haven't seen the film yes so I can't say anything about his performance).
@sinlum that assumption from Chowdhury was not so crazy if you think about it. I don't think talking about the future at the very end of the acknowledgements - without saying too much of course - would have been shocking or uncalled-for.
Concerning Mescal, I don't think he'll be the chosen one, so why bother?