The BJMDDS General Discussion Thread......

[The Sweeney]

I may be wrong but Iam pretty sure Cubby did consider Reeve for Bond after seeing him in Superman he even offerd Burt Reynolds the part in the seventies for godsake.

Yeah...Reynolds would have been a bad choice....but Reynolds wasn't part of another movie franchise - that's the point I'm making.

Reeve to play Bond back in the 70's? This is the first I've ever heard of this?

[John Drake]

I think Cavill would be a great choice for Bond, but I seriously don't see this happening now he is signed up for Superman. It was the same issue when Bale was signed up as Batman, when he could have been a contender for Bond.

Could you have imagined Reeve being tipped to replace Moore after FYEO back in the late 70's? It just wouldn't happen. Once a main actor has been signed up to a franchise, I cannot see them being signed up for another franchise alongside it. Besides which, the replacement for Craig is still a couple of years away (at least). By which time audiences the world over will have then associated Cavill as Superman.

I'm still unsure of a Superman origin story. The first one, and the best, is unbeatable. Superman The Movie, with Reeve, Brando, Hackman is a classic. You cannot remake that. The one thing I did like about Superman Returns was that it at least attempted to honour the franchise, with the superb title sequence and Willaims theme score (why he didn't do the entire score I don't know). I think it would be a mistake to go in a different direction, and do a Nolan's Batman Begins.

Batman reboot worked because IMO the original Tim Burton film wasn't that great. There wasn't much of a legacy to mess with, unlike Superman The Movie, which is a near-perfect classic (and another film which resides in my top 10).

I may be wrong but Iam pretty sure Cubby did consider Reeve for Bond after seeing him in Superman he even offerd Burt Reynolds the part in the seventies for godsake.

I heard that too. In a Roger Moore biography I read years ago it said that Broccoli threatened to replace Moore with Christopher Reeve in the early eighties. Moore always used to say he wasn't coming back and then sign on at the last minute according to the book.

[Mazer Rackham]

Moore stayed on as long as he did because he was cheap as chips. He didn't get a percentage until his last 3, Craig was affordable before he renegotiate his contract, it is now prohibitive to keep him on any longer than he is already contracted for. He got $10m for Quark, and is looking at $16m for Bond 23. And this is before He gets a taste of merchandising and the gross. I am not sure if the salary was locked in as £ or $, if it was £ the pay check will be slightly less according to the exchange rate at the time. Basically by threatening to walk off he was able to double his contracted pay, good for him bad for a struggling franchise. Bad deal for a sequel that didn't make money at the BO (and cost the studio $400m).


Cavill might have a chance although the conventional wisdom was that he would be out of the running. Cubby's main objection to Gibson besides he was a short crazy piker was they he didn't want to make Mel Gibson movies. That sort of status is disappearing from Hollywood. There is a contingent at EON who want to modernize Bond for the next decade or more. Someone like Cavill is made to order, it could still be done but the window is closing fast.

[buffybond]

I agree that they will try to modernize Bond but Ithink there is still plenty of time for Cavil.
Firstly i think Craig will walk or get the push after 23 simply because it will not do that well due t the fact that Craig is not a leading man.
He was ok in Munich and Road to Perdtion because he is fine as a supporting actor but not the lead.
Before anyone starts ranting about the bo takings for CR and QOS the reason they did well was because of the curiosity factor,new Bond ect and then will the next be as good.
The new moneymen behind Bondwill not let barmy Babs have her way with the casting of Bond after a 3rd dissapointing film and so I believe they will change tactics and go with someonewho is already knownand if Cavill nails Superman and Immortals is a success the I think Bonds moneymen will want a piece of him.

[Alessandra]

I agree that they will try to modernize Bond but Ithink there is still plenty of time for Cavil.
Firstly i think Craig will walk or get the push after 23 simply because it will not do that well due t the fact that Craig is not a leading man.
He was ok in Munich and Road to Perdtion because he is fine as a supporting actor but not the lead.
Before anyone starts ranting about the bo takings for CR and QOS the reason they did well was because of the curiosity factor,new Bond ect and then will the next be as good.
The new moneymen behind Bondwill not let barmy Babs have her way with the casting of Bond after a 3rd dissapointing film and so I believe they will change tactics and go with someonewho is already knownand if Cavill nails Superman and Immortals is a success the I think Bonds moneymen will want a piece of him.

Hey there! :mrgreen:The above is pretty much what my friends in Hollywood, whom I have tortured overnight for answers, are saying. Together with the fact of course that Cavill HAS been contacted by Bond producers over the last couple of months. So yeah, they believe this started for a reason, which is that they knew he is right to relaunch Bond after Craig, and that now, especially if Cold Light of Day and Immortals do well this year at the box office, combined with Superman next year, they will be even more willing to sign him seen as they desperately need someone who will guarantee them a big income and MG CANNOT afford any faux pas.

Oh btw I DID know about the Christopher Reeve part, too. Cubby did consider hiring him to replace Moore. And since that happened, I can't see why not with Cavill, especially considering he is young enough to be able to replace Craig even four years from now and go on for a decade being Bond. We shall see.

Oh So sad about John Barry. I was still holding out hope he may come back to Bond at some point He was really great at his job. RIP.

BJ, Natalie Portman (Glad we totally agree on her) will likely get the Oscar for Black Swan, so if not her as Lois Lane.. what about Rachel McAdams?

[bjmdds]

That is an excellent choice Ale. You know your stuff about who fits where and with whom in show business.

[Omega]

Rachel McAdams over Portman any day of the week.

[bjmdds]

Only 3 Bond films from 2002-2012? Unbelieveable lack of accomplishment by Eon.

[Alessandra]

That is an excellent choice Ale. You know your stuff about who fits where and with whom in show business.

Thank you BJ! Now, if only Bond producers listened to me!!

A friend of mine who is a director once told me I have a natural talent for that part of the business (casting and pairing up characters/actors)... I guess it's because I may not remember people's names, but I ALWAYS remember faces, even if I notice a stranger on the bus once I will remember. That makes it easier to make people "fit" with other people I think. And well, since I've been dealing with the TV/entertainment business intensely in the past few years, it's become easier to match script writers, actors and directors too (though I am not a huge expert on directors but I know the work of quite a few). Script writers/show creators and actors are definitely my thing, I love the creative side of the business.

Anyway.. very glad you approve of the choice! And, Omega approves too! So, it's a go for Rachel McAdams? Must think of other alternatives... we need a backup plan. I think she is one of the talked-about prospects though. I'm not sure because I don't follow the Superman fandom that closely.

[katied]

Definitely McAdams. If Natalie wins the Academy Award, it's probably not the sort of role she'll go for, and also with her having a kid soon, she'll want to be with the kid for a while after he or she is born.

[bjmdds]

Rachel McAdams over Portman any day of the week.

Good taste big O.

[bjmdds]

Definitely McAdams. If Natalie wins the Academy Award, it's probably not the sort of role she'll go for, and also with her having a kid soon, she'll want to be with the kid for a while after he or she is born.

MP,any interests in old Matt Helm films from the 1970s or were they too camp for you? McAdams would be a nice Luvy Cravesit from Matt Helm.

[oscartheman]

Weren't those going to be remade?

[bjmdds]

I bet they still will with all of the lack of Hollywood originality this century. It seems the past is the future in the 21st century film genre.

[Kristatos]

Weren't those going to be remade?

Yes, but I think the remakes were going to be closer in tone to the original novels, which were quite gritty, than the campy films with Dino.

[Alessandra]

So BJ, are you being buried again in the snowstorm? Unbelievable. Do you need Superman to come help? Or rather, the next James Bond... haha.

I just heard that the two Spyglass dudes are under fire now. The studios in the bid for Bond distribution got really pissed, and the exposé from deadline.com didn't help MGM. Looks like it's another fine day of war at MGM

[English Agent]

Buona Sera 'Ale'

I have a couple of questions for you, i've been reading your posts, and you say you have some friends in the film business!

Do you live in the US, and do you personally work in the film business?

Sorry for being nosey, but i just wondered.

Thanks

EA

[bjmdds]

So BJ, are you being buried again in the snowstorm? Unbelievable. Do you need Superman to come help? Or rather, the next James Bond... haha.

I just heard that the two Spyglass dudes are under fire now. The studios in the bid for Bond distribution got really pissed, and the exposé from deadline.com didn't help MGM. Looks like it's another fine day of war at MGM

ICE storm due tonight with 1-2 inches of ICE alone, then rain tomorrow all day but I hope it warms to near 40 degrees to start melting this stuff. There is over 30 inches of packed snow still on my small lawn in front of my house. Saturday's forecast: SNOW! I cannot stand this any longer! New Delhi, here I come!

[English Agent]

So BJ, are you being buried again in the snowstorm? Unbelievable. Do you need Superman to come help? Or rather, the next James Bond... haha.

I just heard that the two Spyglass dudes are under fire now. The studios in the bid for Bond distribution got really pissed, and the exposé from deadline.com didn't help MGM. Looks like it's another fine day of war at MGM

ICE storm due tonight with 1-2 inches of ICE alone, then rain tomorrow all day but I hope it warms to near 40 degrees to start melting this stuff. There is over 30 inches of packed snow still on my small lawn in front of my house. Saturday's forecast: SNOW! I cannot stand this any longer! New Delhi, here I come!

Hell.......thats a helluva lot of snow...........people in the UK get stressed when we get a few inches of snow!

Are you sure you live in the US.....put it this way do you have penguins in your garden?

Being serious 'BJ' is this a normal winter for you?....is it New York where you live?

New Delhi may be hot, but i bet the humidity is a killer!

EA (in a snow free zone)

[bjmdds]

Sweeney lives in New Delhi, for another 12 days any way. When I was a child we had winters like this in NEW YORK CITY, but nothing like this in the past 20 years. Roads are clean but the mounds of snow are piled everywhere 20 feet high.