12/01/2011

The 23rd James Bond film will commence production in late 2011 for a worldwide release on November 9, 2012. Micheal G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli of EON Productions, along with Gary Barber and Roger Birnbaum, Co-Chairmen and Chief Executive Officers of Metro-Goldwyn-Meyer, announced this in Los Angeles via a brief statement.

The only other information in the statement is that Daniel Craig will reprise his role as Britain’s best-known secret agent and Sam Mendes will direct a screenplay by Neal Purvis (Casino Royale [+see also:
trailer
film profile]), Robert Wade (Quantum of Solace [+see also:
trailer
making of
film profile]) and John Logan (Hugo Carbret).

The announcement ends months of speculation about Bond’s future as MGM was until recently in dire financial straits, facing bankruptcy. In December, the company managed to restructure and raise $500 million to fund its operations.

Barber and Birnbaum had said then, “MGM is emerging from one of the most challenging periods of its storied history. We are honoured and inspired at the opportunity of leading one of Hollywood’s most iconic studios into its next generation of unforgettable filmmaking, global television production and distribution, and aggressively pursuing, developing and exploiting new digital entertainment platforms. Today, MGM is a stronger, more competitive company, with a solid financial foundation and a bright future. We look forward to working with MGM’s dedicated employees to build upon this company’s legacy.”

No title has yet been announced for the film and the fate of Frost/Nixon writer Peter Morgan, who was brought in last year to work on the script, remains unknown.