Bond Stars Rally Around 007's Future

The news that production on Bond 23 has been suspended 'indefinitely' has led to intense media speculation in the UK over the last week on the future of the 007 franchise, but former Bond stars have rallied to the cause and expressed confidence that James Bond will be back.

Former 'Quantum of Solace' Bond girl Gemma 'Strawberry Fields' Arterton was quoted on April 22 as saying that she was sure James Bond will continue. She told London's 'Metro' magazine: 'It shows the state of the film industry at the moment, especially the British film industry. Fingers crossed - it's James Bond so it has to continue and it will. It's just a minor blip'.

Similar sentiments were expressed by Richard 'Jaws' Kiel in an interview given to the BBC. Speaking at the two-day FanFest event held at the London Film Museum in central London on April 24, the former lethal and steel-toothed henchman in 'The Spy Who Loved Me' and 'Moonraker' said: 'They had a gap before... just before Goldeneye. Somebody bought MGM. It'll be made. There'll be another Bond film. Don't worry'.

Richard Kiel also reminded the BBC interviewer that, with 'Goldeneye', although people had to wait, it became 'one of the biggest box office films for Bond for a long time'. Kiel said the 'secret ingredient' to Bond film success was to 'make each one better than before', and, reflecting on Barbara Broccoli's commitment to still deliver a good quality Bond film, the seven-foot two-inch actor added: 'I think they just have to get sorted out first and it's hard to go forward if everything is up in the air'.

Other Reactions To The Bond 23 News

Earlier in the week, numerous newspaper and other media outlets in the UK took a very close interest in the latest developments on Bond 23 and the dramatic news of the suspension of the film by producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson. Many papers quoted Bond actor Daniel Craig's comments. The current 007 said: 'I have every confidence in Barbara and Michael's decision and look forward to production resuming as quickly as possible'.

A detailed article in the UK's 'Daily Telegraph' presented a history of the Metro-Goldwyn-Meyer studio and explored the convoluted changes of ownership over the years, leading up to the current financial problems. The 'Telegraph' quoted one Hollywood source as saying of the EON producers' decision: 'It feels like they are sending a message to MGM. If they try to continue as a stand-alone studio, don't expect to be making any Bond films'.

The UK's 'Guardian' newspaper also offered some analysis, commenting: 'There is no doubt that Bond will return, but who will be his paymaster? MGM has $3.7bn debt and has released one film this year'. The paper, basing its analysis on a report in the 'Los Angeles Times', noted that MGM's lenders want either a sale of the company, or a restructuring with an infusion of capital to remain a stand-alone operation.

Similarly, the UK's newspaper 'The Times' gave its readers a detailed perspective on the MGM situation and the current state of play, focusing on the implications for the main people involved in Bond 23, such as Craig, Sam Mendes, and Patrick Marber (whose name was recently linked to the film as a screenwriter). The paper quoted the editor of the UK's respected film industry journal 'Screen International' as saying: 'You just can't keep talent like that hanging around. Sam Mendes has a multitude of projects on the go and Daniel Craig has all these slots that he has to fill every year. The question is how fast can they reactivate the film once the MGM ownership is on a clearer footing. Broccoli and Wilson have been doing this for decades so they know exactly what that entails'.

The 'Times' also speculated that: 'EON may now try to use the stalemate to engineer an exit from its relationship with MGM to a healthier distributor'. Some newspapers, however, struck a notably optimistic note despite the present stand-off. The 'Independent' argued: 'Bond fans should not despair. The decent box office performances of "Quantum" and before that "Casino Royale" with Mr. Craig minding the store means that 007 is almost certain to see another day'.

Perhaps the last word should be left to an editorial in the UK's 'Daily Express' newspaper, which proclaimed: 'James Bond doesn't only live twice. He's lived 22 times already. Bond can never die, not now nor another day'.