Although it started off late last week as a rumor, it has now been confirmed that Hugo and The Aviator screenwriter John Logan will be writing the next two James Bond adventures.
Reportedly, Logan pitched the idea for an original two-film story to producers Michael Wilson and Barbara Broccoli and is currently at working on his first draft. Logan had previously worked on the latest installment of the Bond franchise, Skyfall, polishing an initial screenplay draft by Neal Purvis and Robert Wade.
At the best of times, Eon Productions likes to keep the story details tightly under wraps, so I don’t expect to hear actual concrete details on what Logan has in store for British spy 007 for at least another year or two when production actual gets under way on the first film of the two films. But this does mark the first time that the franchise has actually planned beforehand to have specific storylines follow from one movie to the next, rather than figuring out how to do so after the fact.
Personally, I am excited to see what kind of story that Logan has concocted that is so big that it can’t be contained in just one film. Will we see a return of the terrorist organization known as Quantum that was hinted at in the franchise reboot Casino Royale and then fully revealed in the follow up Quantum Of Solace? We know that they won’t be making an appearance in Skyfall, but I believe it is unclear as to whether it has been decided to totally abandoned that plotline or not.
Although there has been no word, I would not be surprised if the two films were produced together as a cost-saving measure by the producers.
And just to add some grist to the speculation mill, these two films mark the last two of franchise star Daniel Craig’s current contract. Might they be planning some sort of spectacular exit for him?
Meanwhile, Skyfall opened in England and a few additional foreign territories this past weekend to an impressive $77 million box office take. It opens in the US on November 9.
Via Hollywood Reporter.
