Home Entertainment Writer John Logan talks BOND 24; says first draft is nearly done

Writer John Logan talks BOND 24; says first draft is nearly done

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In life, the only certainties are death, taxes and James Bond sequels. Overall, it’s one hell of a franchise, with the 23 various films being essential viewing for any species of hominid that can walk upright and operate a cellphone. A new film is on the way, and it’s currently being scripted by John Logan, who is pulling solo duties for this 24th Bond movie. And he has plenty to say about it.

Do you expect me to talk? Yes Mr Logan, yes we do!

“Right now the first draft is almost done,” Logan said to Empire. “I’m terrifically excited about it! I’ve been working very closely with Sam (Mendes), and it’s been joyous to pick up from our work on Skyfall and just continue on with the storytelling. The new movie continues the themes of Skyfall. Some of the characters and themes that we began to introduce in Skyfall will play out, I hope successfully, in the next movie.”

One might SPECTRElate that a certain nefarious organisation is returning in the latest film, something which Logan had an answer for:

There might be! Honestly, not being evasive, but the great thing about Bond is that I have fifty years of movies – 23 movies and all the Ian Fleming novels and short stories, all of which are fodder. And when I’m working on the new Bond I’m constantly going back to Fleming and the other movies – what are the bits and pieces, what are the resonances? One of the things we learned in Skyfall is that the audience really enjoyed those, they enjoyed when they saw the Aston Martin, they enjoyed when we had references to things they grew up with, either from Ian Fleming or from the other movies, and that’s always been a part of my thinking about Bond.

Asking if Daniel Craig was helping to shake and stir the latest script alongside him, Logan confirmed that 007 was involved with the process of writing the next film:

Daniel’s very involved. It behoves no-one to write a character that the lead actor doesn’t want to play, so having worked so closely on Skyfall, I have my own sense of what I think Dan responds to, as does Sam, (and producers) Barbara Broccoli and Michael Wilson of course.

As for those rumours about the next Bond film being the first in a two-part epic, Logan explained that scripting one MI6 mission was hard enough without having to think about a second one:

I’m just trying to get one done first! If I survive this one, we’ll see about the next one!

Here’s a few more quick responses from Logan on a  few other questions that were flung his way. Will Quantum return?

 No comment.

Will we see Blofeld in Bond 24?

No comment.

Will any of the other 00 agents feature?

Ah… no comment!

On the plus side, it looks like one piece of information managed to escape from Logan, and that’s that filming will hopefully begin in October. And Logan is looking forward to it, after his experiences on Skyfall. “Working on Skyfall was the most enjoyable experience I’ve ever had on a movie, ever. And I’ve done a lot of movies! And this is shaping up in much the same way, because it’s a loving, sensitive director who loves the material as much as I do, it’s producers and a studio who believe entirely in the story we’re telling and it’s leading actors who are a joy to write for.

Honestly, because I’ve been working on both Skyfall and the new Bond simultaneously it’s been a really, exuberantly happy time in my life because what I’m actually writing currently brings me incredible joy.

Looking back, Skyfall was a massive film with various locations, action scenes and a stupid, but still great, villain. Will Bond 24 be as bombastic as that film?  “You ain’t seen nothing yet!” Logan giddily claimed. Overall, I was plenty happy with what Skyfall provided. An exciting plot, a bonkers villain and a nod to the past. Bond 24 currently has a release date of October 23, 2015.

 

 

Last Updated: March 6, 2014

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