Earlier this month, the 24th James Bond film was confirmed in a major press event in London: it would be called “Spectre” and would see Sam Mendes return as director, and of course, Daniel Craig as the 007 agent. New cast members were introduced and old ones welcomed back, and the fans watching were promised a ride that would top “Skyfall” and take the franchise to new heights.
That’s highly unlikely at this point. Hackers group Guardians Of Peace broke into Sony’s servers last month and stole sensitive information. Among the files was also the script for the “Spectre” film and studio executives’ conversations on the topic – and they’re all public domain right now.
“Spectre” isn’t looking good.
MGM confirms leaked script is legit
MGM has confirmed that a copy of the script for “Spectre” floating online is the real deal. In a statement on 007.com, the studio stresses that whoever publishes the script in full or in part will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law, as will be those responsible for the breach.
At the same time, the studio adds, the script isn’t the final version. This is probably an attempt to sway fans from lending an ear to all those negative reports about how the film will be one big, steaming pile of doodoo.
In all fairness, these reports don’t originate from those who read the script online, but from Sony executives unhappy with it, as revealed in a new series of leaked email exchanges.
Underwhelming third act
Out of respect for the James Bond franchise and for all those fans who had been waiting patiently since “Skyfall” to see 007’s next adventure, we won’t give here specifics of the plotline. You can find those on your own online, trust us – and just so you know what’s in store, the leaked script even gives away the ending and pretty much everything else.
However, we will say this: as of November, with just days to go until shooting started, producer EON Productions still didn’t have a finished script and was still working hard to deliver a better ending than the one they’d come up with – this, after several revisions to the drafts.
Sony execs agreed that the first 2 acts of the script were solid and that they were bound to make “Spectre” a bigger critical and commercial hit than “Skyfall,” but only on the condition that the script got a different ending because the third act was a complete disaster.
Or, as Elizabeth Cantillon, a former Columbia Pictures executive who’s now working as a producer for Sony, puts it in an email obtained by Defamer, “rough rough rough... the ‘meanwhile’ action for bond is simply fighting henchmen in many overblown and familiar sequences - helicopter, elevator shaft, netting. he's trying to save the girl but there must be a more dynamic set piece to come up with.”
She’s not the only executive to voice a concern of this kind: apparently, what MGM and EON Productions came up with for a third act feels disappointing, to say the least. Forced, unnatural, and bound to translate into a box office disaster.
To make matters even worse, an earlier email leak revealed that Sony expected the budget for the film to be in the mid-$300 millions (€240.9 million) and that co-chairwoman Amy Pascal was desperate to cut it down because, what with this underwhelming third act, they were setting themselves up for a certain resounding failure.
Bond, James Bond isn’t looking that good right now.
The 24th James Bond 007 film is called… #SPECTRE https://t.co/g8CCxtk5ga
— James Bond (@007) December 4, 2014
#SPECTRE will be filming at Pinewood London, Mexico City, Rome, Tangier & Erfoud, Morocco, Sölden, Obertilliach and Lake Altausee, Austria
— James Bond (@007) December 4, 2014
Returning crew: writers John Logan, Neil Purvis and Rob Wade… Production Designer Dennis Gassner… Composer Thomas Newman... #SPECTRE
— James Bond (@007) December 4, 2014
2nd Unit Director Alexander Witt, SFX Supervisor Chris Corbould, VFX Supervisor Steve Begg...#SPECTRE
— James Bond (@007) December 4, 2014
... Costume Designer Jany Temime and Stunt Coordinator Gary Powell. #SPECTRE
— James Bond (@007) December 4, 2014
Returning 007 cast include… Rory Kinnear as Tanner
— James Bond (@007) December 4, 2014
...Ben Whishaw as Q
— James Bond (@007) December 4, 2014
... Naomie Harris as Moneypenny #SPECTRE
— James Bond (@007) December 4, 2014
... Ralph Fiennes as M. pic.twitter.com/YxYbYC2xwC
— James Bond (@007) December 4, 2014
And welcoming... Andrew Scott as Denbigh pic.twitter.com/UNBlMoBmXz
— James Bond (@007) December 4, 2014
...David Bautista as Mr Hinx pic.twitter.com/tJxGnt5tct
— James Bond (@007) December 4, 2014
...Monica Bellucci as Lucia Sciarra pic.twitter.com/41klBClFzN
— James Bond (@007) December 4, 2014
...Léa Seydoux as Madeleine Swann. #SPECTRE pic.twitter.com/DR7DfAWkb1
— James Bond (@007) December 4, 2014
And Christoph Waltz as Oberhauser! #SPECTRE pic.twitter.com/CPUXDDf0jt
— James Bond (@007) December 4, 2014
And finally, Director Sam Mendes at this morning's #Bond24 announcement. #SPECTRE pic.twitter.com/syCB11Defd
— James Bond (@007) December 4, 2014