“Due to the continuing uncertainty surrounding the future of MGM and the failure to close a sale of the studio, we have suspended development on BOND 23 indefinitely. We do not know when development will resume and do not have a date for the release of BOND 23,” stated Michael G Wilson and Barbara Broccoli jointly.
Even-though the film has been put on hold for now, there is no reason to believe that it won’t be thrown into pre-production the second the sale of MGM is finalized. The last installment of the franchise netted 586 million worldwide.
Another advantage is that a script has been in the works for almost a year. Screenwriter’s Peter Morgan (Frost/Nixon, The Queen) and Neal Purvis (Quantum of Solace, Casino Royal) where commissioned to start on a new script last summer. So it wouldn’t be out of the realm of possibility that a new draft is available and will be ready to go the minute the project is taken off the shelf.
Sam Mendes was slated to direct the project. He actually walked away from the film Preacher to helm the new Bond. So we will wait to see weather he returns to that film or strikes out on his own, with a new project.
– Jacob Barker