We don’t know much about the distributor. We don’t know much about the plot of the film. And we don’t know much about the title of the movie. But we do know that the 25th official James Bond movie (not counting Never Say Never Again) exists and, thanks to MGM and EON Productions, it now has a release date. If you’re inclined to plan things way in advance, do note that the next 007 adventure will debut in North American theaters on Nov. 8, 2019. Oh, and we now apparently know who will star in the film, but more on that in a moment.
That’s not exactly a surprise, mind you. We haven’t had a 007 summer movie since License to Kill back in 1989. Yes, Tomorrow Never Dies opened on the weekend before Christmas, right alongside Titanic (and notched a 5x multiplier as a result), but otherwise seven of the last eight James Bond movies have opened in early-to-mid November just before the Thanksgiving holiday. And this untitled offering is no exception, opening on the seventh anniversary of Skyfall. Stick with what works, until it doesn’t work anymore.
The New York Times claims this morning that Daniel Craig is back on board, so I guess that’s almost a press release. I’ve long expected a formal announcement timed with the release of Steven Soderbergh’s Logan Lucky in mid-August. Let's be honest. Barring a stunner of a development, Craig was always going to come back.
That offhand "I'd rather break this glass and slash my wrists" (than do another 007 movie) interview he gave prior to Spectre was from a somewhat fatigued actor not looking forward to another grueling production right after the last one ended. Actors are humans, too, and they sometimes speak off the cuff in a way that doesn't necessarily designate set-in-stone decisions.
Besides, after the mixed-negative reception of Spectre ($880 million worldwide gross notwithstanding), Craig has the opportunity to do what no 007 actor has done before, which is to go out on a critical and commercial high note. Die Another Day was a huge hit but wasn't terribly well-received by fans. License to Kill was an ahead-of-its-time gem but was a huge box office flop. Diamonds Are Forever and A View to a Kill... yeah. And critical acclaim aside, On Her Majesty's Secret Service wasn't exactly a huge hit, either. But if Craig's fifth outing can get decent reviews while making at least Casino Royale-level money, he'll be able to go out on an all-time high.
One of the reasons Hugh Jackman played Wolverine for 17 years is that he had ample time in between X-Men movies to make The Prestige, Australia, Les Misérables, etc. while winning Tonys, hosting the Tonys and hosting the Oscars. If Chris Evans seems occasionally worn down by the MCU machine, it’s partly because he has played Captain America five times between 2011 and 2016, with at least one more on tap for next summer. But Craig has had plenty of time to make The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Logan Lucky and more in between 007 adventures, so as long as his body can take it I can’t imagine why he wouldn’t ride it out for one or two more.
Six puts Craig tied with Sean Connery (Never Say Never Again is an off-brand offering) and one behind Roger Moore, but I don't see Craig doing three more of these at his age.
While the rest of the world is interested in who will play the title character, I’m more concerned about what studio will get the distribution rights to the next 007 film. Sony did well by 007, as they released all four Daniel Craig offerings, beginning with Casino Royale in 2006. But the deal gave Sony a lot of the cost (around 50% of the budget) and only around 25% of the profits. This new deal will likely be similar, meaning that whoever gets the rights will be more about bragging rights than mountains of profits.
In an industry where having a regular lineup of franchises is key to the perception of success, merely being the studio that releases the next 007 film gives you one more guaranteed hit every two to four years. Last we heard, it was a battle between Sony, Warner Bros., 20th Century Fox, Universal/Comcast Corp. and newbie Annapurna. I would argue all five of those places would make a good home for the next 007 movie. Of course, they could just hold off for a few months and make a big splash on Nov. 9, 2017 and announce the studio, the star and the title in one giant news dump.
Either way, the next James Bond movie, written by Neal Purvis and Robert Wade, will face off against some untitled/theoretical DC Film, Fox/Marvel and Disney live-action fairy tale releases, as well as Warner Bros.’ Margie Claus (with Melissa McCarthy) and Walt Disney’s Frozen 2.
Okay, that’s 600 words for essentially one or two sentences-worth of news, which is sadly how it often goes these days. But that we’re getting a release date means that we’re probably further along in terms of finding out what studio gets the distribution rights (don’t count out Pure Flix), the director, official word of Craig's return (although don't count out Harry Lockhart), to say nothing of title and a plot. So, tune in as I imagine we’ll start getting some official updates soon. Or maybe EON just wanted to plant a flag in the most obvious possible release date.
