World Movie News: The Last 24 Hours
Pattinson emerges as the Bond frontrunner, Spider-Man’s Oscar push, Ebenezer’s London premiere & Casino Royale turns 20.
Morning, all. After yesterday’s busy Friday at the cinema, the Bond casting story has taken another twist, and there’s an anniversary that couldn’t be better timed.
Pattinson emerges as the Bond frontrunner: Robert Pattinson has reportedly emerged as the quiet frontrunner to play the next James Bond, according to Matt Belloni at Puck. Belloni reports that the actors who screen-tested signed “test deals” setting out their terms if they won the part, and that most of them, including Josh O’Connor and Jack Lowden, signed four-film deals, while Pattinson negotiated a three-film commitment and considerably more money. Pattinson, Nicholas Hoult, Callum Turner, Lowden and O’Connor are the five finalists. Puck also says that Amazon’s view is that Pattinson will be finished as Batman after the next film, which is currently shooting. As I mentioned on Monday, an announcement is expected before US Thanksgiving, and Denis Villeneuve has said that the process is still going on. None of it is confirmed, and Amazon MGM hasn’t commented. So this is still very much in the domain of “speculation” I would say… before they announce they’ve picked Rupert Grint!
An item to make you feel old… Twenty years of Casino Royale: Bond fans will appreciate the timing, because Daniel Craig’s first outing as 007 had its world premiere 20 years ago today, on 14 November 2006. The Royal Film Performance took over Leicester Square, with the film shown at the Odeon Leicester Square, the Odeon West End and the Empire simultaneously, in front of Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh. It opened in UK cinemas that week. It was the film that proved that the doubters of the blond Bond were wrong, and it’s still the benchmark against which every new 007 will be measured.
Spider-Man’s Oscar push: Sony’s Tom Rothman has told Deadline that the studio hopes to see Spider-Man: Brand New Day nominated for Best Picture at the 99th Academy Awards. The film has passed $2.5 billion worldwide, which makes it the third-highest-grossing film ever, and it’s less than $50 million away from becoming the first film to take $1 billion in North America. Nominations are announced on 21 January, with the shortlists on 15 December. The awards season also continues tomorrow with the Governors Awards, where honorary Oscars go to Glenn Close, Ridley Scott, Disney’s first Black animator Floyd Norman, and the Killer Films founders Christine Vachon and Pamela Koffler.
Ebenezer’s London premiere: Johnny Depp was in a chilly London this week for the premiere of Ti West’s Ebenezer in Leicester Square, where the red carpet was decked out with Christmas trees and artificial snow, with Rupert Grint, Sam Claflin, Tramell Tillman and Ellie Bamber also there. Deadline sums up the reviews as “pretty decent but not earth-shattering”. It made $1.5 million in Thursday previews in North America, which is close to what trackers expected. It cost a reported $38 million, which is low by Depp’s earlier standards, with a reported $5 million salary for him, and it’s his first Hollywood studio film in eight years. I’ll bring you the weekend numbers on Monday.
Birthdays: Patrick Warburton, who voiced Kronk in The Emperor’s New Groove, turns 62 today, and Josh Duhamel of Transformers turns 54.
That’s all for today.
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