This has been an exciting year thus far for fans of the James Bond franchise. After all, it was less than two weeks ago that the folks behind the production of the series' 24th installment not only announced the official start of filming, but also revealed a talent-stacked cast and a very exciting title: Spectre. All of this, along with the fact that Skyfall helmer Sam Mendes is back in the director's chair, has generated a great deal of optimism in the air for 007 aficionados - but now the Sony Pictures hack is here to suck some joy out of the atmosphere.
As a result of the aforementioned studio leak, Gawker has not only gotten their hands on a copy of the Spectre script, but also a great deal of notes and emails about the project - and not a lot of it sounds good. In a completely spoiler-filled break down, it's explained that the first 100 pages of the script are in a fairly good place - with a good amount of action and characterization involving both new and old faces - but that where things start to fall apart is in the third act and where the villain is concerned.
SPOILER WARNING: If you don't want to know any plot details or set up about the new James Bond movie, Spectre, I would highly recommend clicking to another one of the articles on our site.
According to Gawker's intel, the plot kicks off with James Bond questioning his own future after a merger between MI-5 and MI-6. He’s not ready to quit yet, especially since he still has an assignment to complete for Judi Dench. Lea Seydoux will be introduced as the daughter of a previously introduced character, and Andrew Scott will play a prominent role as an adversary of the new M (Ralph Fiennes). Monica Belluci will also be involved as an unlikely voice of information on a terrorist group.
Where things start to grow wrong is with the film's villain - who is described as having a rather awkward if not fully illogical already established connection with our legendary hero. What's more, Gawker's piece says that the third act of the movie is "uneventful" and without any real drive, featuring sequences and actions by the titular terrorist group that are underwhelming compared to what happens earlier in the movie. There have also been multiple notes requesting the need for some kind twist in the narrative.
These notes wouldn't be so bad to read if they were from drafts handed in back during the summer - as some will remember that production was actually delayed at that time so that Skyfall writers Neal Purvis and Robert Wade could take a whack at what had already been scripted by Oscar-winner John Logan. Unfortunately, Gawker says that the Spectre script was undergoing major revisions at least into November. Even though filming has already started, it's also said that the studio is still tinkering with the ending and trying to get it right before it's too late.
Even given all of this new information, my fingers are still crossed that Spectre call pull through and live up to our expectations. Sam Mendes gave us something truly special when he made Skyfall, and he has my confidence to straighten out this shaken ship and get it back on course.
Spectre will be arriving in theaters November 6th.
