'Skyfall' screenwriter John Logan to write 'James Bond 24 (and 25?)'

John Logan is a prolific screenwriter, but he’s also been nominated for three Oscars, for co-writing Gladiator, and scripting Hugo and The Aviator. He also scripted the last Star Trek movie starring the The Next Generation cast, Nemesis. His other work also includes Rango, Coriolanus, Sweeney Todd, The Last Samurai and Any Given Sunday. He’s also written the upcoming script for the Darren Aronofsky directed film Noah, which stars Russell Crowe.

He also was brought in by Skyfall director Sam Mendes to work on its script for the 23^rd James Bond film after four years of delay. Peter Morgan was originally commissioned to write a script, but left the project when MGM filed for bankruptcy and production of the film was stalled. Then regular Bond screenwriters Neal Purvis and Robert Wade (who’ve worked on the last five films in the series) wrote the script with John Logan, incorporating Morgan’s ideas into it. For Logan, the writing of Skyfall was an enjoyable and “very collaborative.” 

Thus on the eve of the latest film opening here in the United States (it opened on 10/26 in England), Deadline is reporting that Logan will write the 24^th and 25^th James Bond films, after pitching to Bond producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael Wilson a storyline that can be played out over two films. If plans work out, this would be the second time a story for the Bond franchise was played-out over two films (Casino Royale and Quantum of Solace being the first). And theoretically, with Daniel Craig signed up for two more films, and with Bond 24 set for late 2014, they could film those two features back-to-back, meaning another Bond film in 2015.

It would be interesting to see if they could do this, as the franchise is facing a tough public eye –mostly, after 50 years, is this franchise still able not only enthrall its core audience and fans, but attract new ones? Still, with Skyfall pulling in great reviews and potentially being the largest opening film in the franchise in England, the people behind this Bond will need to strike while the fire is hot. 

I still think Christopher Nolan would be a great choice to helm the next Bond film. Not only does he admire them (and has said he would love to make one), the producers, ironically, looked at his Batman films as a template for these newer entries within the Bond series.  So it would not be such a leap of logic to think Nolan could make a brilliant film.