By Lee Pfeiffer
Producer Michael G. Wilson acknowledged that the next James Bond film has not yet even entered the pre-production stage due to the uncertain situation with MGM, the studio that is to finance and release the next entry in the series. The last two films,
Casino Royale and
Quantum Of Solace, were released by Sony and were both financial blockbusters. MGM is struggling under billions of dollars in debt and the studio is actively seeking buyers. The Bond franchise is the jewel in the studio's crown, but analysts say its unlikely that MGM will get a buyer who will pay enough to offset the existing debt. Bond star Daniel Craig previously said that the new film would likely start production at the end of 2010, but Wilson said the entire picture is murky. Eon Productions apparently doesn't want to commit to a new film until they know who will controlling MGM. A pre-production meeting about the film is scheduled to take place next month, when the situation will be re-evaluated. If the MGM financial crisis isn't resolved by then, it's uncertain as to how long that would delay production of the next Bond film. For more
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