MGM Reacquires Rights To JAMES BOND'S Archnemesis

MGM Reacquires Rights To JAMES BOND'S Archnemesis

Today MGM revealed in a press release that Ernst Stavro Blofeld can finally come home. Find more details within.

By EricJoseph - Nov 15, 2013 08:11 PM EST
Filed Under: Action
Source: Bleeding Cool

A legal battle that has raged on since your dad was a young man going to see Bond films has finally been settled today. MGM is now in the clear to use Ernst Stavro Blofeld in future Bond films as detailed in the following press release:

Los Angeles, CA (November 15, 2013) – Danjaq, LLC, the producer of the James Bond films, and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM), the longtime distributor of the Bond films, along with the estate and family of the late Kevin McClory, announced today that Danjaq and MGM have acquired all of the estate’s and family’s rights and interests relating to James Bond, thus bringing to an amicable conclusion the legal and business disputes that have arisen periodically for over 50 years.


You see, Ian Fleming's novel Thunderball was based on an aborted screenplay which film producer Kevin McClory shared a story credit for. He therefore retained the rights to characters and story concepts which led to 1983's non-canonical remake Never Say Never Again. Hell, they even tried to remake the film yet again at the start of the millennium under the title of "Warmaker 2000".

The character was made famous in the onscreen Blofeld trilogy which consisted of You Only Live Twice, On Her Majesty's Secret Service, and Diamonds Are Forever. Blofeld was played by Donald Pleasance, Telly Savalas (my personal favorite), and Charles Gray, respectively in said films. After Diamonds Are Forever, the legal problems really started to arise. Production of The Spy Who Loved Me was delayed so they could rewrite the film and remove Blofeld as the villain, replacing him with Stromberg. Go back and watch that film and tell me Stromberg isn't written exactly like Blofeld. It's also worth it to hear Stromberg say "Mr. Bund". Blofeld was essentially killed at the start of For Your Eyes Only to say that the franchise could endure without the villain. His face was never shown, nor was his name spoken, but fans got the message.

I think the news of this is quite exciting. Daniel Craig taking on the classic villain in the rebooted Bond universe is indeed an enticing concept. I would like to see them reprise the Quantum storyline with Blofeld as their chairman. After all, Quantum is pretty much the new SPECTRE.

James Bond 24 (working title) arrives in theaters November 2015.

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JGAR
JGAR - 11/15/2013, 9:09 PM
So this guy is the main villain of Bond 24?
Saga
Saga - 11/15/2013, 9:14 PM
Cast Benedict Cumberbatch

lnTylerWeTrust
lnTylerWeTrust - 11/15/2013, 10:08 PM
dr evil photo: Dr Evil dr-evil.jpg
PsychoManiacJacky
PsychoManiacJacky - 11/15/2013, 10:35 PM
Who is he?
loki668
loki668 - 11/15/2013, 11:55 PM
yay?
DEVLIN712
DEVLIN712 - 11/16/2013, 3:10 AM
Wait, MGM are still in business?!?
AC1
AC1 - 11/16/2013, 12:29 PM
It would be cool to see Blofeld in the reboot universe, and it'd be great if they use him before Daniel Craig leaves the role.
Also, would it be typecasting to suggest Tom Hardy for the role?
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