The New Bond Movie Reportedly Costs Over $300 Million And Is Way Over Budget
CNNMoney reports the movie, distributed by Sony and Columbia Pictures and MGM, is expected to cost over $300 million, making it one of the most expensive movies ever made.
MGM president Jonathan Glickman sent emails in early November explaining how the studio is scrambling to cut costs.
He says the current budget "sits in the mid $300Ms," but the studio has to drastically cut back to $250 million. And the shooting period already costs $50 million more than the previous film, "Skyfall."
2012's "Skyfall" cost an estimated $200 million to make. The film made over $1 billion worldwide at the box office. No doubt Sony and MGM are hoping this one will be as big of a hit.
Without inflation, 2007's "Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End" is the most expensive movie ever made at $300 million.
What really stands out is a line from Sony Pictures co-chair Amy Pascal in which she says the film had no script but already had a massive, inflated budget.
Here's what she said in a direct email to Glickman:
"It's insane and you know with no script this movie is gonna go overbudget."
CNNMoney reports Glickman suggested measures to cut costs which include filming a Rome villa in London because "it's a nighttime scene," tossing out a "dramatic finale in the rain" to lower the cost of special effects, and filming more in Mexico to receive "an extra $6 million" in what are most likely tax incentives to film there.
In addition, the casting of Andrew Scott, known for BBC miniseries "Sherlock," reportedly saved $1 million in costs. They were planning on casting Oscar-nominated Chiwetel Ejiofor instead.
CNN has a few other tidbits involving plot spoilers about characters in the film that I won't mention here.
"Spectre" started production Monday, Dec. 8 and will be released Nov. 6, 2015.