The Report: Signed & Sealed

DEAL OF THE WEEK: How James Bond Found HIs Voice: MGM made headlines with the Jan. 11 announcement that the latest James Bond film, with a working title of Bond 23, will hit theaters Nov. 9, 2012. But buried in the media release was news that an Oscar-nominated screenwriter has joined the franchise for the first time. John Logan (CAA, James Bagley), who has worked with Tim Burton (Sweeney Todd), Ridley Scott (Gladiator) and Martin Scorsese (The Aviator, the upcoming Hugo Cabret), is taking over for Neal Purvis and Robert Wade, who wrote the four previous Bond films and a draft of 23 but will hand the reins to Logan. The Los Angeles-based writer bumped into director Sam Mendes, a longtime friend, after a theater show in New York. When Mendes mentioned that he will direct the next Bond film, Logan revealed he had read every single one of Ian Fleming’s 007 novels. Mendes immediately asked whether he’d be interested in trying his hand at a Bond script, leading to a meeting during the holidays with Bond rights-holders the Broccoli family. Logan impressed and got the gig, paving his way to be included in the big announcement. What wasn’t mentioned is which studio will distribute the next Bond picture. Paramount, whose top executives Brad Grey and Rob Moore are close with new MGM toppers Gary Barber and Roger Birnbaum from their work together on 2009’s Star Trek, was given first crack at negotiating a deal. But Sony, which successfully distributed the past two Daniel Craig-starring Bond pictures, Casino Royale and Quantum of Solace, is also interested — as is Fox, whose executives recently arranged a meeting with MGM brass. Such a proven franchise is attractive to any studio, but the devil could be in the details. MGM is said to want to pay a relatively tiny distribution fee of only about 6 percent and to lump Bond with other films, but Paramount wants 8 percent, similar to what it charges DreamWorks Animation. — Borys Kit and Kim Masters