007 Producers to adapt Edward Snowden book for screen

James Bond producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G Wilson are to produce a film based on Glenn Greenwald’s book about NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden, currently exiled in Russia.

The rights to No Place to Hide: Edward Snowden, the NSA, and the U.S. Surveillance State have been picked up by Sony, with the 007 producers’ involvement.

Thanks to HMSS Weblog for the alert via Twitter, who also made the observation that in recent years Broccoli and Wilson have been increasingly looking to diversify through their involvement in other projects, with the inevitable side effect of reducing the frequency of new Bond movies.

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This follows a period during which production has been stalled for a number of reasons, resulting in just three new films since Pierce Brosnan’s last outing as 007:

  • 4 years between Die Another Day and Casino Royale while the producers decided where to take the series next.
  • 4 years between Quantum of Solace and Skyfall after MGM’s bankruptcy.
  • 3 years between Skyfall and Bond 24 in order to secure Sam Mendes as director, despite Sony stating their aim to release a new Bond film every two years.

There is also the question of age. Michael G Wilson has been long involved with the Bond movies, but is now in his early 70s and has complained on several occasions in the last decade of the energy required to make these films.

The last producing credit of his step-father, Cubby Broccoli,  was on Licence To Kill at the age of 80, after which he stepped down to let Wilson and his daughter take over the reins. While there is no reason for Wilson to follow in his step-father’s footsteps, it remains to be seen for how much longer he can retain interest in the Bond series.

Source: The Wrap

 

David Leigh founded The James Bond Dossier in 2002. A fan of 007 since the age of 8, he is also author of The Complete Guide to the Drinks of James Bond. You can order a copy here if you don't own it already.

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One Response to “007 Producers to adapt Edward Snowden book for screen”

  • Ben Gunn

    A couple of a weeks ago the Wall Street Journal claimed the Grand Jury indictment of Snowden would expose him as an espionage agent for the Chinese and Russians. The revelations about domestic and foreign spying were a small part of the stolen cache, a cover story. The majority, maybe over 90% was weapons research.