Following up on last week’s formal unveiling, we knew that Sam Mendes and Co. were due to enter production today as filming began on Spectre, and now, we have the first unofficial set video, which has appeared online along with a few screenshots.
While brief in length, the footage showcases Bond riding along the River Thames in London with Rory Kinnear’s MI6 agent as the pair head towards the company’s secretive headquarters, which was the subject of a terrorist attack during the events of Skyfall. It’s understood that London is but one of many locations that will host the 24th installment in the long-running spy franchise, with Spectre also set to shoot in Rome, Mexico City, Tangier, Sölden and Obertilliach.
However, as with all Sony properties of late, Mendes’ continuation proved to be the victim of a mammoth hack, which revealed that the budget for Spectre had ballooned past $300 million. But that’s not all, according to a report by Deadline, an early version of the screenplay has now found its way online.
Here’s the official statement from EON Productions, who condemned the digital theft.
EON PRODUCTIONS, the producers of the James Bond films, learned this morning that an early version of the screenplay for the new Bond film SPECTRE is amongst the material stolen and illegally made public by hackers who infiltrated the Sony Pictures Entertainment computer system.
Eon Productions is concerned that third parties who have received the stolen screenplay may seek to publish it or its contents. The screenplay for SPECTRE is the confidential information of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios and Danjaq, LLC, and is protected by the laws of copyright in the United Kingdom and around the world. It may not (in whole or in part) be published, reproduced, disseminated or otherwise utilised by anyone who obtains a copy of it. Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios and Danjaq LLC will take all necessary steps to protect their rights against the persons who stole the screenplay, and against anyone who makes infringing uses of it or attempts to take commercial advantage of confidential property it knows to be stolen.
The purported leak was just one of many from the studio, with hackers releasing private emails, scripts and even unreleased films to the public. It was an attack that also revealed the company’s alleged plans for a Men In Black-Jump Street crossover as well as a potential Ghostbusters spinoff with Channing Tatum and Chris Pratt.
Spectre will hope to emulate the record-breaking success of Skyfall when it makes its bow on November 6, 2015. For now, you can catch Bond shaken and stirred in the gallery below.
