Sean Connery hasn’t made a film since 2003’s The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen because apparently he wanted to go out on the lowest note possible.  However, Connery is making a semi-return as he’s voicing the lead character in the animated film, Sir Billi.  Connery is a producer on the project and has been heavily involved with its production.  Today, THR reports that Shirley Bassey, who wrote the famous theme song of the 1964 James Bond film Goldfinger, will sing the title song of Sir Billi, “Guardian of the Highlands.”  Sean Connery helping to shepherd this indie animated feature through production and getting a legend like Shirley Bassey to sing the theme is all really positive and I’m glad to hear of his contributions.  So what’s this movie about?  From THR:  The movie centers on a retired, skateboarding veterinarian who lives in a remote Scottish village and who spearheads the rescue of an illegal fugitive who also happens to be a beaver.

That sounds batshit insane.

MGM, the studio of The Wizard of Oz, Gone with the Wind, 2001: A Space Odyssey, Singin’ in the Rain and many other classic films, is expected to be headed to the auction block where its library and logo may go to the highest bidder.  The financially troubled company will manage to hold on to Guillermo Del Toro’s adaptation of The Hobbit, but it’s pretty much anything goes for the 85-year-old company.  Hit the jump for more about who would want to own a constantly growling lion.

It looks like fans of James Bond will have to wait at least two more years to see the next installment in the franchise.  Proving that you can get a response if you just shout questions at a person, someone asked Daniel Craig when we’ll see the next Bond film as he exited the stage door from “A Steady Rain”, the Broadway play he’s currently performing in alongside Hugh Jackman.  Craig responded that they’re set to begin filming at the end of next year.  As Bond films usually stake their claim around Thanksgiving, my guess is we’ll probably see 007 again around November 2011.

Hit the jump to see Craig’s response (it’s around 1:06) along with him and Jackman being good sports about signing autographs.

You know how last week I said that people who were freaking out about “The Hobbit” and the James Bond franchise going into limbo were idiots?  Yeah, that’s because they are and THR proves me right by saying that “The Hobbit” will stay at MGM.  The story goes on to say that “The Hobbit” remaining at MGM could bolster interest bidding on the studio which means that James Bond shouldn’t worry about losing his license to kill any time soon.  But the best part is that Nikki Finke over at Deadline had the balls to give this a “Toldja!” (for when you want that extra bit of obnoxious) while amending nothing about “The Hobbit” being “in peril”.   I guess the words “My Bad!” just don’t really work for her.

I woke up this morning and it turned out the sky was falling.  According to Nikki Finke, MGM is on the verge of bankruptcy and if the creditors don’t cough up come cash, then the 85-year-old studio would have to sell off projects like the James Bond franchise and “The Hobbit” just to begin paying off their debts bondholders and then creditors and the bank may only get a 7.5% return on their investment and then have to make a low-finance APR of $2,600 and all cars must go!  Understanding finance is scary but if there are a bunch of parties and numbers then something bad is happening!

So a bunch of movie sites seem to think that Bilbo Baggins and 007 are in the ICU and if MGM dies who knows when we’ll see these movies, IF EVER!  If you honestly believe that no one’s going to make these movies in the near future; that some producer or some studio is just going to sit on the rights to James Bond, shrug, and say, “Well, let’s just stick it in development hell,” or look at “The Hobbit” and think, “Yeah, those ‘Lord of the Rings’ movies were kind of successful but I think that was just a fluke; best not to chance it,” then you are an idiot.  You don’t have to be a lawyer or a financial wizard to figure this out.  I don’t know if MGM will survive or not, but as far as these properties are concerned, you should put down your inhaler and move on with your day.

Well this is definitely going to be interesting if it turns out to be true: According to The Guardian, Michael Sheen (”Frost/Nixon”) is apparently in negotiations to play James Bond’s arch-nemesis Ernst Stavro Blofeld in the next James Bond movie.  The Guardian notes that the new film is being co-written by Peter Morgan who has previously collaborated with Sheen on “The Queen”, “Frost/Nixon”, and “The Damned United” which has already hit theatres in the UK and is expected to arrive in US theatres this September.

I have mixed feelings about bringing in Blofeld.  One of the things I liked best about “Casino Royale” was how it acknowledged the past of James Bond but then moved forward.  It understood that Bond’s name had become his biggest commercial liability and having to drag around “Q” and Moneypenny and the gadgets and all that history made a revitalization impossible.  However, Blofeld’s been dormant since 1981 (1983 if you count “Never Say Never Again”) unlike “Q” and “Moneypenny” who were only recenty laid to rest.

But if they brought back Blofeld, they would have to re-invent him since he wasn’t killed by Bond, but by Mike Myers spoofing him to death as Dr. Evil.

The big question is whether or not Blofeld fits in with the new ethos of the James Bond franchise.  I have no problem with Michael Sheen and if this rumor does turn out to be true, I’ll be excited to see how they play it.  My larger question is whether looking back to past villains is the smart move for this series (because if so, does that mean we get new Jaws, Oddjob, etc?) but if a supervillain like Blofeld really gels with the realistic, Bourne-style it seems like the Daniel Craig-Bond movies are going for.

I’m highly curious to hear your thoughts about this bit of potential casting and if you think bringing back Blofeld is a good idea for the next James Bond movie.  Leave your thoughts in the comments section below.

UPDATE: It turns out that this story originates with the British tabloid The Daily Express which is far less credible than The Guardian so take this whole noise with a grain of salt.  Still, it’s interesting to consider insofar as what direction Bond will go next.

Producers Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli have announced that Peter Morgan (”Frost/Nixon”, “The Queen”), Neal Purvis and Robert Wade (”Quantum of Solace”, “Casino Royale”) will be the screenwriters of the next James Bond movie. Daniel Craig will reprise his role as 007 and they haven’t determined a start date for production.

“Peter, Neal and Robert are extraordinarily talented and we’re looking forward to working with the three of them,” commented Wilson and Broccoli.

Peter Morgan is the award-winning writer of such films as “The Last King of Scotland”, “The Queen” and “Frost/Nixon”, which was based on his play.  He has also scripted the upcoming “The Special Relationship” for HBO and Hereafter for DreamWorks.  He will turn his attention to Bond 23 on completion of these duties.

For fans of Bond, this is great news, as we’re now one step closer to the next installment and we’re getting a fantastic writer on the project. If I had to guess, I’d expect the next Bond in 2011.

When Casino Royale (and Quantum of Solace) relaunched the Bond franchise, it was hard to note that the makers borrowed much from the Jason Bourne approach. Sure, the first film was almost mostly the first James bond book, but the approach and Bond’s new relationship to women seemed lifted whole stock from Bourne.

But - as that is pretty much undeniable - Bond has always been something of a magpie in the post-Connery era, ready to steal from whatever is popular at the moment. Such dates all the films, but in a way that is sometimes pleasing, and at other times noxious.