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MI6 profiles Michael G. Wilson, producer of
the last eight James Bond films, and the
upcoming Bond 22 in 2008...
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Meet the Filmmakers - Michael G. Wilson Biography
19th November 2007
Michael G. Wilson was born the son of
New York actor, Lewis Wilson and Dana Broccoli in 1943.
As a youth in New York he studied as an electrical engineer
at Harvey Mudd College, graduating in 1963.
After a short spell in the workforce,
Wilson quickly switched from the engineering industry
and enrolled in Stanford University to study law. Wilson
practiced
at
a local law firm and then moved to Washington DC, after
being offered a position to work for an international law
firm. Wilson spent six years in the law industry before
his big movie break.
With international experience under his
belt, in 1972, Michael Wilson was invited to work for his
stepfather's company, Eon Productions - the producers
of the Bond movie series. He began in the legal department
but with enthusiasm and a keen interest in the filmmaking
process, Wilson soon became a trusted assistant to his
stepfather.
His first film in this new position was
1977's "The
Spy Who Loved Me". Impressed by his bright ideas
and fresh concepts for the Bond pictures, Cubby handed
over more and more responsibility
On the very next Bond picture, "Moonraker",
Wilson was rewarded with the role of executive producer,
and continued in that role through 1981's "For
Your Eyes Only" and 1983's "Octopussy".
He landed the co-producer role with his stepfather Cubby
Broccoli on Roger Moore's
final outing in 1985's "A
View To A Kill". This partnership
continued through both of Timothy Dalton's outings as 007
in "The Living Daylights"
(1987) and "Licence
To Kill"
(1989).
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After the long legal hiatus of the early '90s,
Wilson paired up with his half-sister Barbara
Broccoli to produce "GoldenEye" (1995)
and all of the subsequent Pierce Brosnan films. The duo continued
with "Casino Royale" (2006)
starring Daniel Craig, and the 22nd James Bond film currently
under production.
"I generally get
asked the same questions wherever I go. I've found that nine
answers will take care of most of those questions."
On top of his regular production role, Wilson
has also worked with on the scripts for five of the James Bond
films: "For
Your Eyes Only", "Octopussy", "A
View To A Kill", "The
Living Daylights" and "Licence
to Kill". For these outings, Wilson partnered
with the Bond veteran scribe Richard Maibaum to write some
of the most-loved
and certainly most adventurous Bond screenplays in the series'
45-year history.
After "Licence To Kill" in 1989, Wilson started
work on the plot outline for the doomed "James
Bond 17" with newcomer Alfonse Ruggiero before plans
were halted due to legal action that put production on hold. "Licence
To Kill" would
be Wilson's last Bond as screenwriter and Michael France was
put in charge of
the Bond plot that would ultimately become "GoldenEye".
As well as his duties on the Bond production team, Michael G. Wilson is often remembered for a variety of cameo roles in the James Bond films. Most recently and most notably is his role as the Montenegro Police Commissioner in "Casino Royale". Wilson's variety of bit parts lead back, without fail, to his first involvement in "The Spy Who Loved Me".
Outside of the motion picture industry, Wilson
holds a keen interest in photography and is a noted expert on
the subject. He has a collection that regularly exhibits
at various art galleries across the globe. He is the father of
two - David and Gregg - who have begun careers in movie production
and sound, respectively.
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Selected Interview Quotes
"At the end of the day, what's really important - not just for the audience but ourselves - is that we are doing stuff that we believe in, that makes us enthusiastic..."
On adapting Casino Royale: "There was one picture that was made back in 1967, which was kind of a Bond spoof with the name. So now that we've got the rights, we wanted to make it right way. It will explain how Bond became 007."
On Daniel Craig: "I think he's the actor of his generation. He's the Steve McQueen of Britain right now, and he seemed to be just the right age and just the right point in his career to take this on. He incorporates a lot of elements of the earlier Bond's, but because they all related back to Fleming's character, they all take different impressions of him. I think Daniel comes very close to what Fleming had in mind." |
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