James Bond writer Robert Wade explains the Casino Royale screenplay situation - Paul Haggis only to polish not rewrite

The screenwriting team behind the new James Bond feature have confirmed that Oscar-nominated screenwriter Paul Haggis has been brought on board - reports ScreenDaily.

Robert Wade told ScreenDaily.com that Haggis, who adapted Million Dollar Baby as well as writing and directing Crash, will do a three-week polish on the second draft of Sony/MGM's Casino Royale, originally penned by himself and co-writer Neal Purvis.


Above: Robert Wade.

“What I can say on behalf of me and Neal is that we completed all the work we were contracted to do on Casino Royale,” Wade said. “It has taken us a year-and-a-half.”

“Everything is written, including the structure – it just needs a polish. If you can bring in a hot talented writer to polish it then great, it is normal on this size of movie. I an sure Paul Haggis will do a great job.”

The 21st Bond film is scheduled to shoot from January 2006, although locations are yet to be officially confirmed - along with who will take over from Pierce Brosnan as 007.

Nor would Wade comment on whether the pair will pen the 22nd Bond film. “As usual we are not allowed to talk about it,” he said.

Casino Royale is based on Ian Fleming’s first Bond novel, published in 1953, which revolves around a card game set in Deauville.

While it was made into a comedy in 1967 starring Woody Allen, Peter Sellers and David Niven, the new adaptation – under director Martin Campbell – will play it straight.

The material also marks the first time that Purvis and Wade, who wrote previous Bonds The World Is Not Enough (1999) and Die Another Day (2002), have taken one of Fleming’s novels as their source material.

Wade said: “It’s been different really. There is good solid material but it is set around a game of cards and very contained. We are writing it as he has grown to be now and there are expectations we have to meet. A lot of it is our own material.

“It is quite different: it is the story that shows what formed his character. It’s great to be asked to adapt that and show it in a modern context.”

The partnership’s most recently scripted Stoned, Stephen Woolley’s biopic about ill-fated Rolling Stone Brian Jones, which enjoys a North American premiere at Toronto.

Aside from upcoming projects Art Con (to be directed by Albert Hughes) and Burden Of Desire (for which the pair will re-team with Bille August, for who they scripted Return To Sender), Purvis and Wade are shortly to announce a book adaptation far removed from Bond.

Thanks to `bond_fan` for the alert.

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