Columbia Pictures and MGM Announce May 2, 2008 Release Date for 22nd James Bond Adventure Starring Daniel Craig

PRNewswire
CULVER CITY, Calif.
07/20/2006

It was announced today by producers Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc. and Sony Pictures Entertainment, that the 22nd James Bond adventure will be released by Columbia Pictures on May 2, 2008 with Daniel Craig reprising the role of the legendary British secret agent.

The story for the latest James Bond film produced by the franchise holders, EON Productions has yet to be announced.

"As we wrap production on CASINO ROYALE we couldn't be more excited about the direction the franchise is heading with Daniel Craig. Daniel has taken the origins of Ian Fleming's James Bond portraying, with emotional complexity, a darker and edgier 007," said Wilson and Broccoli.

ABOUT EON PRODUCTIONS

EON Productions is owned by the Broccoli family and is the most successful film series in history. The most recent adventure, DIE ANOTHER DAY (2002), was also the highest grossing film in the franchise bringing in almost $430 million in worldwide box office receipts. THE WORLD IS NOT ENOUGH (1999) grossed $353 million, TOMORROW NEVER DIES released in 1997, grossed more than $340 million around the world and GOLDENEYE, took in $345 million.

The enduring film franchise created by the late producer, Albert R. (Cubby) Broccoli, was launched in 1962 with DR. NO starring Sean Connery, who went on to play James Bond in FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE, GOLDFINGER, THUNDERBALL, YOU ONLY LIVE TWICE and DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER. George Lazenby had one outing as 007, in ON HER MAJESTY'S SECRET SERVICE, before Roger Moore took over the role in LIVE AND LET DIE, THE MAN WITH THE GOLDEN GUN, THE SPY WHO LOVED ME, MOONRAKER, FOR YOUR EYES ONLY, OCTOPUSSY and A VIEW TO A KILL. Timothy Dalton later inherited the role and played the famed spy in THE LIVING DAYLIGHTS and LICENCE TO KILL. The most recent James Bond was Pierce Brosnan, who starred in the global blockbusters GOLDENEYE, TOMORROW NEVER DIES, THE WORLD IS NOT ENOUGH and DIE ANOTHER DAY.

ABOUT COLUMBIA PICTURES

Columbia Pictures, part of the Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Group, is a Sony Pictures Entertainment company. Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE) is a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America (SCA), a subsidiary of Tokyo-based Sony Corporation. SPE's global operations encompass motion picture production and distribution; television production and distribution; digital content creation and distribution; worldwide channel investments; home entertainment acquisition and distribution; operation of studio facilities; development of new entertainment products, services and technologies; and distribution of filmed entertainment in 67 countries. Sony Pictures Entertainment can be found on the World Wide Web at http://www.sonypictures.com/.

ABOUT METRO-GOLDWYN-MAYER INC

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc. is an independent, privately-held motion picture, television, home video, and theatrical production and distribution company. The company owns the world's largest library of modern films, comprising approximately 4,000 titles, and over 10,400 episodes of television programming. Its film library has received 208 Academy Awards®, one of the largest award-winning collections in the world, and includes numerous successful film franchises, including James Bond, Pink Panther and Rocky. MGM is owned by an investor consortium comprised of Sony Corporation of America, Providence Equity Partners, Texas Pacific Group, Comcast Corporation and DLJ Merchant Banking Partners. For more information, visit www.mgm.com.

  For further information contact:

  Steve Elzer,
  Senior Vice President, Media Relations
  Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Group
  (310) 244-7142
  steve_elzer@spe.sony.com

SOURCE: Columbia Pictures

CONTACT: Steve Elzer, Senior Vice President, Media Relations of Columbia
TriStar Motion Picture Group, +1-310-244-7142, steve_elzer@spe.sony.com

Web site: http://www.sonypictures.com/
http://www.mgm.com/