Writer John Logan On How Being A 'Fanboy' Impacted The James Bond Films - Exclusive
The James Bond film franchise is one of Hollywood's biggest success stories, spanning seven decades with 27 movies and grossing over $7 billion and counting worldwide. It has made living legends out of actors like Sean Connery, Roger Moore, and Pierce Brosnan.
Two of the biggest 007 flicks are arguably 2012's "Skyfall" and 2015's "Spectre," both starring Daniel Craig, directed by Sam Mendes, and co-written by John Logan. "Skyfall" has the distinction of being the highest-grossing movie in the James Bond canon, clocking in at just over $1 billion, while "Spectre" is close behind with $880 million under its belt.
Some of that success can rightfully be attributed to Logan, who is no stranger to working on high-profile films, having penned such blockbusters as "Gladiator," "The Aviator," and "The Last Samurai." He has even been nominated three times for an Academy Award for best writing and has Tony and Emmy nods to boot, too.
An admitted "fanboy" of the franchise, Logan — whose latest film, the LGBTQ-focused slasher flick "They/Them," is now streaming on Peacock — revealed to Looper during a recent exclusive interview how his lifelong love of 007 impacted the two movies he worked on.
Logan tried to 'be faithful and pay homage to' the franchise
Created by novelist Ian Fleming in 1953, James Bond is a British secret agent working for the Secret Intelligence Service — also known as MI6 — under the code name 007.
In "Skyfall," Bond investigates an attack on MI6 that uncovers a wider plot by former operative-turned-cyberterrorist Raoul Silva (Javier Bardem) to discredit and kill the head of the British intelligence agency as revenge for abandoning him. In "Spectre," Bond contends with the global criminal organization Spectre and its mysterious leader, who plans to institute an international surveillance network in order to mastermind criminal activities around the world.
Both fit right into the canon of James Bond films — and that's exactly what John Logan wanted.
"The fanboy in me couldn't believe I was there on the set with James Bond — and there was the Aston Martin," said Logan. "Working with [director] Sam Mendes, who I've known for years in theater, was very rewarding because we were both new to the franchise. Our biggest concern was, 'Don't mess it up. Try to be faithful and pay homage to everything that's come before us — all the Ian Fleming novels, all the movies — and try to do something new.' It was a blast."
Logan's latest film, "They/Them," is now streaming exclusively on Peacock.