Producing Bond: Michael G. Wilson

Having previously analysed producer Barbara Broccoli´s role in the Bond family, ‘Eye on Bond‘ now focuses on her half-brother Michael G. Wilson who has not only been a producer and screenwriter for many of the James Bond films, but is also the man with the most cameos.

INVOLVEMENT THE FRANCHISE

Michael G. Wilson joined EON Productions Ltd. in 1972, five years before his half-sister Barbara Broccoli. After working in the legal department, Wilson was brought on board the production of ‘THE SPY WHO LOVED ME’ in 1977 where he became an assistant to his stepfather Albert R. Broccoli. Two years later, he was made executive producer on ‘MOONRAKER’ – a position he would fulfill for the following two Bond films until becoming producer with Albert R. Broccoli and eventually taking over the James Bond series with Barbara Broccoli in 1995. As a screenwriter, Wilson worked together with Richard Maibaum on the scripts of ‘FOR YOUR EYES ONLY’ (1981), ‘OCTOPUSSY’ (1983), ‘A VIEW TO A KILL’ (1985) as well as ‘THE LIVING DAYLIGHTS’ (1987). When the Writers Guild of America West went on strike from March to August 1988, Wilson had to finish the script for ‘LICENCE TO KILL’ (1989) on his own. Today, 26 years later, Michael G. Wilson is the Managing Director of EON Productions Ltd., the James Bond production company.

DON´T BE AFRAID OF CHANGE

“If it ain´t broke, don´t fix it. That´s a formula for complacency and ultimately disaster for any franchise, film or otherwise.” – Michael G. Wilson

When Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli took over the globally successful James Bond franchise in 1995, things had changed. Not only had the sad loss of their father Albert R. Broccoli left a void, the world had changed too. It was up to the two producers to keep Bond going. With incredible dedication, they made Bond stay with us during the second half of the 1990s but when the plot of ‘DIE ANOTHER DAY’ (2002) had drifted into ridiculousness, things needed to change again. The year before, 9/11 had forever changed the world and the implications were felt in every aspect of our daily lives. Also in the film industry. Michael G. Wilson, having worked in engineering and as a lawyer in New York before Bond, has a great understanding of technical aspects, legal matters and how to make things work. He helped to set 007 on a new course with ‘CASINO ROYALE’ (2006), one of the biggest changes the franchise has ever experienced. Keeping Bond a contemporary character is a challenge and opening up new chapters in Bond´s history was a gamble of sorts. However, Bond needed fixing and he will probably need it again here and there. It´s the little tweaks that make the difference, but they matter a great deal.

FAMILY BUSINESS

Just like his half-sister Barbara, Michael is mostly active in the background. He appears calm and reserved within the media circus that surrounds every new Bond film, something the siblings have always had in common. Their world is Behind the Scenes where they can put into action what they have learned from their father over the years. It´s a family business and Wilson seems determined to keep it that way. His younger son Gregg Wilson also works for EON Productions. He started as a development executive for ‘DIE ANOTHER DAY’ (2002), has been an assistant editor on ‘CASINO ROYALE’ (2006), assistant producer on ‘QUANTUM OF SOLACE’ (2008) and has since moved up to become associate producer on both ‘SKYFALL’ (2012) and the upcoming film ‘SPECTRE’. It almost seems like training ground for being a Bond producer in the future. Together with Barbara Broccoli, Michael Wilson has controlled the fate of the James Bond film series for 20 years – by all means the toughest job Behind the Scenes. But the Bond films are a team effort, an important fact the two producers have always put emphasis on. None of the magic could have been achieved without the many talented people working in the various production departments. In January 2014, Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli were awarded the 2014 David O. Selznick Achievement Award in Motion Pictures at the 25th Annual Producers Guild Awards ceremony in Los Angeles.

Apart from his demanding job as a producer, Wilson is a passionate photographer and collector. He owns one of the best photographic collections in the world.

THE CAMEOS

The Bond films feature a number of interesting “Easter Eggs” but while some of them are unintentional, the cameo appearances of producer Michael G. Wilson are not. It´s always nice for Bond fans to spot Wilson in a particular scene. Have you found all the scenes he appears in? Don´t worry, the following list will make his cameos easy to find:

‘GOLDFINGER’ (1964): Wilson plays one of the Fort Knox guards.

‘THE SPY WHO LOVED ME’ (1977): He sits one row behind Anya Amasova and Fekkesh at the Giza pyramid show.

‘MOONRAKER’ (1979): He can be seen together with Cubby and Dana Broccoli in the background when Bond arrives in Venice by gondola. During the film finale, he has a second cameo as a NASA controller who comments on Drax’s space station after its cloaking device has been disabled.

‘FOR YOUR EYES ONLY’ (1981): Wilson plays the Greek priest in the scene when Bond meets Q in the church.

‘OCTOPUSSY’ (1983): He plays a member of the Soviet security council and reappears on the tourist boat that saves Bond after his escape from the jungle chase.

‘A VIEW TO A KILL’ (1985): Only a vocal cameo by Wilson in this one as he can be heard when Bond and Stacey use the lift at San Francisco City Hall.

‘THE LIVING DAYLIGHTS’ (1987): He plays an opera guest in Vienna and can be seen sitting close to Saunders.

‘LICENCE TO KILL’ (1989): Again just a vocal cameo. Wilson can be heard in the opening sequence: “If they hurry, they might just be able to grab the bastard.”

‘GOLDENEYE’ (1995): He appears fully visible on the left side of the frame as a member of the Russian security council chaired by Defence Minister Mishkin.

‘TOMORROW NEVER DIES’ (1997): On a video conference screen, we see Wilson as Tom Wallace, the vice president of CMGN.

‘THE WORLD IS NOT ENOUGH’ (1999): At Zukovsky’s casino, he plays a casino employee handing Elektra King something to sign.

‘DIE ANOTHER DAY’ (2002): You first see Wilson in Cuba leaning against a car in the shot where Bond crosses the street. Wilson actually got credit for the first time in the end credits for playing General Chandler. He´s hard to spot though in the Korea Situation room.

‘CASINO ROYALE’ (2006): Wilson appears as the corrupt police chief of Montenegro and is arrested by police.

‘QUANTUM OF SOLACE’ (2008): He is the man reading a newspaper in the hotel lobby in Haiti.

‘SKYFALL’ (2012): Wilson plays a mourner at the funeral for killed MI6 agents and you can see him behind Tanners right shoulder when he opens the door.

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