Shall We Stick A Fork In MGM?

This is just damn sad to hear. Variety reports that the once mighty MGM lion appears to have roared for the last time.

The trades reveal that despite initial optimism they would avoid bankruptcy filing, it is all for naught. Within the next couple of weeks, the studio (and their large equity) will be chipped away via auctioning. So there’s a very real chance the legendary lion logo, United Artists as a whole and the combined MGM/UA library could be the property of three different companies.

Times, they are a changing indeed. The knee-jerk question popping in everyone’s head is the fate of The Hobbit and the James Bond franchises. One shouldn’t give any serious concern for either. The former is being made in conjunction with Warner Brothers who will more than likely own the entire project to themselves when this is all settled out. The latter is in the middle of the popular and profitable Daniel Craig reign. Hell, remember our pals at We Are Movie Geeks reporting that 20^th Century Fox would be the once and future home of 007? That could up being the case.

Although with these circumstances, I’d bet on Sony (who put out Casino Royale and Quantum of Solace) end up getting it. And if Warner Brothers wounds up housing Bond, that would make them the king of the mountain in terms of franchise ownership. They already have The Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, and the DC Comics catalog (most importantly Batman and Superman). Then there’s always the Mouse while we’re speculating.