Elliot Carver - Production

Production

After the success of GoldenEye in reviving the Bond series, there was pressure to recreate that success in its follow-up. This pressure came from MGM and from billionaire Kirk Kerkorian, who had recently taken ownership of the studio; they wanted the release to coincide with their public stock offering. Co-producer Michael G. Wilson was also concerned about public expectations after the success of the previous film: "You realize that there's a huge audience and I guess you don't want to come out with a film that's going to somehow disappoint them." This was the first Bond film to be made after the death of Albert R. Broccoli, who had been involved with the production of the series since it began. The rush to complete the film drove the budget to $110 million. The producers were unable to convince Martin Campbell, the director of GoldenEye, to return; his agent said that "Martin just didn't want to do two Bond films in a row." Instead, Roger Spottiswoode was chosen in September 1996. Spottiswoode said he had previously offered to direct a Bond film while Timothy Dalton was still in the leading role.