Mexico Gave The New Bond Movie $20 Million To Have The Bad Guy Not Be Mexican
Latin Post - More than 100,000 people have been killed in Mexico since 2006 in the country’s brutal drug war, which continues to perpetuate gross gang- and drug-based violence and corruption. However, while it is critical that the country invest capital into curtailing the failed war on drugs, Mexican officials decided to allocate $20 million to MGM and Sony to help clean up the country’s tarnished image.
A new report published by TaxAnalysts.com revealed that MGM and Sony producers received up to $20 million in tax incentive in order to depict positive aspects of Mexico in the latest James Bond film, titled “Spectre.” In return, Mexican demanded changes to the movie’s script and cast that would present the country in a positive light in wake of recent acts of violence that has sparked international outrage, reports The Telegraph.
Included in Mexico’s list of demands was the request that the villain be played by a non-Mexican actor, for the assassination target to be changed from the mayor of Mexico City to be an international official and that Mexican police were replaced by a “special force.” In addition, officials also requested that a “known Mexican actress” be casted to play the “Bond girl.” According to the Los Angeles Times, Mexican actress Stephanie Sigman of the hit “Miss Bala” was announced as “Bond girl” Estrella.
Initially, Mexico was supposed to be featured only in the first few minutes of the movie. However the Mexican government was willing to give Sony $14 million in exchange for those changes. An additional $6 million offered to producers to replace a cage fighting scene with footage of Mexico’s popular Day of the Dead holiday and highlighting Mexico City’s “modern” skyline.
The report also states that then-Sony Chair Amy Pascal advised the filmmakers to “add whatever travelogue footage we need in Mexico to get the extra money.”
$20 million? That’s it? Not even in cash but in tax incentives? Such a lowball offer for what you’re getting in return. I mean for people like me and you, smart people who can think critically and form thoughts of our own, none of this is going to change our opinions about Mexico. We know about the rampant drug wars, the corruption, the murders. Hell when I went to Acapulco senior year we had guards armed with uzis at the gate because of the recent string of decapitations. But when you consider all the dumbasses in the world? The ones who are going to see the new Bond movie and say hey, whoa, Mexico is awesome, look how pretty it is, everyone is so friendly too, none of these bad guys are even Mexican, honey book 4 tickets! That type of PR is priceless, certainly worth more than 20 mil in tax breaks. If I’m MGM I tell them to triple it or I put out a director’s cut with the main villain named Pancho sawing Americans’ heads off while wearing a sombrero and taking tequila shots.