Mirage pondering James Bond theme for new megaresort near Bellagio

Tuesday, Nov. 30, 1999 | 10:55 a.m.

Mirage Resorts Inc. is studying a James Bond theme as one of several concepts under consideration for a new resort it may build on the Strip near Bellagio.

But disputes over who owns the intellectual-property rights to the Bond brand may make the whole issue moot.

Mirage Chairman Steve Wynn first hinted at the Bond theme during a recent New York investment conference sponsored by Deutsche Bank Alex Brown. Conference participants say Wynn said Mirage was considering a high-energy action production show based on the fictitious British spy's exploits, with the theme possibly carried throughout the resort.

But Bond movies are distributed by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc., which claims the rights to the 007 character. Billionaire Kirk Kerkorian controls both the MGM studio and the MGM Grand casino company, a Strip competitor to Mirage.

However, a representative of the Cubby Broccoli family that co-produced James Bond films is said to have approached Wynn with the concept to base a production show on the character. That family asserts it still retains 50 percent of the rights to the Bond name, while United Artists acquired the 50 percent held by Harry Saltzman, Broccoli's co-creator and producer. United Artists was later acquired by the MGM studio.

Neither Wynn nor other Mirage executives would comment on specific plans for the hotel-casino the company will ultimately build on 42 acres of Strip land just south of Bellagio. Wynn has said that, when the timing is right, Mirage will build a resort that will be aimed at mid-market customers.

For now, though, the company is seeing how well the Las Vegas market absorbs the 14,000-plus new hotel rooms added to the Strip during the current wave of expansion, and concentrating on its plans to build a destination resort in Atlantic City.

And Mirage's plans for any new Las Vegas property will probably undergo many revisions before a final theme is selected.