007 questions for 2010

Dusty Ayres · February 25 2010, 06:37 AM

001. Who ends up buying MGM? The studio is partners with Eon Productions in the James Bond franchise. The uncertainty in MGM’s financial future put a stop to writing efforts on Bond 23 until February, according to screenwriter Peter Morgan. So whether a 007 fan cares about business news, this is one financial story that has an impact on Bond fans.

002. Is the current delay in scripting Bond 23 just a speedbump en route to a 2011 release or could it be the start of more delays? This question obviously is related to 001. Still Bond fans have been here before: the 1989-1995 hiatus, which involved Eon suing MGM (which had been bought by an owner that Eon felt was making cheap deals to sell rights to TV showings of 007 films) and the 2002-2006 break that involved the firing of the series’ star and a rethinking about the series’ direction.

003. Will Eon actually get non-007 movies to the screen? Technically speaking, Call Me Bwana is the only non-Bond film that’s an official Eon-made film. Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, while produced by Albert R. Broccoli and using many Bond crew veterans, was not an Eon-made film and Harry Saltzman various non-Bond films of the 1960s and later weren't made through Eon, either.

007 questions for 2010

cardinal biggles · February 25 2010, 04:10 PM

Is EON actually interested in doing anything that isn't Bond-related?

I hope this business with the purchase of MGM is resolved quickly; I really like Daniel Craig as Bond, and don't want a repeat of the '89-'95 hiatus where they dragged it on so long that Timothy Dalton finally said he was no longer interested.

Mr. Laser Beam · February 25 2010, 04:16 PM

Also I wish they'd hurry up in getting the rest of the existing Bond films to Blu-Ray. There seems to have been a snag about that.

23skidoo · February 25 2010, 04:30 PM

cardinal biggles wrote:

Is EON actually interested in doing anything that isn't Bond-related?

I second that. EON was Harry Salzman and Albert Broccoli's baby. They're both dead now, so there really isn't anything else for EON to do but Bond. There's no indication of Barbara Broccoli having interests in other projects, and certainly the Bond films have been lucrative enough on their own that there really hasn't been a need for EON to do anything but Bond, certainly not after Call Me Bwana stunk up the room back in the day.

The only exception would be, perhaps, if they ever did a film based on Fleming's Diamond Smugglers book which, aside from a travel guide called Thrilling Cities, was just about the only non-Bond material he ever published.

I hope this business with the purchase of MGM is resolved quickly; I really like Daniel Craig as Bond, and don't want a repeat of the '89-'95 hiatus where they dragged it on so long that Timothy Dalton finally said he was no longer interested.

Agreed. The last 2 Bonds were among the most successful in the franchise history, and a lot of people will lose out if the series gets put on hold, especially considering Quantum was part 2 of a planned trilogy - I'd like to see the story completed.

005. Assuming the answers to 001 and 002 fall on the optimstic side, would Bond 23 use a Fleming title?

They don't need to, obviously. There aren't that many titles left that would be considered commercial enough. Property of a Lady is a title that was first mentioned as a potential for Dalton's never-produced third Bond. It certainly has the best chances.

The others are The Hildebrand Rarity (zzz...), Risico (not too bad though I bet folks will have trouble saying it), and 007 in New York, which is simply unacceptable as a film title. According to a biography of Fleming, he was considering "My Enemy's Enemy" as the title of a future Bond novel or story before his death. That one's not bad.

I think EON needs to face facts that unless they decide to start remaking the Connery and Moore Bonds, if they want to keep connection to the literary Bond they need to start looking beyond Fleming and start adapting (or at least using the titles of) the Bonds written by John Gardner, Raymond Benson, and Kingsley Amis, as well as the Sebestian Faulks Bond novel of a few years ago.

Alex

Captaindemotion · February 25 2010, 05:58 PM

cardinal biggles wrote:

Is EON actually interested in doing anything that isn't Bond-related?

I hope this business with the purchase of MGM is resolved quickly; I really like Daniel Craig as Bond, and don't want a repeat of the '89-'95 hiatus where they dragged it on so long that Timothy Dalton finally said he was no longer interested.

The Dalton saga was a little more complicated than that. The 'Dalton Quits' story was essentially a way of letting him keep his dignity. They were only able to get the franchise back off the ground by letting him go. The hiatus was in part caused by Cubby Broccoli's loyalty to the actor and his view that Dalton was a fine 007; had he agreed to studio pressure to replace him, the series would have been back onscreen earlier.

Admittedly Dalton's casting firing wasn't the only obstacle to the Bond series being onscreen between 1989-95, but it was one of them. Only when Cubby died and his less sentimental/ loyal relatives took over was poor Tim let go.

cardinal biggles · February 25 2010, 06:08 PM

^Cubby lived to see GoldenEye released (he died in June 1996), but by that point he was only a "consulting producer" on the series.

I'm not surprised Dalton was let go; he didn't really connect with the audience the way Connery, Moore, Brosnan, and Craig did.

Lindley · February 25 2010, 08:20 PM

While License To Kill never clicked with me, The Living Daylights is one of my favorites. So, eh.

Dusty Ayres · February 25 2010, 08:25 PM

Lindley wrote:

While License To Kill never clicked with me, The Living Daylights is one of my favorites. So, eh.

Ditto.

cardinal biggles · February 25 2010, 08:46 PM

I liked both of Dalton's films, but then I'm also one of those weird people who wonders if the series wouldn't have been quite so silly in the 1970s if Lazenby had ignored bad advice and signed the seven-film contract EON was offering him.

CorporalClegg · February 25 2010, 09:31 PM

^
I've long held the suspicion that had Lazenby done more films, he'd be considered the best Bond. Connery really did become too big for the role. I don't think Lazenby would've had that problem. And his character was so much more believable. Plus, as you said, he didn't have the cartoon image of his successors.

As far as the next one, I think some time off will probably be a good thing.

Piper · February 26 2010, 05:16 AM

23skidoo wrote:

I think EON needs to face facts that unless they decide to start remaking the Connery and Moore Bonds, if they want to keep connection to the literary Bond they need to start looking beyond Fleming and start adapting (or at least using the titles of) the Bonds written by John Gardner, Raymond Benson, and Kingsley Amis, as well as the Sebestian Faulks Bond novel of a few years ago.

Alex

I would love to see Colonel Sun filmed but it'd probably be too awkward to adapt now - the politics would need adaption and the M-being-kidnapped has been done (far inferiorly) comparitively recently in TWINE.

A couple of the Gardner books would work well but I hope they don't go anywhere near the Benson books, which are pretty ropey for the most part. The Faulks novel was fun, but a complete Bond pastiche which I don't think would go down too well on screen.

Put me down as another who counts The Living Daylights among his favourite Bond films.

Cmndr J Crichton · February 26 2010, 07:35 AM

Aren't we forgetting that Pierce Brosnan was cast as Bond in The Living Daylights, but the fine folks at Remington Steele wouldn't let him go. Imagine if Brosnan was in TLD, and LTK. I bet there wouldn't have been a 5 year delay. As much as I loved Timothy Dalton as Bond, Brosnan would have kept the series alive for another 10 years after Moore.

Starkers · February 26 2010, 01:11 PM

Brosnan was only cast because Dalton was comitted to Brenda Starr. When they couldn't get Brosnan they basically held back production so Dalton could do it, he finished one film on the friday and started the other on the sunday (or soemthing like that)

I'd love to have seen Dalton in Goldeneye.

TLD is one of my favourites too. First 007 I saw at the cinema. Great Bond, great Bond girl, great action scenes (the pre-title sequence and the fight hanging out of the plane) great soundtrack. Shame Whittiker was a bit of a lame villain, but Koskov was great (as was Necros)

Captaindemotion · February 26 2010, 01:26 PM

^ I think the story about Dalton 'really' being their first choice ahead of Brosnan is more Eon spin. I remember at the time it was very clear that he was the second choice, Brosnan had been the front-runner for some years. Dalton's casting was quite a surprise, he was a much less recognisable name and even when the BBC announced it, they referred to Brosnan and his reasons for being unable to take it.

February 25 2010, 04:10 PM	#2
cardinal biggles Danny Donkey Hates You Location: potrzebie	Re: 007 questions for 2010 Is EON actually interested in doing anything that isn't Bond-related? I hope this business with the purchase of MGM is resolved quickly; I really like Daniel Craig as Bond, and don't want a repeat of the '89-'95 hiatus where they dragged it on so long that Timothy Dalton finally said he was no longer interested.

February 25 2010, 04:16 PM	#3
Mr. Laser Beam Fleet Admiral Location: The visitor's bullpen	Re: 007 questions for 2010 Also I wish they'd hurry up in getting the rest of the existing Bond films to Blu-Ray. There seems to have been a snag about that. __________________ It is by caffeine alone I set my mind in motion. It is by the beans of Java that thoughts acquire speed, the hands acquire shakes, the shakes become a warning. It is by caffeine alone I set my mind in motion.

February 25 2010, 06:08 PM	#6
cardinal biggles Danny Donkey Hates You Location: potrzebie	Re: 007 questions for 2010 ^Cubby lived to see GoldenEye released (he died in June 1996), but by that point he was only a "consulting producer" on the series. I'm not surprised Dalton was let go; he didn't really connect with the audience the way Connery, Moore, Brosnan, and Craig did.

February 25 2010, 08:20 PM	#7
Lindley Moderator with a Soul Location: Fairfax, VA	Re: 007 questions for 2010 While License To Kill never clicked with me, The Living Daylights is one of my favorites. So, eh. __________________ Lead Organizer for EVN: Firefly. "So apparently the really smart zombies have automatic weapons!" -Torg, Sluggy Freelance

February 25 2010, 08:46 PM	#9
cardinal biggles Danny Donkey Hates You Location: potrzebie	Re: 007 questions for 2010 I liked both of Dalton's films, but then I'm also one of those weird people who wonders if the series wouldn't have been quite so silly in the 1970s if Lazenby had ignored bad advice and signed the seven-film contract EON was offering him.

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February 25 2010, 09:31 PM	#10
CorporalClegg Vice Admiral Location: Nuevo México	Re: 007 questions for 2010 ^ I've long held the suspicion that had Lazenby done more films, he'd be considered the best Bond. Connery really did become too big for the role. I don't think Lazenby would've had that problem. And his character was so much more believable. Plus, as you said, he didn't have the cartoon image of his successors. As far as the next one, I think some time off will probably be a good thing. __________________ Hola!

February 26 2010, 07:35 AM	#12
Cmndr J Crichton Commodore Location: Moya	Re: 007 questions for 2010 Aren't we forgetting that Pierce Brosnan was cast as Bond in The Living Daylights, but the fine folks at Remington Steele wouldn't let him go. Imagine if Brosnan was in TLD, and LTK. I bet there wouldn't have been a 5 year delay. As much as I loved Timothy Dalton as Bond, Brosnan would have kept the series alive for another 10 years after Moore. __________________ A Digital Frontier to shape the human condition...not just a book plug.

February 26 2010, 01:11 PM	#13
Starkers Admiral Location: Behind enemy lines...	Re: 007 questions for 2010 Brosnan was only cast because Dalton was comitted to Brenda Starr. When they couldn't get Brosnan they basically held back production so Dalton could do it, he finished one film on the friday and started the other on the sunday (or soemthing like that) I'd love to have seen Dalton in Goldeneye. TLD is one of my favourites too. First 007 I saw at the cinema. Great Bond, great Bond girl, great action scenes (the pre-title sequence and the fight hanging out of the plane) great soundtrack. Shame Whittiker was a bit of a lame villain, but Koskov was great (as was Necros) __________________ Werewolves on the Moon Now with Star Trek Into Darkness review The Devils of Amber Street

February 26 2010, 01:26 PM	#14
Captaindemotion Vice Admiral Location: Ireland	Re: 007 questions for 2010 ^ I think the story about Dalton 'really' being their first choice ahead of Brosnan is more Eon spin. I remember at the time it was very clear that he was the second choice, Brosnan had been the front-runner for some years. Dalton's casting was quite a surprise, he was a much less recognisable name and even when the BBC announced it, they referred to Brosnan and his reasons for being unable to take it. __________________ Hodor!!!!!!!