Bond cancelled

[Reverend]

Even though I know there are several facts and storylines throughout the series which make it impossible (such as Tracy and her death), I just like to pretend that James Bond is a code name and a persona taken up by an SIS agent selected by MI6 after the death/retirement of the previous 007. It's simpler that way.

So under that logic they could do a film with two Bonds by having the last one turn out to be not dead after all? Might be a good way to get Timothy Dalton or Pierce Brosnan back or even drag Sean Connery back out of retirement. Of course he'll have to turn out the be the villain by the final act!

 

[Samurai8472]

^ Not remakes as such, but new adaptations of the books. It wouldn't be my preferred choice and I imagine that your reaction would probably be the dominant one, but done well, it could lead to some great movies and allow for character growth for Craig's Bond in keeping with the books.

That brings up an interesting idea. Why can't James Bond be "franchised" like Star Trek or Doctor Who novels?

Is it actors permissions etc?

Think of all the books you can do on just Connery's bond or Brosnan's.

Right now you've got bond novels(Raymond Benson etc) but none that are based on the actors.


Has this already been done and failed?

 

[Professor Zoom]

^ Not remakes as such, but new adaptations of the books. It wouldn't be my preferred choice and I imagine that your reaction would probably be the dominant one, but done well, it could lead to some great movies and allow for character growth for Craig's Bond in keeping with the books.

That brings up an interesting idea. Why can't James Bond be "franchised" like Star Trek or Doctor Who novels?

Is it actors permissions etc?

Think of all the books you can do on just Connery's bond or Brosnan's.

Right now you've got bond novels(Raymond Benson etc) but none that are based on the actors.


Has this already been done and failed?

Why would it be based on the actors? All the actors are playing the same character...

I'm confused.

And it might have more to do with the Fleming Estate wanting to keep control.

 

[Captaindemotion]

^ I suppose what Samurai is suggesting is that you could have books which feature eg Connery-Bond and are set during the 1960s or ones with Brosnan Bond set during the 1990s, etc. You'd have a picture of the actor on front, to show who it was meant to be. The Dr Who comparison isn't precise, because they're all different incarnations of the same man in the same continuity, but I suppose you could compare it to the nu-Trek novels with Pine, Quinto etc on the front, as oppose to those with Shatner, Nimoy etc.

But it seems that the literary Bond is, well, based on Ian Fleming's Bond, not that of any particular movie incarnation. Readers imagine their favourite actor in the role (IIRC most of the writers have said that they write with Connery in mind) or cast Clive Owen, Terence Stamp or Cary Grant in the role. The novels are intended to leave it up to you, as far as I can see, not to tie it to a particular version.