Sam Neill would have been pretty good, actually.
Eastwood as 007? Just one of the worst James Bond film ideas
- Thread starter Dusty Ayres
- Start date
Sam Neill would have been pretty good, actually.
Actually, he was supposed to play Bond in "Living Daylights", but couldn't get out of his Remington Steele contract. "Living Daylights" was then rewritten for Dalton.
Dalton screen tested for both "OHMSS" and "Diamonds are Forever." And was offered the role a couple times during the Moore era.
^ The Brosnan/ Dalton TLD debacle is pretty well known. But as I say, by the time Dalton - who was arguably less recognisable than Brosnan when cast - departed, there was a certain pressure on to cast a name actor. Brosnan had had a low enough profile in the interim, though The Lawnmower Man was a surprise hit and he had a supporting role in Mrs Doubtfire.
They were a little short sighted about the reasons for LTK's disappointing box office performance and Dalton got the blame. But that was the year of Batman and other sequels, which normally would have done well, underperformed. Ghostbusters 2, Star Trek V. LTK also did well abroad but the US take was pretty decisive in ending Dalton's tenure.
As for Dalton being offered the role earlier, while apparently that is stated on the DVD of TLD, on the basis of the article in Premiere and a biography of Cubby Broccoli which I once read, I'm pretty sure that's Eon spin, so as not to make it look like he was only second choice/ last resort for the role.
They were a little short sighted about the reasons for LTK's disappointing box office performance and Dalton got the blame. But that was the year of Batman and other sequels, which normally would have done well, underperformed. Ghostbusters 2, Star Trek V. LTK also did well abroad but the US take was pretty decisive in ending Dalton's tenure.
As for Dalton being offered the role earlier, while apparently that is stated on the DVD of TLD, on the basis of the article in Premiere and a biography of Cubby Broccoli which I once read, I'm pretty sure that's Eon spin, so as not to make it look like he was only second choice/ last resort for the role.
He would have fit right in if he did 80's James Bond movies. I could actually see him in M's briefing room before embarking on his case.
Wow, that Pierce Brosnan guy really looks the part. If only we could live in an alternate reality where he was cast... If only...
I actually think Brosnan benefitted from being cast later. Although a fan and media fave in the 80s, he was still a bit young bland, pretty and lightweight at that stage. He was more mature and seasoned when he got the role and a better fit as a result. I had been disappointed when he was cast but from the second he appeared onscreen, I thought he really owned the part.
The other thing is that,as he himself points out, in the interim, he became, like Bond, a widower and felt that he consequently had a better handle on the character. Not that I'm saying he benefitted from his wife's death, of course!
The other thing is that,as he himself points out, in the interim, he became, like Bond, a widower and felt that he consequently had a better handle on the character. Not that I'm saying he benefitted from his wife's death, of course!