The Real James Bond

SirAndrewD · September 29, 2023, 07:12:09 PM

Almost a decade ago I told my good friend and current movies/pop culture personal podcast partner this:

The only way for Bond to actually stay relevant after Daniel Craig's run is to go back, do Fleming's original novels with direct adaptations, and start them in 1951.

Well, here's hoping. Mind you this is only a rumor but given how the last Bond ended I can't see any other way.

https://www.worldofreel.com/blog/2023/9/26/lluj1u172l3gwejmovm5wcaf3fftqu

Staggerwing · September 29, 2023, 09:09:24 PM

Maybe they could go for a more David Niven-style character reboot. It worked once before. Or maybe it actually didn't...

SirAndrewD · September 29, 2023, 09:15:48 PM

Quote from: Staggerwing on September 29, 2023, 09:09:24 PMMaybe they could go for a more David Niven-style character reboot. It worked once before. Or maybe it actually didn't...

No it didn't. But Fleming did say Niven was the right look for Bond.

The rumors, and they are only that, is that Aaron Taylor-Johnson would be Nolan's demand as he's one of his guys now.

He absolutely has the look with his hair cropped. He's about the right age as Bond enlists in the Royal Navy at 20 and has his first mission for MI 6 at the age of 31. Johnson's 33.

GDS_Starfury · September 29, 2023, 11:04:12 PM

methinks Pussy Galore isn't going to fly these days.

SirAndrewD · September 29, 2023, 11:23:09 PM

Quote from: GDS_Starfury on September 29, 2023, 11:04:12 PMmethinks Pussy Galore isn't going to fly these days.

Fleming loved the wacky names and weird looking people. Something the films did at times and at times not.

That said there are a few books that won't really translate well to the screen. First that comes to mind is The Spy Who Loved Me.

But I'd also expect they might not want to go back to Goldfinger. The novel is one of the times where the book material was far inferior to the film product. The movie had the brilliant move of using the Chinese and a dirty bomb rather than the traditional heist funded by the Spangled Mob in the book. It is one that can be skipped and with it...Pussy.

GDS_Starfury · September 30, 2023, 12:11:48 AM

Octopussy?

SirAndrewD · September 30, 2023, 12:21:22 AM

Quote from: GDS_Starfury on September 30, 2023, 12:11:48 AMOctopussy?

Octopussy and The Living Daylights is a short story collection. It'd be great for something ancillary to films but no, I can't see them doing them.

I'd imagine they'd want to keep it tight and coherent.

I'd probably just hold to the books that were directly tied. The only early Bond I'd keep is Diamonds are Forever because of Tiffany Case but I'd probably jump ahead and do Dr. No, Thunderball, on Her Majesty's Secret Service and You Only live Twice as a coherent set. I'd keep Diamonds are Forever to introduce the Spangled Mob and make them the main baddies ending with Man With the Golden Gun.

Afterwards you can fit in what were earlier books that stand alone and aren't in the SPECTRE/Spangled Mob stories. You just have to cut out Bond retiring and running off with Tiffany in You Only Live Twice and Golden Gun.

W8taminute · October 02, 2023, 01:40:51 PM

Alotta Fagina always seemed shagadelic to me as a character in the series.

JasonPratt · October 02, 2023, 02:31:38 PM

Too bad Sean Pertwee is too old for a reboot now. His dad Jon was one of the guys who worked with Fleming, whom Fleming borrowed from to invent Bond.

Could work though if the films are structured as flashbacks?

SirAndrewD · October 02, 2023, 02:50:20 PM

Quote from: JasonPratt on October 02, 2023, 02:31:38 PMToo bad Sean Pertwee is too old for a reboot now. His dad Jon was one of the guys who worked with Fleming, whom Fleming borrowed from to invent Bond.

Could work though if the films are structured as flashbacks?

Nah. I think Aaron Taylor-Johnson would be a perfect choice and he'd be the correct age almost to the dot. If Nolan directs he typically uses his guys and does it well.

JasonPratt · October 02, 2023, 03:24:51 PM

Like Nolan has never done flashback structure in his films.

But I'm not at all unhappy with Nolan and ATJ. A 1950s period piece going forward would be ace. Even if he has to replot the books somewhat for film purposes, he can still stick pretty close to source, as you noted.

....hm, does skipping Casino Royale screw anything up? It didn't originally, but they were just kinda grab-bagging things (a lot like adapting the Jack Ryan novels in our day).

SirAndrewD · October 02, 2023, 03:28:09 PM

Quote from: JasonPratt on October 02, 2023, 03:24:51 PMLike Nolan has never done flashback structure in his films.

But I'm not at all unhappy with Nolan and ATJ. A 1950s period piece going forward would be ace. Even if he has to replot the books somewhat for film purposes, he can still stick pretty close to source, as you noted.

....hm, does skipping Casino Royale screw anything up? It didn't originally, but they were just kinda grab-bagging things (a lot like adapting the Jack Ryan novels in our day).

Yeah, you really need Vesper. The original Connery Bond wasn't as deep a character in the books. If you're going to really go into Bond's levels of distrust and detachment that he drops for Tracy only to get slammed down again and send him into a spiral of reckless alcoholism that get him nearly fired, then Vesper is pretty important in that.

Sir Slash · October 02, 2023, 10:27:31 PM

You say, 'A spiral of reckless alcoholism' like it's a bad thing.

Did anybody else in the Bond Universe drink like he did? I know Leiter did some and the boss always had a decanter on his desk but I don't recall anyone else in the films knocking them back like James.

SirAndrewD · October 02, 2023, 10:42:35 PM

Quote from: Sir Slash on October 02, 2023, 10:27:31 PMYou say, 'A spiral of reckless alcoholism' like it's a bad thing. Did anybody else in the Bond Universe drink like he did? I know Leiter did some and the boss always had a decanter on his desk but I don't recall anyone else in the films knocking them back like James.

Bond's alcohol consumption in the books is unmatched, and pretty intricately tracked. Early on he's usually drinking around 92 units of alcohol per week at minimum. That increases, especially after On Her Majesty's Secret Service.

But, no, no one else really matched him. In fact most of Bond's villains were teetotalers. Blofeld is the most prominent there, as he refuses all substances and even has no interest in sex. His only "addiction" are breath mints that he chews habitually.

Sir Slash · October 02, 2023, 10:58:23 PM

Damn man, what're you doing up at this hour? Don't you have to work for a living or something? Thanks for the answer so fast. I always thought of Bond as kind of giant middle-finger to the uptight establishment types he worked around. And his enemies as well. And I liked Telly Savalas as Blofeld in Her Majesty's Secret Service. But that's just me.