No Time To Die: Production Diary

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  • Creasy47Creasy47 In Cuba with Natalya.Moderator
    Posts: 40,967
    It's why I feel for whoever steps in as director for 'Bond 25,' because they'll have the easiest time ignoring everything and making a standalone release, or they'll be screwed with trying to back themselves out of the corner that Mendes left them in at the end of SP: tackling Blofeld, Swann, Bond being done, etc.
  • //That whole thing is way too easy to see coming, and it would be a cheep retread of OHMSS, and I don't think any of us want to see that. //

    Based on this thread and the stray comment on social media, I think there are many fans who want exactly that. Also, as discussed previously, the filmmakers were leaning in that direction by having Irma Bunt and "We have all the time in the world" in the script shortly before production began.

    My problem with it is to have the faithful YOLT, Bond has to fall apart. Again. That part of YOLT was cherry picked for Skyfall.
  • dominicgreenedominicgreene The Eternal QOS Defender
    Posts: 1,756
    I really hope Radiohead could get another shot at the Bond theme, their theme for Spectre was superb. I honestly think Craig's Bond would have listened to RH too.
    You want Radiohead to come and do a rock/metal song for a Bond movie? The thought alone creeps me out.

    Rock/metal? Have you only listened to Pablo Honey and the Bends?
  • ClarkDevlinClarkDevlin Martinis, Girls and Guns
    Posts: 15,423
    I'd hate to admit it, but no, I haven't.
  • Posts: 9,846
    Creasy47 wrote: »
    They could always realize making Swann yet another "love" of Bond's was a mistake, and simply not have her return. That'd be preferable.

    Pts for bond 25
    Michael addressing the audiences "hey you know all those plot threads left unfinished in Spectre yeah we are just going to ignore them"
    Tittles


    Sounds great (rolls eyes so hard the fall out of my head)

  • Risico007 wrote: »
    Creasy47 wrote: »
    They could always realize making Swann yet another "love" of Bond's was a mistake, and simply not have her return. That'd be preferable.

    Pts for bond 25
    Michael addressing the audiences "hey you know all those plot threads left unfinished in Spectre yeah we are just going to ignore them"
    Tittles


    Sounds great (rolls eyes so hard the fall out of my head)

    Certainly wouldn't be the first time the series has done just that, but realistically, if Craig returns, they will have to figure out something to do with Madeleine. They can't just have her be the Bond girl all over again on Bond's next adventure (although who knows, they may do just that).

    I see 3 possible options here:

    1) Madeleine gets killed off early in the film

    2) Things just didn't work out and she parts ways (she wouldn't even need to be in the film for this option; this could be addressed in a single well-written line or two)

    3) Bond and Madeleine are still together, but she's tending to her own business while Bond is saving the world, resulting in the film having no real Bond girl (I suppose you could have Bond cheating on her, but I wouldn't want to see that and I don't think that would fly with general audiences)

    Any other realistic possibilities for Madeleine—apart from her joining a convent, slipping into a coma, or entering a portal and becoming lost in space and time?
  • Creasy47Creasy47 In Cuba with Natalya.Moderator
    Posts: 40,967
    I don't even want to see Madeleine get killed off, as that'll attribute to yet another revenge-driven mission for Bond.
  • jake24jake24 Sitting at your desk, kissing your lover, eating supper with your familyModerator
    edited July 2016 Posts: 10,591
    Creasy47 wrote: »
    I don't even want to see Madeleine get killed off, as that'll attribute to yet another revenge-driven mission for Bond.
    I'd much rather have her leave him, to be honest. Or vice versa.
  • edited July 2016 Posts: 4,622
    The_Reaper wrote: »
    timmer wrote: »
    Germanlady wrote: »
    Yes, with Ramon Navarro. But - whatever you think of Hestons NRA past, he was so damn perfect as Ben Hur.

    Whatever one may think about 2nd amendment rights, don't forget Heston was also a very active and vocal supporter of the '60s black civil rights movement, when it wasn't fashionable, not to mention battling Hollywood moguls on behalf of actors-kind, despite being one of the biggest names in the biz. He worked on behalf of his less illustrious brethren

    As for Bond, I'm a little out of the loop.
    Why can't Eon just firm up Craig and get on with it.
    What am I missing?

    Bye the bye. I've just added 4Heston films to my blu-ray collection. Ten Commandments, Ben Hur, and the '70s sci-fi classics , Soylent Green and The Omega Man.
    Awesome actor. He shares my top 3 with Sean and Clint

    Hes amazing. Check out El Sid, The Agony and the Ecstasy, and the original Planet of the Apes of course. Great stuff.
    Apes of course, my favourite movie of all-time after the Bond canon. A Heston tour de force. " get your stinkin paws off me, you damned dirty ape" One of cinema's all-time iconic moments. Taylor stands up for humankind against the ape tyranny.
    Good suggestions re those Heston films. I've actually obsessed over the same little pack of Chuck films my whole life, and not delved into the wider oeuvre. I've just now started to build a little collection, although I've always had a complete Apes collection.

    As for B25, it is encouraging to read in this thread that pre-production has actually started, which suggests Eon does have a plan. I do think they should get Craig locked up asap.
    What the heck could be the problem other than conflicting schedules or maybe Craig has to approve the story. Who knows. Personally I think they will get things done with Craig though. I think both sides are good with a further extension of the partnership for at least one more film.

    As @waverly pointed out, in original scripting for SP, the film closes with Bond telling Swan, " we have all the time in the world"
    I think Eon ultimately chucked the line, because it may have painted them into a corner. The line effectively dooms Swan via Blofeld's hand.
    And yes the fact that Bunt was being considered is also telling.
    The fact that SP resembles OHMSS in many respects is also telling.
    It all suggests that Eon has been considering a retelling of Flemings YOLT as a follow-up to SP. The SP similarites to OHMSS are not coincidental - Eon also being very aware that many fans have been clamouring for a telling of Fleming's Castle of Death story.

    Also consider that we know both Seydoux and Waltz were told they might be needed for a second film. Both were reportedly agreeable

    So, what I think is going down is that Eon is indeed working on the Garden of Death story.
    It's easily done. eg Blofeld escapes, hooks up with Bunt. They hole up at Garden of Death. A grander plot and story is easily concocted around this scenario.
    Wouldn't even need to actually be set in Japan. The point is to mirror and homage the Fleming story to some extent, not actually faithyfully tell it.
    Swan gets drawn back into the game.
    Maybe Blofeld captures her. It doesn't really matter. Somehow she gets pulled back in.
    Swan doesn't even have to get killed. After all she is not Tracy. She and Bond are not married and won't be.
    Circumstances just need to draw her back into the fray.
    Bond is hot on the trail of Blofeld. He's doesn't need extra motivation.
    He's already got plenty, Vesper, M etc. It's also his duty, his job, to take down these maniacs.
    He also doesn't need to break down, ala Fleming's book. The Craig-era has already done enough exploration of a fragile Bond psyche.
    In fact, one of the best things about SP, was seeing Bond return to focused on-mission form. Craig IMO nailed it. I think the strongest Bond portrayal since the glory years ('60s)
    Blofeld was the one with the issues in SP, not Bond.
    That's what I think might be going on. I think Eon will follow up on what they teased and seem to have been plotting well in advance of SP's release.
    And I am good with it.
    Yes, I would like to see Bond battle Blofeld and Bunt at a re-imagined Castle of Death.
    I would also like to see Bond blow the Castle up , escape via air balloon, and be nursed back to health by Swan.
    Over the two films, Swan plays a hybrid Tracy/Kissy.

    This is where B25 ends, but for a final scene, where we learn that Blofeld is not actually dead.
    But Bond is oblivious, just as he was after the DAF pts. He thinks Blofeld is done, so carries on..the task dealt with.
    This allows for Eon to bring back Blofeld and Spectre as recurring nemesis.
    In fact, I'd have both back for the next film. As with the original Eon films, re-boot Bond will just have to deal with the fact that Blofeld is real hard to kill.

    Swan can be off on her merry way, by the time we get to B26, her two film arc complete.
    You could even further homage Fleming by tying in Bond's TMWTGG attempted assassination of M at the beginning of the next film.
    Bond would have to be caught and brainwashed by some Spectre types loyal to Blofeld.


  • Posts: 1,680
    Madeline may serve in the capacity of her being a Dr. possibly evaulating Oberhausers pysch.
  • bondjamesbondjames You were expecting someone else?
    Posts: 23,883
    It's very easy to re-imagine Blofeld with no reference to past altercations if they soft reboot with a new actor.

    After all, Warner Bros have done it a couple of times with the Joker in the Batman films and it's worked quite well each time. There will be a new iteration shortly in Suicide Squad and I highly doubt they will reference the Nolan trilogy at all.
  • ClarkDevlinClarkDevlin Martinis, Girls and Guns
    Posts: 15,423
    Well, that's because the Nolan trilogy is left behind. Man of Steel started a brand new canon.
  • bondjamesbondjames You were expecting someone else?
    edited July 2016 Posts: 23,883
    Yes, but I think that's probably what they're going to do post-Craig. A new canon means all the baggage is left behind and they just move forward with the characters and bend them to the new story. They don't even need to reference 'step-brother' if Blofeld appears again. He's just a master criminal with a past with Bond, which one has to watch SP to learn about.
  • Posts: 4,622
    bondjames wrote: »
    Yes, but I think that's probably what they're going to do post-Craig. A new canon means all the baggage is left behind and they just move forward with the characters and bend them to the new story. They don't even need to reference 'step-brother' if Blofeld appears again. He's just a master criminal with a past with Bond, which one has to watch SP to learn about.
    yes this is easily done, but I do think they will be continuing down Garden of Death scenario with a SP follow-up, as I outlined above, but even in that scenario the foster-brother angle could be ignored or not referenced.

  • mcdonbbmcdonbb deep in the Heart of Texas
    edited July 2016 Posts: 4,116
    jake24 wrote: »
    Creasy47 wrote: »
    I don't even want to see Madeleine get killed off, as that'll attribute to yet another revenge-driven mission for Bond.
    I'd much rather have her leave him, to be honest. Or vice versa.

    Or commit suicide in Blofeld's garden of death. No revenge just sadness

    But I agree with others ...just start fresh with no mention. You can still reimagine Blofeld later.
  • edited July 2016 Posts: 16,153
    jake24 wrote: »
    Creasy47 wrote: »
    I don't even want to see Madeleine get killed off, as that'll attribute to yet another revenge-driven mission for Bond.
    I'd much rather have her leave him, to be honest. Or vice versa.

    I'd prefer they not reference Madeleine Swan at all as per the earlier films. However, between novels, if memory serves me correctly, I want to say that Tiffany Case crashed at Bond's bachelor pad until May got sick of her being around. I'd kind of like to see a similar thing in the Craig films. Good excuse to introduce May, and possibly a bit more of Bond's home life between assignments. His daily push-up/leg lift routine, soft boiled egg breakfast, scrambled egg lunch, etc.
  • DaltonCraig007DaltonCraig007 They say, "Evil prevails when good men fail to act." What they ought to say is, "Evil prevails."
    edited July 2016 Posts: 15,715
    I'd like @Birdleson to be some kind of adviser on Bond 25. He would cut through the bullsh*t like he does on these forums. The film would certainly be good.
  • TheWizardOfIceTheWizardOfIce 'One of the Internet's more toxic individuals'
    Posts: 9,117
    Birdleson wrote: »
    Creasy47 wrote: »
    I don't even want to see Madeleine get killed off, as that'll attribute to yet another revenge-driven mission for Bond.

    I agree. Go back to the old method; drop her without a word of it. Drop Blofeld too, or bring him back with no reference to all of the personal background.

    Although I agree with you wholeheartedly on both points as the only way of getting out of the mess they have created for themselves this can only work with a new Bond.

    If Dan comes back for one more I really don't see how they can just ignore it. They made all this interconnected bullshit the core of his tenure so if he comes back there's no way they can't not address it and have a standalone mission.
  • DaltonCraig007DaltonCraig007 They say, "Evil prevails when good men fail to act." What they ought to say is, "Evil prevails."
    Posts: 15,715
    Birdleson wrote: »
    I'd like @Birdleson to be some kind of adviser on Bond 25. He would cut through the bullsh*t like he does on these forums. The film would certainly be good.

    You got cash? By the way, some lunatic has appropriated your name.

    I haven't noticed anything. I'll keep an eye for this person.
  • DaltonCraig007DaltonCraig007 They say, "Evil prevails when good men fail to act." What they ought to say is, "Evil prevails."
    Posts: 15,715
    As long as he doesn't use the same avatar as I do, I don't mind if he doesn't cause too much trouble.
  • 4EverBonded4EverBonded the Ballrooms of Mars
    Posts: 12,480
    Definitely no suicide for Madeleine! Enough of that. Ignore or deal with it with a pithy sentence or two is all.

    But EON just got the rights to Blofeld, so I do expect that character back. Oh yes. No matter who is Bond.
  • Posts: 1,680
    EON & Babs want to continue down the SP storyline. If they can get Dan back then Waltz will come back for another.
  • Posts: 2,081
    Madeleine: Not killed/suicide/grave, geez... If there has to be a reference (and if Craig remains Bond then surely they can't just ignore her completely), then her leaving would be much better than another death... And another death resulting in another personal revenge would be even worse than any other type of death.
    ToTheRight wrote: »
    jake24 wrote: »
    Creasy47 wrote: »
    I don't even want to see Madeleine get killed off, as that'll attribute to yet another revenge-driven mission for Bond.
    I'd much rather have her leave him, to be honest. Or vice versa.

    I'd prefer they not reference Madeleine Swan at all as per the earlier films. However, between novels, if memory serves me correctly, I want to say that Tiffany Case crashed at Bond's bachelor pad until May got sick of her being around. I'd kind of like to see a similar thing in the Craig films. Good excuse to introduce May, and possibly a bit more of Bond's home life between assignments. His daily push-up/leg lift routine, soft boiled egg breakfast, scrambled egg lunch, etc.

    That's so Patrick Bateman, though. And therefore I'm laughing (not at you, but at Pat). I wouldn't want to see that in Bond.

  • Posts: 16,153
    Tuulia wrote: »
    Madeleine: Not killed/suicide/grave, geez... If there has to be a reference (and if Craig remains Bond then surely they can't just ignore her completely), then her leaving would be much better than another death... And another death resulting in another personal revenge would be even worse than any other type of death.
    ToTheRight wrote: »
    jake24 wrote: »
    Creasy47 wrote: »
    I don't even want to see Madeleine get killed off, as that'll attribute to yet another revenge-driven mission for Bond.
    I'd much rather have her leave him, to be honest. Or vice versa.

    I'd prefer they not reference Madeleine Swan at all as per the earlier films. However, between novels, if memory serves me correctly, I want to say that Tiffany Case crashed at Bond's bachelor pad until May got sick of her being around. I'd kind of like to see a similar thing in the Craig films. Good excuse to introduce May, and possibly a bit more of Bond's home life between assignments. His daily push-up/leg lift routine, soft boiled egg breakfast, scrambled egg lunch, etc.

    That's so Patrick Bateman, though. And therefore I'm laughing (not at you, but at Pat). I wouldn't want to see that in Bond.

    LOL! Especially if Bond spent all the time Bateman spent in the shower, on his hair, etc. No, it would have to be subtle.
    Actually, though, the books are filled with breakfast/lunch scenes. 007 really does seem to have a thing for scrambled eggs in Fleming. It would be interesting to see a Bond and Leiter lunch sequence where they display their knowledge or disdain for what's on the menu while discussing a case. In the novels those scenes really showcase their rapport and friendship. But Felix has been so underused in the films-especially with Jeffery Wright I wouldn't expect it.
  • edited July 2016 Posts: 12,837
    @timmer it'd be an absoloute waste if they did the garden of death without the broken, damaged Bond. That's what made the book so great to me. Bond and Blofeld both shadows of their former selves, facing eachother one last time.

    The garden of death is more than just a cool setting imo. To do it justice they'd need to give it the same dark, twisted fairy tale atmosphere of the book, complete with a Blofeld who's completely lost it and a Bond who has to face his demons to be "reborn". Without the psychologically damaged Bond and Blofeld, a lot of the cool imagery is lost and you're left with what's really quite a low rent scheme for a Bond villain.

    A Blofeld that's still in evil genius mode kidnapping Swann and holding her hostage in Japan, with a Bond at the top of his game going after him, is probably the worst way they could do YOLT. It's my favourite of the novels and if they're going to do it I want them to do it right. A damaged, broken Bond, written off even by M, seeking revenge against a deranged samurai Blofeld who's gone full psycho after losing his evil empire. If they go down this road I want to see Waltz's Blofeld a wreck after the downfall of Spectre, after being by Bond defeated despite his years of planning he's gone insane. He was quite restrained in SP, so now lets see what defeat does to him, I want him walking around ranting and raving in full samurai armour and I want to see Craig play Bond as a completely broken man, which I think would be all the more powerful after how confident and self assured he was as the fully formed classic Bond in Spectre.

  • //A Blofeld that's still in evil genius mode kidnapping Swann and holding her hostage in Japan, with a Bond at the top of his game going after him, is probably the worst way they could do YOLT. It's my favourite of the novels and if they're going to do it I want them to do it right. A damaged, broken Bond, written off even by M, seeking revenge against a deranged samurai Blofeld who's gone full psycho after losing his evil empire. //

    Yes. And we got damaged, broken Bond (as much as the film franchise is willing to allow, I suspect) in Skyfall.

    Also, in Skyfall, that aspect was taken of Fleming context. Bond didn't return to MI6 in the YOLT novel because he lost his memory. In Skyfall, he doesn't return to MI6 (for a long time) because he's P.O.'d at M for saying "take the bloody shot." He still has his memory.
  • mcdonbbmcdonbb deep in the Heart of Texas
    Posts: 4,116
    Suicide considering Swann's psychological profile works in my opinion.

    Don't get me wrong I am sick to death of revenge and broken Bond plots.

    But whomever said if they go a Garden of Death then ta da!! that's what ya gonna get.

    I hope EoN is too but my fear is they think that's what we want and/or where the story should go.

    Surely Greg W. is on FB ...someone find him and pm him quickly.
  • echoecho 007 in New York
    edited July 2016 Posts: 6,287
    Birdleson wrote: »
    Creasy47 wrote: »
    I don't even want to see Madeleine get killed off, as that'll attribute to yet another revenge-driven mission for Bond.

    I agree. Go back to the old method; drop her without a word of it. Drop Blofeld too, or bring him back with no reference to all of the personal background.

    Although I agree with you wholeheartedly on both points as the only way of getting out of the mess they have created for themselves this can only work with a new Bond.

    If Dan comes back for one more I really don't see how they can just ignore it. They made all this interconnected bullshit the core of his tenure so if he comes back there's no way they can't not address it and have a standalone mission.

    I see why they tied together Spectre and Quantum. Quantum was always a Spectre copy, anyway.

    The Silva retcon is what really bothers me. There was nothing wrong with SF being a one-off.

    I doubt we're getting The Garden of Death. Not family-friendly enough, plus they kind of did it already with Helga and the piranhas.

    If a new Bond, I can't see them recasting M/Moneypenny/Q. They are not brave enough to do so.
  • edited July 2016 Posts: 6,844
    They are never going to do a remake of OHMSS (or at least they better not), so with Blofeld back in the picture, Madeleine set up as a pseudo-Tracy, and gritty, character-driven action-drama being the "in" thing, now is probably as close as we're ever going to get to being the perfect time for a faithful adaptation of YOLT.

    And for a truly faithful modernized adaptation of YOLT, while the characters of Tiger and Kissy should probably be renamed, there are certain crucial elements you would need beyond making Blofeld a horticulturalist. The death of a loved one as a driving factor for Bond's funk and for him to exact revenge upon Blofeld is crucial. I would also argue that the setting of Japan is crucial as well. I suppose you could substitute a different location that would feel equally alien to Bond, but as we haven't been to Japan in 50 years, may as well use the country, right? Ideally, the film would also end with an amnesiac Bond setting out into enemy territory with the goal of rediscovering who he really is, ending on an ambiguous note that suggests the possibility of either Bond walking into mortal danger unprepared or reclaiming his former life (though I'm not sure what would constitute true enemy territory for Bond today). Without those things, a modern adaptation of YOLT would be about as true as if Casino Royale had just featured a casino and no other elements from the novel. In other words, no real point in doing it if you aren't going to do it all the way. The garden itself, while very cool, is pretty close to the bottom of the list of all the things from YOLT I really want to see onscreen.
    echo wrote: »
    Birdleson wrote: »
    Creasy47 wrote: »
    I don't even want to see Madeleine get killed off, as that'll attribute to yet another revenge-driven mission for Bond.

    I agree. Go back to the old method; drop her without a word of it. Drop Blofeld too, or bring him back with no reference to all of the personal background.

    Although I agree with you wholeheartedly on both points as the only way of getting out of the mess they have created for themselves this can only work with a new Bond.

    If Dan comes back for one more I really don't see how they can just ignore it. They made all this interconnected bullshit the core of his tenure so if he comes back there's no way they can't not address it and have a standalone mission.

    I see why they tied together Spectre and Quantum. Quantum was always a Spectre copy, anyway.

    The Silva retcon is what really bothers me. There was nothing wrong with SF being a one-off.

    I doubt we're getting The Garden of Death. Not family-friendly enough, plus they kind of did it already with Helga and the piranhas.

    If a new Bond, I can't see them recasting M/Moneypenny/Q. They are not brave enough to do so.

    It's been long enough, I should think, that we could see piranhas used again. ;)

    As for the Mi6 cast, Fiennes, Harris, and Wishaw are all great. I really hope we do keep them all for the next new actor. The series has frequently carried over the Mi6 staff from one actor to the next in the past (even Judi Dench when we transitioned from the traditional timeline to the reboot). I don't think "braveness" factors into it. The parts are well cast as it is. Why change that?

    (And I agree with you: the Silva retcon was for me one of the biggest, most eye-rolling "Oh give me a break" parts of Spectre. There was just no need for that.)
  • Posts: 380
    " That relationship didnt work out. In my line of work they never do" One simple line, spoken early on in the movie, bye bye to the Swann character. Move on with the rest of Bond 25. Job done
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