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Not to mention SEVERAL of the other novels.
I pretty sure one of the NTTD events Barbara mentioned it was getting more difficult to find unused Fleming material.
I have no idea. It might well be difficult adapting the material that's there into an original story/premise, but there is still quite a lot of material left, especially when there's no reason to be adapting faithful versions of say MR, DAF, YOLT, TMWTGG etc.
They've actually been rather conservative with the unused Fleming material I'd argue, but it's certainly there. Personally, I'd rather they go into it much how they did with SF - go back to the novels, look at Bond as a character, and try to adapt these aspects for a modern film/audience. I'm fine with them being influenced by certain ideas and scenes, however loosely (I'm thinking the game of William Tell that Bond and Silva play that was inspired by a scene from TMWTGG, or going back further things like Alec Travelyn's backstory being influenced by Hugo Drax), rather than the NTTD approach which was to shoehorn specific ideas and lines from the novels into a film.
Yeah, and I’ve always felt like the crater base in Spectre actually felt more like Fleming than pretty much any of the other movie baddie bases, even though it wasn’t directly adapted from any one of them.
I wouldn't be surprised if some of them really would love working on a Bond film so much that they'd be willing to cut a few corners here and there. But I don't know about Sorking in that regard. ;-)
One action writer who shouldn’t get the job is Chris Terrio. Despite being a Oscar winner, he hasn’t had luck with franchises: Batman v Superman, Star Wars 9 TROS.
@MaxCasino, yes, seems he got quite lucky with Argo and hasn't done anything noteworthy or particularly good since.
I love Bond but I certainly wouldn't take a cut! :) Their films earn mega bucks and they have Jeff Bezos behind them, they can bloody afford my top rate!
I know what you mean. I do think P&W have read and ultimately respect or at the very least understand the novels. They're ultimately just writing film scripts which are subject to deadlines, the demands of producers, conventions, financing etc. I really don't think their involvement gives any indication about the quality of the next film one way or the other.
Anyway, I hope Aaron Sorkin goes nowhere near a Bond film. Way too much pithy dialogue and pseudo-liberalism. If he doesn't have a strong visual director adapting his material we get rubbish like Molly's Game in my opinion.
Some potential third writers...
Krysty Wilson-Carins (1917, Last Night in Soho) - Solid writer, relatively early in her career, and is able to both adapt material and work with established writer/directors. I can imagine someone like her coming along and tidying everything up, strengthening the plot, but ultimately keeping things consistent.
Tony McNamara (The Great, The Favourite) - At the moment he seems to be making a name for himself with The Great as well as working alongside Yorgos Lathimos on his latest project Poor Things (which is an adaptation of an Alisdair Gray novel, a Scottish writer I have a lot of fondness for). It depends on the direction of the next Bond film, but if they wanted to lean into something a bit more fantastical but dark I can see someone like him coming onboard and giving the script a twist.
Gillian Flynn (Gone Girl, Widows, Sharp Objects) - Why not? A solid thriller writer not only of novels but adapting them for film too. If anyone were to give us a good female Bond villain, I'd bet Flynn would be able to do it especially well. Should Bond 26 want to go in a more grounded, but suspenseful direction with a good old fashioned FRWL 'cat and mouse' type plot, this is a perfect writer to approach.
Dennis Kelly (Utopia, Spooks, Black Sea) - He's the creator and head writer of Utopia, but he's written for television and film too as well as being an established playwright (I had to read a couple of his plays for Drama at school). We'd get some solid dialogue with someone like him, as well as some pretty good character interactions that might strengthen the drama/tension of the script. We'd certainly get a good bit of violence from a writer like him too.
Charlie Covell (Burn, Burn, Burn, The End of the F***ing World) - I can imagine a writer like this being brought on a bit later to punch up dialogue, character and some plot elements, much in the same vein as Waller-Bridge did. She seems at home writing psychopaths and morally ambiguous characters, mostly in a darkly comedic way admittedly, but this could either be directed at adding some humour to the script, creating a villain with some darkly comedic traits (much like Silva had in SF) or applying this to a more dramatic tone.
Have to admit, even this is coming earlier than I might have expected.
So she'd better be happy with the new guy.
My problem with this is the last few big ideas they came up with in the Craig era. They really messed up introducing Quantum, introducing Moneypenny, killing bond, giving him a daughter, and bringing back Spectre and blofeld. All things I don't necessarily hate in theory, but absolutely despise in execution.
Just to be fair, I will say I actually _like_ their interpretation of CR and the additional sinking house scene is a great action set piece. I think they handled the death of M. alright too ( and I blame Logan for the many MANY plot holes and conveniences). And whether it was them or not, the past three films have introduced a decent Q. though all parties are to blame for the lack of creativity in the gadgets and equipment in the past few movies.
But regardless, the fact that the wheels are turning on something real with Bond 26 is exciting, as we can probably start counting down to a movie less than 3-4 years from now.
Logan seems to be the one to avoid.
I have mixed feelings about them coming back. On one hand, it was too be expected. At the same time, it proves EON doesn’t want to change as much as they should. I hope EON hires action directors who can do drama. Not so many art house directors who can only drama and soap operas. But thankfully, it shows that people are starting planning and thinking about Bond’s future.
P&W plus Haggis is the right combination, not P&W plus Logan. Also, P&W get credit for resurrecting their script after the Boyle deal imploded. Otherwise, we'd *still* be waiting for Bond 25.
Haggis I don’t think is coming back, anymore than Cary is. Too much controversy with both of them. Plus, I’d like to see someone new writing Bond screenplays. Not necessarily Oscar winners and nominees for art house drama. Maybe a action writer or two.
An action director can execute a good script but an art house director obviously cannot salvage a bad one. Still there is a modesty in art house that could bring about another FRWL if they manage to make it feel cool.
I still yearn for less full on shoot outs and more stealth, assassinations, wit etc.
100% agreed.
Speaking of action: don't they always say, at least with the recent films, that they start very early on drafting out the major action set pieces and stunts integrated into the story (often with very big, expensive changes later, like with the allegedly-built Boyle sets for B25X)?
So, to my point, I've actually met Lee Morrison, the stunt coordinator on NTTD (will tell that story another time) and he comes across as an action savant. I wonder if they've already brought him back in as well, or if they'll go another direction for some reason. I didn't mind the action in NTTD, with a better script it's very promising.
FWIW, just to nail another B26 thing down early probably, I also once had an online interaction within the last year with a Bentley comms rep, teasing him about getting Bond in one of his cars. He specifically said "The numbers involved are absolutely astonishing," so it's likely the next movie sticks to Astons, just from the investment up to this point, and the momentum of an established relationship.
I would like to see Pierce return as Bond like Tom Cruise did in Maverick.
YES!!!
Pierce and Tim are my top two choices to replace Craig.
There'll probably only be one film within the next 12 years anyway so why not make this easier and just recast Brosnan (or Dalton)?
It'd be refreshing to have a much older Bond rather than Craig in his prime portraying an aging Bond.