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Realistic & Serious Story Ideas for Bond 25 (...to be used by EON Productions Ltd.??)
First of all dear forummembers & forummoderators, I have not found a large, general topic for possible ideas for a 25th Bond film. I have used the search button, I have checked all the topics in this "Bond 25 & Beyond" section. Therefore please don't immediately close this topic. I hope this general thread for 'realistic story ideas' could inspire EON Productions to actually use it. It could result in a serious discussion topic...that's perhaps even read by scouts from EON.
Now I'm glad some of the negative media attention towards the ongoing narrative of 'possible successors of Daniel Craig', is fading away a bit and is changing into a more positive discussion about realistic ideas for future Bond films. And perhaps such a discussion might even excite Daniel Craig to come back once more after "SPECTRE".
Here are some ideas that I have already worked out in a short screenplay treatment. I would love to have your feedback. And off course feel free to post your ideas for a great, unique, 25th Bond adventure as well:
The 'Bond goes into space' idea:
I have been thinking of this myself as well. Look, there's quite a big trend in recent years to produce scientifically sound and more realistic sci-fi films again. I'm not talking about space opera, like "Star Trek" and "Star Wars". But I do think movies like:
--> "Sunshine" (2007, Danny Boyle).
--> "Moon" (2009, Duncan Jones),
--> "Europa Report" (2013, Sebastián Cordero),
--> "The Last Days On Mars" (2013, Ruairi Robinson),
--> "Elysium" (2013, Neill Blomkamp),
--> "Oblivion" (2013, Joseph Kosinski),
--> "Gravity" (2013, Alfonso Cuarón),
--> "Interstellar" (2014, Christopher Nolan) and even the upcoming....
--> "The Martian" (2015, Ridley Scott).....
put the space-based sci-fi genre in a new light. Above movies were, mostly, produced in close cooperation with NASA, thus having a more serious and realistic feel. Moreover, these movies also did tell us something. Like every good sci-fi, they put up a mirror in front of us; a mirror to todays geopolitical world we live in.
Having said that, I think something similar can be done with Bond 25. And as of 2015 it simply isn't that 'cheesy' anymore to go into space. Back in 1979 there wasn't a real space station (exception is perhaps Mir), but nowadays this 'thing' is really in geostationary orbit:
So why not developing a plot/story that is partially based on the ISS?? Christoph Waltz said earlier this week that his role could be compared with Elon Musk. But hey, perhaps Elon Musk is even larger-than-life than the fictional Oberhauser? This man is today's Drax. He co-founded and is co-financing commercial space travel with his 'Space X' rockets at this very moment. Such a guy could be wonderfully translated into a Bond villain, who wants to destabilizing the relationship between Russia and The West, by destabilizing the only real peaceful international community on Earth: the people who are living on the ISS. Perhaps one could do something sinister with a new commercial 'module' that will be docked to the ISS, but that has some sinister, dangerous secrets.
The 'Bond goes Formula One' idea:
I've been also quite a fan of this prospect. Especially since the novel "Trigger Mortis" got published. It's partially based on Ian Fleming's "Murder On Wheels". And I actually think it's a wonderful title for a Bond film! We simply haven't had a Bond film yet that is entirely set in the lush, luxury and fast world of Grand Prix racing. Movies like:
--> "Grand Prix" (1966, John Frankenheimer),
--> "Le Mans" (1971, Lee H. Katzin),
--> "Days Of Thunder" (1990, Tony Scott),
--> "Michel Vaillant" (2003, Luc Besson),
--> "Senna" (2010, documentary, Asif Kapadia), and....
--> "Rush" (2013, Ron Howard)......
treat this subject very nicely. And I do think "Rush" really is one of the highlights in this genre. Formula One car racing was also briefly a setpiece in "The Man From U.N.C.L.E.".
One could perfectly devise a plot in which a rogue "S.P.E.C.T.R.E."-member takes Formula One racing to serious and puts "S.P.E.C.T.R.E." too much in the spotlight. The actual man therefore needs to be eliminated in a cruel way....thus leading towards a new Bond adventure in which 007 goes on a plain, solid mission to find out what's happening. And obviously, the film is containing at least two very significant car chases.....in a Formula One car. And in that film 007 gets to race in such a car during a test driving presentation.
As many Formula One racing tracks are located in wonderful, expensive places across the globe, we could have a Bond films with new, fresh exotic locations. Like for instance Abu Dhabi (United Arab Emirates), Melbourne (Australia), Monza (Italy), Montmeló (Spain), Monte Carlo (Monaco) and Austin, Texas (United States of America). And I haven't even mentioned the pit stop girls, one of which could be developed into a fun and playful Bond-girl.
Hopefully EON Productions will have a serious look at these two ideas ;-). I think Daniel Craig could then certainly be persuaded to come back after "SPECTRE".
Now I'm glad some of the negative media attention towards the ongoing narrative of 'possible successors of Daniel Craig', is fading away a bit and is changing into a more positive discussion about realistic ideas for future Bond films. And perhaps such a discussion might even excite Daniel Craig to come back once more after "SPECTRE".
Here are some ideas that I have already worked out in a short screenplay treatment. I would love to have your feedback. And off course feel free to post your ideas for a great, unique, 25th Bond adventure as well:
The 'Bond goes into space' idea:
I have been thinking of this myself as well. Look, there's quite a big trend in recent years to produce scientifically sound and more realistic sci-fi films again. I'm not talking about space opera, like "Star Trek" and "Star Wars". But I do think movies like:
--> "Sunshine" (2007, Danny Boyle).
--> "Moon" (2009, Duncan Jones),
--> "Europa Report" (2013, Sebastián Cordero),
--> "The Last Days On Mars" (2013, Ruairi Robinson),
--> "Elysium" (2013, Neill Blomkamp),
--> "Oblivion" (2013, Joseph Kosinski),
--> "Gravity" (2013, Alfonso Cuarón),
--> "Interstellar" (2014, Christopher Nolan) and even the upcoming....
--> "The Martian" (2015, Ridley Scott).....
put the space-based sci-fi genre in a new light. Above movies were, mostly, produced in close cooperation with NASA, thus having a more serious and realistic feel. Moreover, these movies also did tell us something. Like every good sci-fi, they put up a mirror in front of us; a mirror to todays geopolitical world we live in.
Having said that, I think something similar can be done with Bond 25. And as of 2015 it simply isn't that 'cheesy' anymore to go into space. Back in 1979 there wasn't a real space station (exception is perhaps Mir), but nowadays this 'thing' is really in geostationary orbit:
So why not developing a plot/story that is partially based on the ISS?? Christoph Waltz said earlier this week that his role could be compared with Elon Musk. But hey, perhaps Elon Musk is even larger-than-life than the fictional Oberhauser? This man is today's Drax. He co-founded and is co-financing commercial space travel with his 'Space X' rockets at this very moment. Such a guy could be wonderfully translated into a Bond villain, who wants to destabilizing the relationship between Russia and The West, by destabilizing the only real peaceful international community on Earth: the people who are living on the ISS. Perhaps one could do something sinister with a new commercial 'module' that will be docked to the ISS, but that has some sinister, dangerous secrets.
The 'Bond goes Formula One' idea:
I've been also quite a fan of this prospect. Especially since the novel "Trigger Mortis" got published. It's partially based on Ian Fleming's "Murder On Wheels". And I actually think it's a wonderful title for a Bond film! We simply haven't had a Bond film yet that is entirely set in the lush, luxury and fast world of Grand Prix racing. Movies like:
--> "Grand Prix" (1966, John Frankenheimer),
--> "Le Mans" (1971, Lee H. Katzin),
--> "Days Of Thunder" (1990, Tony Scott),
--> "Michel Vaillant" (2003, Luc Besson),
--> "Senna" (2010, documentary, Asif Kapadia), and....
--> "Rush" (2013, Ron Howard)......
treat this subject very nicely. And I do think "Rush" really is one of the highlights in this genre. Formula One car racing was also briefly a setpiece in "The Man From U.N.C.L.E.".
One could perfectly devise a plot in which a rogue "S.P.E.C.T.R.E."-member takes Formula One racing to serious and puts "S.P.E.C.T.R.E." too much in the spotlight. The actual man therefore needs to be eliminated in a cruel way....thus leading towards a new Bond adventure in which 007 goes on a plain, solid mission to find out what's happening. And obviously, the film is containing at least two very significant car chases.....in a Formula One car. And in that film 007 gets to race in such a car during a test driving presentation.
As many Formula One racing tracks are located in wonderful, expensive places across the globe, we could have a Bond films with new, fresh exotic locations. Like for instance Abu Dhabi (United Arab Emirates), Melbourne (Australia), Monza (Italy), Montmeló (Spain), Monte Carlo (Monaco) and Austin, Texas (United States of America). And I haven't even mentioned the pit stop girls, one of which could be developed into a fun and playful Bond-girl.
Hopefully EON Productions will have a serious look at these two ideas ;-). I think Daniel Craig could then certainly be persuaded to come back after "SPECTRE".
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Comments
Thanks for the advice. It is corrected :-). Any more insightful...ideas :-)?
45 people said: Barbara Broccoli and Michael G Wilson presents (followd by the gunbarrel or the lion)
32 people said: Gunbarrel back at the start.
30 people said: Pervis & Wade should not return for Bond 25.
20 people said: Mabey instumental track for maintitles if Adele not return (with flashbacks)
18 people said: Movie end with girl and Bond together (Camile??)
15 people said: The return of Jeffrey Wright/Felix, Olga/Camile (and Adele) should be confirmd so soon as possible.
12 people said: Quantum and Spectre are not the same/Return of crime syndicate QUANTUM.
10 people said: Bond should visit Dench M grave.
8 people said: Tobias Menzies (Villiers) should make a comeback. (Possible as trater)
6 people said: Mething acting actres like Andrea Riseborough.
5 people said: Movie should named ''Risico''
5 people said: Bond 25 in October/November 2018 (We know it be you Sam Mendes!.)
4 people said: Dominic Green should return.
3 people said: Moneypenny should lost inportent paper flying out of window who is opend by Tanner.
3 people said: Bond 25 in 2017
1 person said: 4 May 2018 as release date
1 person said: Bond 25 should get famale M again, Malory should die in Spectre.
I want a smaller film. Strong mission driven plot.. great photography but more natural.
Simple and brutal. Back off being the big franchise. Too much to lose if fails... can't afford the make another ....no no no.
(I'm a leak geek :( )
But sorry @GG I know what you are seeking... just got nothing right now.
Don't worry ;-). If you think of anything nice that hasn't been done before in previous Bond films, then that would be wonderful to mention also.
By the way, I think it's safe to assume that the gunbarrel entrance will be at the start again of "SPECTRE".
I think that the notion of Bond in Space had been done to death in YOLT and MR. I would be interested to know what possible plot device could exist to put our favourite hero on the International Space Station without sinking to pulpy sci-fi. Anyway, i'd be interested to hear some ideas.
Now, the notion of including Formula 1 racing, or even rally racing opens the doors to many possibilities. Obviously, this is unlikely to be the main plot device, but to include this would, I think, add an ingredient, not yet tapped into.
I presume you're looking for plot devices as well as scenarios for story ideas. Why not take Bond into previously unexplored territory?
1. Show Bond demonstrating genuine fear for the nemesis character. Something like this deepens and humanises Bond whilst making the nemesis more believable and scary at the same time.
2. Show Bond trying to solve a serious life-threatening problem stripped of his "deux ex machina gadgets". In my opinion, the weakest part of CR plot-wise, is where Bond is poisoned by digitalis and conveniently happens to have the antidote and a defibrillator handy. Although the defibrillator is briefly foreshadowed, this still a very sloppy bit of plotting that robs the scene of most of its suspense. Another example is in MR when Bond is strapped inside a centrifuge and... whatya know? He just happens to have the right gadget strapped to his wrist.
3. Bond finds that M is really a double agent or a mole working for North Korea and has to in some way neutralise or even kill M, even though M is, in Fleming's words, " the only man Bond loved". Remember M is a father figure to Bond, so a plot like this creates loads of dramatic tension in the emotional dynamic of the story. Good drama is about characters in conflict, either with themselves or with others. It also fulfils the "how the hell will he resolve this one?" factor.
4. Bond is disgraced, loses his job and becomes unemployed. Now no one in the intelligence community will touch him. What happens next? Maybe this is a big set-up?
5. Bond is set up (framed) by the nemesis character who then blackmails him.
These are all things that have not happened to Bond yet, so I reckon they could drive a good movie.
Also, I often wonder about Moneypenny getting kidnapped (by SPETRE or similar) with M just writing her off as a lost cause and Bond (assisted by Q) not willing to do so? (shades of Taken)
He has to team up with 006, 008 and 009 and together they go "undercover" to find out what's going on. Felix Leiter helps out as well.
They get approached by MI5 internal affairs who have suspected the same.
Everything points to M. Only in the last 5 minutes in a huge plot twist Bond realises it's not M but....
Interesting idea, though I wouldn't have Bond team up with the other 00's. At that point the cast would cross in ensemble territory, which could shift focus from Bond himself.
It's interesting, but at the same time, I want the movies to start branching away from all these personal, double-crossing and traitor-riddled plots and start moving into some OTT fun again. You can keep it grounded yet fun at the same time, instead of making everything so personal and vendetta-driven.
humans less so..and look at our society today-Robots everywhere, taking care of it all,
-even profit making-the computer nerds are among those owning quite a few of the biggest Yachts on the waters,-any waters-but it was not like that in the beginning-when Fleming got the stuff to finally make his marker, as opposed to his wartime bad luck..!
Gustav, I'm confused by how you put "realistic and serious" in the title then said "Bond goes into space" in your post? What possible realistic and serious plot device would require Bond going into space?
Didn't I mention that in my idead for "Bond Goes Into Space"?
With 'realistic' I mean the actual popularity of space-based 'realistic, scientifically sound' sci-fi films like "Gravity", "Interstellar" and "The Martian".
I don't know if you know it, but....within 15 years the first humans will land on Mars. That's not bloody fake or cheesy. It's realism. It's the same kind of realism that we experience now with the International Space Station. It's not a cheesy idea only Drax could think of. This space station does EXIST right now.
If treated properly, if you re-imagine space in such a more realistic way, then I would most certainly welcome it as a part/location for a future Bond film.
My view is that if space is to be a viable venue for a Bond adventure, then it's got to be way ahead in the future -- and we're looking at least a century here -- when space flight will be possibly more routine than it is now. As the moment, it costs about 20 million US dollars to put one man into space, and that's without additional payload. Each space shuttle mission costs about half a billion US dollars and each Soyuz flight to the ISS costs at least that, depending on the purpose of the mission. Not only this, but there's years of selection and training involved -- it's not just a question of Bond hopping into a shuttle and immediately knowing how to pilot it (because they teach you that in British schools -- really they do. Dream on!) and having undergone no vetting or training for the mission.
Maybe in a century or so, things will be different, but not now please. At the moment, it will just stretch credibility too far, just like MR did for many, including myself.