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Personally, I think P&W take more flak than they really deserve. Knowing what a collaborative medium film is--and the backstage difficulties some of these films have faced just getting to the screen in the first place--being the scriptwriter for, say, Quantum of Solace has got to be an exercise is frustration. And the (relatively recent) quote regarding actual world figures who look more like Bond villains than they do legitimate statesmen (I'm afraid they were looking at you, DJT) seems like no real reason to fault the scripts of P&W at all to my mind. If Eon wishes to bring some fresh voices to the table for Bond 26 and beyond I'm not going to grouse about the decision -- but your garden variety fan grumbling doesn't seem like sufficient reason to fire off the pink slips just yet.
It's that "support and re-writing from others" that makes it difficult for me to gauge the level of success or failure we can attribute directly to P&W.
Also, I did think that Phoebe Waller-Bridge should become the new writer for Bond. However, I felt the gags in NTTD were pretty awful. However, she may very well have contributed more. I suppose we will learn more in the weeks and months to come.
Nevertheless, I saw in a recent Empire interview where Krysty Wilson-Cairns (1917, Last Night in Soho) mentioned her ambition to write a Bond film. I think she mentioned that she had a passing meeting with Broccoli. Though I think it was at a party. In any case, Krysty Wilson-Cairns says she is a huge fan of the franchise and really wants the gig. She's exactly the kind of young British talent that Eon should exploit. It certainly helps that she has an Oscar nomination and has worked with Sam Mendes, Edgar Wright and Taika Waititi (on his upcoming Star Wars movie).
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm4880670/
Each time their ideas were rejected by Eon. Although I'm myself tired of seeing the duo keep coming back, I find it interesting that they seem more creative than the ultimately made films might suggest. Who knows, maybe if Eon had let Purvis and Waid be more creative, maybe we wouldn't get tired of them.
I’ve hated their methods for a long time, being them reading sci-fi magazines to get plot ideas, or considering Bond’s emotional journey, or having a vault filled with random ideas they go and pick and they’ve run out of…well…ideas. And they have the nerve to say these things in interviews.
So yes, they really must go. No tears from me.
Yes, and Martin Campbell was trying to get them fired for giving him poor work, time after time.
Interesting. So Haggis and Fleming’s source novel are probably what made CR’s script work. You’d think Barbara and Michael would listen to the man who successfully established the tone and style of Modern Bond.
I’ve read that before. He didn’t like working with them. I remember some speculation that this is why he didn’t do QOS. Been a long time ago though.
I laughed out loud
;)
I agree. The pair of them are despicable. The next writer needs to be as good as Richard Maibaum - an excellent screenwriter who is prepared to go back to the novels and not be ashamed to lift entire scenes from the books. Get rid of retcon BS, get rid of Bond's family struggles and personal angst.
Bring back a tough, violent, no nonsense espionage thriller, where Bond bleeds and gets battered, but that's as human as he gets. No more P&W BS.
In order to better write Blofeld, he had to become fully invested in being him...
My friend, we speak the same language. Yes, yes, and yes!! I have seen some day go back to being light, soft, and other bologna. My greatest fear is that will bring in the idiotic Marvel comedy to Bond and start using contrived gadgets. That’s my worst fear going forward. With Marvel, the world is exploding around them and they’re bantering with the most inane stupid comedic dialogue. Gives me a headache thinking about it. And Downey’s Ironman was the worst for that. Anyways, let’s just hope they don’t go that route with Bond. I honestly could not watch that crap.
P&W are brainstormers - not top tier screenwriters.
They start from scratch to build a plot, a basic screenplay-draft based on their, granted, solid knowledge of the James Bond universe.
This is utterly evident from the fact that both CR and QoS have, easily, most of the best dialogue from the post Maibaum and Wilson era. Paul Haggis heavily edited the scripts, and injected them with the needed subtlety (not P&W strong suit), edge and, for lack of a better word - 'oomph'.
I haven't read Blackbox yet I will check it out. Eon should give the job to new writers.
A long read, but enjoyable and insightful from someone who’s a true writer who understands James Bond. EON, take notes. Anthony Horowitz deserves a shot.