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He did. He admitted that himself in the EoN documentary but that was BEFORE CR had even been made. One can assume that Campbell had formed his opinion AFTER seeing Dalton in the role.
But all the Bond directors so far have been British. Many directors are approached to see who has the best ideas for moving forward. Martin Campbell was famous for gritty stuff like Edge Of Darkness.
With all Bond films, there are many bullshit rumours before a film comes out. I even read on a few occasions that they were going to make Craig's Bond bisexual. Any crap to print a story.
I still don't understand why they picked Spottiswode to direct TND. I suppose they are both quite "lightweight" films. TND has some entertaining scenes but it is very "light-weight".
No they haven't. Both Martin Campbell and Lee Tamahori (spit!) are from New Zeland. Spottiswode (I think) was from Canada.
i think Campbell was picked - because #1, Harlin turned them down.. and #2, he had experience directing similar works smaller action/thrillers in the genre, and was cost effective...
but not all Bond directors were British..... Forster is German.
Spottiswoode broken down to just directing isn't terrible - he's just made some really choice decisions in which films to helm, but hey - whatever pays i guess lol.. i certain;y enjoyed his directing more than i did Apted's or Tamahori's..... i guess Spottiswoode's strength is that he plays it very safe with his direction, and doesn't stray too far from the industry norm - at least for the time...... Spottiswoode was another who was probably a plan B or C (like Campbell was after Harlin turned them down) after Campbell turned them down to return...
Yes but up until the 1990's they had been. Forster was in 2007. Had Dalton stayed on they would have found a suitable director. Bond is so big, that many would have wanted a shot at doing one.
There are some nice moments in TND but for, a film that is supposedly meant to continue "peeling back layers" you wouldn't have instantly thought of the man who made "Stop or My Mom will Shoot".
Spottiswoode did a good job. It was the action scenes later on that killed the movie. And the script was all over the place at the half way point in the movie.
Even Brosnan later admitted that the movie "wasn't up to speed".
He was good in it. I think in his next two they kept on changing his style. His third, there was more emphasis on making him a bit too relaxed in the part.
But overall his Bond in Goldeneye is more the way his later films should have been. The serious parts were better.
I thought he was good in it too. More consistantly confident and self assured than he was in GE.
no of course not... but the door wasn't exactly being beaten down during that time period by credible directors - if Harlin was the biggest name they 'almost' could've got, then that should tell you all you need to know lol.... which is why you end up with a Roger Spottiswoode..... Michael Apted was the odd man out - he had some previous Hollywood successes - but his style was all wrong for Bond.
Hmm true.
actually.. i'll say this about Apted... if they had committed to a script that was more character driven, then he possibly could've pulled it off.... but the script was caught inbetween what it what it wanted to be - and the check-box Bond formula... it was a film that was trying to break out of the mold - but was still confined by it... i think that really caught Apted in a Catch 22 - as he is/was not an action director
@acoppola. That interview is good:
"A wonderful young actor called Collin Farrell"
Hmm...whatever happened to him? :))
What I do not get about Harlin, is that if he was serious about directing Bond and the rumour he did not want to work with Dalton. What logically does not add up is that if he was Eon's number 1 choice, then why did he not direct with Brosnan?
I mean the part was recast in the end with Brosnan. And he still did not direct.
And he never directed any Bond film which surprises me if he was considered. His work dried up later and nothing materialised. Had they really wanted him he would have done a Bond by now.
It's not a rumour. He flat out says it. Go on youtube and you'll find the press conference he did in 2010 where he talks about it.
I think one can assume that after he said they needed to recast Dalton relations between EoN and Harlin weren't exactly positive. Despite a different actor being cast I wouldn't have thought EoN would have been keen to reapproach Harlin
So why was he not re-approached to work with Brosnan by Eon? He may say he was the number one choice but Eon would have talked with several directors. And he was one of them.
he was considered for the job at around 1992 or 1993 - during EON's 6 year legal battle..... they had approached him - he said he would do it, but only if they recast Bond as he didn't believe Dalton to be a good Bond... but EON were committed to Dalton at the time....
Because Dalton walked away shortly before GE started preproduction - the script had been written already, it was just sitting around - waiting.... Dalton left because too much time had passed... i can only assume, that Harlin was busy with other work possibly - or because he possibly could've rubbed them the wrong way, that they no longer wanted to work with him - even for future films.
In the end, he was wrong. Tarantino also said he would not have done Casino Royale with Craig. And look where Craig is now. Tarantino stated he preferred Brosnan.
as much as i love and respect Tarantino - his whole CR tirade is bit egotistical.. him claiming that the only reason they opted to do CR when they did is because HE wanted to do it - never mind the fact that Cubby had been trying to get his hands on that property for over 30 years....
I would assume he rubbed them the wrong way. Because years later he had the time on his hands. And he probably wanted to take the series in a direction that Eon did not want. I heard Spielberg wanted to direct a Bond at some point, so Eon have choices.
I agree. But my point being that it did not help Craig's perception as Bond when a director as famous as Tarantino says what he did. Just like Harlin, I think they should keep quiet.
In fact Harlin should not have said anything as those conversations would have been confidential. It is an easy way to get publicity and make yourself important.
And being a good action director is not the only qualification a Bond director needs. It is the dialogue as well as character development that needs the focus. That was the problem with the Brosnan era. Over the top action and weak character development.
Harlin's films are hardly famous for intelligent witty dialogue. Martin Campbell is far superior when it comes to that and he has proved it twice with Bond.
this was Spielberg fresh off of 'Jaws' and 'Close Encounters' - Steven sent repeatedly pleas to Cubby to let him direct a Bond movie, but they felt he was too inexperienced at the time... and when he did finally get a call from Cubby, it was only to use the tonal notes from Close Encounters for MR... Spielberg wasn't happy.... but now as he's gone on to say "They can't afford me."
and about Tarantino and Craig - that's Quentin's opinion... for the time, it might have been 'damaging' for Craig - but i believe he's been universally accepted in the role - both critically and from an audience standpoint... so it really doesn't matter now..
and i dont believe Harlin made those statements public at the time.... that was just found out in a recent interview..
He would have been great. Indiana Jones proves he could pull off Bond. In fact it his unofficial Bond and it has all the right elements.
well no crap.... hindsight is 20/20 - i have always wondered if Cubby ever regretted not hiring Spielberg to do a Bond movie when he could... but oh well.... maybe Babs and MGW will try and lure him into the chair for Bond 25 (yeah right - pipe dream) lol.
It would be great. He is excessively talented and the money he wants would more than be earned back in terms of publicity. Maybe they could use him for the next actor in the franchise. It would help him get accepted easier.
Cubby always hired pretty much from within. He would give people who worked for him like John Glen the chance to have a shot. it shows Cubby is not impressed just by how famous you are. And Cubby's films always made there money back box office wise without tv rights or home video rights.
Yes it is an opinion. And only that. Maybe Harlin and Dalton did not get along and see eye to eye which is what lead to the outburst. Dalton was not a person who when told to jump says "How high?".
yes... here is a list of the Bond directors and where they were born/nationalities...
Terence Young - Born in Shanghai, China (British)
Guy Hamilton - Born in Paris, France (British)
Lewis Gilbert - London, England
Peter Hunt - London, England
John Glen - Sunbury-on-Thames, England
Martin Campbell - Hastings, New Zealand
Roger Spottiswoode - Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Michael Apted - Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, England
Lee Tamahori - Wellington, New Zealand
Marc Forster - Illertissen, Bavaria, Germany
Sam Mendes - Reading, Berkshire, England