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Is Moonraker the most used novel of Fleming?
I was wondering about it recently. Yes, the movie sharing its name had nothing to do with the source material, or very little. But they used elements of the novel, regarding the background of the villain particularly, in AVTAK, GE, DAD, SF and maybe SP, if the rumours about Oberhauser/Blofeld are true. I could even say that Elvis in QOS is a poorly conceived, bastard child of Krebs. That would make it the most used Bond novel in the movies. Far more than those which were faithful adaptations, ironically enough. More ironically, it would mean that a direct adaptation of Moonraker is unlikely, since so much of it has been used already.
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No, thez novel which has been used the most is LALD, with, of course, LALD, then FYEO, and then LTK.
One of Ian's finest has been constantly pillaged for a string of mostly poor movies yet never honoured with a straight adaptation.
This is a constant source of sadness because either as a period piece or simply by turning Drax into an al Qaeda sympathiser for a modern interpretation, Fleming's fabulous novel could be translated directly to the screen.
I live in hope!
That is only three though. MR had been used at least five times.
I forgot: "spend them quickly Mr Bond". Directly from MR.
Parts of it were used in DN as well.
Make this the Post of the Year as far as I am concerned!
I agree; Moonraker was a fantastic book as far as I'm concerned, and none of the movies that took from it did it justice (least of all Moonraker itself).
I know; it's deeply ironic.
I think that the decision to keep Bond in a present day setting was not only financial, but also so that audiences could relate to the modern subject matter. This means that a modern faithful adaptation would have to tap into a modern paranoia, such as Jehadi terrorism. However, since this subject has been covered extensively in other TV and film media, brining Bond into dramas of this type is going to seem very much like he is jumping on an already overladen bandwagon.
This is, I think, why Moonraker has been plundered, rather than produced.
I think a faithful MR adaptation could work as a contemporary "enemy within" story (admittedly already done well in GE and poorly in DAD). It would have more of an edge with an ISIS-type threat. However, Eon since 1987 has (wisely) shied away from overtly political stories. Plus, it's hard to make what's happening in the Islamic world entertaining. So I think you are probably right.
Silva's appearance mainly and a part of his background. Like Drax he's a non British who works/worked for Brittain, he has a bad jaw/teeth and tries to camouflage his wound but do so badly, he's targeting London (albeit indirectly for Silva) and is solely motivated by revenge.
Yes, I certainly thought so too.
Indeed, sad but true.
Looks cool. You got my like, i'm looking forward to it
Most of DAF hasn't been used, neither has TSWLM (legal wranglings will need to be cleared for that one), neither has YOLT (as you just mentioned), and neither has TMWTGG - almost in its entirety (the closest we have come to an adaptation is LTK and the beginning of SF.)
Nevertheless, I think there is a lot that remains to be used: putting aside Zorin and Dr. Carl Mortner, Bond has never been on the big screen confronted with neo-fascist groups as opposed to both continuation novel and comic books that used such a threat. I'm surprised that after the success of TSWLM, Cubby did not renew the formula of an alliance between Bond and a KGB agent, this time facing a neo-Nazi organization, as in Gardner's Icebreaker. Adding to that Drax's initial plan to fire a rocket at London while playing the stock market to make a profit from the tragedy, a new original story could be woven, without repeating the previous installments.
That's a very good analysis. Drax was the prototype for Goldfinger and thus many others. I think also why there was no proper adaptation of MR is partially due to the fact that its entirely set in the UK.
Going on from this and talking about MR specifically: There is a real question on what we would consider a "use" of a novel. Is the intention of the writer the important part? Is every occasion where we can make out a similarity really a "use" of the novel?
F.e. I can kind of see the connection between Trevelyan and Drax, but I wouldn't go so far as to say one was inspired by the other (I have no idea, if the writers said so). The important characterstics of Drax to me have always been that he is hailed a hero by the public but is actually a villain, the compulsive cheating/need to win and of course the secret backstory. To me Trevelyan has maybe 1,5 of those three (the secret backstory and half of the hero thing. Half because his "sacrifice" was of course never public so it barely compares).
For Silva, I don't really see it at all..
As for a specific adaptation, I think there still is the possibility of a movie about public hero worship and a turncoat interloper in the highest echelons of British society. I don't think you would have him (or her) gift the UK a Weapon of Mass Destruction with Counter-Strike capabilities as a globar deterrent, but there are loads of stuff one could come up with that doesn't have to be a giant space laser. Like, I don't know, a fusion reactor that would make the UK the first carbon-neutral country, but is actually a gigantic bomb or used to power whatever.
Live and Let Die times used
Characters were used in Live and let die
one of the main action sequences from the book was in For Your eyes only the film
Leiter's maiming and other elements of the book used in Licence to Kill
so 3 over all
Moonraker
Characters and possibly Bond's torture alluded to in the film Moonraker
Nazi backstory to the main villain as well as a capitalist friend of england actually being the villain A view to a Kill
the plot to destroy london with a space satellite Goldeneye
The full plot of the novel Die another Day
I am unsure to what is being alluded to in skyfall
However even still there are 3 things that can be used even from these obver used books
Live and let die... The actual plot of the book of selling treasure and art to fund Smersh (in a modern world it could be funding terrorism)
Moonraker Character names Gala Brand, Hugo Von Drache
I would be fine with Bond 26 being a mixture with Hugo Von Drache selling stolen pirate gold and various art pieces to fund terrorism.
I guess the bit about 006 using the explosion to cover up his stealing from the banks echoes Drax's playing the stock market to profit from London's destruction, although it's been such long time since I read it I'm going from Herr-Stockman's description as I don't remember that bit :)
I guess you can also add that The World Is Not Enough features M asking Bond to help with a personal problem (as he asks Bond in the novel to try and catch out Drax cheating at his club) but it's not quite as 'off the books' in the film.
There is elements of MR in the finale of QoS too, when Bond is contemplating death with Camille, before he finds his way out of the fire by shooting the cannister. Also, the way she walks away from the car and leaves Bond is reminiscent of the end in MR, where a relationship is not forged, the only difference being that she doesn't walk off with another man like Gala Brand did.