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One thing I love about Casino, is there's loads of vibrant colours on screen, but Bond as a character and the world he inhabits is dark and gritty. They didn't copy Bourne and make the cinematography dark and gloomy
+1
So Brosnanesque?
And I am fine with that as a title...
personally I want a bit more fun but still with Fleming elements so basically Casino Royale.
When do you think we'll really start hearing news regarding the direction of the franchise? Now that the NTTD dust has settled and Craig and Co. has received their rightful time to celebrate the release and his legacy. Just a general prediction on when pre production may start, real casting rumors (not UK Express tabloid rumors etc).
Obviously EON and co will have to figure out if both Michael and Barbara continue. Michael, not so much. We figure filming of NTTD took place 3 years ago and definitely had some pandemic time to see where they might head since they knew how it all ends.
Apart from that, pretty much - the creative team will be announced (will Purvis and Wade make another return? Seems likely, but is this the right thing to do?), then other smaller details, and the official Bond actor announcement will be a bit later (the audition process I think will be quick/just under a year as I believe they have a list of names ready to audition).
If I had it my way I would kick them all out now and start afresh. Maybe Greg Wilson can stay on board for continuity only, as long as he doesn't have silly ideas where to take the franchise next.
P&W should be booted out on their backsides, never to darken the doors of EON ever again.
The new team should be looking at going back to basics, back to Fleming. Use up whatever material there is left of the books, then start adapting Amis and then Horowitz. No more retcon garbage, Fleming reimagined, box ticking, black female 007's (who added nothing to NTTD), cut down on the references and nods to past movies, no more DB5's, and try to go back to a timeline that follows on from Brosnan. Forget the Craig era ever happened.
The Craig era gave us one bonafide classic - CR. This should be the template. It is the only way forward - modern adapted Fleming, and bring back Arnold so we get that Barry sound back too.
What brief would you give a headhunter?
I'm just hoping EON were busy while NTTD was getting pushed back. That 18 months it was pushed, could have been used wisely to plan the tone and direction of the next actor, sound out directors, look for potential writers
With it being the 60th anniversary, I'm hoping that news doesn't go as dark on Bond as it normally does. I'd hope the momentum of 60th anniversary bleeds into the Bond 26 timeline. With no long gap in between
They need to stop doing script by committee too, with rewrite after rewrite. This may be standard procedure now in Hollywood, but with the Craig era it definitely shows that there has been far too much input from lots of different writers, with probably producers putting their oar in too, often leaving a muddled, incoherent mess with plot holes galore.
Which is why adapting Fleming or Horowitz hopefully stops that problem arising. They are then using the basis of a thought-through story from a single vision. For all the flak the 80's era gets, the scripts were usually fairly solid, as Maibaum and Wilson were solely responsible, and they tried to base essential parts, characters and scenes from unused Fleming.
It also explains why CR is the only film in the Craig era with the most consistent, coherent storyline. SF often gets lauded in the same breath as CR, but even its biggest fans will acknowledge the plot holes in the script.
It's a family business for better or worse, so it's not really in our control. I would say that while the Wilson/Broccolis haven't always been consistent (even Cubby made his share of bad Bond adventures) they've made some great Bond films, or at least ones that have been successful amongst general audiences (GE, CR, SF... heck, I even think TND is solid and I find much of the Craig era has moments of brilliance, albeit within very flawed films).
P&W are the same. They've been involved in some of the best and worst modern Bond films. I don't think it would hurt for them to leave (Broccoli seemed willing to axe them when Hodges/Boyle were hired for NTTD) and get some fresh blood. Perhaps hire a director with a more consistent vision for the story, give them more time for pre-production and draft in a writer or two they've worked with and trust (this is more a problem than multiple writers I feel - there's a discussion about it in another thread but multiple writers and script doctors working on a script is commonplace, and a much bigger problem with SP, NTTD and even QOS is the fact that they rushed into writing/production on a tight schedule with story ideas that didn't work or they didn't have enough time to develop).
The problem with adapting the remaining Fleming books - even the Amis one - directly are a) there aren't many left that haven't had plot elements/scenes used in other films, b) they'd still have to have much added to them to either update them or bulk up the story. This was the case with the first hour of CR (which has no guarantee of success or failure) and c) I've read these novels and know what will happen. I don't even like the Horowitz novels. I do want future directors and writers - and especially a future Bond actor - to re-read the original novels and try to get to the heart of Fleming's character/stories, but I want them to do something fresh. NTTD did this at points (I always point to the Cuba sequence - such an imaginative way to reimagine a SPECTRE meeting rather than the stuffy, generic boardroom scene we got in SP. Parts of it are fun, while others are horrific and wouldn't feel out of place in a horror film. The sequence balances these tones well though. Give me a movie like that - albiet more stripped back and lower budget - that has a mixture of outlandishness, darkness, high-stakes that's also gripping and creative - much like Fleming's Bond adventures). I agree with much of what you're saying though, we need fewer references to past Bond iconography, no retconning, and I think a new timeline is needed (or at least restart and keep the adventures more or less individual, perhaps with the odd sequel and character thread here and there like in the Fleming novels).
Thats what I'm hoping and that they didn't spend the entire time focusing on financial losses due to covid, product placement deals etc for NTTD. Figure that NTTD finished filming in October 2019, then editing etc to get it released for spring 2020 which didn't happen. There had to have been some back door conversations and zoom meetings to figure out next steps.
What I would love is to hear some substantial news over the summer. Maybe have an actor in place by fall, ala Craig in 2005. Filming commences in early 2023 with a Fall 2023 release, which is 3 and a half years after what should have been NTTD initial release date. We have to take the actual release with a grain of salt since the film was sitting for so long due to obvious reasons.
On the other hand: Do we really think they will ever develop a cohesive plan, or will they basically continue as they did for most of the Craig era, where they have a general "flair" for the film in mind - high-production value, arthouse-ish director, Oscar winners in the supporting roles, personal stories - and they'll just not do the big revolution we all seem to expect?
I wish we could get another film by Fall '23, but I'm not keeping my hopes up. Mission: Impossible 7, a film that's been in the works for years now, is slated for a July '23 release. I understand the difficulties for that film, COVID and all, but I'm not sure Bond26 can simply start in early 2023 and be released half a year later. Also, I'm not sure they are going to announce the new actor so soon. They still need to bank on NTTD's home video releases and digital streaming, and as soon as another actor is announced, any enthusiasm for the recent film will largely dissipate--or so I think.
I suspect this process will go much like it has done in the past, just under specific circumstances.
NTTD's publicity lifespan has ended. Whether or not MGW retires, Broccoli and co will think to themselves, 'what worked with NTTD and what didn't?' And no, not necessarily story wise. The fact that they didn't quite break even in cinemas is a major problem. The budget will have to be slashed to about £200 million. Ok, what does that mean for the film? The plot will have to be stripped back too, no world domination, nothing too grandiose. More low key action sequences. It's still a big film though so it won't turn into an arthouse flick. Any films kind of like this that have been successful recently? The Batman you say? Ok, what made that work? A reboot of the character - no origin story - that reimagined the franchise while staying true to the source material in other ways. A more down to earth noir type story. Ok, that's a start. Should we ask Danny Boyle to come back? No, his script was boring and we didn't get along with him. Ok, let's hear out some of the many directors/writers approaching us with their ideas and see which ones can incorporate these elements. Are P&W available after a story has been developed? Of course they are, they don't do anything other than write for us...
And from there we'll get a longer than normal pre-production period. Whether they listen to fans or not, what they keep from the Craig era etc. is anyone's guess at this point.
They've done this many times before, OHMSS got a negative reviews for it's downer note, commercially, it didn't reached the success of even You Only Live Twice, it's different from the previous Connery Films, so by the next film which is DAF, they went away from that, forgetting OHMSS, changing the tone (going campy).
The Man With The Golden Gun also received a lot of flak at the time (dumb bond girl, the lack of Ken Adam set pieces, too comedy, cheap and etc.) Also it's the fourth lowest-grossing Bond film in the series. so the Producers responded with the next film which was The Spy Who Loved Me, more grounded, great set pieces and a competent Bond Girl, and it was a success.
Die Another Day was a success but received a lot of negative reception (too over the top, flashy, cartoonish) even Roger Moore himself criticized the film for how over the top it is, and Austin Powers began to make parodies of the Bond films, so the producers decided to take Bond down to earth again and rebooted the series with gritty, brutal Bond in Casino Royale.
Quantum of Solace also didn't go well with audiences and critics, they're disappointed, and the Writer's strike also affected the film, so the Producers took a break and made Skyfall.
The next film will depends on the reception of the previous film. Also, they will likely to depend the next Bond film on what kind of film was trending today.
It's possible that due to this we won't get a complete departure from the Craig era and some of its sensibilities. I don't know what they'll keep specifically - the more 'human' character elements seem to be working for them, as does the higher level of filmmaking/ acting talent... Perhaps this is reason to be optimistic that this and the longer pre-production period might mean a more thought out Bond adventure than just a 'course correction' as such. One never knows though...
One of the best things about the Craig era, especially early on, is each actor really fit their role, because they weren't massively recognisable to western audiences. I hope they try to recapture that magic.
The other good thing that it brings, is there's less pressure on scheduling conflicts. I believe with Rami Malek on NTTD, they were under pressure to get his scenes filmed and he also didn't want his character to be a terrorist, which might explain why Safin's motivations were a bit underdeveloped
I've only recently heard about Malek's scheduling problems and eventhough I don't think we know for sure that that is what happened it is a logical explanation for many of his scenes not really fitting together. They didn't have the time to re-do stuff after they had made changes in a different spot. Again, the Dyson review has the mini-theory that the weird scene were he just let's Mathilde run away and she re-joins her parents just a few scenes after he took her is because they had already finished the scene were him and Bond sit opposite each other and they vanish into the floor and then they cut something later which would have made him having taken Mathilde a bit more logical so then they just needed to get her away from him. Your point about him not wanting to be a terrorist also fits in there, because that's the scene where we hear him talk about buyers, so now he's not a terrorist, he's just an arms dealer, but it just muddles everything.
If we take Mikkelsen and Almaric as more unknown and Bardem, Waltz and Malek as the recent Oscar winners, I think I'd lean towards the first two, but I wouldn't mind Troy Kotsur, Daniel Kaluuya, Mahershala Ali or Sam Rockwell showing up as villains in the future...
Yeah I hope so too. I’m not against bigger names being in Bond films, we’ve had some brilliant ones, but lately it does feel like “recent Oscar winner as the villain” is becoming a bit of a box to tick. If the budget is lower next time then I’m hoping it gives them the freedom to cast someone less famous.
Again looking at The Offer, and The Batman mob talk is in so i would love an adaption of Diamonds are forever..
in fact if we just use Spangled mob as bond's 26 biggest enemy we could use elements of the man with the golden gun as well and kind of give us a trilogy.
DAF, TSWLM and TMWTGG could all be woven into a Spangled Mob story. I've been banging on about this for a while now. The railway track at SPECTREVILLE could very easily be the same railway track that Bond is on board at the end of TMWTGG, ready to be killed by Pistols S.
Horror and Sluggsy could work for the Spangled Mob, who Bond kills while rescuing Viv Michel at a sleazy motel, as could Pistols S, who Bond meets at a brothel while undercover as Mark Hazard.
Throw in the Moonraker card game at Blades with M against some senior corrupt political figure with connections to the Spangled Mob, and you've combined all the great remaining Fleming bits into one movie.
I was thinking of spliting it up for a tirlogy
Film 1 gives us the brainwashing/ Scarmanga and it turns out he is working for the spangled mob
Film 2 gives us Diamonds are forever adapted with one of the 2 brothers being killed
Film 3 the final battle between Bond and Jack Spang (throw in elements of moonraker if you want)
it could work
Like even TSWLM perhaps? Released on YT, or something similar.
Will never happen, but I'd be so up for Bond shorts being released between official films in the vein of the short stories. More low key, under 25 minutes, and each one set in a single exotic location. Get up and coming directors to either adapt the Fleming shorts or come up with something inspired by them. Make them profitable by tying them into some sort of product placement or using them as elaborate commercials/advertisements for something within the stories etc. (like Fleming did when he was commissioned by Sotheby's to write Property of A Lady for them).
With you on this.They went after Oscar winners for the villains for the past three films and they need to stop that.I know they like the prestige but they should get the BEST actor for the role rather than the one who is currently “ hot “.Practically nobody knew who Mads Mikkelson was in 2006 and he knocked it out of the park as Le Chiffre.
And the lead actor playing Bond should not have so much creative control as Craig did.Babs trying to cater to his every wish is what caused such a long delay for NTTD and in my opinion,they should have just moved on from him and started fresh.We would have had two films from the new actor by now at least if they hadn’t wasted so much time.
They would not have had another film out with a new actor at that point (and I doubt they would have had a new actor in place either).
And this announcement wasn't the first time BB heard of his return. She knew it was locked weeks prior to this.
The main delay of NTTD was the dismissal of Boyle and Hodge and starting a film production almost from scratch-- starting with a page one rewrite of P&W's draft-- and then a worldwide pandemic struck...
Please stop trying to change history to fit your narrative.
You generally dislike most of this era, and you believe BB is a ditzy schoolgirl. But this, and your comment above, shows you going to extreme lengths to paint these two in a bad light.
Better to just be honest about it rather than re-writing history.