SPECTRE Production Timeline

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  • 4EverBonded4EverBonded the Ballrooms of Mars
    Posts: 12,480
    I hope so, PachitoPistoles. That would be great.
  • Posts: 8
    JWESTBROOK wrote:
    I would like Bond to return to the U.S. with the proviso that the locations are kept interesting. No New York, or any well-known locations that have been done to death. America has so many more locations. How about a modern reimagining of the novel High Time to Kill, with Bond in the Appalachian mountains this time?

    I thought the Rockies were the more extreme. They run all the way down to Chile!


    Rockies sound good too, 4EverBonded. Imagine Bond having to survive up there? Let's hope Q packed plenty of warm blankets and some chocolate MooMoo Milk!
  • DarthDimiDarthDimi Behind you!Moderator
    Posts: 24,183
    @TheTragicAuteur, or should I say @Bradford4, double accounts are not allowed on this forum. If you can't respect the rules, you have no business here!
  • Posts: 15,124
    doubleoego wrote:
    When it comes to gravitas age isn't a required factor. Chi was in his late 20s when he did Serenity and given his presence he came off giving the impression of being significantly much older. In terms of presence and physicality, Chi more than fits the bill to go toe to toe with Craig. Him being younger, for me, in no way presents being an issue.

    It depends if the actor can convince he has maturity. Toby Stephens could not, but his role was written all wrong. And in spite of all the flaws of TWINE, Robert Carlyle was convincing as Renard, partially because he looked older than he was.
  • Posts: 12,837
    ggl007 wrote:
    Like some have said, I prefer an older villain too.

    Anyway, I recommend you Ejiofor's great miniseries The Shadow Line. Brilliant!

    Yeah I've seen him in that and in 12 Years A Slave and he was brilliant in both. Really good actor, I'll be thrilled if he's cast.
  • doubleoegodoubleoego #LightWork
    Posts: 11,139
    Ludovico wrote:
    doubleoego wrote:
    When it comes to gravitas age isn't a required factor. Chi was in his late 20s when he did Serenity and given his presence he came off giving the impression of being significantly much older. In terms of presence and physicality, Chi more than fits the bill to go toe to toe with Craig. Him being younger, for me, in no way presents being an issue.

    It depends if the actor can convince he has maturity.

    Definitely and again it underpins what I said about age not being a required factor. Maturity doesn't go hand in hand with age. There are old/older people who go around behaving like teenagers and in the flip side there are young people who carry themselves that suggest they are much older and wiser beyond their years. Chi is only 36 but he has the talent and the presence to convey an older man.
  • RC7RC7
    Posts: 10,512
    If the casting rumours are true, one would assume the villain is aged 35-40.
  • doubleoegodoubleoego #LightWork
    Posts: 11,139
    As long as the villain isn't some 20 something year old or looks like a "kid" then the villain's age isn't an issue. We just need someone with a formidable presence.
  • WalecsWalecs On Her Majesty's Secret Service
    Posts: 3,157
    RC7 wrote:
    If the casting rumours are true, one would assume the villain is aged 35-40.
    True, but maybe they don't care about the villain's age. It could be in his 30s or in his 60s, maybe it doesn't affect the plot at all.
  • edited April 2014 Posts: 6,601
    It does, if there are fighting scenes planned between the two. So having a young one could imply some action.
  • RC7RC7
    edited April 2014 Posts: 10,512
    Germanlady wrote:
    It does, if there are fighting scenes planned between the two. So having a young one could imply some action.

    Very true. I'm under the impression they'll get someone who can physically face off with Daniel this time around.

    @Walecs - they'll know the villains age. It has natural implications.
  • Posts: 4,409
    Black people usually have great clear skin complexions (black don't crack). He is very young but he has stature and gravitas so he can easily portray an older man. I'm exciting to see him play the villain. I'm not sure he's going to be Blofeld because he does not suit the bill precisely. But having said that I thought the same thing about Jesse Eisenberg playing Lex Luthor and that happened. Whilst I was not too impressed by that casting initially I've come around massively and actually think it's a stroke of genius. Now a film I was relatively ambivalent about is something I'm greatly anticipating (mostly because of the prospect of seeing Eisenberg play that role).

    Ejiofor could then prove very interesting casting as Blofeld. However, why are we so sure Blofeld will be back? All the stars do seem to be pointing in that direction and I for one feel that the character was greatly wasted not only by EON's movies but even Fleming. I feel Blofeld has the potential to reach legendary villain status but no film or book has really capitalised on him yet.

    Blofeld of course is a legendary villain but less because of the actual character and more because of his 'look'. Donald Pleasance's Blofeld is iconic but has now become something of a caricature of villainy. Telly Salvalas is the best Blofeld as he toned down the theatrical element of the character and sold the reality of the man. Charles Gray undid that work in due course and made the character unnecessarily camp and kitsch.

    Even Fleming lost his way with Blofeld in my opinion. In the TB novel he is introduced fantastically and the promise of the character developing in further instalments is tantalising. However in OHMSS there is nothing for the guy to do and he barely spends any time in the novel let alone with Bond. In YOLT Blofeld is just a cardboard bad guy and only turns up in the latter chapters and hardly even knows who Bond is.

    I feel the time has come for Blofeld to really earn his status as Bond's archenemy as I feel he has (despite his status) not archived this so far. I was Mendes to do the character justice in the same way that Nolan and Ledger did for The Joker in 'The Dark Knight'. If Mendes feels that Ejiofor is the right man then I trust his opinion.

    (I also feel he looks more villainous with a beard)

    chiwetel-ejiofor-cover1.jpg?w=499
  • Posts: 15,124
    RC7 wrote:
    Germanlady wrote:
    It does, if there are fighting scenes planned between the two. So having a young one could imply some action.

    Very true. I'm under the impression they'll get someone who can physically face off with Daniel this time around.

    I thought that of Javier Bardem though. He has the right physique. But the character was not meant to be a physically menacing one (except in a creepy, homoerotic way).

    That said, a man in his fifties can be very menacing if he has the right built and face.
  • Posts: 15,124
    Black people usually have great clear skin complexions (black don't crack). He is very young but he has stature and gravitas so he can easily portray an older man. I'm exciting to see him play the villain. I'm not sure he's going to be Blofeld because he does not suit the bill precisely. But having said that I thought the same thing about Jesse Eisenberg playing Lex Luthor and that happened. Whilst I was not too impressed by that casting initially I've come around massively and actually think it's a stroke of genius. Now a film I was relatively ambivalent about is something I'm greatly anticipating (mostly because of the prospect of seeing Eisenberg play that role).

    Ejiofor could then prove very interesting casting as Blofeld. However, why are we so sure Blofeld will be back? All the stars do seem to be pointing in that direction and I for one feel that the character was greatly wasted not only by EON's movies but even Fleming. I feel Blofeld has the potential to reach legendary villain status but no film or book has really capitalised on him yet.

    Blofeld of course is a legendary villain but less because of the actual character and more because of his 'look'. Donald Pleasance's Blofeld is iconic but has now become something of a caricature of villainy. Telly Salvalas is the best Blofeld as he toned down the theatrical element of the character and sold the reality of the man. Charles Gray undid that work in due course and made the character unnecessarily camp and kitsch.

    Even Fleming lost his way with Blofeld in my opinion. In the TB novel he is introduced fantastically and the promise of the character developing in further instalments is tantalising. However in OHMSS there is nothing for the guy to do and he barely spends any time in the novel let alone with Bond. In YOLT Blofeld is just a cardboard bad guy and only turns up in the latter chapters and hardly even knows who Bond is.

    I feel the time has come for Blofeld to really earn his status as Bond's archenemy as I feel he has (despite his status) not archived this so far. I was Mendes to do the character justice in the same way that Nolan and Ledger did for The Joker in 'The Dark Knight'. If Mendes feels that Ejiofor is the right man then I trust his opinion.

    (I also feel he looks more villainous with a beard)

    chiwetel-ejiofor-cover1.jpg?w=499

    Sorry, but Ejiofort as Blofeld? No. Just no. As Gallia, sure, but he is not Blofeld. Blofeld is more than simply a name, a tag to give Bond's nemesis: he is a character with a history, a background and no, he does not fit the bill.

    And Fleming did a great development for Blofeld: in the background for TB and most of OHMSS, then a final confrontation when he completely descended into madness. You want to give justice to the character, I think you need to be at least faithful to the source materal: middle-aged Eastern European who could easily pass off as coming from an ancient European aristocratic family.
  • doubleoegodoubleoego #LightWork
    Posts: 11,139
    Some people are talking as though Blofeld is a definite shoe in to be the villain. There isn't a shred of evidence to back it up. Again, the age issue for the villain isn't that much of a big deal, especially when it comes to physicality. There's a reason why henchmen are employed and I also find it interesting that out if Craig's 3 movies, the only main villain to give Craig a decent fight was Dominic Greene.
  • Posts: 12,526
    I was expecting a big fist fight between Craig and Bardem which were robbed of! So age of the villain is irrelevant to be honest!
  • Posts: 15,124
    RogueAgent wrote:
    I was expecting a big fist fight between Craig and Bardem which were robbed of! So age of the villain is irrelevant to be honest!

    There is a reason why there was no fist fight between Silva and Bond: while Bardem has the right physique, the character of Silva was not a first class, expert fighter, he was a mad computer maestro turned cyber-terrorist. He was dangerous, but in a hand to hand combat with a 00, he wouldn't stand a chance and such fight would have been implausible.
  • Posts: 12,526
    Ludovico wrote:
    RogueAgent wrote:
    I was expecting a big fist fight between Craig and Bardem which were robbed of! So age of the villain is irrelevant to be honest!

    There is a reason why there was no fist fight between Silva and Bond: while Bardem has the right physique, the character of Silva was not a first class, expert fighter, he was a mad computer maestro turned cyber-terrorist. He was dangerous, but in a hand to hand combat with a 00, he wouldn't stand a chance and such fight would have been implausible.

    Maybe? But when you see how wimpy Dominique Greene was? But just had a meltdown when he faced off against Bond? Silva could have gone the same way?
  • Posts: 15,124
    RogueAgent wrote:
    Ludovico wrote:
    RogueAgent wrote:
    I was expecting a big fist fight between Craig and Bardem which were robbed of! So age of the villain is irrelevant to be honest!

    There is a reason why there was no fist fight between Silva and Bond: while Bardem has the right physique, the character of Silva was not a first class, expert fighter, he was a mad computer maestro turned cyber-terrorist. He was dangerous, but in a hand to hand combat with a 00, he wouldn't stand a chance and such fight would have been implausible.

    Maybe? But when you see how wimpy Dominique Greene was? But just had a meltdown when he faced off against Bond? Silva could have gone the same way?

    Yes, but those were different circumstances and QOS's final fight was far from Bond versus Grant, or even Bond versus Largo.
  • Posts: 12,526
    Ludovico wrote:
    RogueAgent wrote:
    Ludovico wrote:
    RogueAgent wrote:
    I was expecting a big fist fight between Craig and Bardem which were robbed of! So age of the villain is irrelevant to be honest!

    There is a reason why there was no fist fight between Silva and Bond: while Bardem has the right physique, the character of Silva was not a first class, expert fighter, he was a mad computer maestro turned cyber-terrorist. He was dangerous, but in a hand to hand combat with a 00, he wouldn't stand a chance and such fight would have been implausible.

    Maybe? But when you see how wimpy Dominique Greene was? But just had a meltdown when he faced off against Bond? Silva could have gone the same way?

    Yes, but those were different circumstances and QOS's final fight was far from Bond versus Grant, or even Bond versus Largo.

    Just think it was a missed opportunity with Bardem, don't get me wrong as I loved Skyfall . Just excited that their is a lot more information coming out for us all to debate on!
  • RC7RC7
    Posts: 10,512
    Birdleson wrote:
    Black people usually have great clear skin complexions (black don't crack). ]

    Where does that come form? It seems to me that black people tend to have almost as much issues with acne and other skin conditions as any other race (maybe somewhat less statistically, but not "usually clear" during the teenage years), in fact the keloid scarring is an issue almost exclusively associated with black people's acne. Hate to nitpick, but as someone who has spent a decent amount of time in black communitites that seemed an odd thing to say. If you're talking black celebrities, true, but that also goes for every race.

    He's just using a general stereotype. Thanks for putting him in his place. I'd hate for people to think black people have better complexions than their white brothers.
  • Posts: 15,124
    RogueAgent wrote:
    Ludovico wrote:
    RogueAgent wrote:
    Ludovico wrote:
    RogueAgent wrote:
    I was expecting a big fist fight between Craig and Bardem which were robbed of! So age of the villain is irrelevant to be honest!

    There is a reason why there was no fist fight between Silva and Bond: while Bardem has the right physique, the character of Silva was not a first class, expert fighter, he was a mad computer maestro turned cyber-terrorist. He was dangerous, but in a hand to hand combat with a 00, he wouldn't stand a chance and such fight would have been implausible.

    Maybe? But when you see how wimpy Dominique Greene was? But just had a meltdown when he faced off against Bond? Silva could have gone the same way?

    Yes, but those were different circumstances and QOS's final fight was far from Bond versus Grant, or even Bond versus Largo.

    Just think it was a missed opportunity with Bardem, don't get me wrong as I loved Skyfall . Just excited that their is a lot more information coming out for us all to debate on!

    It was a missed opportunity with Bardem, but not the way Silva was written.
  • Posts: 4,409
    Birdleson wrote:
    Black people usually have great clear skin complexions (black don't crack). ]

    Where does that come form? It seems to me that black people tend to have almost as much issues with acne and other skin conditions as any other race (maybe somewhat less statistically, but not "usually clear" during the teenage years), in fact the keloid scarring is an issue almost exclusively associated with black people's acne. Hate to nitpick, but as someone who has spent a decent amount of time in black communitites that seemed an odd thing to say. If you're talking black celebrities, true, but that also goes for every race.

    Haha I was just trying to be funny (and clearly failing).

    In regards to Craig not having a proper fight yet with the villain this indeed is an issue that needs rectifying. It made sense that Bond didn't fight Le Chiffre as he was clearly a much more cerebral villain for Bond to face off against. In many ways Bond and him already have an epic battle of sorts over the poker table so they didn't really need a physical confrontation.

    The same goes with Silva, the character is much more of a psychology threat to Bond. It would have been great to see Bardem fight Craig but it wouldn't have made sense to that character.

    I like the fight Bond and Greene have as despite Amalric being physically less of a threat his character really had nothing to loose at that point and he was prepared to go full HAM. Greene looks like the sort of guy who dosen't care whether he kicks, bites or pulls hair in other words I think he's a pretty wily fight. That's not the kind of guy that a military trained guy like Bond would be used to fighting against.

    Anyway there were some paparazzi photos of Eijiofer this weekend running (perhaps in training for Bond 24?) and he looks like he could more than hold his own against Daniel Craig.

    http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-2597476/Bulked-Chiwetel-Ejiofor-singled-coveted-role-007s-nemesis.html

    article-2597476-1C8DF79E00000578-447_634x690.jpg
  • Posts: 5,745
    I think the Greene fight was great, if short-lived. I would have loved to maybe had them start fighting on the roof of the hotel as it collapses in, and then continue to fight on the walkway and just have Bond kick him into the fire, rather than drive him out to the desert.
  • DragonpolDragonpol https://thebondologistblog.blogspot.com
    Posts: 18,281
    JWESTBROOK wrote:
    I think the Greene fight was great, if short-lived. I would have loved to maybe had them start fighting on the roof of the hotel as it collapses in, and then continue to fight on the walkway and just have Bond kick him into the fire, rather than drive him out to the desert.

    I think they wanted to try some different things with the villain deaths in QoS and on that grounds it succeeds.
  • Posts: 1,009
    Gotta watch 12YaS.
  • Posts: 5,745
    Dragonpol wrote:
    JWESTBROOK wrote:
    I think the Greene fight was great, if short-lived. I would have loved to maybe had them start fighting on the roof of the hotel as it collapses in, and then continue to fight on the walkway and just have Bond kick him into the fire, rather than drive him out to the desert.

    I think they wanted to try some different things with the villain deaths in QoS and on that grounds it succeeds.

    Indeed it does. The bottom line of my point was not Greene's death, but simply that I wish they spent longer on a more dramatic fight.

    I know all of the sequences in the film were cut faster and intended to be quick and intense as action in reality is. I just really enjoyed Greene's fighting style because as stated above by others, it's something Bond has never really faced.

    Hopefully the longer, more dramatic fights return. A younger, more physical villain can offer that. I think some of the fights in the Connery films are more realistic. They don't all have to be close quarters and intense. The sumo fight in the office in YOLT and the fight with OddJob in Fort Knox are two of my favorite sequences.
  • Posts: 2,341
    I enjoyed the fight between Bond and Greene and I regret that Bond and Silva never came to real blows. I can appreciate @Pierce2Daniel as to why we were never treated to a battle royal between the principal villain in SF.

    I would also like to see this change with Bond 24. Ejiofor would be more than a match for DC. (Assuming he wins the role.)




  • Posts: 15,124
    JWESTBROOK wrote:
    Dragonpol wrote:
    JWESTBROOK wrote:
    I think the Greene fight was great, if short-lived. I would have loved to maybe had them start fighting on the roof of the hotel as it collapses in, and then continue to fight on the walkway and just have Bond kick him into the fire, rather than drive him out to the desert.

    I think they wanted to try some different things with the villain deaths in QoS and on that grounds it succeeds.

    Indeed it does. The bottom line of my point was not Greene's death, but simply that I wish they spent longer on a more dramatic fight.

    I know all of the sequences in the film were cut faster and intended to be quick and intense as action in reality is. I just really enjoyed Greene's fighting style because as stated above by others, it's something Bond has never really faced.

    Hopefully the longer, more dramatic fights return. A younger, more physical villain can offer that. I think some of the fights in the Connery films are more realistic. They don't all have to be close quarters and intense. The sumo fight in the office in YOLT and the fight with OddJob in Fort Knox are two of my favorite sequences.

    But an older adversary can also be a believable fighter. Not that I want him as a villain, but Liam Neeson for instance can be appropriately menacing in hand to hand combat. And he's in his 60s.
  • RC7RC7
    Posts: 10,512
    @Ludovico, you seem pretty miffed that the potential villain in 24 is to be a younger foe. Is there any particular reason? I hadn't really given it any thought, as I'm usually happy to see what they throw at us. I'm actually quite interested to see how it would work. He's ten years younger than Dan, that's not to say the villain will be pitched at exactly ten years his junior, but should they, that to me is a really interesting dynamic.
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