105 replies to this topic

[ACE]

Robert Wade Talks Haggis' 'Royale' Rewrite
Bond screenwriter discusses 'Casino Royale' script, rewrites and the future

From Screen International.


Bond serves up Haggis for Casino Royale polish

Nick Hunt in London 30 August 2005

The screenwriting team behind the new James Bond feature have confirmed that Oscar-nominated screenwriter Paul Haggis has been brought on board.

Robert Wade told ScreenDaily.com that Haggis, who adapted Million Dollar Baby as well as writing and directing Crash, will do a three-week polish on the second draft of Sony/MGM's Casino Royale, originally penned by himself and co-writer Neal Purvis.

[SecretAgentFan]

Well, this is Wade doing damage control. No screenwriter likes to be rewritten or polished. Of course, we can expect CR not to stray too far from the formula but the perspective that Haggis will bring will change the work of Purvis & Wade, whether they like it or not. Three weeks are enough for that.

[Kronsteen]

Sounds good. Three weeks should be enough, Haggis is supposed to polish it not completely re-write it.

"A lot of it is our own material"
That's what I've expected, just like the other movies being based on Fleming material.

"It is quite different: it is the story that shows what formed his character."
Does he refer to the novel or their script? Does he mean that the movie will be a sort of "Bond Begins", or not?

[SecretAgentFan]

Yes, I think we can take it for granted now that CR will be Bond Begins. In retrospect, the Campbell quote was true.

[return of the saint]

Well done to Campbell, Eon and Sony for making the call, digging in their heels, putting their hands in their pockets and paying a proper screen-writer to do a proper polish. If only they had done something like this for DAD.

I'm guess that Campbell has finally (or at least just about) finished with his commitment to Zorro? Full speed ahead for CR then!

I wonder whether the script is being polished to suit an already signed actor, whether it is being polished because the P&W version was turning actors off the job, or whether they just really want to nail this one tight.

I guess P&W are a bit worried for their Bond jobs now. Didn

[ACE]

[quote name='return of the saint' date='31 August 2005 - 12:22']I beginning to hope the Campbell becomes a regular director

[mccartney007]

[quote name='return of the saint' date='31 August 2005 - 05:22']I guess P&W are a bit worried for their Bond jobs now.  Didn

[SecretAgent007]

I hate this reboot crap. It's very depressing. Hell, even the film Dr. No wasn't Bonds first mission.

[Bondesque]

No screenwriter likes thier work to be polished by another writer (especially a better writer) but it happens all the time. I would be happier if Haggis would being in to do a page one re-write. I don't see much skill in the talents of P&W. Poor plots, horrendous diologue and no true character development.

Sometimes a writer who is doing a polish and the producers realize that there is much more work that needs done and the polish is extended to a complete re-write or at least much more in depth. Three weeks is a bit more then a light polish but I would be happier if it were six weeks.

It is good news.

[luciusgore]

No screenwriter likes thier work to be polished by another writer (especially a better writer) but it happens all the time.  I would be happier if Haggis would being in to do a page one re-write.  I don't see much skill in the talents of P&W.  Poor plots, horrendous diologue and no true character development.

Sometimes a writer who is doing a polish and the producers realize that there is much more work that needs done and the polish is extended to a complete re-write or at least much more in depth.  Three weeks is a bit more then a light polish but I would be happier if it were six weeks.

It is good news.

On the bright side he will be able to get rid of the horrendous dialogue, which is a P&W trademark.

[tdalton]

Maybe the polishing that Haggis is doing is to remove the origin story from the script and adapt Casino Royale as a reglar entry into the Bond franchise. Hopefully, that's what he's being asked to do, and I'm sure that that could be accomplished in the 3 week time frame that he's supposedly being given.

[ACE]

[quote name='mccartney007' date='31 August 2005 - 14:40'][quote name='return of the saint' date='31 August 2005 - 05:22']I guess P&W are a bit worried for their Bond jobs now.  Didn

Edited by ACE, 31 August 2005 - 04:06 PM.

[Mister Asterix]

Maybe the polishing that Haggis is doing is to remove the origin story from the script and adapt Casino Royale as a reglar entry into the Bond franchise.  Hopefully, that's what he's being asked to do, and I'm sure that that could be accomplished in the 3 week time frame that he's supposedly being given.

[mra]I don

[mccartney007]

[quote name='ACE' date='31 August 2005 - 08:57'][quote name='mccartney007' date='31 August 2005 - 14:40'][quote name='return of the saint' date='31 August 2005 - 05:22']I guess P&W are a bit worried for their Bond jobs now.

[DLibrasnow]

[quote name='Mister Asterix' date='31 August 2005 - 11:51'][quote name='tdalton' date='31 August 2005 - 10:55']Maybe the polishing that Haggis is doing is to remove the origin story from the script and adapt Casino Royale as a reglar entry into the Bond franchise.

[ACE]

[quote name='mccartney007' date='31 August 2005 - 17:39'][quote name='ACE' date='31 August 2005 - 08:57'][quote name='mccartney007' date='31 August 2005 - 14:40'][quote name='return of the saint' date='31 August 2005 - 05:22']I guess P&W are a bit worried for their Bond jobs now.  Didn

Edited by ACE, 01 September 2005 - 09:50 AM.

[Eye Of The Tiger]

I hate this reboot crap.  It's very depressing.  Hell, even the film Dr. No wasn't Bonds first mission.

I agree.

If they are truly doing a "re-boot" of the series, I think we will soon see an end of the Bond series.

This rookie Bond idea is terrible! They should bring back Pierce Brosnan, or at the very least get a Hugh Jackman or Clive Owen, not some 22 year old kid!

[XXX]

Love the reboot idea!

[luciusgore]

[quote name='DLibrasnow' date='31 August 2005 - 17:48'][quote name='Mister Asterix' date='31 August 2005 - 11:51'][quote name='tdalton' date='31 August 2005 - 10:55']Maybe the polishing that Haggis is doing is to remove the origin story from the script and adapt Casino Royale as a reglar entry into the Bond franchise.

[DLibrasnow]

Love the reboot idea!

You and me both XXX!

[deth]

Well I guess a reboot worked with "Batman Begins." But remember, Batman has a built-in fanbase of people who always wanted a "Batman Begins" type of movie. Batman fans always wanted to see "Year One" turned into a movie, which is essentially what happened. I think it's fair to say that Bond fans have never called for a "Bond Begins." There is no real demand for it. A few people say they like the idea, but that's it. Most hate it. With "Batman," the fans were begging for it. So Sony and Eon are delivering to the public something that Sony and Eon would like to see, but not something what the public wants to see. Sounds similar to "Stealth" -- a bad idea that Sony wanted, but no one else did.

and really, there was nowhere else left to go in order to salvage the Batman franchise. Bond is not a series currently in need of a saviour.

[Qwerty]

Sounds good. Three weeks should be enough, Haggis is supposed to polish it not completely re-write it.

I agree. I'm very glad to see another writer working on this.

But I'd still like to see Feirstein back too.

[Sam Fisher]

Sp what now after Royale? The remake of Live and Let Die?

[Alex Zamudio]

I'll accept and enjoy the "Bond Begins" premise if Judy Dench's M is not included, and a Male M not unlike Bernard Lee's is, just for an inch of order and a little of respect for the last 20 Bond films.

Regards.

[Monsieur B]

Sp what now after Royale? The remake of Live and Let Die?

Why not? Only not a remake of the '73 version but use the elements that weren't borrowed from the literary LALD. I believe that terminus has been talking about doing that and he thought up a pretty decent idea for the story.

I'll accept and enjoy the "Bond Begins" premise if Judy Dench's M is not included, and a Male M not unlike Bernard Lee's is, just for an inch of order and a little of respect for the last 20 Bond films.

I agree, if this film is indeed supposed to be before Dr. No then they should at least observe continuity and give Bond a male superior; at least for CR. Get Hopkins, Stamp or Gambon, just make M a man again.

[MrDraco]

Why Reboot the series? wasnt that what Goldeneye was sorta speak?

[hrabb04]

So, basically, there will be 5 people in theaters that weekend when Casino Royale opens. The reboot idea is one of the dumbest ideas I have ever heard. Yeah, we just came off a big, successful Bond, let's throw everything we have done in 40 yrs out the window for no other reason then because everyone else is doing prequels. There is no originality, no spark, not one shred of vision for this series right now. Gone as the days when Bond led the pack and set the bar.

[tdalton]

I don't see why a re-boot is such a great idea, even if they really want to copy what everyone's been doing this year. CR is coming out at the end of 2006, we're in mid-2005 right now, and the prequel and re-boot trend is starting to wind down, so why does EON think that it would be popular again in late 2006? It's just not going to happen, and I seriously doubt that they're going to go through with it. It just doesn't make any sense to me.

[DLibrasnow]

You know what.....I'm betting that the majority of the people who are dissing the reboot idea will be in the theater that weekend.

I'm hoping its a reboot instead of just another *yawn* Bond movie with the same tired music, terrible dialogue and cliched lines. If I want that I'll just throw in a DVD of an old Bond movie.

[Loeffelholz]

Paraphrasing Blue Oyster Cult:

"Don't Fear the Reboot."