116 replies to this topic

[tim partridge]

Anyone know the situation here? Or has Cleese now been totally abandoned?

[Loomis]

I think the general assumption in fandom is that Q will return in BOND 22 (along with, presumably, Moneypenny), but that the character won't be played by Cleese, since he's a relic of the Brosnan era. However, the same is true of Dench's M, and look what happened there. So I wouldn't rule Cleese out, but at the moment we don't know anything official. My feeling is that it's more unlikely than likely, chiefly because of the new "gritty" direction for the series (which Cleese's zany portrayal of Q would seem to be inappropriate for), but who knows?

[coco1997]

If Q (or, "R") wasn't in CR, then he certainly won't be back in the future. Maybe Q will come back in some way, shape or form, but he won't be played by John Cleese.

[dinovelvet]

Yes I think the Q character needs to be given an overhaul, if he is to return. Have him be younger, bit edgier (I don't really know what I mean by that, but it sounds good). Just nothing like the cliche that Q had become by the Brosnan era. He can still be funny, but not buffoonish or fuddy-duddy. I would cast David Walliams (since he's such a big Bond fan) or Mackenzie Crook.

Moneypenny can go to hell. Did CR not just introduce M's new secretary? I suppose it would be a nice nod to Felmmign if Bond finally gets his own secretary in the form of Loelia Ponsonby, though maybe she can serve some purpose other than the tired flirting-with-the-secretary routine.

[Royal Dalton]

I'd be extremely surprised if John Cleese returned.

If they do bring Q back, they'll probably overhaul the character, and make him (or her) more along the lines of the Hot Room Doctors from Casino Royale.

[Garth007]

In my opinion i dont think John Cleese should return as Q if he does. I dont even think Q should return at all. I mean i miss the character dont get me wrong but i think the Bond movies would be better. I'll also say the same thing about Moneypenny. I'd just like the movies and the story alot better if they didn't come back but thats my opinion tho.

[sharpshooter]

I didnt mind Cleese in the role. He looked like a Q. That said, new series - new Q. But that didnt stop Judi Dench from staying on.

[Daddy Bond]

Actually, I too didn't mind Cleese as Q, however, I would like to see Q return again with a differnt actor - I'd like to see a Q who is a bit more refined, more intelligent, more serious, with a hint of sarcasm. See, for example, the interaction between Bond and Q in Goldfinger when he gets his Aston.

Regards

[Publius]

No clue, and there's no official word.

Anyway, I wouldn't mind seeing Q return, but he'd have to be handled differently. My preference is either for a grizzled "war buddy" of Bond's who's his age or older, and with whom he can joke rather than annoy, or for a younger bureaucrat obsessed with his "toys" whom the considerably unenthused Bond has to calm down and keep focused. I could also live easily without the character at all, however.

[Qwerty]

I really didn't mind Cleese as Q that much, but I don't think we'll be seeing him return in Bond 22.

[tdalton]

I don't think that Cleese should return when or if Q returns to the franchise simply because he's already played him in the franchise before the reboot. I'm still not a big fan of Judi Dench's M returning after the reboot (although she's certainly a perfectly good M, but it just doesn't fit the reboot), but having two of the actors from the Brosnan Era reprise their roles in this new franchise wouldn't be a good way to go, IMO.


If they must bring Q back, I'd like to see his character portrayed in a much different way. I'd cast either Jason Isaacs or Sam Neill in the role, and have the character be a former 00 Agent or a former serviceman who was forced out of the service because of an injury or something along those lines.

[The Richmond Spy]

I don't think they would bring Cleese back. Not because they hated what he did in DAD, but since the things he is most known for (invisible car, virtual reality, all of the old gadgets...etc..) is either over the top or refers to the pre-CR Bond films....and this is still part of a reboot.

I think this differs from Dench returning because she had more Bond films on her resume and therefore is perceived to be better at adapting. Dench is also widely known as Bond's boss to your average Joe...IMO Cleese didn't get the chance to earn the distinction as the Q...he is more known as one of the Monty Python guys.

[autquisest]

Cleese

[blackjack60]

Actually, I too didn't mind Cleese as Q, however, I would like to see Q return again with a differnt actor - I'd like to see a Q who is a bit more refined, more intelligent, more serious, with a hint of sarcasm.

Cleese is probably the best actor alive when it comes to sarcasm. Fawlty Towers is irrefutable proof of that. I'd hate for the poor writing of the Brosnan films to nix Cleese's chance to play a better sort of Q, but I too doubt that the producers will invite him back.

[RazorBlade]

Said it before and I'll say it again. No. More. Q.

[Sbott]

I would love to see him back - although the dynamic between Q and (Craig's) Bond would be different.

I would have thought that they would go back to the more classical armourer as seen in Dr No.

Of course they could always introduce the character of Ann Reilly, from the Gardner books. She was a young female assistant to Q who was nicknamed Q'ute.

[autquisest]

Actually, I too didn't mind Cleese as Q, however, I would like to see Q return again with a differnt actor - I'd like to see a Q who is a bit more refined, more intelligent, more serious, with a hint of sarcasm.

Cleese is probably the best actor alive when it comes to sarcasm. Fawlty Towers is irrefutable proof of that. I'd hate for the poor writing of the Brosnan films to nix Cleese's chance to play a better sort of Q, but I too doubt that the producers will invite him back.

It

[HawkEye007]

If he hadn't already played a similar role in MI:3, Simon Pegg would be my choice for a new Q. I don't know if he would want to do that kinda role again, even if it is just for a few scenes.

[Loomis]

I would cast David Walliams (since he's such a big Bond fan) or Mackenzie Crook.

Mackenzie Crook is my pick for Q.

[spynovelfan]

Of course they could always introduce the character of Ann Reilly, from the Gardner books. She was a young female assistant to Q who was nicknamed Q'ute.

Please no.

[marktmurphy]

I would love to see him back - although the dynamic between Q and (Craig's) Bond would be different.

I would have thought that they would go back to the more classical armourer as seen in Dr No.

Well, we've pretty much had one in CR- he doesn't get any lines, but the whole implant business would have been done by Q in other Bond movies.

[Safari Suit]

The thing about reinventing a character, IMO, is that reinventing something for the sake of reinventing it can be as bad as gratuitously including something check-list style.

[MattofSteel]

It's too bad it couldn't be Simon Pegg. He'd be perfect for it. His "Q"-like performance in Mission Impossible III stole the show.

[Skudor]

Priority #1: Keep John Cleese out of B22 and any subsequent Bond films. He may be one of the funniest chaps on the planet but he doesn't belong in Bond.
Priority #2: Keep Q (as 'the same old character' or 'obvious replacement') out of the series from now on.

Let's just leave the gadgets to faceless techies from now on. Or just leave them out, full stop. Everyone has copied the Q idea - MI, Alias etc.etc. Let Bond drop it. If interesting new recurring characters are required let them come organically, accidentally or whatever. Not as some sort of blatant attemt at replacing Desmond LL.

Desmond LL. was Q, he was great so lets not ruin it by trying to replace him (with or without the same name and or title). It can't be done.

[dinovelvet]

Let's just leave the gadgets to faceless techies from now on. Or just leave them out, full stop. Everyone has copied the Q idea - MI, Alias etc.etc. Let Bond drop it. If interesting new recurring characters are required let them come organically, accidentally or whatever. Not as some sort of blatant attemt at replacing Desmond LL.

Yes everyone has copied the Q template, the oddball/eccentric/comedy character who is obviously way too into his gadgets. Which is why B22 can completely redefine this kind of character. NSNA sort of did this, it was clearly a different kind of Q with a different demeanour and attitude.
It might be funny to have Q also be a closet badass action hero. Have, say, an OCTOPUSSY/LICENCE TO KILL like story where Q comes out into the field, and gets cornered by a couple of henchman. We think he might pull out some cool gadget to defend himself, but instead he busts out a couple of wild martial arts moves and floors them instantly. (The audience would go crazy at the sight of that!) Neither Bond nor anyone else ever finds out about it. Just something like that to make the character more unpredictable and maybe give him a bit more extra depth.

[Leon]

I have no doubt that Q will return, along with Moneypenny.

In fact I predict (and I'd put money on this) that they will have a particular introduction in the new film. They just need to choose the actor and actress very carefully and write their character well, without naff sillyness and bad gags.

I have said this before and stick by it; that I think John Cleese could do a good job as a serious Q if given good materiel to work from. He's a good actor, it wasn;t his fault they type-cast him as a Basil Fawlty style stupid R/Q previously with terrible scripts.

The fun thing about Q has always been his intellignece and seriousness which Bond plays off now and then. Bond always knows he can rely on Q's equipment because the man knows his business, he's a long standing professional.

They simply got it ALL WRONG recently having some goofy idiot as a replacement Q. This needs to change.

A new actor may well be chosen however, and this needs to be done very carefully. Someone not well known, a good actor and with the same kind of feel as Desmond Llewellyn - grumpy and serious but still kind of lovable - as was Bernard Lee as M.

Very English too, without being snooty and posh

[Agent 76]

I would cast John Hannah as Q:


Catherine McCormack as Loelia Ponsonby, secretary of 007, 008 & 0011 (as stated in the books) :


Nathaniel Parker, as 008 ( I know it's a fantasy) :



It would be fantastic, utopic, but still fantastic. lol

well a man can dream

[tim partridge]

my two cents:

The only thing Tamahori personally got right in DAD was NOT making Q a Basil Fawlty buffoon. In the midst of all the unneccessay, cheap nostalgia gags, Cleese came into his own by just getting on with it.

I really hope with all the changes we don't just get Marc Forster's Bourne movie "with more humour", but instead a melding of old and new- let's at least bring back what WORKED in the Brosnan era (even if that is very little). Reboot is a restarting, emptying of all the rubbish and going back to basics, not turning it into something else.

Edited by tim partridge, 30 July 2007 - 11:47 PM.

[Johnboy007]

If they do bring Q back, I hope it's Hugh Laurie.

The chances are slim, but I can dream.

[shady ginzo]

I believe there is a purpose for Q - afterall, should Bond require any hardware where else would he get it but from the Quartermaster himself. The question make here, to me, seems to hover not over whether "Craig Q" will be gritty or comedic, but whether infact the GADGETS will be returning.

in Casino Royale the closest thing bond used to a "gadget" was a defibrilator, and this is the impact of the "gritty down to earth" tone of the new films.

my opinion is that in the world of Casino Royale and Bond 22, Q is knocking around MI6 somewhere right now, probably working on slightly more believable tools then exploding pens or X-ray specs (where do you think the kitted out Aston Martin came from??) but in Casino Royale their paths did not need to cross, and I doubt they will again in the next film.

I simply don't want to watch Daniel Craig's bond employ an inflating protective jacket in the rumoured Ski scene.

Edited by shady ginzo, 31 July 2007 - 01:19 AM.