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Filming the Gardner Bonds


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#1 dlb007

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Posted 16 September 2011 - 02:42 PM

As we all know, virtually all the Fleming titles and ideas have been used in the Bond movies up to this point. In my opinion, it's high time the folks over at EON started adapting the John Gardner novel's into films; they have certainly plucked an idea or two from Gardner's novels and used them in the films. While we can (probably) all agree that not every element of every novel works perfectly, they all provide a great template from which to adapt a screenplay.

Having said all that, what novels would you start with? Instead of a simple poll, why not provide your top choice or choices, complete with casting and any alterations you'd make to the plot.

My first choice would be For Special Services.

CAST:
James Bond - Daniel Craig
Markus Bismaquer: Ron Perlman
Walter Luxor: Tom Hardy
Nena Bismaquer: Rachel Weisz
Cedar: Firstly, I'd changed the character to where she was no longer Leiter's daughter. As for casting, maybe a Scarlett Johansson (though definitely someone who is a better actress). Another idea would be to scrap the character completely.

I like the plot. I would get rid of the drugged ice cream as that comes off a bit silly. The race, house in the swamp, the infiltration of NORAD, and the pit of snakes should reamin.

What are some of your ideas?

Edited by dlb007, 16 September 2011 - 02:44 PM.


#2 Captain Tightpants

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Posted 17 September 2011 - 12:07 AM

No, thanks. I was never particularly impressed with Gardner's style.

#3 coco1997

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Posted 17 September 2011 - 04:07 AM

I don't think any of those above listed actors/actresses would appear in a Bond film at this point. The EON franchise has been known for making a name for acting talents just on the verge of stardom, as a role in a Bond film is usually the biggest break they can imagine. Everyone you listed is already a fairly recognizable and established celebrity.

#4 dlb007

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Posted 17 September 2011 - 04:23 AM

I don't think any of those above listed actors/actresses would appear in a Bond film at this point. The EON franchise has been known for making a name for acting talents just on the verge of stardom, as a role in a Bond film is usually the biggest break they can imagine. Everyone you listed is already a fairly recognizable and established celebrity.


So why are Javier Bardem and Naomi Harris in Bond 23?

#5 Captain Tightpants

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Posted 17 September 2011 - 05:34 AM

So why are Javier Bardem and Naomi Harris in Bond 23?

As far as we know, they're not. They haven't been confirmed - they've only been connected to the roles.

#6 Guy Haines

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Posted 17 September 2011 - 06:56 AM

I don't think any of those above listed actors/actresses would appear in a Bond film at this point. The EON franchise has been known for making a name for acting talents just on the verge of stardom, as a role in a Bond film is usually the biggest break they can imagine. Everyone you listed is already a fairly recognizable and established celebrity.

On the verge of stardom, or already established in their own countries. Take, for example, Mads Mikklesen - not a name beyond those in the know in the US and UK, but "world famous" in Denmark and Scandinavia. Mathieu Amalric - already an established award winning actor and director in France. Appearing in Bond is not only a break for actors in the English speaking world, but an opportunity for continental European actors who are already stars in their own countries to appear before a wider audience.

#7 mttvolcano

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Posted 17 September 2011 - 05:32 PM

Though the rest of the novels I am sure will never be adopted into screenplays it is fun to ponder nevertheless.
If I had a say, perhaps Role of Honor instead of SPECTRE, Quantum, seeing how mr. white even said they wanted Bond.

#8 OmarB

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Posted 18 September 2011 - 12:09 AM

I'm all for it. Icebreaker would be really cool as a movie.

#9 Captain Tightpants

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Posted 19 September 2011 - 07:08 AM

The only thing that I could see working on film would be the plane crash in the Himalayas from HIGH TIME TO KILL, or something like it. It was a good plot device because it had the effect of turning the game board over - both Bond and the villains had plans for Skin 17 and the courier, but the crash left them all moot, and both sides had to react to it.

ICEBREAKER might work as a basic story, but it would need a lot of work; for one, neo-Nazis are a tired plot device (I can't remember who it was, but a famous author once said that the only good thing the Nazis did for the world was that they gave thriller writers something to write about for half a century), and all the double- and triple-crosses would need to be simplified or else we'll end up with an extended episode of "Alias".

#10 Secret Treaties

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Posted 08 November 2011 - 01:47 PM

Nobody Lives Forever would work. I'm frankly a bit surprised that Eon hasn't already used the plot, if nothing else.

#11 AMC Hornet

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Posted 08 November 2011 - 06:46 PM

In my mind I used to dream-cast each of the books as I read them, but as I read them in the years they were published, most of the actors I envisioned are either dead now or too long in the tooth for the roles. As I never updated the casting, the visions remain intact, however dated.

First of all, I saw Roger Moore as James Bond right from LR up to and including The Man From Barbarossa.

When it comes to leading ladies, however, I seldom if ever chose a current face. Chalk this up either to sexism on my part, or to Gardner's ability to describe his female character so well that I saw only what he described, even if he only said that Lavender Peacock was "reminiscent of Lauren Bacall as a young woman." (More on that habit later)

For villains I almost always see either Kevin Spacey or John Malkovich, and although I know they couldn't have played them all, just once each would be enough.

Licence Renewed
Anton Murik: Eddie Albert
Caber: Richard Kiel (only younger)

For Special Services
Marcus Bismaquer: Joe Don Baker
Walter Luxor: Marc Lawrence
Mike Mazzard: Kevin Kline

Icebreaker
Konrad Von Gloda: Kurt Jurgens
Brad Turpitz: Joe Don Baker
Kolya Mosolov: Kevin Spacey

Role of Honour
Holy/Finnes: Kevin Spacey or David Copperfield
Cindy Chalmers: Gloria Hendry or Teres Graves
Tamil Rahani: Peter Miles (from The Sanbaggers Episode 5: "Always Glad to Help")

BlackFriar or Death to Spies (formerly No Deals, Mr. Bond)
Chernov: Kevin Spacey
Jungle Baisley: Dolf Lundgren

Scorpius
Scorpius/Valentine: Kevin Spacey or John Malkovich

Win, Lose or Die
Bassam Baradj/Besavitsky: Kevin Spacey or John Malkovich (see?)
Ali Al Adwan: Kabir Bedi

Brokenclaw
Lee Fu-Chu: Sonny Landham
Ed Rushia: Eugene Roche

The Man From Barbarossa
General Yuskovich: Eugene Lipinsky (if he's the Russian who armed the bomb in Octopussy)

Never Send Flowers
David Dragonpol: Timothy Dalton (AKA "The man with the glass head") or David Copperfield

For Nobody Lives For Ever, Death is Forever, SeaFire and COLD I never saw anybody in particular, and I'm not sure Mr. Gardner did either (although in DIF he had a character say about the author of the book he was reading, "have you ever noticed how he never describes anybody? He just says that the character looks like somebody famous, like "he could have been Rex Harrison's double", or "He had the rugged good looks of Sean Connery." Mr. Gardner may have been acknowledging a criticism made of his own work).

As for cinematic changes, I wouldn't change a thing, except to tighten up the pace in RoH and NDMB (and add more humour to the former). For the most part Mr. Gardner wrote very film-friendly treatments, and I too would like to see them realized.

Edited by AMC Hornet, 08 November 2011 - 06:53 PM.