14 replies to this topic

[Simplor]

as many of you know, the union is the crime syndicate behind High Time To Kill, Doubleshot, and Never Dream of Dying.

These should be movies. I hope they are with Never Dream of Dying being being no. 25 (on what could be the 50th anniversary)

The Union, however, can be stretched out longer like the did with SPECTRE. They put SPECTRE into From Russia With Love and Dr. No.

However, considering the blind Union leader, i think Doubleshot should become "More Than Meets The Eye" when it becomes a movie.

[RossMan]

Simplor (07 Mar, 2002 09:08 p.m.):
When will a book become a movie again? Who knows...

That's what I always become frustrated with. Eon's got enough books sitting around to take them well past Bond 30. I'd love to see adaptions of the Gardner and Benson books. Though a few Gardner books couldn't be done since the Cold War's over and all, but then something like Death Is Forever would work very well (Crazy villain who can't accept the end of Communism). All of Benson's books would make great movies, heck, most of'em are already set up like the current movies.

I've been thinking who'd make a good Le Gerant but could never come up with somone. Anthony Hopkins, that's a good idea. Wasn't he rumored as the villain for both GE and TND? He doubt he'll appear in a Bond film though, he now seems to have taken on an M like character in the Mission Impossible movies, of which I hope there won't be a third.

[RossMan]

Simplor (08 Mar, 2002 12:39 a.m.):
parick stewart would be okay as a villian too.

I always had him in mind in for a future Blofeld.

[Simplor]

spock wouldn't be bad. parick stewart would be okay as a villian too.

[Simplor]

i've really only read HTTK, but i just got Double Shot and I'm gonna finish out the trilogy.

With casting:

Le Gerant should be played by Anthony Hopkins; however, this i doubt this will happen. The chances of them making these 3 are rare.

Why can't they adapt books anymore? Instead, Benson has to adapt the movies.


When will a book become a movie again? Who knows... some want Casino Royale as Bond 21. I am all for that, except that it should have name change to not get screwed up with the parody movie i believe.

let peirce end it with Casino Royale if that is it and let the new bond go into the Union trilogy or more. It is extremely easy to make a film and Union base it (as stated before: like what SPECTRE in the movies did to SMERSH.)

back to Hopkins, that would be awesome for him to be the villian. I believe he'll have more of a Donald Pleasance approach though.

[Simplor]

you can always hope.

i'm sure enough money could get him away from a hannibal prequel/sequel.

[Hardyboy]

I agree with General Koskov 100% here. The Union, to my mind, is just a knock-off of SPECTRE, with a similar structure and aims and with a mysterious Blofeld-like villain at the head--though making him blind is an interesting twist.

The problem with filming the Union Trilogy, though, is that the books have pretty well already been filmed. As I've noted before, High Time to Kill is basically the movie version of For Your Eyes Only (the chief plot is that two sides are scrambling to recover top-secret technology in a crashed plane; compare to FYEO's plot to recover top-secret technology in a sunken ship) crossed with GoldenEye (the chief villain is an old ally/rival of Bond's; and there's a spectacular scene where technology is stolen from a lab, followed by the lab's destruction). Why film material that's already been made? I also found Doubleshot kind of ludicrous--the "exact double" bit has been done in dozens of films and TV shows, and I think it's pretty trite; and the villain who makes people dress as bulls so he can fight them in his private ring is laughable. I'm reading Never Dream of Dying right now, so the jury's still out; but I've already encountered some things that were done before--and better--in earlier films and in Fleming's novels.

Sorry to rain on this parade.

[General Koskov]

Personally, I never found the Union to be 'larger than life' like SPECTRE or SMERSH. They were a criminal organisation and yet there was nothing fascinating about them. Benson should have had the Triads as an enemy as in ZMT. And Julius Wilcox just doesn't strike fear in to my heart like Ernst Stavro Blofeld. ;p

[Double-0 Six]

I'd also like to see The Union as the bad guys in a series of Bond movies, they're the ideal "larger than life" Bond villains and a classic creation.

The producers wouldn't have to stick to the established plots of the Union trilogy books (as brilliant as they are), and there's plenty of room for expansion with all the back story and possibilities.

As for Le Gerant, how about Sean Connery?

[RossMan]

It'd be great seeing the Union make it into the movies. Even if they don't do straight adaptions of Benson's books, I'd like to see them bring in the Union in.

The Union's probably the best Bond villains since Amis' Col. Sun.

[Mister Asterix]

I'd love to see The Union in the films. I really hold no hope for any of the post-Fleming books to become films, but a man can dream, can't he?

The Union would make a wonderful new criminal organisation for the films. Who knows maybe Damian Falco is The Union's second in command and they're setting Bond 20 as the first in a string of Union films. Okay, I doubt it, but just leave me in peace in my little fantasy world, and I'll be happy.

[scaramanga]

RossMan (07 Mar, 2002 10:49 p.m.):
I've been thinking who'd make a good Le Gerant but could never come up with somone.

What about Jean Reno as Le G

[Mister Asterix]

RossMan (07 Mar, 2002 10:49 p.m.):(edited)
I've been thinking who'd make a good Le Gerant but could never come up with somone...

I would go with Leonard Nimoy.

[Joyce Carrington]

Well Hardyboy, if you start thinking like that, then you can start comparing every movie with Bond material. In a way, they're all the same.
I don't think High time to kill resembles FYEO or Goldeneye at all..
But using the Benson novels as movies would be great because I love them. And Jean Reno would be nice as Le Gerant, yes.
I'm not sure about bringing back Blofeld, though... (Patrick Stewart is bald, yes, but would he really do a good job?)

[Dalton]

Originally posted by JoyceCarrington
I'm not sure about bringing back Blofeld, though... (Patrick Stewart is bald, yes, but would he really do a good job?)

"No.2 Kill Bond, Make It So!"