220 replies to this topic

[Qwerty]

I am worried this film will even get made. Brosnan's last two films failed to make any money so it's somewhat surprising to read about a new Thomas Crown movie in the pipeline.

Well he did just have After The Sunset, I was under the impression that the film wasn't doing too badly.

[Loomis]

We want to take the character further, crack him open, put him in an international backdrop.

Translation: we want Thomas Crown to be, essentially, James Bond without the guns.

It's obvious that Brosnan is desperate to star in another successful Bond-type franchise. Not only would it keep him in the lifestyle and level of fame to which he has become accustomed (and which came his way thanks solely to the Bond films), but it would also be the equivalent of sticking two fingers up at Eon, a la Connery and NEVER SAY NEVER AGAIN.

Looks like THOMAS CROWN 2 will be make-or-break for Brosnan. If it does poorly, I'm sure it'll put paid to the idea that Broz is an A-list Hollywood star who doesn't need Bond pull the punters.

Personally, I don't see why he doesn't just retire. He can't possibly need any more money (for that matter, I don't see why Broccoli and Wilson don't retire). I know a guy who retired at 40 and lives extremely well, and I'll bet he's considerably less wealthy than Brosnan. If Brosnan needs things to occupy his time, perhaps he should concentrate on his charity and environmental work instead of making pointless sequels intended to recapture his 007 glory days?

[Tarl_Cabot]

LOL hey maybe these "actors" need to do these sequels to keep the money and fame going, kinda like a drug high...Personaly, I like 'Crown better than any of his 007 films so I'm all for it(although I hate that he sold out to the housewives of america lobby by changing the ending to accomodate a romantic, happy, cheesy ending.I prefer the original where she betrays him, he dumps her...time for next adventure ).

[Bond is back]

Well he did just have After The Sunset, I was under the impression that the film wasn't doing too badly.

According to box office mojo, the film's production budget was $60 million. As of today, After The Sunset has grossed:

Domestic: $24,586,000 91.0%
+ Overseas: $2,430,085 9.0%
= Worldwide: $27,016,085

http://www.boxoffice...erthesunset.htm

The budget was $60 million, the marketing costs are not known. For a film to break even it has to make twice its budget and marketing costs. So ATS has to make at least $120 - $130/140 million (if we add a bit more to account for marketing costs) to be profitable. It's very unlikely this will happen.

At the US box office the film has been a large flop. Probably won't gross more than $30-35 million in total.

Edited by Bond is back, 29 November 2004 - 12:39 AM.

[Bond is back]

If you think Brosnan has it bad, Colin Farrell's new film could turn out to be one of the biggest flops of all time.

Alexander, directed by Oliver Stone, was budgeted at $155 million with a marketing budget of $60 million. That is a whopping $215 million in total.

It took just $13 million in its opening three days at the US box office. Will be lucky to make $50 million at the US box office.

http://www.boxoffice...d=alexander.htm

For Alexander to make profit it needs to take in the region of $500 million worldwide! It may struggle to make $150 million worldwide if the reviews are accurate. Apparently it's a real stinker. DVD sales won't save this film if the theatrical box office is terrible. So all this hype about Colin Farrell being too much of a star to play Bond - it's just nonsense. See how well Alexander does and then say he is a big star. I doubt he is.

[Qwerty]

If you think Brosnan has it bad, Colin Farrell's new film could turn out to be one of the biggest flops of all time.

Alexander, directed by Oliver Stone, was budgeted at $155 million with a marketing budget of $60 million. That is a whopping $215 million in total.

It took just $13 million in its opening three days at the US box office. Will be lucky to make $50 million at the US box office.

http://www.boxoffice...d=alexander.htm

For Alexander to make profit it needs to take in the region of $500 million worldwide! It may struggle to make $150 million worldwide if the reviews are accurate. Apparently it's a real stinker. DVD sales won't save this film if the theatrical box office is terrible. So all this hype about Colin Farrell being too much of a star to play Bond - it's just nonsense. See how well Alexander does and then say he is a big star. I doubt he is.

You might just want to check out this very thread on that as well: http://debrief.comma...topic=19742&hl=

[License To Kill]

I enjoyed the first one considerably. I'll be interested to learn more about this one here.

Right on, Qwerty. TCA was fantastic. All of us CBNers know that Pierce was the most Bondish in that film than any other Bond film.

[Sam Fisher]

Soon Pierce will play the film adapation of Rouge Agent

[Qwerty]

I enjoyed the first one considerably. I'll be interested to learn more about this one here.

Right on, Qwerty. TCA was fantastic. All of us CBNers know that Pierce was the most Bondish in that film than any other Bond film.

Probably. I'd call it his most Bondish non-Bond film, and he was pretty enjoyable in it. It's been a long time since I last saw it, it'll be great to compare with the new one coming out.

[SecretAgentFan]

Although I like Brosnan as 007 and Thomas Crown I

[[dark]]

MGM will release Topkapi on DVD next month - - be very eager to pick this one up.

[MI-6 Director]

IMDB has a poll out today that asks who is the better thief Danny Ocean (George Clooney) or Thomas Crown (Pierce Brosnan)? Here is the link Daily Poll

[Four Aces]

I have both TC versions, and would look forward to a sequel.

4A

[spynovelfan]

I watched this on DVD tonight. Well, I can see why they want to do it. The Melina Mercouri and Maxmilian Schell parts are made for Russo and Brosnan (or some other 40-something actress if Russo doesn't return - though I suspect she will, the way her career's going). At points, Schell looks very much like Brosnan:



He's the one on the right, for the wits among you. The scene in which we're introduced to his character I can well imagine them reproducing: he and an older man are walking down a foggy Paris street at night. Both wear dinner jackets and bow ties. They meet a policeman, and Schell asks him for directions to the George V hotel. The policeman tells him, and wishes him a good night, pointing to the glass of schnapps in Schell's hand. Schell laughs and thanks him. As the policeman walks off, Schell turns to raise his glass, and the other man turns, too - and we see that Schell is pointing a gun into his companion's back.

Mercouri's dreadful (and looks like a drag queen), the leaps of logic are hilarious, and there's a lot of self-indulgence. But the central set scene - ripped off by the first Cruise Mission: Impossible - is fantastic, and very tense. No music for about 20 minutes. Locations are great, too. But Peter Ustinov steals the whole film, and just makes me chuckle thinking of him. But, although the source novel is told from his point of view and they mucked this by not doing that, I suspect TCA2 will throw out his character altogether, because you just feel for him, and we need to concentrate on Brosnan. I also can't see how they can do that central scene, because of M:I. Probably all that will remain will be the Istanbul setting and a few details.

Edited by spynovelfan, 23 January 2005 - 12:58 AM.

[[dark]]

The remake of The Thomas Crown Affair is the IMDb Movie of the Day today.

Here's what they have to say:

When is a remake better than the original? When it's The Thomas Crown Affair, which takes the sleek 1969 original and cranks up the entertainment factor to mach speed, turning what was a languid flick into a high-adrenaline caper romance. Pierce Brosnan and Rene Russo are at the top of their game as, respectively, a man of industry who likes to indulge in a little high-priced art theft on the side and a crafty insurance investigator determined to get on his tail -- in more ways than one. The sexual politics are a little goofy (Russo is independence personified until she falls for Brosnan, and then she almost immediately loses her tough exterior), but the byplay between the two leads is incendiary as they match wits -- and wardrobes -- in sexy love scenes as well as meticulously crafted action sequences. Add a stellar supporting performance by Denis Leary, and a throwaway but wholly enjoyable cameo by original Crown star Faye Dunaway, and you have a smart, witty caper destined to slap a smile on your face. - Mark Englehart

[DLibrasnow]

I just hope its even half as good as the original TOPKAPI that starred Maximilian Schell and Peter Ustinov.

[[dark]]

It's an article from the start of February, but Latino Review has already linked John McTiernan with the director's chair for The Topkapi Affair. It'd be good to have him back.

Incidently, I saw the original Topkapi this week; a very fine film, which hasn't really dated too much at all. In the right hands, this could be another terrific updating.

[Blofeld's Cat]

Mercouri's dreadful (and looks like a drag queen), the leaps of logic are hilarious, and there's a lot of self-indulgence. But the central set scene - ripped off by the first Cruise Mission: Impossible - is fantastic, and very tense.

Interestingly, according to IMDb the TV series creator Bruce Geller cites Topkapi as the inspiration for his own series.

[Qwerty]

It's an article from the start of February, but Latino Review has already linked John McTiernan with the director's chair for The Topkapi Affair.  It'd be good to have him back.

Interesting! McTiernan could be great.

[Qwerty]

Interesting! McTiernan could be great.

[Blofeld's Cat]

Well, he DID do TCA so I guess it's not surprising he's doing TCA2 (TTA) as well.

[templer1972]

Is it thru that a third sequel is already plan for Thomas Crown and its going to be based on Rififi and will be called The Rififi Affairs.Tarantino is doing it with Brosnan.

[DLibrasnow]

I just wish the sequel was an original movie, rather than another remake.

I agree with you [dark], the original Topkapi is a fine movie.

[[dark]]

Oh, it is, but I think it will provide a great ground for The Topkapi Affair. Yes, it'll be harder to improve upon than the McQueen film, but if Irish Dreamtime rounds up the same or similar crew as last time, they should be able to pull this off nicely!

[YOLT]

I gurantee you that TOPKAPI is going to be a big sucess at least in Turkey. 2 or 3 million dollars is guranteed if the marketing is done properly. I hope Brosnan comes this time to Turkey because he didnt in TWINE.

[dinovelvet]

http://www.rottentom...?entryid=238768

Brosnan to Participate in "The Topkapi Affair"

Posted by Scott Weinberg on Thursday, Sep. 08, 2005, 12:32 AM

Scott Weinberg writes: "FilmFocus' Joe Utichi brings some news from former Bond-sman Pierce Brosnan, and it looks like the class-act actor will be bringing Eric Ambler's novel "Light of Day" to the big screen. Adapted into the 1964 film "Topkapi," "Light of Day" will act as inspiration to "The Topkapi Affair," a rendition in which Mr. Brosnan will reprise his role from "The Thomas Crown Affair." (Got all that?)

"The film is based on a Thomas Crown-free book by Eric Ambler called "Light of Day," which was made into a 1964 film called simply "Topkapi" (released a few years before Steve McQueen's "The Thomas Crown Affair") starring Peter Ustinov. As Brosnan explained to FilmFocus, "MGM wanted us and pushed us - they were saying 'Give us Thomas Crown.' We were reluctant initially, but they told us to have a look at Topkapi."

And the set-up is very Thomas Crown; involving the complicated heist of a priceless diamond-encrusted dagger (that isn't all it appears to be) from a real-lifer former Ottoman palace, Topkapi, in Istanbul, which is now a museum to the Ottoman Empire.

"We looked at Topkapi and found an angle in there for Thomas Crown," Brosnan told us, "So we have Harley Peyton working on it at the moment. We're just nursing the script along at the moment. There's a screenplay there, it just needs some tweaking and some work done to it to go back and find the voice."

Brosnan also revealed just how much of the original film, and indeed the novel it's based on, would remain. "We're using the diamond dagger, and we're using that as a key into the story, really. That's the Trojan horse again, but it'll be much more Thomas Crown-oriented in structure.""

For more info on Mr. Brosnan's upcoming features (including the very entertaining "The Matador"), check out the scoop over at FilmFocus."
---------------------------

Istanbul? Sounds interesting. Go on Pierce, give us a FRWL reference or two in the movie.

[[dark]]

Here's the original article. Sounds like this one'll be Russo-less. Probably work better that way.

I can't wait for this, actually. Especially with Harley Peyton scripting.

[ACE]

Interesting.

Shame. I loved Russo - thought she was one of the best female characters in movies for years. Found her incredibly sexy too - especially when she drank that Pepsi down in one.

ACE

[spynovelfan]

How does Brosnan's falling out with EON affect this, I wonder? Sony prepared to back him all the way on this, or am I missing something?

TOPKAPI is a fun film, with quite a lot of Bond-ish stuff in it. Not sure how they'll do the main scene, as it's been ripped off so much since, especially by Cruise in M:I. They'll have to be very clever to make that work again. And THE LIGHT OF DAY is a very cool little thriller.

[ACE]

For those who don't know, interesting titbit about the original movie.

Topkapi the movie starred Peter Ustinov in an Oscar winning role. Ustinov's part was originally to be played by Peter Sellers and Ustinov was signed to play Inspector Clouseau in The Pink Panther. They swapped roles (Ustinov was successfully sued) and changed movie history.

Imagine if Ustinov had gone on to play Clouseau and an Oscar-laden Sellers went on to critical and professional acclaim as a genteel, classy comedian?