21 replies to this topic

[Sanjuro007]

So, let's say you've just been put in charge of the James Bond franchise, how would you plot the course for further installments of the series? Here's my "off the top of my head" ideas.

[BTW: I figured I'd just use the titles that seem to be popular with the fans]

Bond 22 -- Risico (or The Undertaker's Wind)
Bond 23 -- A Quantum of Solace

These two films would incorporate unused elements from Fleming's novels and short stories, but would be "new" in the way that GE, TND, etc. were. These would be standalone stories, whose continuity would only extend so far as the return of familar characters -- just like the older Bond films. These movies would firmly establish that James Bond is here to stay.

Doesn't Daniel Craig have a three picture contract? Well, whether he signs on for more or not, I'd want the next few films to be somewhat of a trilogy in the spirit of the "SPECTRE Trilogy" of the books. These movies would have more direct continuity.

Bond 24 - Whisper of Hate

A replacement for Thunderball. Brand new story, introducing a brand new global threat.

Bond 25 - Property of a Lady

Tracy gets introduced into the "reboot continuity" -- her love affair with Bond, marriage, and eventual fate are reproduced pretty much as they are in OHMSS, but everything else about the plot is brand new. Still has that cliffhanger, downbeat ending.

Bond 26 - Shatterhand

The elements of YOLT that weren't used in the movie (and could be believably adapted to a modern setting) would be utilized here. The main point would be Bond is out for revenge, and he's left with amnesia at the end.

Bond 27 - The Gambit of Shame

The opening of the novel TMWTGG is the pre-credit sequence. Bond goes on a suicide mission to prove himself. Elements of Colonel Sun are incorporated into the movie. Bond re-earns his position at MI6, perhaps leaving it ambiguous about whether he'll return. (Although he won't wink at the camera nor will he or anyone utter the phrase "Never say never")

Daniel Craig (or his replacement) retires from the role. New Bond is selected.

Bond 28 - Licence Renewed.

Material from the Gardner and Benson novels are finally allowed to be officially adapted for the big screen, even if it's just the titles. The credit sequence reads "NAME OF ACTOR is Ian Fleming's 007 in NAME OF MOVIE," but Gardner and/or Benson get "Based on a story by..." credit if their novel is adapted, even if it's loosely.

Well, I've rambled on long enough. What would you guys do? Something similar? Something wild? Period piece? Kill off Bond? What?

Edited by Sanjuro007, 25 February 2006 - 01:09 PM.

[The Beast]

I'd bring Brosnan back first...
Then, I'd continue doing good-old movies, like "Tomorrow Never dies" and "Die Another day". Maybe just a little-bit more serious and I'd like to add more interesting villains and henchmen.

[Kingdom Come]

I would concentrate on getting high profile directors and writers. I would also go back to the fantasy elements of Die Another Day AFTER Bond 22.

[Bring Back Valentin]

I'd bring Brosnan back first...

Nnnnnhhhh...what does an aneurism feel like?

Brosnan is done. Deal with it. He's too old, and in DAD it really showed, much like Sir Sean in DAF and Sir Roger in AVTAK.

Anyway, I'm in charge huh? Okay...

Craig is probably good for another 10 years or so, unless he gets too fat and/or wrinkled. Something I don't see happening based on the pics I've seen so far. I don't mind bringing the fantasy elements back, but not to the extremes of YOLT, TSWLM, MR and DAD.

I like the idea of at least bringing in some of Gardner's and Benson's titles, though I've only read For Special Services so far.

Cut down on the product placement, even though they are the primary financing for the films (something like 90% of DAD's budget, I read somewhere). We all know Bond likes nice things, but it doesn't need to be shoved in our faces like close-ups of a Norelco razor or Smirnoff vodka.

Try to bring back Felix once or twice, and keep Jeffrey Wright on call at all costs, or at least as long as Craig is Bond.

Bring in a new M during or after Bond 22. While I find Judi Dench to be an excellent actress and a wonderful M, I think her time has come to retire. Having MI-6 change hands could be an interesting sub-plot. Get someone who, in the views of the rest of the 00 section, has risen too quickly through the ranks of MI-6. Not in over their heads with the job, but having to prove themselves to the 00's who are concerned.

Keep John Cleese as Q, but distance his character even further than the total clown he was in TWINE. Tone up the "serious-factor" he had in DAD just a little and he'd be perfect. Also, get him involved in briefings more like in TSWLM and MR. I always liked Q in an advisory capacity, as well as gadget-master.

Very few intelligence operations end up saving the world (or the British Isles) from destruction, what other types of assignments are out there? No more personal vendettas for Bond; they're done to death. No more plots involving sharks, diamonds, satellites, or nukes either for the same reason.

Humour is a good thing, but it did get out of hand with Broz. Connery and Dalton, IMO, had the humour that I would imagine from an MI-6 agent. Tone it down, but don't get rid of it.

If it doesn't exist or can't feasibly be done in the present time, it shouldn't be on film. What do I mean here? Say good-bye to the Aston Vanish, the VR shooting range, holograpic briefings, surfing tsunamis, etc. Stunts should be exciting of course, but Bond should N E V E R have a digital stunt double.

Villains: I like it when they're two-faced. Charming, maybe even heroic to the public, but downright nasty in private. Try and keep them a little older than Bond, but this is not a requirement. They don't have to be insane or megalomaniacal or filthy rich either, as long as they're acted and written well.

Speaking of acting, no actor in a Bond movie will be paid more than $20 million. (Broz got $4, $8.2, $12.4 and $16.5 million for GE through DAD, respectively) If an A-List actor really wants a role, they'll have to take a pay cut. This should also cut down on silly fanboy ramblings, and keep the budget at a manageable level.

Bond is not Rambo. The days of Bond killing tens or hundreds of people in a 10-minute sequence are gone. A big body-count is not a requirement, and is not realistic. Die Hard was a great film with only 17 deaths. Now I'm not saying Bond needs to be trapped alone in a skyscraper at Christmas, but it does prove my point. A high body-count does not make a great movie.

Get writers and directors who know how to write and direct people. Bond is human, let's see it. A Bond script should't be "okay, here's the car chase, and here's the villain explaining everything, and here's an explosion, and another explosion, and another..." You can have all those things, but connect them in a way that makes them intelligent, not formulaic. Get writers like the ones they have for 24, MI-5, etc. Bring in accomplished script doctors to tighten things up a bit.

2 years between films, and the return of "James Bond will return in ______________" They were able to keep that going for close to 30 years, no reason it can't be done again. Also, I'm in charge now, remember, there WILL be a 007 movie in 2007.

That's all(!!!) I can think of right now. I'll post more when MGW and BB hand the reigns over to me.

[THUNDERBALLS]

Hello I'm new to CBn and here are some of my ideas.

BOND 22 (WHISPER OF LOVE) 2007- The beginning sees Bond dealing with drink (the scene out of the You Only Live Twice novel) after the events of Casino Royale and m sends him to a rehabilitation centre. There he meets a woman who he marries by the end of the film. It should be another aquatic Bond adventure and should feel very thunderballesque. The threat should be worse than Casino Royale but still within the realms of realism. Bond's wife should also be played by a high profile actress, felix and mathis return and moneypenny should return. Also a Spectre-like organisation returns from casino royale.

Bond 23 (THE UNDERTAKERS WIND)2009- Bond is still married and things are going well they're happy togehter. M gets word that the Spectre-like organisation have created an island lair and bond has to infiltrate it and investigate whats going on there. the mission is succesful but its time for yet another unhappy ending. bond comes back to his chelsea flat to find his wife dead. shes been killed by the evil organisation. He vows revenge. Felix, mathis,m and moneypenny all return.

Bond 24(SHATTERHAND)2011- Based on yolt the novel but should include an original first half. Bonds mission is succesful but he should suffer from amnesia like the book. All the usual players return and Kissy Suzuki needs to be renamed because her characters already been used in another film. Craigs last outing.

[Simon Beavis]

So, let's say you've just been put in charge of the James Bond franchise, how would you plot the course for further installments of the series? Here's my "off the top of my head" ideas.

[BTW: I figured I'd just use the titles that seem to be popular with the fans]

Bond 22 -- Risico (or The Undertaker's Wind)
Bond 23 -- A Quantum of Solace

These two films would incorporate unused elements from Fleming's novels and short stories, but would be "new" in the way that GE, TND, etc. were. These would be standalone stories, whose continuity would only extend so far as the return of familar characters -- just like the older Bond films. These movies would firmly establish that James Bond is here to stay.

Doesn't Daniel Craig have a three picture contract? Well, whether he signs on for more or not, I'd want the next few films to be somewhat of a trilogy in the spirit of the "SPECTRE Trilogy" of the books. These movies would have more direct continuity.

Bond 24 - Whisper of Hate

A replacement for Thunderball. Brand new story, introducing a brand new global threat.

Bond 25 - Property of a Lady

Tracy gets introduced into the "reboot continuity" -- her love affair with Bond, marriage, and eventual fate are reproduced pretty much as they are in OHMSS, but everything else about the plot is brand new. Still has that cliffhanger, downbeat ending.

Bond 26 - Shatterhand

The elements of YOLT that weren't used in the movie (and could be believably adapted to a modern setting) would be utilized here. The main point would be Bond is out for revenge, and he's left with amnesia at the end.


Bond 27 - The Gambit of Shame

The opening of the novel TMWTGG is the pre-credit sequence. Bond goes on a suicide mission to prove himself. Elements of Colonel Sun are incorporated into the movie. Bond re-earns his position at MI6, perhaps leaving it ambiguous about whether he'll return. (Although he won't wink at the camera nor will he or anyone utter the phrase "Never say never")

Daniel Craig (or his replacement) retires from the role. New Bond is selected.

Sounds cool. Would White replace Blofeld in this cycle?

[tdalton]

If I were in charge of the Bond franchise, this is the direction I would take it over the next several years:


2007: A Whisper of Hate: The villainous organization from Casino Royale returns with an even bigger threat. Bond, still grieving over the loss of Vesper, is assigned to stop the organization, and begins to suspect someone on the inside of being involved with the organization. Bond begins to suspect that it's either 'M' or one of her senior advisors.

2009: Quantum of Solace: Bond continues to investigate the villanious organization in the finale of the quasi-trilogy that started with CR. Throughout the film, Bond continues to become more and more suspicious of his friend, Bill Tanner, as being a double-agent for the new villainous organization, only to find out at the end of the film that 'M' has been pulling some strings to turn the 2 good friends against eachother, and that all along she was involved with the organization, all while pulling 007 into a deadly game where nothing is what it seems, and that she has all along been working with the mysterious character only known as White.

2011: The Gambit of Shame: Bond, while on holiday after the events of QoS, meets Tracy as she tries to drown herself in the sea (much like at the beginning of the film OHMSS). Bond rushes to save her, while having flashbacks of losing Vesper. After he saves her, they begin a romance that ultimately ends up with him proposing to her. (Basically, the romance part of the film is very much like the original film, although updated for modern times). Meanwhile, Bond is contemplating retirement from MI6, but is lured back into service when MI6 learns of a plot to use germ warfare (in a similar method to OHMSS's plot, but once again, updated). Basically, this film would be a modern retelling of OHMSS, with both films also ending fairly similarly.

2013: Shatterhand: Bond is sent on the "impossible mission" of the YOLT novel. A somewhat faithful retelling of Fleming's novel, with the White character in place of Blofeld. In the PTS, we see Bond take his revenge on Irma Bunt.

2015: Risico: The film opens with Bond living as a civilian in Asia after being captured and brainwashed by remnants of the organization that White had been working for. The beginning of the TMWTGG novel is then played out, afterwhich, Bond is rehabilitated by MI6. Once remnants of White's organization realize that he failed the mission that they sent him on, a price is placed on Bond's head, and 'M' (Tanner) sends him on a mission to eliminate the people who have the price on his head before they do the same to Bond.

[Bring Back Valentin]

Good stuff, but I suspect having M be a mole would redline the spinning of Ian Fleming. He's only doing about 2500rpm right now...

[JimmyBond]

I also doubt we're ever going to see Tracy again. The producers did this reboot so they could move forward with the series, not retread past film plots and ideas.

[Qwerty]

Hello I'm new to CBn and here are some of my ideas.

BOND 22 (WHISPER OF LOVE) 2007- The beginning sees Bond dealing with drink (the scene out of the You Only Live Twice novel) after the events of Casino Royale and m sends him to a rehabilitation centre. There he meets a woman who he marries by the end of the film. It should be another aquatic Bond adventure and should feel very thunderballesque. The threat should be worse than Casino Royale but still within the realms of realism. Bond's wife should also be played by a high profile actress, felix and mathis return and moneypenny should return. Also a Spectre-like organisation returns from casino royale.

Bond 23 (THE UNDERTAKERS WIND)2009- Bond is still married and things are going well they're happy togehter. M gets word that the Spectre-like organisation have created an island lair and bond has to infiltrate it and investigate whats going on there. the mission is succesful but its time for yet another unhappy ending. bond comes back to his chelsea flat to find his wife dead. shes been killed by the evil organisation. He vows revenge. Felix, mathis,m and moneypenny all return.

Bond 24(SHATTERHAND)2011- Based on yolt the novel but should include an original first half. Bonds mission is succesful but he should suffer from amnesia like the book. All the usual players return and Kissy Suzuki needs to be renamed because her characters already been used in another film. Craigs last outing.

Welcome to the CommanderBond.net Forums, Thunderballs.

[Simon Beavis]

If I were in charge of the Bond franchise, this is the direction I would take it over the next several years:


2007: A Whisper of Hate: The villainous organization from Casino Royale returns with an even bigger threat. Bond, still grieving over the loss of Vesper, is assigned to stop the organization, and begins to suspect someone on the inside of being involved with the organization. Bond begins to suspect that it's either 'M' or one of her senior advisors.

2009: Quantum of Solace: Bond continues to investigate the villanious organization in the finale of the quasi-trilogy that started with CR. Throughout the film, Bond continues to become more and more suspicious of his friend, Bill Tanner, as being a double-agent for the new villainous organization, only to find out at the end of the film that 'M' has been pulling some strings to turn the 2 good friends against eachother, and that all along she was involved with the organization, all while pulling 007 into a deadly game where nothing is what it seems, and that she has all along been working with the mysterious character only known as White.

2011: The Gambit of Shame: Bond, while on holiday after the events of QoS, meets Tracy as she tries to drown herself in the sea (much like at the beginning of the film OHMSS). Bond rushes to save her, while having flashbacks of losing Vesper. After he saves her, they begin a romance that ultimately ends up with him proposing to her. (Basically, the romance part of the film is very much like the original film, although updated for modern times). Meanwhile, Bond is contemplating retirement from MI6, but is lured back into service when MI6 learns of a plot to use germ warfare (in a similar method to OHMSS's plot, but once again, updated). Basically, this film would be a modern retelling of OHMSS, with both films also ending fairly similarly.

2013: Shatterhand: Bond is sent on the "impossible mission" of the YOLT novel. A somewhat faithful retelling of Fleming's novel, with the White character in place of Blofeld. In the PTS, we see Bond take his revenge on Irma Bunt.

2015: Risico: The film opens with Bond living as a civilian in Asia after being captured and brainwashed by remnants of the organization that White had been working for. The beginning of the TMWTGG novel is then played out, afterwhich, Bond is rehabilitated by MI6. Once remnants of White's organization realize that he failed the mission that they sent him on, a price is placed on Bond's head, and 'M' (Tanner) sends him on a mission to eliminate the people who have the price on his head before they do the same to Bond.

Sweet. This one's my favorite so far.

Good stuff, but I suspect having M be a mole would redline the spinning of Ian Fleming. He's only doing about 2500rpm right now...

Not necessarily, because this would not be HIS M. If Miles Messervy were a traitor, he might be pissed, but this is a different M.

That said, I like the idea of a mole in MI6, very 24

OTTH, maybe Tanner or Robinson might work better as the mole.

[TerminalLon3some]

Having Tracy in one of the future films is ESSENTIAL. This is a very important event in the life of James Bond and it helps to further shape his character. I am praying EON will add her and then give us a proper adaption of the YOLT novel.


Take 'er easy
-matt

Edited by TerminalLon3some, 28 February 2006 - 04:40 AM.

[JimmyBond]

Having Tracy in one of the future films is ESSENTIAL. This is a very important event in the life of James Bond and it helps to further shape his character. I am praying EON will add her and then give us a proper adaption of the YOLT novel.


Take 'er easy
-matt

Why is it essential? They've used her already, to use her again would be retreading old ground. Everything about the reboot is because they don't want to retread old ground anymore.

Besides, Campbell said that no further Bond novels would be filmed.

[TerminalLon3some]

Yeah, I agree that they don't want to retread old ground anymore in terms of fantastical plots and such, but this was a huge event in the life of the character James Bond and if you are going to restart the series with Casino Royale and show us this character developing, then this pivotal event needs to occur at some point. I always thought that the death of Tracy was such a defining event in the Bond novels...It really needs to be incorporated into the films.

Most casual Bond fans probably don't even know much about OHMSS anyway. And if EON really wants to pass up the chance of making YOLT into the film it really should have been, then that's their problem. The novel is fantastic and should be used at some point.


Take 'er easy
-matt

Edited by TerminalLon3some, 28 February 2006 - 05:07 AM.

[Double-Oh Agent]

Since EON has decided to press on with the stupid reboot idea, then they shouldn't use Tracy in the rebooted series. The original Bond series is classic and none of the films need to be, nor should be, remade and that includes the characters and situations from the 20 films. As a result, that means that Tracy di Vicenzo should not appear in the rebooted series or consequently marry 007.

If EON is going to continue with this reboot idea then the used bits from the past is gone and they need to move forward with new stuff. Besides, Bond's relationship with Vesper has an equally lasting impact on Bond as does his relationship with Tracy. So the original series will have the Tracy relationship as Bond's defining love while the rebooted series will have Vesper as its defining love. It doesn't need both relationships. To do so would be unnecessarily repetitive.

[tdalton]

Since EON has decided to press on with the stupid reboot idea, then they shouldn't use Tracy in the rebooted series. The original Bond series is classic and none of the films need to be, nor should be, remade and that includes the characters and situations from the 20 films. As a result, that means that Tracy di Vicenzo should not appear in the rebooted series or consequently marry 007.

If EON is going to continue with this reboot idea then the used bits from the past is gone and they need to move forward with new stuff. Besides, Bond's relationship with Vesper has an equally lasting impact on Bond as does his relationship with Tracy. So the original series will have the Tracy relationship as Bond's defining love while the rebooted series will have Vesper as its defining love. It doesn't need both relationships. To do so would be unnecessarily repetitive.

The Tracy relationship HAS to be revisited if they are going to put FLEMING'S Bond up on the big screen, which they appear to be wanting to do. If this is going to be EON'S Bond, complete with a different backstory and virtually sharing only a name in common, then they don't have to, but if it's Fleming, Tracy needs to be in the storyline. I think that what turns Bond into the cold and hardened man that he continues to progress further and further towards being in the novels is the fact that he lost one woman that he loved (Vesper), which turns him into "the Bond we all know" to paraphrase Martin Campbell. But, to reach the events of the You Only Live Twice and The Man With The Golden Gun novels, it has to happen to him again in order for him to be sent over the edge.

If the continuity problem is really a huge issue, then the names can be changed so that it doesn't conflict with the original On Her Majesty's Secret Service movie, but I definitely think that, for a rebooted Bond, that the basic issue of the novel has to at least be adressed.

I think that with the reboot, that EON is going to go back and do it the way that it should have been done the first time, with the basic idea of Fleming's overall character arc for Bond, which goes from losing Vesper, becoming the cynical, world-weary Bond that we all know, to his marriage and supposed happiness, to being sent over the edge by the end of the book series.

[Simon Beavis]

Bond is not Rambo. The days of Bond killing tens or hundreds of people in a 10-minute sequence are gone. A big body-count is not a requirement, and is not realistic. Die Hard was a great film with only 17 deaths. Now I'm not saying Bond needs to be trapped alone in a skyscraper at Christmas, but it does prove my point. A high body-count does not make a great movie.

Agreed that Bond is not Rambo, but I think that the villains need to be more lethal. Collateral damage has proved to be very effective on 24. Especially on season 2 when the villain attacks CTU headquarters, or season 3 when the villain unleashes a virus on a hotel. Show us a Bond villain that can do THAT level of damage. The only villains that have come close thus far are Trevelyan, Carver, and Renard.

And the body count doesn't have to be astronomically high either, only one or two people were actually killed in the CTU attack, if memory serves.

Picture this: Bond is at an MI6 auxillary building. The villain arranges an attack. Bond figures out that the building is going to be hit, and orders an evacuation, with a few people perishing. Bond becomes even more determined to find the villain and stop him. Throw 007 into TOTAL CHAOS, and see what he does.

[stamper]

It's all very interesting, and I think the final point is :

Bond needs to have an arc over several films as a character, rather than just being the same from one movie to another. This would make all the difference, and revive the series for another 10 years.

[o07hmss]

The best decission EON made on CR is to bring Bond back to his roots. To show us where it all starts for him as a 00-agent. But EON does not set it all up in the 1950's, but in the year 2006. And that is a very clever move. What about the continuity? There is some (like the character of M) but most of it has nothing to do with the former Bonds. So CR is no 'Batman Begins' because we don't look back to the 1950's. On the other hand it is 'Bond Begins' but in a different way. A clever way. We've seen 'Dr. No' etc. Though Bond has no recollection of that, because is it an adventure that has to happen in the future. Is this future 1962? No, it is not. It is just one of his missions...

One who says the continuity is all gone with CR, has never seen a Bond film before. Where are all the former Bond girls? Why Blofeld does not discovers Bond in OHMSS when he meets Hilary Bray? Each film is on it's own. And that's why Bond is a winner for more than 40 years. It's series that breaks all the rules of being a series. That's Bond. My Bond. And I'm very proud EON shows us (the world) their balls.

[Agent007.5]

2011: The Gambit of Shame: Bond, while on holiday after the events of QoS, meets Tracy as she tries to drown herself in the sea (much like at the beginning of the film OHMSS). Bond rushes to save her, while having flashbacks of losing Vesper. After he saves her, they begin a romance that ultimately ends up with him proposing to her. (Basically, the romance part of the film is very much like the original film, although updated for modern times). Meanwhile, Bond is contemplating retirement from MI6, but is lured back into service when MI6 learns of a plot to use germ warfare (in a similar method to OHMSS's plot, but once again, updated). Basically, this film would be a modern retelling of OHMSS, with both films also ending fairly similarly.

2013: Shatterhand: Bond is sent on the "impossible mission" of the YOLT novel. A somewhat faithful retelling of Fleming's novel, with the White character in place of Blofeld. In the PTS, we see Bond take his revenge on Irma Bunt.

Shouldn't there be a new film in 2012? For ond major obvious reason, and also another not-so-obvious reason. First, 2012 is the 50th anniversary of the Bond films, and that's a big reason to release one (hopefully a film that is much better than what we got for the 40th Anniversary). Also, 2012 is the year London will host the summer olympics, so it'll be kinda cool to have a big new Bond film in a year when London is being watched by the world.

[shady ginzo]

assuming craig is signed for the same contract as brosnan (3 film deal with option of 4th) the current drive to portray a more faithful "fleming bond" should be driven though quickly during Craig's tenure. while i agree it would be a mistake for the franchise to start directly re-making old films (ie, Bond 22 being Live and Let Die) i think it should be an original plot in which bond has a similar character arc as in the early books, which would be continued through the following films. I am un-decided on the re-introduction of Tracey, but this does seem to me to be crucial if we are to see the "breakdown" of bond as depicted in the books. including Bond's suicide mission would also be cool in my opinion, although maybe as a protracted Pre-title sequence in Craig's final film, after which he would be re-instated in MI6 and finally erradicate the spectre type orginisation seen in Casino Royale. This which would complete the circle of the fleming-based run, with Bond finally finding resolution by the end of the 4th movie, dramatically facing off and defeating the "Blofield" type leader of the organisation

further thoughts on this evil organisation, i think it would be quite neat to have them tied into some sort of government conspiracy and maybe have several masterminds, some of whom could even be fictional significant figures from certain countries, or even our own! very cloak and dagger - MI6 secretly hunting global politicians

Edited by shady ginzo, 01 March 2006 - 07:28 PM.

[Leiter]

Everyone is mentioning the opening to TMWTGG, but what if James actually kills M and Bill Tanner because the temporary director? It might be too far of a stretch but if done right it could work.