15 replies to this topic

[Andy A 007]

I've always been a fan of the Gardner Bond novels. Regardless of whether its possible or not, I've always thought that the Gardner novels would make for great films. Would anyone else like to see a Gardner or even Benson novel adapted for Bond 22 or other future Bond films?

For Special Services or Icebreaker would be my preferences.

[stamper]

Er I think this thread already exists. As said here before, the Gardner already had lots of things taken and appearing on the Bond movies, from AVTAK on...

[K1Bond007]

Nobody Lives For Ever would be cool as the basis for Bond 23, however, I believe too many people would draw comparisons between it and The Bourne Identity.

[zencat]

Yes, I'd love to see the Gardner novels adapted. For Special Services is a good choice. I also think Brokenclaw has potential (especially with Craig).

[tdalton]

Yes, I'd love to see the Gardner novels adapted. For Special Services is a good choice. I also think Brokenclaw has potential (especially with Craig).

I definitely agree that "For Special Services" would make for a great Bond film. I also think that "Icebreaker" and Benson's "Never Dream of Dying" would make for good films as well.

[dinovelvet]

Yes, I'd love to see the Gardner novels adapted. For Special Services is a good choice. I also think Brokenclaw has potential (especially with Craig).

I'd prefer to see all of Benson's novels adapted before any Gardners, particularly NDOD and TMWTRT But I agree Brokenclaw could be pretty cool, with its memorable lunatic villain and the intense climactic duel/torture scene, although the story as a whole would have to be 'modernized' and the action beefed up, a la Casino Royale.

[Qwerty]

I know there are about 10+ threads on the same topic as this. Trying to find them so that we can merge them together.

[Loomis]

I say forget Gardner - do "Colonel Sun" or Benson's "The Man With the Red Tattoo" instead ("Zero Minus Ten" could have been a terrific film, but as it would have to be a period piece [unless, of course, they changed the plot to make the villain someone who'd given post-Handover Hong Kong a fair chance for a few years but decided it had become incurably crap since the British left and was planning to destroy it on the 10th or 15th anniversary or whatever of China taking power.... which I suppose would be doable] it's probably a nonstarter nowadays).

I don't see "For Special Services" working as a film. For a start, you'd need a Bond who was knocking on a bit (think Sean in NSNA or Rog in AVTAK), and then there's the thorny issue of SPECTRE. Also, Gardner conceals the identity of the villain by pulling a fiendishly simple trick with the English language - darned if I know how a film adaptation could keep such a twist up its sleeve. 'Course, you could chop and change these few elements, but that done I don't see how it would really be anything other than FSS in name only.

If there must be a Gardner film, my vote goes to "Icebreaker".

[Harmsway]

I don't particularly want to see a straight Gardner adaptation. His novels were horribly plotted and there's very little of worth taking from them other than a few good concepts.

Gardner-inspired I can live with, and might even like. Bond on a team mission ala ICEBREAKER? Great concept - but do it better than Gardner did. Bond being hunted by assassins ala NOBODY LIVES FOREVER? Fantastic notion - but don't do it Gardner's way.

[Double-Oh Agent]

I'm all for EON filming the Amis, Gardner, and Benson continuation novels. I hope they do them beginning with Bond 22 or Bond 23.

The most filmable ones I think are:

Amis: Colonel Sun

Gardner: License Renewed, For Special Services, Icebreaker, Nobody Lives Forever, Scorpius, Brokenclaw, and Death Is Forever

Benson: Zero Minus Ten (if plot changed slightly--good idea Loomis), The Facts Of Death, High Time To Kill, and Never Dream Of Dying.

[Loomis]

Benson: Zero Minus Ten (if plot changed slightly--good idea Loomis)

Thanks. If they get cracking, they'll have just enough time to work the 2008 Beijing Olympics into the plot.

Might as well get an additional planned attack in there - nuking Hong Kong just ain't enough. Heck, have Thackeray plotting to pin the blame on, I don't know, "Taiwanese ultrahardliners" (a term almost made to be spoken by Dench's M), and hey presto! Bond's preventing World War III again. After all, a Bond film's gotta expand on the novel.

[rafterman]

I'd be up for Benson adaptations first, but some of the Gardners would be great as well. Don't see it as very likely though.

[AgentPB]

I think it would be good for Bond books if they did a continuation novel adaption. It would make more people realize Bond was a literary character. Maybe people would buy more of his books.

[Qwerty]

If Gardner: Icebreaker, Nobody Lives Forever and Never Send Flowers stand out as options to me.

[pedroarmendariz]

i agree that eon should look into the further litetary adventures of bond after fleming. there are so many great plots that should have been taken into consideration by the films and also the great character of q'ute that gardner gave to bond. being smart, she could play a bond girl like q's witness that bond should return one of his gadgets at least once for a change. one of the ideas that eon could follow would be to film the benson trilogy where bond battles the union. that could be craig's tenure as bond since specter is too sticky an issue due to legal reasons for a foe and cubby closed that chapter a long time ago. then again, i believe that eon doesn't want to marry the film bond with the book bond for either money reasons or control reasons. the books and the films have different owners so the broccoli/wilson family want to continue their hold on bond to themselves. that probably also explains why we won't see a young bond on film since it could undermine the eon cannon and control. i would love to see double shot with its twisted plotline about bond having mental problems caused by the union in a film, especially if craig is the one to do it. imagine craig on a rampage after finding that his visions were brought on by his enemies. there would be hell to pay for that one.

[BlackFelix]

I too am in favour of turning Gardners books into films...I wonder why they haven't done so already? Also, EON do have first-rights-of-refusal clause. Meaning, EON has the option to turn these books into films first, if they'd like to...No other film company can buy the rights to the Gardner books and start a rival Bond franchise!

I honestly hope one day they will get turned into films (the Garnder novels) but perhaps its something further down the line. Perhaps a TV project or something? Good writing and great stories, no additional work is needed really. And besides..It will save Purvis & Wade the trouble of coming up with an original story from scratch!

Edited by BlackFelix, 29 November 2006 - 08:12 PM.