46 replies to this topic

[Pierce - Daniel]

Now on the CBn main page...

Will Paul Haggis Be Back For 'Bond 23'?

The Observer's Jason Solomons seems to think so...

Comes from Jason Solomon fro the Obeserver, he's had interviews with the prods as well as an indepth interview ith Forster at the time of QOS's release. I wouldn't take his word lightly.
http://www.guardian....aul-haggis-bond

[DamnCoffee]

If this is true, let's hope it's only Haggis and not Purvis and Wade. I really would love to see a Bond film with Haggis fully incharge of the script.

[Harmsway]

I'm not sure there's much to it other than speculation. But I wouldn't mind it being the case, even though I think EON could do better.

[MattofSteel]

The article is phrased somewhat deceptively, but this is one bit of speculation I'd love to be true. The disappointment of parts of Quantum's script notwithstanding, he's the best man on the planet for dialogue in a Bond film since Richard Maibaum.

[DamnCoffee]

The article is phrased somewhat deceptively, but this is one bit of speculation I'd love to be true. The disappointment of parts of Quantum's script notwithstanding, he's the best man on the planet for dialogue in a Bond film since Richard Maibaum.

Yep.

Quantum has many flaws but the dialogue sure aint one of them.

[Tybre]

Weren't the problems with the script because he left it unfinished due to the strike or something, though? Hardly a bad writer.

[tdalton]

I'm not sure there's much to it other than speculation. But I wouldn't mind it being the case, even though I think EON could do better.

I think that EON could do much better as well. Despite the fact that the two films Haggis has been involved with have been two of the better ones, they're still films that are still full of many of the cliches and checklist items that the Bond franchise has become famous for. I'd like to see a writer brought on board and given the freedom to craft a truly original story and screenplay rather than being forced to shoehorn certain elements into the screenplay to satisfy the formula.

[Royal Dalton]

Comes from Jason Solomon fro the Obeserver, he's had interviews with the prods as well as an indepth interview ith Forster at the time of QOS's release. I wouldn't take his word lightly.
http://www.guardian....aul-haggis-bond

I would. I seem to recall Jason Solomons proclaiming that Bond wouldn't be wearing a dinner jacket in Casino Royale.

Yeah, that turned out to be true, didn't it.

The article is phrased somewhat deceptively, but this is one bit of speculation I'd love to be true. The disappointment of parts of Quantum's script notwithstanding, he's the best man on the planet for dialogue in a Bond film since Richard Maibaum.

Yep.

Quantum has many flaws but the dialogue sure aint one of them.

Probably because Joshua Zetumer rewrote most of the script.

[JimmyBond]

RoyalDalton:

Interesting. Is that based on fact or is it merely speculation?

[Matt_13]

Alright fine, he's a great writer, he did some great things with CR and QOS, but really EON could find someone much better, an unknown who can bring fresh ideas to the table. Remember, Haggis was forced to dump his original screenplay for Bond 22 because it featured Bond and his child. I think fresh blood would be the best course of action for these folks, but that's just me.

[Tybre]

Alright fine, he's a great writer, he did some great things with CR and QOS, but really EON could find someone much better, an unknown who can bring fresh ideas to the table. Remember, Haggis was forced to dump his original screenplay for Bond 22 because it featured Bond and his child. I think fresh blood would be the best course of action for these folks, but that's just me.

Wait, child? When was this?

[Harmsway]

Um, Haggis' story for BOND 22 wasn't about Bond and his own child. It was about Bond finding Vesper's child.

[Matt_13]

Oh, so Vesper had a child BEFORE Bond, and that's what Bond was supposedly going to be going after? Sounds a bit like Bourne Supremacy when Bourne tracks down the daughter of the Neski family. Got it mixed up, sorry folks.

[Qwerty]

Now on the CBn main page...

Will Paul Haggis Be Back For 'Bond 23'?

The Observer's Jason Solomons seems to think so...

[Harmsway]

Oh, so Vesper had a child BEFORE Bond, and that's what Bond was supposedly going to be going after?

Exactly.

The Broccolis objected because they couldn't see Bond, who was an orphan himself, abandoning an orphan at the end of the film, particularly one connected to Vesper (as Bond would necessarily have to do in order to keep the integrity of the franchise).

I object to the idea myself because I think the idea makes little sense, looking at how CASINO ROYALE handles its narrative. It also makes Vesper's suicide look a thousand times worse, because she's abandoning her role as caretaker for a young innocent.

[K1Bond007]

I'm rather torn. I don't think Haggis is bad, but I'm not so sure he should be a sole screenwriter either. I almost wish they could just bring in some new blood. I do think it's time to let Purvis and Wade go. I think they've run their course and achieved all they're going to do with Bond. If they continue then I'd like to be proven wrong.

[scaramunga]

Hopefully this is true. It would be great to see some work begin on Bond 23. Hopefully they won't rush the story this time.

[tdalton]

I almost wish they could just bring in some new blood.

I think that that's exactly what EON needs to do with the franchise. Now that they've proven that the audience is willing to let them play around with the formula and change up certain elements of the "checklist", I think that it's time to bring in a new set of writers and give them a great deal of freedom to go out and really shake things up with the franchise.

While I can't say that I'd complain one bit if they continued down the current path they're headed down with the franchise (the franchise has never been in better shape, IMO), I'd still like to see EON do something even more radical with the franchise than what they've done so far with the reboot.

[Roger Moore's Bad Facelift]

I know this puts me squarely in the minority, but I find Haggis to be extremely overrated.
I think both CR and QOS succeeded in spite of Haggis, not because of him.

I'm not sure how much of P & W's CR script he re-wrote, but I believe he took credit for the Macbeth-inspired finger suckling scene. The train ride also smacks of his oh-so-clever contrived dialogue.

Considering how he openly bashed the title choice of “Quantum of Solace”, in addition to having his Vesper’s child subplot vetoed by Babs and Co., I have to question if EON is keen on bringing him back. Then again, much like Dame Judi Dench, his name does bring a certain Oscar prestige to the franchise.

There are worse choices out there, but I’m not sure Haggis is the man for the job. In all truth, (*prepares to duck and cover*) I trust P & W to better understand the cinematic Bond.

Edited by Roger Moore's Bad Facelift, 11 June 2009 - 05:27 AM.

[SecretAgentFan]

I think Haggis knows how to do Bond in the Craig era AND what EON wants him to do (snappy dialogue, characterization). I would welcome a third outing from him.

And rest assured: big budget films NEVER only use one writer.

[double o ego]

Haggis should return but not as sole screenwriter. I want 2 new talented British screewn writers to replace purvis and wade.

[marktmurphy]

A pretty safe bet, isn't it? Solomons not exactly sticking his neck out, there.

CR was good, Quantum wasn't, so I'm ambivalent on this one.

[Odd Jobbies]

Pay the man well and let him write alone to make up for the short change we got with QoS because of the writer's strike.

Don't get me wrong, i loved QoS - loved the frantic pace and characterization. But the plot and nuances could've been a little more refined to help Forster deliver. Looking at Crash and Royale plot and nuance are Haggis' strengths, along with clever dialogue, so i'm guessing he ran out of time on QoS.

So they have to get a director as good as Campbell and Forster (Christopher Nolan, or Jonathan Glazer are my picks) and they already have an amazing actor, so why should they scrimp on the writer? I'm sure it'll be Haggis going it alone, with perhaps P&W getting a story credit if they come up with a concept better than Haggis! But like i said, give the guy time.

Edited by Odd Jobbies, 11 June 2009 - 09:01 AM.

[Zorin Industries]

Um, Haggis' story for BOND 22 wasn't about Bond and his own child. It was about Bond finding Vesper's child.

And as it was an idea (and one that Eon didn't take to) I doubt it made a full script so was merely an approach / treatment / idea.

It is also worth remembering that whether people rate or hate Paul Haggis he has a working and creative relationship with Eon HQ and that is something that is vital to their future thoughts at all times. He - and Neil Purvis and Robert Wade - are respected and valued by them.

[BoogieBond]

Will Haggis be back ? I sincerely hope so.

CR's script was cracking, along with Flemings story and P&W's contributions, but some of the snappy dialogue and as has been said earlier nuances that Haggis had added to the last 2 mean that I would want him as one of the first names(along with Craig) on the sheet.

Not too bothered about P&W, don't mind if they return, the last 2 scipts have been reasonably good and they had contributions on those, the scripts for DAD and TWINE I didn't like so much, so they are 50/50 as far as I'm concerned. I don't want to get bogged down into the contributions of each writer, and the collaraborative process that was had and who did what though, CR & QOS track record does count for something though. I am not against bringing a couple of new script writers to help Haggis or provide polishing(not french polishing ), or to have him and someone like Tony Gilroy do one together.

Why not bring Haggis back and have him a crack at director as well. He may as well go out, if he only does 3 films, with a bang.

[Odd Jobbies]

Why not bring Haggis back and have him a crack at director as well.

This i'd like to see.

[Orion]

Wasn't he offered QOS to direct but turned it down? It's probably very likly if hes writing it that he's been offered the director's chair as well. Whether or not hed accept it? well that's another matter.

[Skudor]

I'm happy with the two film's he's been involved with, so it's a clear yes from me (would have preferred an option with out the 'alone' or 'with others' caveats - as I dont' really care on that point).

[dee-bee-five]

Alright fine, he's a great writer, he did some great things with CR and QOS, but really EON could find someone much better, an unknown who can bring fresh ideas to the table. Remember, Haggis was forced to dump his original screenplay for Bond 22 because it featured Bond and his child. I think fresh blood would be the best course of action for these folks, but that's just me.

I think you're being way too harsh here. In creative script meetings - and, yes, I attend many, albeit in TV - all sorts of outlandish and bonkers ideas are thrown into the pot to see what gels and what doesn't. People often liken it to throwing a pan of pasta at the wall to see what sticks and what falls away. Sometimes an idea sounds appealing and it goes beyond the "wall" stage, only to get further down the line and find it's not working. Just because an idea sounds bad in retrospect doesn't mean it sounded bad at the time. That is the nature of a collaborative enterprise.

[Chief of SIS]

I think Haggis has a general idea of what to do with Bond now and though he isn't the greatest writer in the world, he is a writer that understands how to write Bond I think unlike if you brought in a fresh face. I'd be more than happy to have him pencil the script but I think I'd want just him (though I believe Quantum's script was a little of a mess because of the writer's strike).