17 replies to this topic

[Jeao007]

Since I wasn't around to experience it, what was it like about a year or two after License to Kill was released? We know very little about the upcoming Bond film other than Judi Dench recently stating that she would start filming her parts for the new film in 2011. Were there any news snippets like that pertaining to Dalton's third outing as Bond? I'm sure this question has arisen in the past here on CBn, but I was just curious.

EDIT: I apologize; I meant to post this on the Dalton Forum, please forgive me.

Edited by Jeao007, 11 December 2009 - 03:30 AM.

[stromberg]

No Problem, topic moved.

[Major Tallon]

I'll report my recollected impressions, but I'll be interested to hear if other folks recall it differently.

In the immediate aftermath of LTK, I don't remember much talk about a third Dalton film, or really much about Bond at all. Instead, there seemed to be a fairly common consensus that LTK hadn't been the film audiences wanted and had underperformed financially. Blame for this seemed to be placed squarely on Timothy Dalton's shoulders, and, to the extent that Bond was mentioned, the question that seemed to crop up most often was whether Dalton would be replaced in the role. A couple of years later, there'd be some mention of Disney being involved, of robots featuring in the story, and of Whoppi Goldberg being cast, but I don't recall any of this as generating much excitement.

[Mr. Somerset]

A very long two years, and occasionally in interviews Dalton would mention he was doing the next one, and that it was being written. Still, other than the fan clubs, there was nothing. Very dry period. After only three years it seemed like the series was a thing of the past, then the legal problems were resolved and again time to celebrate. However, it would take until 1994 before any solid news on the film was unveiled.

[Royal Dalton]

The information about the script for Bond17, I think, started to come out a few years AFTER Goldeneye finally made it to the screen. It was a screen treatment by Alfonse Ruggerio, a Bond Girl named Connie Webb, a ski chase similar to what Bond and Elektra went through in TWINE (but in Japan), a British villain trying to tamper with robotic controls and shut down processing plants and manufacturing centers around the world....apparently Disney was brought on board to do some early, rough draft artwork for what the robots could look like. Does anyone seriously believe Dalton would have signed on for that?

I've read that treatment and the answer is "yes". It was a hi-tech storyline, but it wasn't anywhere near as far out as it was made out to be. It probably would have been a good film if it had been made.

[sthgilyadgnivileht]

My main memory of the '91 time was just frustration tbh. I remember when Bond 17 should have been rolling we lost two main architects of the series quite close together - Richard Maibaum and Maurice Binder, (plus Roald Dahl had died not long before that as well).
As mentioned we got some updates via the fanclub. I remember an article in 007extra about late 1990 time headed 'all parties consider 007's disappearance only temporary', but it was many years after that before GE finally arrived.
A lot of what happened was documented on the 'Another view of Licence to Kill's flopping thread', (which must rank as one of the most debated on Cbn this year). I would advise you look there Jeo007.

[AMC Hornet]

I remember receiving a newsletter from the James Bond 007 fan club in the summer of 91, (back when Richard Schenkman was still running things) with the headline: "Bond 17: Nowheresville" For half a second I thought that was the proposed title for the next film. The article below said that no-one but TD had been cast, no script had been written and no starting, wrap or release dates had been set. The next newsletter (also the last, I believe) described the situation with United Artists: how MGM had been sold to Lorimar, then to some Italian billionaire who wanted to be a movie mogul. As there was no solid ground under UA, Eon couldn't get a project started.

My elder brother - who knew so much more than I did without even keeping track like I was doing, said that Eon had gone out of business and there wouldn't be any more films unless someone else bought the rights. (He had been predicting the death of the series ever since Sean Connery quit for the first time in 1967). I remained true, satisfying myself with Spymaker, Goldeneye (both subtitled 'the secret life of Ian Fleming') and my own fan edit of Casino Royale '67 (there's a fairly clever little one-hour spoof hidden away in that rambling, top-heavy monstrosity - all on has to do is make like Blofeld running Whyte enterprises and "try to cut some of the fat off.").

Then one blessed day in June 94 I saw a brief news item naming Pierce Brosnan as the new 007, and declaring that Bond 17 was finally underway. I'll tell you, that was one intolerably long wait (as it was more than twice the length of time between TMWTGG and TSWLM), but it helped keep the four years betweem DAD and CR in perspective.

So we have two more years to wait until the next one. No biggie. Just spend the time watching for more Higson novels (never mind the recent rumours - in his forward to Danger Society he mentions that he intends to continue).

[AMC Hornet]

I remember receiving a newsletter from the James Bond 007 fan club in the summer of 91, (back when Richard Schenkman was still running things) with the headline: "Bond 17: Nowheresville" For half a second I thought that was the proposed title for the next film. The article below said that no-one but TD had been cast, no script had been written and no starting, wrap or release dates had been set. The next newsletter (also the last, I believe) described the situation with United Artists: how MGM had been sold to Lorimar, then to some Italian billionaire who wanted to be a movie mogul. As there was no solid ground under UA, Eon couldn't get a project started.

My elder brother - who knew so much more than I did without even keeping track like I was doing, said that Eon had gone out of business and there wouldn't be any more films unless someone else bought the rights. (He had been predicting the death of the series ever since Sean Connery quit for the first time in 1967). I remained true, satisfying myself with Spymaker, Goldeneye (both subtitled 'the secret life of Ian Fleming') and my own fan edit of Casino Royale '67 (there's a fairly clever little one-hour spoof hidden away in that rambling, top-heavy monstrosity - all on has to do is make like Blofeld running Whyte enterprises and "try to cut some of the fat off.").

Then one blessed day in June 94 I saw a brief news item naming Pierce Brosnan as the new 007, and declaring that Bond 17 was finally underway. I'll tell you, that was one intolerably long wait (as it was more than twice the length of time between TMWTGG and TSWLM), but it helped keep the four years betweem DAD and CR in perspective.

So we have two more years to wait until the next one. No biggie. Just spend the time watching for more Higson novels (never mind the recent rumours - in his forward to Danger Society he mentions that he intends to continue).

[AMC Hornet]

I remember receiving a newsletter from the James Bond 007 fan club in the summer of 91, (back when Richard Schenkman was still running things) with the headline: "Bond 17: Nowheresville" For half a second I thought that was the proposed title for the next film. The article below said that no-one but TD had been cast, no script had been written and no starting, wrap or release dates had been set. The next newsletter (also the last, I believe) described the situation with United Artists: how MGM had been sold to Lorimar, then to some Italian billionaire who wanted to be a movie mogul. As there was no solid ground under UA, Eon couldn't get a project started.

My elder brother - who knew so much more than I did without even keeping track like I was doing, said that Eon had gone out of business and there wouldn't be any more films unless someone else bought the rights. (He had been predicting the death of the series ever since Sean Connery quit for the first time in 1967). I remained true, satisfying myself with Spymaker, Goldeneye (both subtitled 'the secret life of Ian Fleming') and my own fan edit of Casino Royale '67 (there's a fairly clever little one-hour spoof hidden away in that rambling, top-heavy monstrosity - all on has to do is make like Blofeld running Whyte enterprises and "try to cut some of the fat off.").

Then one blessed day in June 94 I saw a brief news item naming Pierce Brosnan as the new 007, and declaring that Bond 17 was finally underway. I'll tell you, that was one intolerably long wait (as it was more than twice the length of time between TMWTGG and TSWLM), but it helped keep the four years betweem DAD and CR in perspective.

So we have two more years to wait until the next one. No biggie. Just spend the time watching for more Higson novels (never mind the recent rumours - in his forward to Danger Society he mentions that he intends to continue).

[ChristopherZ22]

I was 14 when Licence To Kill was released in theaters.

To answer the original poster's question, we didn't know what was going to happen to the Bond series. We assumed that Dalton was going to continue in the role even though he was unpopular with American audiences. We also didn't know when the lawsuits were going to end. The early 90s was frustrating. We didn't have the Internet, and there was not as much information. So I often asked myself out of confusion, "what is going on with the Bond series? Why hasn't there been a new film? When will the next picture be made?"

[Bryce (003)]

A dark time indeed.

While most were let down (the critics weren't kind) by LTK, I thought it was great. Not so much the plot, but Dalton was really taking back to the books in his characterization of Bond.

Then the legal battle began with MGM and the rights. That put everything in limbo. I went to Comic-Con in July of '91 and met fellow Bond fans and we all discussed (over many a pint) what we knew and what we were hoping for with the series.

The years went on and many people in the film department - including a few professors - kept coming to me asking "Are they going to make a new Bond film?" I couldn't give an answer. Sometime in 1993, there was article that a friend of mine gave to me that was in the LA Times. A brief interview with MGW titled "James Bond not dead" and in it Wilson mentioned they were just revising the rights issue and that it would be settled soon. In the meantime there were idea's and stories a plenty. 007 would not just slowly fade away and Dalton was still on board.

Good news.

Then, on the set of the mini-series "Scarlet", Dalton said he was stepping down in '94.

Devastated.

I came home one night in June to a call from my Dad. "So, are you excited?" I asked him about what and he delivered the news that Brosnan had been signed as 007. I turned on the TV and it was all over the news. The next day at the office I saw the headline in Variety "Bond licensed for 0017th" (I still have it and may scan it to put it up here somewhere) and announcing that Goldeneye would began shooting in January for a fall release.

Bond was back for sure.

Then "True Lies" came out later that summer and it was an homage to Bond/I Spy and damn good fun. Jim Cameron gave all of us Bond fans a treat of tea and healing.

But, as a veteran of the those dark years, I can tell you it wasn't fun.

[jaguar007]

While I had really hoped for a new Bond film, there was a period of time where I thought the Bond series had actually come to an end.

[col_007]

We assumed that Dalton was going to continue in the role even though he was unpopular with American audiences.

Is that still a big thing over there i mean what if Daniel Craig had been a hit over here but not there

Edited by col_007, 12 December 2009 - 06:52 PM.

[Major D.Smythe]

I'm glad I wasn't a fan back then (what with being 4 in 1989), as the wait for a 3rd Dalton film would've killed me.

[Stephen Spotswood]

The main thing I remember were complaints that James Bond was turning too dark, too violent, with a hero that bordered on being manic-depressive.

But people did NOT want a return to the lighter Roger Moore approach.

There continued to be who's Bond fighting now that Russia's our best friend? Why do we even need secret services with the Cold War over? (This was ironic because in the book Goldfinger Ian Fleming mentioned the same line of argument after World War II). There could be no bed-hopping because of AID's, and no vodka martinis because of Mothers Against Drunk Driving, and complaints over the general "sexist" tone of of the series.

Then began talk of a black James Bond or a female James Bond.

I think it was that latter position that eventually led to the replacement of old salts as M, with a glorified accountant with a PC promotion.

Edited by Stephen Spotswood, 19 December 2009 - 04:48 AM.

[jaguar007]

Then began talk of a black James Bond or a female James Bond.

I think it was that latter position that eventually led to the replacement of old salts as M, with a glorified accountant with a PC promotion.

I'm sure that the the fact that the head of MI5 at the time was a woman (Stella Rimington) had nothing to do with that decision.

[JimmyBond]

I didnt really start watching the Bond films until about '92 (maybe '93). So the fact that there was no new Bond film in the pipeline at the time didnt faze me too much. In fact until Brosnan was announced as Bond, I just sort of assumed that Licence to Kill was the last film in the series.

[scaramunga]

Great thread here. Very interesting to read too!

I became a Bond fan during the 80's. Octopussy was the first one that I saw in theaters. I probably didn't see too many more until around the time just before The Living Daylights. Some time around then I managed to see many of the older Bond films on VHS. So this is how I saw many of them. I really looked forward to The Living Daylights coming out in theaters. I also recall getting the Living Daylights poster magazine by Starlog. I also got the 25th Anniversary James Bond book with new Bond Timothy Dalton on the cover. I remember thinking the Happy Anniversary 007 hosted by Roger Moore on ABC was the coolest thing ever!! So glad we have that on the Daylights DVD now!!!

I managed to get to License To Kill in theaters too. I enjoyed it, but at the time didn't like it as well as Daylights.

I don't recall much as far as my interest in Bond after 1989. In fact, I think in some ways i kind of forgot about Bond and went on to other things. As I recall Batman was by far my favorite film in 1989.

It was a dark period for James Bond for sure.

What brought me back was 1995. Fox ran a James Bond special. It's an extra on the Goldeneye UE DVD. Anyway. I was all about Goldeneye and all about getting all of the old Bond films on VHS!! Very exciting times! I loved Goldeneye when it came out in theaters too. Bond was back in a huge way.

Now I've moved from VHS and DVD to blu ray. Bond has never looked better on blu ray!
From Dalton to Pierce and now Craig..

Hopefully we won't have a long wait until 23.