935 replies to this topic

[tdalton]

As for the acupuncture needle scene with Domino, if it has to be included, I think the best way to go about doing it would be to have it come near the end of the film, after Domino has already kicked (or gotten on the road towards kicking) her drug habit. She and Bond find out that she's been put in this position at a critical point in the climax, where Bond has to make a choice whether to go save the day or save Domino (obviously, he ends up doing both). Domino tells him to go save the world, as she'd rather just go ahead and die then be punctured by another needle (after all she's been through, I can see her potentially losing the will to live at some point during that entire ordeal). Bond talks her down from it, conveying the idea to her that it's just one more needle and she'll be free of the curse that has been Largo forever, and asks her to trust him. She then allows him to do it, he saves her life, which is an excruciatingly painful process for them both (Domino: psychologically and physically; Bond: emotionally), and then Bond goes on to save the world.

Like terminus, I'm not too keen on the scene, but this is a way I could see it being incorporated if it needed to be.

Also, if we were to use a scene such as this scene or something else where Bond has to directly save Domino from immediate danger, I would like to see a scene incorporated somehow where Domino either helps Bond in some kind of profound way or actually saves his life as well, as I would like to see the relationship between the two to be something of a two-way street, rather than Bond simply saving Domino from herself and Largo (although that still would be the main foundation upon which everything else is based).

[terminus]

Here's what I've got.

I'm aware that Blofeld, Aella and Parsons aren't mentioned - though out of the three, I suspect that we only really need to include Aella. Largo could always be at the top of the chain of command with regards to theft and use of the nuclear weapons, thus negating the need for Blofeld (and subverting the expectation that he'd appear) and Parsons appears to be irrelevant when you've got Felix Leiter Junior fulfilling the 'sidekick' function.

I think we need at least one more location (equivalent to some portions of Nice and North Africa in NSNA) with a possible second extra location which would be the location the nuclear bomb is intended to be used.

I had an idea about Domino - based on the assumption that she is a reformed drug addict (see the treatment below for this extrapolation) but that Largo has only claimed to have rehabilitated her - and she is, in fact, being secretly dosed with the same drug in her food and drinks. This means that the sequence at the end with Domino in bed COULD concievably occur in a rehabilitation clinic.

Without further ado -


NO GUN BARREL. NO PRE-TITLE SEQUENCE. This isn't that sort of Bond movie. Instead - straight into the title sequence - images from spy films, interspersed with images of nuclear bombs being manufactured, transported and detonated. All to 'Bright Lights, Bigger City' by Cee Lo Green.

TIMOTHY DALTON is JAMES BOND, 007
in WARHEAD 2011

As the title sequence draws to a close, we dissolve through to:

JAMAICA

James Bond is a semi-retired secret agent, living the good life as Head of Station in Jamaica - some would say he's gone to seed, but Bond would argue against. As would his superior, M, who has requested his return to London - he's being returned to active field duty, effective: forthwith.

LONDON

Bond meets with the new M - his old friend, Bill Tanner - and is informed of his return to active field duty. Bond asks why this is happening and Tanner explains the mission - to investigate a UN Arms Inspector suspected of helping to smuggle nuclear weapons onto the black market.

LAPLAND

Bond arrives in Lapland at the Buskelands (Shrublands in Swedish, I believe) in the week before Christmas - festivities are at their height, the snowbound landscape is a stark contrast to the heat of Jamaica. He quickly locates and begins to observe Jacques Derval, the UN Arms Inspector suspected of filing a false report and assisting in the smuggling of nuclear weapons - the freshly reactivated operative watches Derval meeting with a muscle-bound man, the pair speak in French but Bond gets the jist of the discussion. Intrigued about the man, he determines to find out more and (via flirting with a receptionist) learns that the man is Colonel Lippe, a French former member of the Foreign Legion.

Bond is even more intrigued and watches the formidable man working out in the gym before following him into the steamroom. Lippe smashes the lock, trapping them together in the steamroom. The pair fight - it's a literal Jason vs Goliath - with Bond only barely coming out of the encounter alive.

Bond takes Derval into custody and the pair return to London - where he confesses that he DID help smuggle the nuclear weapon onto the black market, but only because they threatened the life of his estranged daughter, Dominique. He doesn't know who hired him as he only dealt with Lippe - and his fellow Frenchman is now dead. He does, however, know that the weapons were delivered to a location off the coast of Bali -

BALI, INDONESIA

Bond travels to Bali to follow the trail of the stolen nuclear weapons and discovers that the delivery point is a wrecked WWII freighter off the coast. He dives down to the wreck to try and find a clue - the wreck is dark and filled with octopi, there is no evidence to be found. When he surfaces, he finds a strange dark haired man on his boat who speaks with a Southern drawl - he introduces himself as Felix Leiter Junior.

"Ah, yes, I knew your father - he was a good man," says Bond, then: "How's his leg?" Junior explains that, like his father, he works for the CIA and has been sent to assist Bond in his investigation. He confirms the absence of evidence - but informs Bond that Dervals estranged daughter, Dominique, and her erstwhile 'boyfriend', shipping magnate Edvard Largo, are in Bali.

That, decides Bond, is FAR too much of a coincidence. He wants to meet Dominique, and by default, Largo. Junior comments "Pappy told me you might be past your time, but you ain't bad for an old timer ..." (or some other such comment) and arranges for the two of them to attend some sort of gala event on the island. At the event, Bond becomes suspicious of the way in which Largo speaks to Dominique - whom he calls 'my little Domino' - and gets challenged to a combat game against Largo in a HR simulation - think 'Call to Duty' but BETTER.

It is obvious to Bond that Largo is cheating. But, even with Largo cheating, Bond manages to turn the game against the shipping magnate by utilising unorthodox strategic choices. Felix later compliments Bond on the unorthodox strategies - and Bond makes a comment, to the effect of, when you face unorthodox foes you must use unorthodox strategies. Largo tries to take his defeat graciously and invites Bond to join him and Domino on a fishing trip the following afternoon. Bond agrees.

On the fishing trip on Largo's yacht, the Flygande Tefat (as far as I can figure out, this is Flying Saucer in Swedish), Bond learns about Domino - she was an aspiring actress turned model, who had a few minor roles in film but developed a cocaine addiction. It was the addiction that drove her apart from her family, she explains - but Largo helped to rehabilitate her and she is grateful to him for that. Bond spends the night on the boat and sneaks about - discovers the GPS system and manages to place a bug into it.

After he leaves the yacht the following morning, he meets up with Felix who has used the bug that Bond placed and confirms that the Flygande Tefat was in the vicinity of the wreckage that was the delivery point at the time that the nuclear weapons were dropped. Bond has no doubt now that Largo has taken posession of the weapons -

But, when he returns, he discovers that the yacht has left port - for a destination unknown.

[terminus]

I'm not thinking so much a bomb as something that will release poison into her bloodstream. It's largely there to distract Bond while the bad guys set the bomb up. Bond has to use an acupuncture needle because it's the only think small enough to be able to disarm the device inside Domino. And it wouldn't be in her head, either. Maybe in her chest, and Bond has to slip the needle between her ribs to switch it off. It could be a very tense sequence because the slightest slip of the needle could hit her spine, paralysing or killing her.

I'm still REALLY not keen on the sequence, I'm afraid.

I think Domino is important to J. Bouvar; she's his daughter, however corrupted by Largo's ways, and the thought of losing her... well, that's certainly enough for him to go through, however reluctantly, with SPECTRE's nuclear plot.

As an addendum, could Bond and Leiter go in with actual cover names, for once? Perhaps Bond could be "Mr. Swayze" (a nod to Pat's most famous character ) and Leiter could be "Mr. Llewelyn" (a nod to one of Brolin's more famous roles and dear old Desmond)?

Bouvar? WTF? Pat? WTF? I'm not opposed to cover names being used, but why 'for once' - it's not like we've never seen cover names being used before.

As for the acupuncture needle scene with Domino, if it has to be included, I think the best way to go about doing it would be to have it come near the end of the film, after Domino has already kicked (or gotten on the road towards kicking) her drug habit. She and Bond find out that she's been put in this position at a critical point in the climax, where Bond has to make a choice whether to go save the day or save Domino (obviously, he ends up doing both). Domino tells him to go save the world, as she'd rather just go ahead and die then be punctured by another needle (after all she's been through, I can see her potentially losing the will to live at some point during that entire ordeal). Bond talks her down from it, conveying the idea to her that it's just one more needle and she'll be free of the curse that has been Largo forever, and asks her to trust him. She then allows him to do it, he saves her life, which is an excruciatingly painful process for them both (Domino: psychologically and physically; Bond: emotionally), and then Bond goes on to save the world.

Like terminus, I'm not too keen on the scene, but this is a way I could see it being incorporated if it needed to be.

Also, if we were to use a scene such as this scene or something else where Bond has to directly save Domino from immediate danger, I would like to see a scene incorporated somehow where Domino either helps Bond in some kind of profound way or actually saves his life as well, as I would like to see the relationship between the two to be something of a two-way street, rather than Bond simply saving Domino from herself and Largo (although that still would be the main foundation upon which everything else is based).

I'm not sure the scenario for the acupuncture scene works - it's going to take a lot to convince me, I'm afraid.

[tdalton]

I had an idea about Domino - based on the assumption that she is a reformed drug addict (see the treatment below for this extrapolation) but that Largo has only claimed to have rehabilitated her - and she is, in fact, being secretly dosed with the same drug in her food and drinks. This means that the sequence at the end with Domino in bed COULD concievably occur in a rehabilitation clinic.

I like what we've got so far. Actually, considering that we're not anywhere near done yet, I think this has potential to be far more interesting than either of the previous 2 versions of Thunderball. Very nice write-up.

I think that Bond needs to encounter Domino at some point as someone who uses the drugs under her own volition, rather than being drugged. I think that she looks to him as someone who is going save her, even though she could presumably save herself at any point she wants, but (perhaps subconsciously) keeps herself in a subservient position to Largo with the drug use because she doesn't know any other way. Seeing as how she's estranged from her father (perhaps this could be something that goes back even before her rise to fame as a film star), and doesn't have a mother, that kind of rebellious attitude could go back further than her time as an actress, so it would be the only thing that she knows.

I think that the rehabilitation clinic could still be easily kept even if she's the one taking the drugs of her own volition throughout the film. She would still need to spend some time in a rehab clinic after everything she's done to her body.

I'm not sure the scenario for the acupuncture scene works - it's going to take a lot to convince me, I'm afraid.

I'm not particularly keen on it either, but if it had to be included, that's about the only way I could see it being incorporated given the current character arcs we have. Maybe there are other ways, but that's the only way I could see it working. But, like you, I"m not particularly keen on it.

Edited by tdalton, 26 December 2010 - 02:14 AM.

[Mr. Blofeld]

I think Domino is important to J. Bouvar; she's his daughter, however corrupted by Largo's ways, and the thought of losing her... well, that's certainly enough for him to go through, however reluctantly, with SPECTRE's nuclear plot.

As an addendum, could Bond and Leiter go in with actual cover names, for once? Perhaps Bond could be "Mr. Swayze" (a nod to Pat's most famous character ) and Leiter could be "Mr. Llewelyn" (a nod to one of Brolin's more famous roles and dear old Desmond)?

Bouvar? WTF? Pat? WTF? I'm not opposed to cover names being used, but why 'for once' - it's not like we've never seen cover names being used before.

Sorry; I meant "Derval".

That ol' classic Thunderball mixup, huh?

"Pat" = Patrick Swayze, who played a character named Dalton in Road House.
"Llewelyn" = Not only Desmond Llewelyn, but Llewelyn Moss, Josh Brolin's character in No Country for Old Men.

I know cover names have been used before, but never very prominently or successfully, and this'd be a nice wink to those in the know...

[terminus]

I like what we've got so far. Actually, considering that we're not anywhere near done yet, I think this has potential to be far more interesting than either of the previous 2 versions of Thunderball. Very nice write-up.

I think that Bond needs to encounter Domino at some point as someone who uses the drugs under her own volition, rather than being drugged. I think that she looks to him as someone who is going save her, even though she could presumably save herself at any point she wants, but (perhaps subconsciously) keeps herself in a subservient position to Largo with the drug use because she doesn't know any other way. Seeing as how she's estranged from her father (perhaps this could be something that goes back even before her rise to fame as a film star), and doesn't have a mother, that kind of rebellious attitude could go back further than her time as an actress, so it would be the only thing that she knows.

I think that the rehabilitation clinic could still be easily kept even if she's the one taking the drugs of her own volition throughout the film. She would still need to spend some time in a rehab clinic after everything she's done to her body.

I'm happy to make the change so that Domino is still taking the drugs of her own volition - the change can be made easily enough at present. I put the idea forth for Largo to have helped her 'get off' the drugs whilst secretly still dosing her with them to keep her subservient to suggest what an absolute b-stard Largo is.

Ah - I've never seen Roadhouse. But, then again, I wouldn't consider it to be Swayze's most famous role - I think that would fall to Dirty Dancing, I'm afraid. I think codenames are all well and good, but making them in-jokey can destroy their value - for the audience if not the actual story itself. It's like in Supernatural where Sam and Dean masquerade as FBI Agents Jimmy Page and Robert Plant - a decent joke, but doing something similar wouldn't work in Bond.

[tdalton]

I'm happy to make the change so that Domino is still taking the drugs of her own volition - the change can be made easily enough at present. I put the idea forth for Largo to have helped her 'get off' the drugs whilst secretly still dosing her with them to keep her subservient to suggest what an absolute b-stard Largo is.

Perhaps an idea of a way to combine the two ideas (because I do like your take on Largo with regards to that relationship). Maybe he claims to be trying to help her get clean, all while facilitating her continued use of drugs (which she does of her own volition). That way he paints her as the one standing between herself and a clean life while making himself out to be this great man who is trying to save her. She could confuse this (partially due to her Stockholm Syndrome) and think that he's actually a good man for trying to help her, when he's doing anything but helping her. Then, when Bond enters the picture, she finally sees Largo for what he is and that's when she begins helping Bond.

This way, I think we both get the characterizations of the two characters that we're looking for. Largo, under this premise, comes across as a truly despicable human being (apart from the fact he's the primary villain) while claiming the same basic premise.

[terminus]

Would it be an idea for Largo to covertly have his henchman providing her drugs? So that she doesn't know he's the one continuing to provide her drugs, she honestly believes that Largo is trying to help her recover - unaware that he's the one maintaining her drug habit through our movies equivalent of Vargas?

[tdalton]

Would it be an idea for Largo to covertly have his henchman providing her drugs? So that she doesn't know he's the one continuing to provide her drugs, she honestly believes that Largo is trying to help her recover - unaware that he's the one maintaining her drug habit through our movies equivalent of Vargas?

That would be an idea. Maybe she finds out the truth shortly after Bond crashes the party scene or sometime after the virtual reality fight between Bond and Largo.

One idea I had for towards the end of the film would be for Domino to be the first person to take a shot at killing Largo, but is overpowered, forcing Bond to spring into action and finish him off himself, perhaps giving him an ending similar to the one that Bond gave Gettler in CASINO ROYALE, except instead of a nail to the eye it could be a needle. Perhaps this could all happen on his yacht (or wherever his main base of operations is, I'm assuming it's still a boat like in the other two versions) after the global threat has been taken care of by Bond. Again, it's just an idea, but I thought it would be a cool way of killing him off, as it would be in a way we haven't seen before in a Bond film (at least as far as I can remember), and it would tie into the arc of the character Largo has spent a significant amount of time tormenting.

Edited by tdalton, 26 December 2010 - 02:54 AM.

[terminus]

I'd suspect that Bond doesn't even know that it's happening at that point - and by the time he figures it out, it's too late and the Flygande Tefat has left the dock. I suspect it will be in the subsequent location that Bond reveals what he knows about Largo to Domino (he may not even fully understand that Largo is the one having Vargas drug Domino in Bali, not realising it until Location X).

Re: your suggestion about Domino and Bond using a needle to the eye to kill Largo. Perhaps we could have Bond give Largo an overdose of the drug that he was covertly feeding her through Vargas. This could be pretty nasty and not necessarily an immediate death either - or would that be too dark for Bond?

[tdalton]

I'd suspect that Bond doesn't even know that it's happening at that point - and by the time he figures it out, it's too late and the Flygande Tefat has left the dock. I suspect it will be in the subsequent location that Bond reveals what he knows about Largo to Domino (he may not even fully understand that Largo is the one having Vargas drug Domino in Bali, not realising it until Location X).

Sounds good. The only request I would have would be that it doesn't happen right at the end, but rather at some point during the investigation into Largo where he can use that to help turn Domino over to his side.

Re: your suggestion about Domino and Bond using a needle to the eye to kill Largo. Perhaps we could have Bond give Largo an overdose of the drug that he was covertly feeding her through Vargas. This could be pretty nasty and not necessarily an immediate death either - or would that be too dark for Bond?

I like that idea.

The way I would picture the scene would be to have Bond return to Largo's yacht after the finale. Domino is there, having gone there to kill Largo herself. Largo overpowers her as Bond gets there, and then Bond and Largo struggle. Then he sticks him with the needle and forces the overdose on him. Bond tries to get Domino to leave with him before Largo dies (he gives him so much that there's no way he could survive the ordeal), but Domino struggles against him, wanting to see it through, to make sure that it's actually over for her.

Since my taste regarding the Bond films skews largely towards the very serious Bond films, I think that your idea for Largo would be brilliant.



This is turning into a very enjoyable round. I like being back to the whole character development end of it, which I hadn't done in the last couple of treatments I was involved in.

Edited by tdalton, 26 December 2010 - 03:31 AM.

[coco1997]

I would like to come out in support of CT's idea about the bomb implanted inside of Domino. After everything she's been through by the end of the film, it would be a very poignant moment with Domino letting down her wall to allow Bond to do something that would otherwise bring up scarring memories of a tormented period in her life. Great character development. When I first read it, I immediately thought back to the scene from the actual "TB" in which Bond sucks the stingray (?) venom out of Domino's foot. It could be very similar to that, but in this version, it would carry a lot more dramatic weight.

Really love the VR stunt sequence idea, dino.

Also, is there a place to fit in a car chase with the Jaguar? I don't want a car packed with bells and whistles--just an animal of pure speed and beauty.

[terminus]

The way I would picture the scene would be to have Bond return to Largo's yacht after the finale. Domino is there, having gone there to kill Largo herself. Largo overpowers her as Bond gets there, and then Bond and Largo struggle. Then he sticks him with the needle and forces the overdose on him. Bond tries to get Domino to leave with him before Largo dies (he gives him so much that there's no way he could survive the ordeal), but Domino struggles against him, wanting to see it through, to make sure that it's actually over for her.

I'd imagine the finale, as in TB, needs to take place on the yacht - but otherwise this would make sense.

I would like to come out in support of CT's idea about the bomb implanted inside of Domino. After everything she's been through by the end of the film, it would be a very poignant moment with Domino letting down her wall to allow Bond to do something that would otherwise bring up scarring memories of a tormented period in her life. Great character development. When I first read it, I immediately thought back to the scene from the actual "TB" in which Bond sucks the stingray (?) venom out of Domino's foot. It could be very similar to that, but in this version, it would carry a lot more dramatic weight.

Really love the VR stunt sequence idea, dino.

Also, is there a place to fit in a car chase with the Jaguar? I don't want a car packed with bells and whistles--just an animal of pure speed and beauty.

I really can't come around to thinking the idea of the bomb implanted inside Domino is a good idea - and it's also a bit of a stretch from sucking the stingray venom out of her foot (surely that would be better compared to him helping her to get off the drugs). If we're determined to have something to do with explosives then perhaps we could have strapping explosives around her chest and walking her - at gunpoint - into the lobby of a crowded hotel. It has the same idea, but it's a bit more palatable to me.

Re: the car chase with the Jaguar. It could fit into Bali, I suppose, although it's not in the treatment I posted above - or in the subsequent location (which needs to be decided, but needs to be a coastal one).

[coco1997]

How does Largo die in "NSNA"? Doesn't he get killed underwater?

[terminus]

According to wikipedia, he's killed in the African catacombs by Domino in vengeance for her brothers death. So if we had Domino being the one who gives the overdose, that would kinda jive with what we wanted to do and what has gone in the past.

[dinovelvet]

According to wikipedia, he's killed in the African catacombs by Domino in vengeance for her brothers death. So if we had Domino being the one who gives the overdose, that would kinda jive with what we wanted to do and what has gone in the past.

Yes, Domino kills him with a harpoon, underwater.

BTW will we be having a bumbling Brit bureaucrat in Indonesia, a la Nigel Small-Fawcett?

[terminus]

There was a similar character in the casting suggestions list, but given that we've got Felix Junior being introduced in Indonesia (and presumably then continuing on with Bond to the subsequent location in their search for the Flygande Tefat), the character seemed a bit superfluous.

What do people think about Monaco or Abu Dhabi as the subsequent location - but have coastal locations at which the Flygande Tefat wouldn't be unusual and both have motor races into which Bond could stumble in his car during the proposed car chase (either pursuing Vargas with Domino, or with Vargas pursuing him after he's kidnapped Domino). Another possible idea is to return to Singapore (which we used in one of the UB-Craig's admittedly but we shouldn't let that influence us here).

Also - where do we want to set the nuclear bomb(s) off in this treatment? In TB it was in Miami, in NSNA the oil fields under North Africa.

[Mr. Blofeld]

I really can't come around to thinking the idea of the bomb implanted inside Domino is a good idea - and it's also a bit of a stretch from sucking the stingray venom out of her foot (surely that would be better compared to him helping her to get off the drugs). If we're determined to have something to do with explosives then perhaps we could have strapping explosives around her chest and walking her - at gunpoint - into the lobby of a crowded hotel. It has the same idea, but it's a bit more palatable to me.

I think the whole point is to keep CT placated for the next round by accepting his ideas without alteration; you discount it entirely, terminus, and he might quit the game permanently.

BTW will we be having a bumbling Brit bureaucrat in Indonesia, a la Nigel Small-Fawcett?

Not bumbling, but a "young geezer" type; one Bond might resent due to his youth and "with-it"-ness at the outset, but soon appreciates due to his tenacity and excellent work on the case.

Now, as a tribute to the original Thunderball script drafts by Ian Fleming, is it possible Felix, Jr. could be killed off as the "sacrificial lamb"?

[dinovelvet]

Also - where do we want to set the nuclear bomb(s) off in this treatment? In TB it was in Miami, in NSNA the oil fields under North Africa.

We could go back to the 'James Bond of the Secret Service' script and have one of them in Washington DC, with the climax involving Bond and a team of men looking for the bomb in the sewers (although this might reduce the 'Bond glamour' factor somewhat!).

Maybe the bomb could be planted in the Lincoln memorial or the Capitol monument (cue Bond having a fight with a henchman on top of it).

[terminus]

I really can't come around to thinking the idea of the bomb implanted inside Domino is a good idea - and it's also a bit of a stretch from sucking the stingray venom out of her foot (surely that would be better compared to him helping her to get off the drugs). If we're determined to have something to do with explosives then perhaps we could have strapping explosives around her chest and walking her - at gunpoint - into the lobby of a crowded hotel. It has the same idea, but it's a bit more palatable to me.

I think the whole point is to keep CT placated for the next round by accepting his ideas without alteration; you discount it entirely, terminus, and he might quit the game permanently.

Out of hand, Mr. Blofeld. Thoroughly not needed. I expected better of you.

BTW will we be having a bumbling Brit bureaucrat in Indonesia, a la Nigel Small-Fawcett?

Not bumbling, but a "young geezer" type; one Bond might resent due to his youth and "with-it"-ness at the outset, but soon appreciates due to his tenacity and excellent work on the case.

Now, as a tribute to the original Thunderball script drafts by Ian Fleming, is it possible Felix, Jr. could be killed off as the "sacrificial lamb"?

I think the idea of killing Junior off is one we could consider - not sure how I feel about it, to be honest. It's one I could definitely come around to though. What does everyone else think about the idea?

Also - where do we want to set the nuclear bomb(s) off in this treatment? In TB it was in Miami, in NSNA the oil fields under North Africa.

We could go back to the 'James Bond of the Secret Service' script and have one of them in Washington DC, with the climax involving Bond and a team of men looking for the bomb in the sewers (although this might reduce the 'Bond glamour' factor somewhat!).

Maybe the bomb could be planted in the Lincoln memorial or the Capitol monument (cue Bond having a fight with a henchman on top of it).

Good suggestions.

I was going to suggest using New York because of it being the location of the bomb in one of the other original Warhead drafts. But I'm not sure.

[coco1997]

I think the whole point is to keep CT placated for the next round by accepting his ideas without alteration; you discount it entirely, terminus, and he might quit the game permanently.

Your vendetta against CT has grown tiresome, Matt. Give it a rest.

I like dino's idea about using either the Lincoln Memorial or the Capitol building.

Killing off Felix would be controversial, but since this is somewhat of a one-off, I see no reason why we can't do it. In the novel, he's there in the beginning of the final scene I detailed earlier, but his presence is not needed, I suppose. Mr. B, is there a site that details the differences between the final version of "TB" and the earlier drafts?

[dinovelvet]

Maybe the bomb could be planted in the Lincoln memorial or the Capitol monument

Good suggestions.

I was going to suggest using New York because of it being the location of the bomb in one of the other original Warhead drafts. But I'm not sure.

I thought the bomb could be placed in Lincoln's head, but that might be a bit Roger Moore. On top of the Washington/Capitol monument (I mean the big pointy monument, not the Capitol building itself) is a better place for a thrilling final fight scene.

I can picture a shot where, after Bond has thrown the henchman off the Capitol monument to fall 555 feet to his death, the camera pulls back to show Bond standing victoriously, on top of a giant phallic symbol

[terminus]

I have scripts of two of the earlier drafts somewhere that I found someplace online - pretty interesting reading, even just to see where other ideas came from (and from where EON may have borrowed ideas in one circumstance where Blofeld has an Atlantis-esque base).

Given that I don't mind where we send the nuclear bombs, that's two votes for Washington - does anyone else have any preference as to where Largo plans to use them.

[coco1997]

I thought the bomb could be placed in Lincoln's head, but that might be a bit Roger Moore. On top of the Washington/Capitol monument (I mean the big pointy monument, not the Capitol building itself) is a better place for a thrilling final fight scene.

I can picture a shot where, after Bond has thrown the henchman off the Capitol monument to fall 555 feet to his death, the camera pulls back to show Bond standing victoriously, on top of a giant phallic symbol

I can see that, too.

I don't think we should worry about it being somewhat OTT, since people seemed to have wanted to achieve that with "FTWD", although the story didn't really head in that direction. As long as we have a heady balance of both dark, gritty Bond and some tongue in cheek humor, I think we'll be able to please everyone.

Another question: Have we decided who's playing Vargas in this version? And if he'll even be called Vargas?

[terminus]

Nope - no decision on what the Vargas equivalent will be called or who will play him.

[dinovelvet]

Another question: Have we decided who's playing Vargas in this version? And if he'll even be called Vargas?

Ooh yes we do need a Vargas type, I think. Perfect for the final fight I've just been talking about! We've already used the huge henchman type for Lippe, so a thin/weird type of henchman is needed.

Hmm, how about Ray Park, who seems to be the go-to fight guy for all the big series (Star Wars, X-Men, GI Joe etc). I can picture him doing his acrobatic moves on top of the Monument, giving Bond a tough time.

[terminus]

Good suggestion. I could definitely see that casting for the Vargas equivalent. Do we want to keep the name Vargas?

I'll try and pull together another draft of the outline later tonight - after I've read some of the Christmas Stories and had a go on the Wii. I think we have a good handle on the other characters - just got to figure out how to integrate the character of Aella into the plot. I have an idea, but will need to see how well it integrates.

[Mr. Blofeld]

My apologies, everyone; let's move on:

Killing off Felix would be controversial, but since this is somewhat of a one-off, I see no reason why we can't do it. In the novel, he's there in the beginning of the final scene I detailed earlier, but his presence is not needed, I suppose. Mr. B, is there a site that details the differences between the final version of "TB" and the earlier drafts?

It's in the book The Battle for Bond; give me a few minutes, and I'll get down the details of Felix's deaths:

In Fleming's second treatment, Leiter is shot while on waterskis, surveying Largo's boat while pretending to be a holidayer; the driver is also killed, with machine guns, and Leiter's body is detached from the skis and sinks beneath the waves, head-first.

In Jack Whittingham's first screenplay, Leiter is being shown by Domino a secret way into the villains' headquarters through a mangrove swamp; however, they have been followed, and are ambushed and thrown into the dangerous part of the swamp, where Leiter sinks and drowns -- Domino is subjected to near-death, but is saved at the last minute in order to provide further information on Bond's activities.

In Jack Whittingham's second screenplay, Leiter survives until the final fight onboard Largo's ship, where he is shot and wounded; we might want to give that fate to Bond, instead.

[tdalton]

According to wikipedia, he's killed in the African catacombs by Domino in vengeance for her brothers death. So if we had Domino being the one who gives the overdose, that would kinda jive with what we wanted to do and what has gone in the past.

I like this idea better than mine. I think it would be better to go this direction, having Domino take out Largo to complete her arc, rather than having Bond do it.

[coco1997]

Thanks for the details, Matt.

Maybe we could do a combination of those ideas? A jetski chase somehow leads to a swamp where Felix suffers the fate you described from Wittingham's screenplay.