772 replies to this topic

[coco1997]

FANTASTIC! That was an enjoyable read as any. The ending was fleshed out perfectly. Also props for using the production credits for Bond 23.

Onwards, to:

[terminus]

Agreed. Excellent work!

[coco1997]

One idea I had for FRWL would be to use the jetpack from "TB" in a PTS sequence, much like they did with the 2005 video game. Since we're not really doing "TB", it would be a shame if an updated jetpack device idea went to waste.

[terminus]

I'd also like to try and keep the Orient Express in it somehow since it's been so revitalised as a mode of transport of late - it doesn't even need to be the traditional Venice - Istanbul route, it could be one of the vastly different routes such as the Trans Russian line.

[dinovelvet]

I'd also like to try and keep the Orient Express in it somehow since it's been so revitalised as a mode of transport of late - it doesn't even need to be the traditional Venice - Istanbul route, it could be one of the vastly different routes such as the Trans Russian line.

Ha - I was going to suggest using the Trans-Siberian Express actually, which would really put the Russia into FRWL. I think we should try and mix up the locations a little, as Venice was used in CR. Well I'll post a proforma/'ideas' page a bit later and we'll get on with it.

[coco1997]

We could also decide to bring in the character of Eva Adara, Grant's driver from the video game.

[terminus]

Ha - I was going to suggest using the Trans-Siberian Express actually, which would really put the Russia into FRWL. I think we should try and mix up the locations a little, as Venice was used in CR. Well I'll post a proforma/'ideas' page a bit later and we'll get on with it.

Great minds, eh!

We could also decide to bring in the character of Eva Adara, Grant's driver from the video game.

In function - if not in name. Although writing the film with one main girl wouldn't be a bad idea. Or even making Red Grant a woman - and a fiery redhead.

[dinovelvet]

FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE : THE REMAKE

Plot : After foiling several of their operations, James Bond is targeted for death by QUANTUM. They lure MI6 into a trap by having a beautiful Russian agent claim to be in love with Bond. She will bring MI6 a <insert name of device/technology here> in return for help getting out of the country alive. Along the way, Bond's every move is followed by QUANTUM psychopath Donovan "Red" Grant.

We'll need to figure out what the 'thing' is that QUANTUM offers up as bait / what MI6 is prepared to risk falling into a trap to acquire.

Casting
Our regulars are as follows :
James Bond - Daniel Craig
M - Judi Dench
Tanner - Rory Kinnear
Felix Leiter (if needed) - Jeffrey Wright
Jesper Christensen - Mr.White*

One idea we threw around in making Dr.No was that Mr.White would be the Kronsteen of FRWL, i.e. he would develop the plan to kill Bond. We can either literally call him Kronsteen and reveal that as White's real name, or keep his codename.

Another plan we discussed was to have a junior QUANTUM member named 'Blofeld' express dissatisfaction with the way the organization has been going. After the FRWL plot fails, Blofeld would stage a coup and take over leadership, killing White and 'the head of QUANTUM'. So if we're going with this idea, we will need casting for :

Ernst Stavro Blofeld - Whoever it is, he'll be needed for five films : FRWL, GF, TB, OHMSS, and YOLT
The Head of QUANTUM - ?

and for the usual FRWL characters we'll need :

Rosa Klebb - should this character be updated to a sexy Russian femme fatale?

Donovan 'Red' Grant - This should be an interesting one. Since Craig is blond, do we switch it around and have Grant be a dark haired killer? Grant is Irish by birth if that is needed to point the way to casting. He will also need to be able to fool Bond into believing he is 'Captain Nash', an MI6 Agent, so British casting appears to be the way to go.

Darko/Kerim Bey - ?

LOCATIONS

The original used Venice, Istanbul, and Yugoslavia. I think we should replace Venice as it was used recently in CR. Terminus proposed the Trans-Russian/Siberian express which sounds good to me.

ACTION SCENES

PTS - Do we keep the hedge maze opening and maybe try to put a fresh spin on it? Or we can do something different, we've already had a suggestion of using a jetpack.

Gypsy camp fight scene - Keep this, or throw it out completely?

New ideas for modern FRWL action scenes?

So post your ideas for as many fields as you like and we'll work out a group consensus on what's best.

We could also decide to bring in the character of Eva Adara, Grant's driver from the video game.

In function - if not in name. Although writing the film with one main girl wouldn't be a bad idea. Or even making Red Grant a woman - and a fiery redhead.

Hmm, I'm not sure about switching Grant's gender. If we want to sex it up a bit, how about making Rosa Klebb more of a younger femme fatale type?

[tdalton]

Submitted a casting idea for Grant below. I've got a few more ideas I'll put forward in a bit, but this is one that I've been thinking about for a couple of days and wanted to get it in.


FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE : THE REMAKE

Plot : After foiling several of their operations, James Bond is targeted for death by QUANTUM. They lure MI6 into a trap by having a beautiful Russian agent claim to be in love with Bond. She will bring MI6 a <insert name of device/technology here> in return for help getting out of the country alive. Along the way, Bond's every move is followed by QUANTUM psychopath Donovan "Red" Grant.

We'll need to figure out what the 'thing' is that QUANTUM offers up as bait / what MI6 is prepared to risk falling into a trap to acquire.

Casting
Our regulars are as follows :
James Bond - Daniel Craig
M - Judi Dench
Tanner - Rory Kinnear
Felix Leiter (if needed) - Jeffrey Wright
Jesper Christensen - Mr.White*

One idea we threw around in making Dr.No was that Mr.White would be the Kronsteen of FRWL, i.e. he would develop the plan to kill Bond. We can either literally call him Kronsteen and reveal that as White's real name, or keep his codename.

Another plan we discussed was to have a junior QUANTUM member named 'Blofeld' express dissatisfaction with the way the organization has been going. After the FRWL plot fails, Blofeld would stage a coup and take over leadership, killing White and 'the head of QUANTUM'. So if we're going with this idea, we will need casting for :

Ernst Stavro Blofeld - Whoever it is, he'll be needed for five films : FRWL, GF, TB, OHMSS, and YOLT
The Head of QUANTUM - ?

and for the usual FRWL characters we'll need :

Rosa Klebb - should this character be updated to a sexy Russian femme fatale?

Donovan 'Red' Grant - Charles Mesure

Darko/Kerim Bey - ?

LOCATIONS

The original used Venice, Istanbul, and Yugoslavia. I think we should replace Venice as it was used recently in CR. Terminus proposed the Trans-Russian/Siberian express which sounds good to me.

ACTION SCENES

PTS - Do we keep the hedge maze opening and maybe try to put a fresh spin on it? Or we can do something different, we've already had a suggestion of using a jetpack.

Gypsy camp fight scene - Keep this, or throw it out completely?

New ideas for modern FRWL action scenes?

So post your ideas for as many fields as you like and we'll work out a group consensus on what's best.

[terminus]

Perhaps the thing that Quantum is using to lure MI6 and Bond is a file of information on Quantum themselves - some sort of dossier with details on people they consider expendable, just enough information to ensure that if they follow it up it looks authentic but nothing detailed enough to provide any real danger to Quantum if it does fall into the hands of the intelligence services.

Perhaps we could use the Trans-Manchurian railway? It follows the same route (and, indeed, is the same train) as the Trans-Siberian but arrives in Beijing after departing Moscow. Perhaps the movie could start in Russia, and end up in China (as a contrast to Venice) perhaps.

That said, much like we used Jamaica in Doctor No as a tip of the hat, perhaps we could somehow use Istanbul (and not Venice, because as dino said - it's been used in CR) in a pretitle sequence capacity somehow?

Re: tdalton's casting idea, I'd back that.

[coco1997]

China? Ooh, very intriguing.

Also, good suggestion for Grant, t. I was going to propose that we go with someone who would contrast Craig in appearance in the same way Grant contrasted Bond in the original film, i.e., fair-skinned, blonde hair against Bond's darker base and black hair. Seems you and I were on the same wavelength.

My idea for Rosa Klebb is Tilda Swinton:



I've always thought she would fit right in in a Bond film.

[tdalton]

China? Ooh, very intriguing.

Also, good suggestion for Grant, t. I was going to propose that we go with someone who would contrast Craig in appearance in the same way Grant contrasted Bond in the original film, i.e., fair-skinned, blonde hair against Bond's darker base and black hair. Seems you and I were on the same wavelength.

My idea for Rosa Klebb is Tilda Swinton:



I've always thought she would fit right in in a Bond film.

It seems as though we're on the same wavelength regarding Klebb as well. Excellent casting choice

[terminus]

My idea for Rosa Klebb is Tilda Swinton:



I've always thought she would fit right in in a Bond film.

Interesting choice, I agree on her fitting in - for TTW, I've positioned her as the new Foreign Secretary. Perhaps the plot to lure Bond in could be Klebb's, she and Blofeld could be on opposing sides of the growing schism in Quantum and the 'person in charge' opts to go with Klebb's plot, over Blofeld's strenuous objections. Blofeld takes her death at Bond's hands and the backfiring of her plot as the opportunity to launch his coup of the power hierarchy of Quantum (which leads, as iirc Dino has said, Blofeld working with Goldfinger in the next adaptation in order to rebuild the finances of the terrorist organisation).

If we go down this route, then Kronsteen could be the name of another of Klebb's henchmen.

[dinovelvet]

Perhaps the thing that Quantum is using to lure MI6 and Bond is a file of information on Quantum themselves - some sort of dossier with details on people they consider expendable, just enough information to ensure that if they follow it up it looks authentic but nothing detailed enough to provide any real danger to Quantum if it does fall into the hands of the intelligence services.

Nice! That is something that MI6, and Bond especially, would love to get their hands on. Maybe Tatiana Romanava (I just noticed I completely forgot to put her in the cast listing) could actually be a low-ranking QUANTUM agent who thinks she's doing this to get a promotion.

Perhaps we could use the Trans-Manchurian railway? It follows the same route (and, indeed, is the same train) as the Trans-Siberian but arrives in Beijing after departing Moscow. Perhaps the movie could start in Russia, and end up in China (as a contrast to Venice) perhaps.

That's certainly an idea. We did the icy locale in Dr.No so maybe we don't need freezing Russian locations this time!

That said, much like we used Jamaica in Doctor No as a tip of the hat, perhaps we could somehow use Istanbul (and not Venice, because as dino said - it's been used in CR) in a pretitle sequence capacity somehow?

Re: tdalton's casting idea, I'd back that.

Yeah I'd be on board with getting Istanbul in there somewhere. As for the Grant casting suggestion, I've never seen this fellow in anything, ever. He appears to work exclusively in tv...and some questionable tv at that! What is his 'calling card' performance I should look for on youtube?

And Tilda Swinton as lesbian ice queen Rosa Klebb? Brilliant!

[terminus]

Nice! That is something that MI6, and Bond especially, would love to get their hands on. Maybe Tatiana Romanava (I just noticed I completely forgot to put her in the cast listing) could actually be a low-ranking QUANTUM agent who thinks she's doing this to get a promotion.

I'd be onboard with that direction for Tanya.

[tdalton]

Yeah I'd be on board with getting Istanbul in there somewhere. As for the Grant casting suggestion, I've never seen this fellow in anything, ever. He appears to work exclusively in tv...and some questionable tv at that! What is his 'calling card' performance I should look for on youtube?

He's been pretty good on the reboot/reimagining of V on ABC as of late. That's all that I've seen him in, but he's got a pretty good physical presence on the show. I will grant that the show itself isn't all that great (it's starting to get better, but I've been kind of sticking with it because there's not much else on Tuesdays), but Mesure has been one of the highlights of the show in the screentime that he does get. I recommended him in large part because I do think that he has the physical presence that Grant needs, and given the idea that we might want a dark-haired Grant to contrast against a blonde-haired Bond, I think that he has exactly the look (especially in the main photo on his IMDb page) that a dark-haired Grant would need. Based on his work on V, I do think he's got talent, but I haven't seen him in anything else other than that show.

To kind of qualify it a bit, I think that it's probably fairly obvious at this point that I do pull a lot of my casting from TV (I think I've cast several of the Bond girls that way, with Katic and Strahovski being the ones that immediately spring to mind, as well as a couple of others, and if I get the chance to cast Solitaire later on down the line, I'll be returning to the TV ranks to cast that role as well). Two reasons being that I do see more of it than I do films at the cinema, so I'm more familiar with the work being done. The second being that I think that, in large part, work that's being done on TV nowadays either rivals or, in many cases, exceeds that which is being done in the movies. Plus, I think that there's more of a chance to get someone into a role that is largely unknown to the general audience by going for actors from the TV side of the business because, unless you're one of the headlining stars of the show, you're going to go largely unnoticed even if you're doing some solid work, which isn't really the case in the movies.

[coco1997]

I might also suggest that, as wonderful as Daniella Bianchi, was, perhaps we should cast an actual Russian as Tatiana this time around?

Also, this may be minor at this point, but when do you think we should start introducing Moneypenny and Q? I had the idea that Q/Boothroyd could be brought in with "Goldfinger", since that's the first classic Q scene, but given that he gives Bond the briefcase gadget in this one (although we could decide to not use it at all), we could always introduce him here.

[dinovelvet]

I might also suggest that, as wonderful as Daniella Bianchi, was, perhaps we should cast an actual Russian as Tatiana this time around?

Also, this may be minor at this point, but when do you think we should start introducing Moneypenny and Q? I had the idea that Q/Boothroyd could be brought in with "Goldfinger", since that's the first classic Q scene, but given that he gives Bond the briefcase gadget in this one (although we could decide to not use it at all), we could always introduce him here.

Hmm yes we may or may not end up using the briefcase - it would probably have to have more 'modern' gadgets in it. If we do, we'll need an "Armourer" of some sort to give it to Bond, presumably.

As for Tatiana, I'm not too knowledgeable on young Russian actresses unless we count Mila Kunis. I'd probably suggest Olga Kurylenko if EON hadn't already cast her as a Bolivian

[terminus]

Hmm yes we may or may not end up using the briefcase - it would probably have to have more 'modern' gadgets in it. If we do, we'll need an "Armourer" of some sort to give it to Bond, presumably.

I don't think that we need the armourer in order to give Bond the briefcase - any more than they needed Moneypenny to be M's assistant in Casino Royale, or needed Q to inject Bond with the tracker in CR or trace the marked cash in Quantum of Solace. Giving Bond the case isn't anything more than a random technician extra can do - if we are goi9ng to bring in 'Penny or Major Boothroyd, then we should do it because we want to or they're required in the plot for more than a throwaway scene (and the briefcase delivery was a throwaway scene).

I could see bringing in Boothroyd in the following film - as the end result of an initiative that Bond suggested following his encounters in Doctor No. We will require him to give Bond the car - which is more than a throwaway scene as in FRWL - and Bond can even comment, tongue in cheek, that he 'never got this from the other fellow' re: the gadgets.

I could see Moneypenny making her debut here, somehow - perhaps as a secretary at the British Embassy in Moscow that Bond somehow uses in his plot, she becomes the secondary girl (and we get the 'one night stand' that Lois Maxwell mooted in interviews occur) and Bond mentions to M about a candidate for a replacement assistant (We could have a scene in the MI6 sequence where M/Tanner comment on M not having an assistant - and the paperwork being passed onto a grumbling Bill Tanner) towards the end of the movie - and she's in that position by GF.

So, just like FRWL will be for Quantum (getting it from Point A to Point B, it'd be a transitional film), it will be the same for MI6 - moving the staffing from M/Tanner/Villiers to M/Tanner/Moneypenny/Boothroyd.

[dinovelvet]

I just found some youtube videos of Charles Mesure and he's a hard man to pin down - he was born in Britain, plays Americans on TV, yet speaks with an Australian accent! Strangely when I saw him walking and talking he started reminding me of someone else - Peter Serafinowicz , who despite having an imdb photo that makes him look like a psychopath, works mostly in comedy, but at 6"4 he would have a towering presence over Craig, and if you've heard his voice, you know he sounds terrific. It would be somewhat agsinst-type casting (especially if you've seen this but anyone who had never seen him before (i.e. most audiences outside of Britain) could instantly buy him as a remorseless killer.

What does Mr.Blofeld/coco (or anyone else) think on this casting issue?

I'm fine with everything terminus suggested above - having Moneypenny as someone 'in the field' before she goes to work for M is a neat idea, it would be the Moneypenny origin story in some ways!

[terminus]

Have you seen him in Whitechapel 2? He plays a villainous creepy policeman in it.

http://en.wikipedia....apel_(TV_series)

[dinovelvet]

Have you seen him in Whitechapel 2? He plays a villainous creepy policeman in it.

http://en.wikipedia....apel_(TV_series)

Haven't seen that one. How about Couples Retreat? Even though it was a comedy, he appeared to be playing a Scaramanga-like villain who ruled over an island paradise :

http://movies.yahoo..../video/15713213

[terminus]

Not seen that - though I think Whitechapel prooves he could play a creepy and menacing villain. In fact, depending on how we want to go with Blofeld, he could be a very good candidate for Blofeld.

[tdalton]

I just found some youtube videos of Charles Mesure and he's a hard man to pin down - he was born in Britain, plays Americans on TV, yet speaks with an Australian accent!

Speaking only regarding his appearances on V, he doesn't actually play an American on that particular show (I'm assuming that this is probably the show that you're seeing the most clips of since it's pretty much the only thing that comes up in my Youtube searches), but rather plays a former SAS soldier who turns mercenary/terrorist. Judging from his bio, he's born in Britain but spent what seems like the majority of his upbringing in Australia, hence the Australian accent. V doesn't seem like the kind of sophisticated show that would ask its actors to try to alter their speech patterns all that much from what they usually sound like.

With that said, the casting idea is not one that I'm necessarily tied down to either. I put it forward because I saw him on the show a couple of times recently, and knowing that we had FRWL coming up, the idea popped into my head that he pretty much looks exactly like I would think a dark-haired Grant would look like. I do think that he's fairly talented, as I wouldn't even think of suggesting someone that I didn't think was up to the part, but if someone has a better idea than I'm open to what the group decides in this case. There are a couple of casting choices coming up in later projects that I'll put up an argument for in favor of my choice for the part (I've been formulating a defense for one particular casting decision to come at a later point already as I've already put a great deal of thought into both the casting decision and the character itself), but in terms of the Grant character, I'm more inclined to just go ahead with the group consensus on my suggestion without putting up much of a defense of it because, at the end of the day, I think I've been more successful at the development of the Bond girls that I've developed over the course of the project than I have been with the villains that I've developed.

Not seen that - though I think Whitechapel prooves he could play a creepy and menacing villain. In fact, depending on how we want to go with Blofeld, he could be a very good candidate for Blofeld.

Interestingly, that was actually my thought when I saw the suggestion of the actor in question. Like Mesure, he's largely unknown at least in the US (at best here, I think, he would get the "isn't that the guy from Couples Retreat?"), and he does look like he could play the creepy and menacing villain, and I do think that I would give him some very serious consideration as a candidate for the role of Blofeld.

[Mr. Blofeld]

Darko/Kerim Bey - Pedro Armendariz, Jr.

[terminus]

Darko/Kerim Bey - Pedro Armendariz, Jr.

Interesting choice. We don't know if we're going to Istanbul for a lengthy period of time yet - so we might need to change his nationality or make him an expatriated Turk, or even limit his appearance to the PTS if, as I've suggested, we take a nod of the head to the movie's original principal location (as we did with Doctor No and having a PTS in Jamaica).

Mark Gatiss' novel, 'Black Butterfly' has an extensive sequence in Istanbul, including a sequence in the Hagia Sophia.

[dinovelvet]

Not seen that - though I think Whitechapel prooves he could play a creepy and menacing villain. In fact, depending on how we want to go with Blofeld, he could be a very good candidate for Blofeld.

That could be....fascinating. Of course the casting would raise eyebrows and we'd get the inevitable News of the world photoshop of Brian Butterfield's head on Blofeld's body, stroking a white cat, but it's nutty enough to work. He could be more of a dry, funny Blofeld and it would certainly put a fresh spin on the character. And he's physical enough to brawl with Craig at the end of YOLT. And of course he voiced Darth Maul in Star Wars so he has had experience with iconic villainy!

Oh bloody hell, he has Polish ancestry too, just like Fleming's Blofeld! Sold!

So if we're all on the same page here, we can go with Charles Mesure as Grant and Peter Serafinowicz as Blofeld.

I'm fine with Pedro Jr as well, assuming we end up using a location where he'll fit in.

[coco1997]

Good cast so far:

Daniel Craig...James Bond 007
Tilda Swinton...Rosa Klebb
Jesper Christensen...Mr. White/Kronsteen
Charles Mesure...Red Grant
Pedro Armandariz, Jr....Kerim Bey
Peter Serafinowicz...Ernst Stavro Blofeld

Is Mila Kunis too recognizable an actress now to play Tatiana?

Also, if we're going to show the head of Quantum being overthrown, maybe we could borrow an idea from the original UB series and use Rutger Hauer's character again.

[Mr. Blofeld]

Is Mila Kunis too recognizable an actress now to play Tatiana?

I'm sorry; I can't see her as Tatiana...

How about Alexa Davalos?

[tdalton]

Is Mila Kunis too recognizable an actress now to play Tatiana?

I'm sorry; I can't see her as Tatiana...

How about Alexa Davalos?

I agree about Kunis. I think that she's talented, and maybe there could be a role for her down the line as a different Bond girl (be it in a future remake installment or in an original role later on), but I can't really see her as Tatiana. I don't think that it's really a question of her being too famous for the part, which I don't think that she is (and, then again, there's nothing really wrong with getting someone who is famous anyway), I'm just not sure that it's the most ideal part for her within the Bond universe.

As for Alexa Davalos, I think that's a solid casting choice. She's got a nice little resume going for her, with no film roles that are so big that she'd bring a lot of baggage to the role, but at the same time there's some good films to her credit, namely the adaptation of Stephen King's The Mist.

Edited by tdalton, 20 January 2011 - 04:30 AM.