7 replies to this topic

[Universal Exports]

I would be interested in seeing the next batch of Bond films (after Craig leaves) take place during the time period in which Fleming wrote the books.  You'd need a less "modern" look for the Bond.  Personally, I think Fassbender would be the best of the names I've seen bandied about.

 

If the movie was done with a classic, traditional flair, I think this idea would be refreshing for the series.

 

Thoughts?

[Dustin]

Difficult. Apart from them always trying to set the films in the "now + 5 minutes" the trend for 'historical' settings may already be well past its sell-by date. Today you could do a production set in the 1950s, but it will always remain a simulation. In some cases that strange not-quite-real feeling may add to the overall attraction (X-Men comes to mind), but I'm not sure that's the kind of surrealism a Bond film should aim for. That aside a retreat to the 50s/60s era would of course be seen as surrender, leaving contemporary spy genre to the likes of Bourne. So I guess it is - despite some promising prospects - not a realistic idea, or one that can hope to be the future if the series.

[AgenttiNollaNollaSeitsemän]

I think eventually in time what has happened to Sherlock Holmes will happen to Bond in reverse. Cinematic output will be contemporary while the small screen will have its own "as Fleming wrote" period miniseries.

[Double Naught spy]

I'm probably being overly-optimistic here, but I do think that there might be a viewer market for faithful adaptations of Fleming's novels that are set in their proper time period.  However, that market wouldn't extend to the "major motion picture" market.  But something more along the lines of a TV mini-series might just work.  Shows like Boardwalk Empire, Downton Abbey, and of course Mad Men have shown that there's not only an interest in 'period pieces' but also that these 'period pieces' can be successfully filmed in such a way as to make the audience believe they are looking through a time-machine.

 

However, I think there are a few hurdles to cross before such an endeavor could be successful:

 

(1) The obvious conflict that would result between this and the current version of movie-007.  In order to promote such a project, the creators would certainly have to rely on such promotion lines" like "For the first time ever, see 007 as Fleming intended" or something like that.  Having two or three different incarnations of Sherlock Holmes being presented to the pubic is one thing, but I think having more than one 007 might prove to Eon to be "counterproductive."  Then there's the whole problem of "reintroducing" the view to "real" Goldfinger, Live and Let Die, You Only Live Twice, etc.

 

(2) As exciting as they are to read, I don't think that the pacing of Fleming's novels would hold the modern-day viewers' attention very long. No matter how interested/curious viewers would be to see "the real 007", I think they would bring with them certain expectations from their previous experiences of watching the movie-007.

 

(3) Along with Fleming's pacing, quite a few pages of his novels are devoted to 'setting the scene' and making the reader feel as if they are actually in Jamaica, Japan, coast of France, etc... and not mention the pages he devotes to 007's meals, etc.    Now don't get me wrong - those pages are some of the best parts of his works.  However, I can't see how there's way to bring that Fleming "magic" to film or TV. So from the starting gate, we're looking at eliminating some of most important aspects of his works.  And, without that added "third person" narrative, what would be left would be a film/TV-version of the newspaper comic strips. 

 

(4) Speaking of the "third person" narrative - in order for the viewer to 'connect' with this endeavor's Bond, it would almost certainly have to rely on a "first person" narrative, with Bond speaking directly to the viewer to offer insights into his thoughts and motivations for his actions.  Aside from it being one step further away from the Fleming novels (with Bond suddenly talking to the viewer directly), this technique could easily fall into the category of a bad parody of "film noir."

 

 

 

 

     
 

 

(4)

[Skylla]

I think this opportunity was lost with the mistakes made with CR. What I really would like to see is the Young Bond books as period miniseries. 

[tdalton]

I'm all for a series that puts Bond back in his original timeline, perhaps even with faithful adaptations of Fleming's novels, but not as a cinematic film series.  I think such a project would be fantastic on in a television setting, namely on a premium network like Showtime or HBO.  

[AgenttiNollaNollaSeitsemän]

BBC/HBO-coproduction with the blessing of EON would be ideal route, meaning American financing employing British knowhow. I doubt that we'll see such miniseries anytime soon, that would require for the cinematic Bond to go on hiatus which is unlikely at the moment, But perhaps within the next 20 or 30 years? 

[TheREAL008]

That's too long of a time to wait. If only after Daniel regretfully retires should they go into this direction.