"007 is dead, sir."

[MikeKozlowski]

...Opening line from the canon-official novel Forever and a Day - not bad, could have been much better.

Unfortunately, it may be true in RL as well. Eon Productions has announced that they have transferred creative control of 007 to the folks at Amazon/MGM, who bought the movie rights a year or so back. Michael Wilson and Barbara Broccoli, who have controlled Bond's creative arc for a few decades now, have decided to 'pursue other creative projects'. Quite frankly, the indications seem to be that Amazon was dead set on creating the James Bond Extended Universe, and Wilson and Broccoli were just as dead set against it - Broccoli was said to have called the Amazon team 'idiots' to their faces.

In the end, Amazon had more money to back up their POV than Eon did, and that's saying something. But I am not at all sanguine about what comes next. Officially, Bond 26 is still a thing, but there's been no movement at all towards a new Bond. Amazon has made no secret at all about wanting to make Bond more 'relevant', and I shudder to think about what that might entail. They've also said they very much want to do spinoff movies; and I think I could be cautiously optimistic about a Q or Moneypenny origin movie set in the Flemingverse (say, early 50s) - but little else I can think of.

In the end, I think this ultimately lands squarely in the laps of Broccoli and Wilson. The decision to end NTTD the way they did (and all the more so because it was mostly at Daniel Craig's instigation) really knocked the legs out from under the franchise, and I personally feel it's not really recoverable. They had a mostly great run from Dr. No to Spectre, but eventually somebody decided it just wasn't worth the effort.

Mike

[jemhouston]

At another forum on this topic, I posted, "Until they give me a reason to care, I don't."

[Micael]

I saw someone suggest that the smart thing to do would be to cast Henry Cavill and set the film in the 60’s. Not a bad idea, but I suspect that Amazon will come up with something far worse.

[Nathan45]

A cold war Bond with Russia as the enemy actually does sound like a natural fit in todays world.

[Poohbah]

Jesse Ventura is James Bond in Ain't Got No Time to Die.

[Craiglxviii]

Jesse Ventura is James Bond in Ain't Got No Time to Bleed.

FTFY

[Nik_SpeakerToCats]

I'm reminded that, before Broccoli got a better lock on the franchise, the US made a spoof Bond movie starring David Niven, Woody Allen and a zoo of 'characters'...
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Casino_Ro ... mes%20Bond.

Apparently, critically regarded as so absurdly bad, 'tis 'good'...

( Along the lines of 'It's a mad, mad, mad, mad world'... )

[clancyphile]

I always thought Benedict Cumberbatch would be a good 007.

[MikeKozlowski]

I'm reminded that, before Broccoli got a better lock on the franchise, the US made a spoof Bond movie starring David Niven, Woody Allen and a zoo of 'characters'...
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Casino_Ro ... mes%20Bond.

Apparently, critically regarded as so absurdly bad, 'tis 'good'...

( Along the lines of 'It's a mad, mad, mad, mad world'... )

Nik,

A dear friend of mine absolutely ADORES the '67 CR, and she would agree - it is so VERY bad, it's amazing. There's several very good articles out there about the madhouse that was the filming:

https://dagondogs.com/posts/casino-royale-1967-review

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/films/0/cas ... ing-stock/

....and much much more. No questions though about the soundtrack by Burt Bacharach, Hal David, and Herb Alpert - 58 years downrange and it is still SUPERB.

Mike

[warshipadmin]

I have seen CR67 , I suppose I am going to have to watch it again.

[MikeKozlowski]

I have seen CR67 , I suppose I am going to have to watch it again.

I ran it for the Fair Melissa a couple years ago, and never before or since have I seen an expression on her face like the one she had through the entire movie. Check your brain at the door and enjoy .

Mike

[Craiglxviii]

I have seen CR67 , I suppose I am going to have to watch it again.

I ran it for the Fair Melissa a couple years ago, and never before or since have I seen an expression on her face like the one she had through the entire movie. Check your brain at the door and enjoy .

Mike

And remember what David Niven actually got up to in real life…

[MikeKozlowski]

...Interestingly, the day after all this came out, Pierce Brosnan posted a pic on IG of him in full Bond formalware leaning on a BMW. Given as he's been a little diffident about playing Bond, it was a surprise to most - but the pic set off a wave on X of people (FULL DISCLOSURE: me too) calling for an 'Old Man Bond' movie.

They could do worse.

Mike

[Johnnie Lyle]

...Interestingly, the day after all this came out, Pierce Brosnan posted a pic on IG of him in full Bond formalware leaning on a BMW. Given as he's been a little diffident about playing Bond, it was a surprise to most - but the pic set off a wave on X of people (FULL DISCLOSURE: me too) calling for an 'Old Man Bond' movie.

They could do worse.

Mike

Call Nicholas Meyer. An Old Man Bond that truly had getting old as a major artistic theme has serious potential for Craig Casino Royale level of serious movie gravitas, not just time killer action flick.

[MikeKozlowski]

...Interestingly, the day after all this came out, Pierce Brosnan posted a pic on IG of him in full Bond formalware leaning on a BMW. Given as he's been a little diffident about playing Bond, it was a surprise to most - but the pic set off a wave on X of people (FULL DISCLOSURE: me too) calling for an 'Old Man Bond' movie.

They could do worse.

Mike

Call Nicholas Meyer. An Old Man Bond that truly had getting old as a major artistic theme has serious potential for Craig Casino Royale level of serious movie gravitas, not just time killer action flick.

...Hear, hear.

Mike

[Nathan45]

If you are going to go with a old Bond dealing with his mortality and age, Idris Alba would work too.

[Poohbah]

If you are going to go with a old Bond dealing with his mortality and age, Idris Alba would work too.

Idris Elba plays world-worn badasses like nobody else.

[warshipadmin]

Well I watched CR67. If I never hear the Tijuana Brass again that'll be too soon. The film isn't so bad it's good, in my opinion, it's just self indulgent crap.

[Craiglxviii]

Well I watched CR67. If I never hear the Tijuana Brass again that'll be too soon. The film isn't so bad it's good, in my opinion, it's just self indulgent crap.

Ah, do I detect a Jason Brant fan?

[warshipadmin]

um, no. Who he?