In another situation this sounds like it would be incredible, but I’m just not ready for another 007 tenure to be defined by ‘trust issues’, which would surely happen following this.
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Also it invites Daniel Craig comparisons rather than letting Bond #7 have the room for his own interpretation.
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They could go in depth with it, but I think something very loose in the MI6 offices would also work okay. “Good Bond’s back, and feeling more like himself again.”
Flashbacks are a real possibility for NTTD it seems, which I don’t mind. If it happens it’s probably overdue given Fleming played with time in some of his novels. OHMSS and YOLT have a flash forward structure. Goldeneye has that nine years later font after the PTS.
I am a big Craig Bond fan, so there is a degree of poignancy with this likely being his last. But the overall mood I have is excitement. I think this is going to be one to remember.
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I think so, too. It might be the longest film, taking the most risks, painting on the broadest canvas yet - and therefore a peak which allows Craig to bow out. Otherwise another Craig film would be anticlimactic. Besides, he seems to have so much fun in Knives Out…
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Well said. That’s what I’m feeling.
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Well spotted!
Very intriguing…
I do wonder about Safin’s role. I don’t doubt he’s the main villain. But if Blofeld features near the end…
Safin doing a hostile take over? Maybe he didnt approve of Blofeld sinking their enterprise for his personal vendetta and decides new management is in order.
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Good idea. Or he’s the young one who uses the opportunity to fill the void Blofeld has left. Maybe that’s why Bond needs to pump Blofeld for information. That came out quite wrong.
It was M’s advice in TND, perhaps that’s how PWB made it less sexist “look, Bond will do that with Male suspects too”
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I wonder how much pumping will be required.
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What I found intriguing (and possibly McC as well) was the lack of names given for Billy Magnussen and Dali Benssalah.
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I’ve kind of thought that Bond would be forced to work with Blofeld to stop Safin.
I see a lot of Arab names, really begs the question wether Safin is Arab or Russian in this
Didn’t Malik state something about insisting the character wasn’t Middle Eastern when he was officially announced?
And wasn’t there a rumour that Boyle quit over the Russian villain?
Seems like maybe a compromise has been made in the final film?
With Boyle it’s difficult to judge what exactly lead to his walkout. There are now numerous different versions thrown around the net, from different outlets with different agendas, and all supported by that classic ‘source close to the production’ or similarly coded wording. Effectively, only Boyle and Eon know the truth. Boyle keeps vague, in accordance with his NDA. And Eon keeps mum so far.
From what we could witness in the media I’d say it’s possible that some minor thing like a villain’s name/backstory played a part; entirely possible. But if so I somehow doubt it was the real reason. Eon has been playing vague with many villains in the past; they always painted with broad brushstrokes - but never entirely in b/w. Ambiguity, as supposedly seen with Malik’s character, is their staple diet.
Apart from that, how much impact could the villain’s nationality in Boyle’s scheme really have had?
I wonder if the issue wasn’t necessarily the character itself, but the actor chosen for the part? Boyle may have envisioned someone entirely different than EON’s committed choice.
Phew…depends. Of course it now looks like they wanted Malik come what may - but I believe back when Boyle quit the job it wasn’t a given Malik would have a major hit with his Freddie Mercury biopic. Even if Eon have better behind-the-scenes connections than the public, and even if they picked up early vibes of Bohemian Rhapsody turning out as a smash performance, that still could have turned out differently.
Then again, directors and actors are known for having difficult relationships and it’s always in the cards that one doesn’t want to work with the other, for any number of reasons and maybe even without one having met the other in person. It happens, but it’s entirely speculative to think it did here without actual evidence.
I stand by it, Boyle left because they wanted a writer to rewrite Hodge’s script. Boyle got The Beach flashbacks, wasn’t comfortable potentially burning the bridge, so he left.
3 writers later…,
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And here we are.
I agree greatly with all the speculation and have hesitated in my own response as many have beat me to the punch.
First and foremost, complete cheers to Eon for playing everything so close to the vest (or waistcoat as you prefer) in keeping this particular Bond so under wraps. No school like the old school. Thus, my own thoughts.
Wrapping up the Craig era (as it will be known in years come to pass) is fine and as to the YOLT/TMWTGG notions, I’m all for it, done right. Great potential, but I’m also of the just bring it forward idea. Daniel’s Bond goes his way and we just drop in a new Bond #7 in the same old fashion - PTS on Bond 26 with our 007 wrapping up a mission which has nothing to do with the main assignment and we carry on from there.
Granted, I’m offering both sides of the fence, but IMO, Eon will go either way.
I’m just hoping for a Universal theme park ride/experience…and another Bond film.
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