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Almost ten years after Pierce Brosnan's final outing
as 007, the truth behind Quentin Tarantino's attempts
to make a James Bond film is emerging...
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Quentin Tarantino's Casino Royale
22nd July 2012
For Bond fans who were monitoring the week by
week rumours and drama that occupied the long gap between
"Die
Another Day"
(2002) and its eventual successor "Casino
Royale" (2006) four
years later, a common thread that wove itself through the drawn
out pre-production of Daniel Craig's
debut was Quentin Tarantino and his quest to direct a Bond movie.
It was easily written off
as hot air and tabloid fodder by many at the time, but the film's
director Martin Campbell has now confirmed that Tarantino was
in play, and even bid on the film rights.
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Campbell explained the backstory to the 21st Bond film
to the Daily
Express newspaper, “Casino Royale was not going
to be the next film. They were developing another [original]
script but then, after a long battle, the Broccoli's suddenly
got the film rights to the first Bond novel Casino Royale,
despite Quentin Tarantino bidding against them."
Tarantino went public in 2004 stating a desire to make "Casino
Royale" a period piece, set in the 1960's, with Pierce
Brosnan in the lead role. After being shot down as a directorial
prospect by EON Productions, it is now revealed that Tarantino
tried to secure the rights to the book himself. Ian Fleming's
first novel was not included in the original deal struck
by EON Productions founders Albert R. Broccoli and Harry
Saltzman. This omission lead to the 1967
spoof film starring
David Niven.
Campbell continued, “The script being
developed was an original story in which James Bond isn’t
the character we know today but someone younger and more
screwed up. Pierce
Brosnan was getting on for 49 or something, and clearly too
old to play the younger Bond so they decided to go in a different
direction.” |
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Above: Director Quentin Tarantino
is now considering a rival spy franchise.
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As for Tarantino, he is still upset at losing out on the chance
to put his stamp on the Bond franchise, saying: “It would
have been my James Bond film and not a Cubby Broccoli Bond film
and I would have done it with Pierce Brosnan.” He continues
to claim that, if it were not for him making the suggestion,
"Casino Royale" would not have been filmed as the 21st adventure.
After introducing two new actors to the role of James Bond,
Campbell says he is not considering a return for a third film
as director,
despite being offered the job. “It is always the same story
about Bond stopping a nutcase taking over the world and you can
only blow up a control
room so many times," he said. But despite his simplified view
of the repeated formula, he thinks there are many more years in
the spy yet. “These movies are hugely entertaining, full
of action, humour, international locations and beautiful people
while
the
character of James Bond is so sexy and stylish that everyone
wants to be him. That is why the Bond movies have lasted and
it is why they will continue to thrive.”
Quentin Tarantino - 007 Timeline
April 2004 - Goes
public with Casino Royale desires
"I don't see that they have anything to lose at all," Tarantino
said in an interview. "They've got this gigantic franchise,
they can't do anything wrong with it. Pierce Brosnan's only
going to do one more movie for them, if that, so if he stayed
on to
do one more with me, let's just this one year go my way and do
it a little differently. I won't do anything that will ruin the
series." Tarantino felt there was only "a
thin chance" that
he would win the project, and said he would concede to update
the 1952 novel for the present day. "If I owned the material,
I would set it in the '60s, but I'm sure I'd have to do it now."
May 2004 - Offers the role to Pierce Brosnan
Quentin Tarantino continued to talk about Bond in Cannes where
he is president of the film festival jury. "I've always
wanted to do it. I bumped into Pierce Brosnan and we talked
about it. He liked the idea," said Tarantino.
With Brosnan giving Tarantino his support earlier this month
for his idea of Bond on a smaller scale, Tarantino is left only
to convince the producers Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli. "I
don't know if they're going to go for it or not, but I'm letting
them know I'm interested. I would like
to do the original book 'Casino Royale' and do it more or less
the way the Ian Fleming
book is".
May 2004 - Bond
girl
Uma Thurman would play Vesper Lynd if Tarantino directs his vision for Casino
Royale
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May 2004 - Pierce
Brosnan confirms
Brosnan told reporters, "Quentin and I met and
he is a huge Bond fan. He wants to remake Casino Royale.
I don't know if it's ever going to happen. What Tarantino
would bring to the film is life, and just a great sense
of excitement and danger, and the perspective of a film-maker
who has really made people sit up and watch his movies.
He's got a cutting edge, which we got with the last Bond
film, Die Another Day - with Lee Tamahori's sense of flair.
Someone like Quentin would be magnificent."
August 2004 - Takes
his campaign to television
Tarantino appeared on the "Tonight Show with Jay Leno" and talked
extensively about his desire to direct a James Bond film. He appeared very
excited about the idea of directing a film based on "Casino Royale".
He was quick to mention that he was the one that fueled a lot of the "directing
rumors", but he said it's really up to the fans, and they should voice
that they want him.
October 2004 - Pierce Brosnan officially
confirms he will not play James Bond for a fifth film. |
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November 2004 - Brosnan
reveals Producers turned Tarantino idea down
Pierce Brosnan told the New York Times what happened to the Quentin
Tarantino "Casino Royale" idea. "I went to them
and asked about making "Casino Royale," which
is the first Ian Fleming book. I had hooked up with Quentin Tarantino,
who wanted to direct the movie. On the fifth apple martini one
evening, he mentioned "Casino Royale," which is the
blueprint for the psyche of Bond, and I took that idea to the
Broccoli family, who produce the Bond movies. They have a way
of doing the films, and they are not open to discussion -- they
threw my idea out the window. They said they wanted to
go in a new direction. But they've probably done me a great favor.
I can now concentrate on other roles."
February 2005 - EON Production confirms the 21st James Bond
film will be "Casino Royale".
March 2005 - Tarantino
says idea is killed
Speaking at the Empire awards in London Tarantino said: "I
would have liked to do Casino Royale with Pierce Brosnan. But once
I heard Brosnan isn't going to be doing any more Bond films,
that killed it as far as I was concerned. Over the course of time
he's really proven himself to me as the James Bond for this generation."
October 2005 - Brosnan
confused about losing 007
Whilst promoting "The Matador", Brosnan told reporters that he
was still clueless about why he lost the gig. "They said
I wanted too much money, which is nonsense." A more likely
explanation is his attempt to give the movies an edge. "I
really wanted Quentin Tarantino to direct the next one, and Quentin
wanted to do it. I think that scared the producers."
October 2005 - Daniel Craig is confirmed as the sixth actor
to play 007/
November 2006 - Casino Royale opens in theatres around the world
to box-office records.
September 2007 - Tarantino criticizes
Bond producers
Quentin Tarantino again criticized the makers of Casino Royale
for going ahead with the movie without his input.
In an interview with Total Film, Tarantino said he was so upset
that he hasn't even watched the movie. "I never saw Casino Royale
because I was so mad at those guys.They should have talked to
me about it. They said publicly that Casino Royale was unfilmable,
but the minute I said I would do
Casino Royale, it's on all the websites and it is the film that
people want to see. They should have said thank you."
July 2009 - Tarantino
repeats protest
“The reason they did Casino Royale all comes down to me,” Quentin
told reporters again. :I made it a point, I said I wanted to do
Casino Royale. They were already on record as saying the movie was unfilmable
but then after I said it and talked about it for a little bit — then
the big thing on all the internets was that that was what all
the fans wanted to see and so that’s when they said, ‘Oh,
maybe it’s not so un-filmable. Actually if I had done the
film, I wouldn’t
have done it with Daniel Craig, I would have done it with Pierce
Brosnan.”
August 2009 - Tarantino plans rival spy franchise
The American director is planning to adapt three spy thriller
novels by British writer Len Deighton into a movie series which
will attract fans of the British secret agent's on screen adventures.
Tarantino explained: "One of the things I enjoy musing
about doing is the trilogy of Len Deighton books, 'Berlin Game',
'Mexico Set', and 'London Match'. The story takes place in the
Cold War and follows a spy named Bernard Sampson. What is attractive
is the really great
characters and the wonderful casting. I am a huge fan of
Simon Pegg. I also think Kate Winslet is the best actresses that
ever lived, so I would
be honoured to work with her. I am also a huge admirer of
Anthony Hopkins. I would also love to work with Michael Caine.
I can see them appearing in
my movies."
