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Bond films have often recycled scenes or ideas that
did not make the transition from script to screen
in a previous film. MI6 uncovers the Ice Yacht's path
from "The Living Daylights" to "Die
Another Day"...
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"The Living Daylights" Missing Ice
Yacht
16th March 2003
In "Die Another Day", Bond escapes the Gustav Graves'
palace in Iceland by speeding away in an Ice Dragster, before
ultimately plunging off a glacier when chased by the deadly Icarus
beam. Although this is the first time Bond is seen on screen in
an ice lake vehicle, it was originally planned for Timothy Dalton
back in 1987's "The Living Daylights".
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Before Aston Martin came onboard "The Living Daylights"
and offered their car for the film, the draft of the ice
lake chase scene originally had Bond and Kara fleeing the
snow guards in a racing Ice Yacht.
Pulling the sails, Bond accelerates the yacht to full speed
across the frozen surface while the police cars skid after
them.
In a stunt similar to that in the finished film, Bond
jumps the ice yacht over a 45 degree slope over the watching
guards. The mast of the yacht snaps off as Bond and Kara
land hard and are hurtled downhill into the pine forest.
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Above: A modern day racing Ice Yacht |
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Bond loses control as outboard rudders and rigging are
torn off by the trees. Eventually the craft comes to a sudden
halt as they crash into a pile of boulders.
With the police and snow guards still chasing them, Bond
and Kara start to ski down the rest of the slope in the
cello case, and the story weaves back in to that of the
film we know today.
Left: Originally created for transporting goods in the
1600's, Ice Yachts are now raced as a popular sport on the
Great Lakes.
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The sequence was altered as Aston Martin offered the product
placement of their Volante model - winterised by Q-Branch. To
give the car the capability to perform the same as the Ice Yacht,
Q-Branch added outriggers and a jet-booster to the Volante, and
the the Ice Yacht was cut from the shooting script.
Purvis & Wade recycled the Ice Yacht idea into the story
of "Die Another Day" by removing the traditional sail
and replacing it with jet engines. Specially constructed for the
production, the craft and became the first Ice Dragster in the
world.
