Bond Films That Never Were

A 60's EON Casino Royale would've have been truly interesting. I've always wondered how the heck they would have done it as a big story to follow GF or TB with a Feldman deal. It did almost happen and the breakdown was caused by Feldman for some reason wanting a ridiculous profit share. He and Cubby were longtime pals so they just wished each other luck. Had CR67 not become such a runaway production it would've finished much sooner and been mixed more in the spy craze and less of an outright YOLT box office competitor.

Maibaum and many other regretted they didn't get to do CR. But it needed to be the first film or perhaps the second. Otherwise you lose the story focus on character from a smaller scale story being sacrificed to be a bigger sequel (cough...the same thing they had happen in 2006...cough) or seeming too small for the series you've established.

Seeing my above comment...oh my word can you imagine Robert Aldrich directing the torture scene? I think people would've had to have left the theater in the 60's!!!


The big one that almost happened, could have possibly happened if contracts were broken, makes the most sense on paper and would've resulted in something special would be if Roger had done OHMSS putting the naysayers to rest.

hegottheboot wrote:

The big one that almost happened, could have possibly happened if contracts were broken, makes the most sense on paper and would've resulted in something special would be if Roger had done OHMSS putting the naysayers to rest.

The "what if" that then produces is TSWLM, I think.

If Rog does OHMSS, he likely stays. Assuming the film did at least as well in this alternate history as it did in fact (i.e. Rog doesn't hurt it). But being that Rog is older, they probably don't offer him the famous seven film contract Laz turned down. Maybe the same three film deal he ended up with. That takes him through LALD.

Now Hunt probably departs the series either way after a decade of work and the arduous OHMSS shoot. Cubby hires Mank for DAF, as I assume he still reasons the films should "get younger." So DAF gets made in the same fashion, same concern about replicating GF. Hamilton comes in. Etc. Leading to LALD being largely the same.

But is that Rog's contract? If so, he perhaps gets a new one for TMWTGG...but I have a hard time thinking TMWTGG performs much better than it did...meaning, does Rog get a second renewal for TSWLM? Moreover is OHMSS more kindly looked upon by Eon itself (they actually re-release it as a drive-in double bill or something, or let network television air it without cutting it to pieces) meaning the "re-evaluation" starts earlier than it did in real life, and perhaps OHMSS is the defining film for him and he doesn't need TSWLM to cement his portrayal?

Fun to tease out.

Indeed it's fun to continue the what if thread. It all depends on what direction is chosen post OHMSS. Bond was no longer the top dominating pop culture icon by YOLT and even with Roger's name adding push to OHMSS at the box office I don't think it would have suddenly become a smash in 1969. The tonal shift afterwards would still happen but likely wouldn't go all out immediately. I think Roger likely would've been in place up to and possibly including Spy.