Bond 24 to feature new iconic henchman.

Quote :

Producers on the 24th James Bond film are apparently looking for a ‘physically imposing’ henchman.

James Bond fansite MI6 claim that the aim is to find the next Oddjob or Jaws to get into fisticuffs with Bond, played by Daniel Craig.

Former sports athletes are reported being considered for the character, which will go by the rumoured name Hinx (this is apparently a temporary name).

MI6 say: ‘Casting has begun for the main assassin, with the search specifically focussed on someone extremely physically fit and over 6′ 2″.

‘Whoever wins the role will have several altercations with Daniel Craig’s 007 throughout the film and also a driving sequence.

‘Former sports athletes will be under consideration along with anyone “very unusual”.

‘The character has the working name of ‘Hinx’ (which may change before shooting starts) and is said to be between 30 and 45 years old.’

Film bosses are said to be hoping the character will become iconic like Oddjob and Jaws have.

I like it...as long as it's not a pussy like Elvis from Quantum of Solace  

How about a man-brute from WWE?? Batista was recently lauded in Guardians of the Galaxy.

I like Elvis based on the connection the actors made for their backstory. Of course Oddjob and Jaws are better, and if they're the template, I'm sure as hell looking forward to seeing Bond face off against him.

IF Jaws happens to come back, I actually think Michael Shannon should be cast, but I don't think that's the case here.

I remember reading a rumour ages ago that the Rock was in talks for Bond 24. It seemed to be a pretty accurate rumour back then considering the casting brief for this henchman.

Please God let Hinx be a placeholder.

Edit: Great to see you back Jason.  

Thanks buddy, feels good to be back actually.

I'm sure Hinx is a placeholder… Too similar to Jinx and we all know how that turned out. That said, we've had Rosie Carver before Elliot and Paris.

If SKYFALL taught us anything, it's that Mendes is smart enough to synthesise, rather than imitate - to look back on something and create anew, rather than simply imitate and hope for the best.

I remember reading an interview with Roger Spottiswoode in which he said that production of TOMORROW NEVER DIES wanted to top GOLDENEYE's tank chase, but they didn't know how to put Bond in a bigger vehicle, and so they decided to go in completely the opposite direction and put him on a bike, thus making him vulnerable. Whether or not you think the sequence worked is neither here nor there; it's the recognition of how to take a new approach. Having said that, this is the same film that used Stamper, a lame imitation of Red Grant.

Craig's Bond hasn't really faced off against an enemy who represents a physical threat to him. But that's not reason enough to simply slip a Jaws clone in. Any henchman needs to be able to stand on their own, but I'd like to believe that Mendes has already thought of this.

For all of their size and strength, the villain has to have some kind of weakness to balance them out. For example, I met someone the other day who cannot see the colour red. He has no idea what he sees in the place of red; he just can't see it. That's the sort of thing Bond could use to his advantage, but I have no idea how to represent it in film.

That's a really cool idea PM, re: the colour blindness. I instantly thought of blood, but not sure how that could be incorporated. Visually, we could see things through his/her perspective, and really add some bizarre elements; the audience knowing that some things are supposed to be red, but it's not.

Maybe the guy who did the UE DVD for Thunderball has this same condition.

I'm assuming that this condition works both ways; red is at the bottom end of the spectrum of visible light, and violet is at the top end, so if a condition exists whereby someone cannot see red, then I'm guessing a similar condition exists where someone cannot see blue or violet - in which case, Bond could defeat that person by knowing that he could not match them physically, and so luring them into a position where he can shine an ultraviolet light in their eyes, overwhelming their vision and incapacitating them. The trick would be in introducing this weakness without giving away the solution to the audience - we should feel that Bond defeats them through cleverness, not through something that we see coming from a mile away.

I'm pretty sure "Hinx" is a placeholder. It just doesn't work as a name on any level. And a name may just be a name, but secondary villains rarely get much in the way of characterisation, so they really need an interesting name - something that is authentic without being generic or an absurd exaggeration. Given the connections to Scandinavia, I'd expect names like Magnussen or Rasmussen or Sundqvist or Rintanen (depending on the exact nationality of the character).

I like Magnussen, however I think what works with some of the henchmen names is that they're simple and relate to what they do/who they are:

Jaws - kills people with his metal teeth.
Oddjob - odd way of doing his job (killing via hat)
Stamper - muscle man
May Day - ?
Tee Hee - Always laughing
Whisper - Whispers
Nick Nack - Midget, nick nacks are usually smaller things.
Onatopp - even though she was onabottom, really, during her first killing scene and with Bond in the sauna.

Then there are others like Necros, Gobinda, Kriegler, Dent, Dario, Renard, but I really wouldn't call them iconic (Stamper and Whisper I'd probably put in this group to be fair).

So if anything, I think keeping it simple and in relation to who they are/how they kill would be their best bet if they're going for iconic.

FieldsMan wrote:

I like Magnussen, however I think what works with some of the henchmen names is that they're simple and relate to what they do/who they are:

Jaws - kills people with his metal teeth.
Oddjob - odd way of doing his job (killing via hat)
Stamper - muscle man
May Day - ?
Tee Hee - Always laughing
Whisper - Whispers
Nick Nack - Midget, nick nacks are usually smaller things.
Onatopp - even though she was onabottom, really, during her first killing scene and with Bond in the sauna.

From this list, only Jaws and Oddjob are iconic. Some of the others were forgettable after the closing credits.

Onatopp and May Day I think are iconic - many people ask about that one who kills with her thighs, or the movie Grace Jones was in when I talk about Bond with them, just as I do about 'the guy who kills with his teeth' and 'the guy who kills people by throwing his hat'.

Sure, but Wisper and Stamper? Come on mate!

Btw you forgot Wint and Kidd.

FieldsMan wrote:

Then there are others like Necros, Gobinda, Kriegler, Dent, Dario, Renard, but I really wouldn't call them iconic (Stamper and Whisper I'd probably put in this group to be fair).

Like I said…

I think a memorable henchman is more than just the gimmick, its about creating someone Bond seemingly has no chance against so that we end up with a confrontation that is surprising or left field in resolution. The big problem in the Craig era is that there is no real threat behind any of his encounters, even the big bad is one of the anonymous canon fodder.

Wint and Kidd actually pose a good alternative because it doesn't have to be a single memorable person it can be a double act...in terms of female hench..err...persons this also opens fresh potential to create a credible but different form of threat (and employs two femme fatales for the price of one dovetailing nicely into PM's idea for a new slant on the Bond girl).

lachesis wrote:

... even the big bad is one of the anonymous canon fodder.

I hope this was a deliberate play on words.

lachesis wrote:

The big problem in the Craig era is that there is no real threat behind any of his encounters, even the big bad is one of the anonymous canon fodder.

I reckon Ola Rapace's character was a bit of a threat to Bond...

I think what makes guys like Mollaka and Patrice seem less formidable is that Bond takes them both out before the second act, whereas the more memorable henchmen like Oddjob and Jaws were there at the end, so there was more build up.

Not really saying Patrice or Mollaka are memorable, but re: the former, he got away from Bond after their first encounter, which kinda makes him more of a threat than Slate.

I don't think you can really count Slate as a henchman. He was a thug hired to kill Camille. He wasn't expecting a Double-Oh, and wasn't prepared for a Double-Oh. The difference with Patrice is that he probably knew what he was getting into, since Silva had knowledge of that world (Quantum did, too, but they would have had no reason to suspect Bond would go after Camille).