Blofeld might be back

What the hell is this!

Take it with a grain of salt folks.


Logan Hints at Blofeld

Quote :

Confirmed details on Sam Mendes‘ Bond 23 are still scarce, but it seems screenwriter John Logan may have let slip a very useful detail about the villain. At a talk earlier this week, Logan hinted that iconic Bond baddie Ernst Stavro Blofeld just might be making an appearance in the upcoming film. Logan didn’t go so far as to actually announce anything, but hey, until we have a better idea of the plot, we’re gonna sit here and read into every dubious crumb of information that gets out. Read more after the jump.

WhatCulture! wrote about the possible hint, which Logan dropped at a BAFTA Screenwriters Q&A session:

Rather interestingly, during the talk last night Logan was reminded by an audience member of a quote that he said some ten years ago that, in his opinion, “Bond should always fight Blofeld”. When pressed on this he gave a wry smile and said “Bond should always fight Blofeld”.

Rumors that brilliant but evil SPECTRE head Blofeld would be the villain of Bond 23 have been floating around for quite some time now; at one point, Martin Sheen was said to be in talks for the part. And although Sheen has since stated that reports of his involvement were “absolutely not true,” it’s not all that farfetched to speculate that Blofeld might appear in a some form. Blofeld is arguably the Bond archnemesis, but hasn’t figured in a Bond film since the early ’80s. The timing seems right to reintroduce Blofeld to the franchise, and it sounds like Logan feels pretty strongly about the character...

...Update: As some have pointed out, there’s the possibility that Blofeld can’t be used by EON Productions, the company behind the Bond films. His last screen appearance was in Never Say Never Again, based on the novel Thunderball, and one of two theatrical Bond features not made by EON Productions. (The other being the ’67 Casino Royale.) The screen rights to Thunderball are complicated; Kevin McClory, who co-wrote the Thunderball story with Ian Fleming and Jack Whittingham, ended up with the screen rights to the story. He produced Never Say Never Again. As Blofeld first appeared in the novel Thunderball, McClory has owned the rights to the character for some time.

Things may have changed, but if so that would be a big deal in Bond circles. Could EON work around the rights issue by using a Blofeld-like character without naming him? (I’m not sure if McClory owns the screen rights to ‘Number One’ in the context of Bond films, so EON might be able to use that as a designation for the head of Quantum, which is basically SPECTRE without using the name.

Hmmm, this one to look out for.

Hopefully not, we have been there and done that - something a bit fresh and different without the baggage would be my preference (or at least hold off till Purvis and Wade aren't around to drag the character down.)

I'm calling shenanigans on this rumor. His remarks were hardly what I would call a "hint".

21st century, "gritty reboot" Blofeld, eh?

I can't help but picture a skinny dude with thick-rimmed hipster glasses.

Hint or not, I'd certainly be happy to hear Blofeld is coming back.

I've kinda been hoping Mr. White was Blofeld. Mild-mannered megalomania, plus a sense of humor (Tosca's not for everyone.)

If Blofeld comes back I'll be breaking out the champagne. I always thought SPECTRE growing out of Quantum might be a neat idea (as Bond finally smashes Quantum, a disaffected member named Ernst Stavro Blofeld decides to set up his own gang).

And I've never understood why so many Bond fans seem to think Blofeld would no longer work. Yeah, yeah, I've heard the Austin Powers argument, but if Austin Powers has ruined Blofeld then surely he's also ruined Bond. Besides, Blofeld doesn't necessarily have to be a bald guy in a Mao jacket with a Persian cat. The new Blofeld could be much closer to, say, Alan Rickman in DIE HARD - a slimy yet strangely attractive sophisticated European guy in a smart suit.

If Mr White can work, then Blofeld can work. If Daniel Craig can successfully put a new(ish) spin on Bond for today's audience, then someone can do the same with Blofeld. If Heath Ledger's Joker could wipe away memories of the old Batman TV show and Jack Nicholson, then there's life in old Ernst Stavro yet.

Let's just hope that if the writers decide to bring him back, they have the sense to crack open the Blofeld trilogy. Though EON's latest mode of adapting Fleming seems to be reading the novel's Wikipedia page and then going from there.

Loomis wrote:

I always thought SPECTRE growing out of Quantum might be a neat idea (as Bond finally smashes Quantum, a disaffected member named Ernst Stavro Blofeld decides to set up his own gang).

Oh no, not more origin stuff. NuBond seems to be resting on old Bond a bit much. So much for new beginnings. Why is Blofeld the only option if we're looking for a 'classic' Bond villain?

They've done the creepy villain in both Craig's films now. But there are many splendid Bond villain archetypes they could return to: the portly, older villain (Fleming's Le Chiffre, Goldfinger) or the dark Bond (a new incarnation of Scaramanga perhaps... though this one doesn't excite me much, based on Graves and Trevelyan) or the old hag (Bunt, Klebb) or the bad girl (Fiona, Xenia). Hell, they could try something new and do a villain duo a la Fleming's DAF. Fiennes & Bardem would be great for that.

I will eat my shorts if Fiennes plays Blofeld... he'll probably have no nose, too. They might as well have called Renard Blofeld, for all that. Bald, eye scar. Nice and original, EON. The two surest signs of villainy in Bond's world are baldness and blond hair & muscles.

Louis Armstrong wrote:

I will eat my shorts if Fiennes plays Blofeld... he'll probably have no nose, too. They might as well have called Renard Blofeld, for all that.

Yep. I can't see Bardem playing Blofeld either. Both of them are too young. Okay, so Savalas wasn't exactly an old man or anything, but the role has since passed into public folklore both through the classic status of the 60s Bond films and the Fleming novels, not to mention Austin Powers and a nearly 30-year absence of the character. If Blofeld comes back, then he'll come back with utterly huge audience expectations, to the point where you can't just take one of the current trend of Bond villains (the trend seems to be "realistic" middle-aged bloke) and just stick the name "Blofeld" on him. For me, it wouldn't be enough to come away from having seen Nu-Blofeld simply thinking "oh, he gave a decent performance" in much the way I'd say of Mikkelsen's Le Chiffre or Carlyle's Renard. No, I think that if they bring Blofeld back, then the guy should be the daddy of all Bond villains as required by his reputation, which would lead me to hope for a much older actor in the role, one with a near-legendary amount of gravitas, with the modern twists perhaps being the lack of the oft-spoofed grey suit, the cat being kept at a distance and the character being portrayed in an utterly brutal and vicious way in keeping with the current direction of the franchise. I don't want a LOLZ-Generation Blofeld or an EMO Blofeld, and hope that if they do bring the character back that they don't think for a second about taking that route.

But, my word, that's some blatantly lazy rumour-mongering excuse of lazy journalism referred to in the opening post, basically sounding like just one sentence made in jest and not really meaning anything. It does nothing at all to make me expect the return of Blofeld in Bond 23, as much as I'd be up for it if done correctly.

CJB wrote:

21st century, "gritty reboot" Blofeld, eh?

I can't help but picture a skinny dude with thick-rimmed hipster glasses.

Owen Wilson as Blofeld?

After 30 years stuck in his wheelchair at the bottom of a smokestack, Blofeld re-emerges, all "angry wid hiz father 'n' shit, ROFLMAO".....



"Mr Bond!!! We can do a deal!!! I'll buy you a fucking i-pad!!!!!"

Here's my issue with this whole Blofeld thing. Let's assume they do do it and a capable actor takes the role or whatever. If you're going to bring back Blofeld now, you basically have to change him. The whole cat-petting, grey onesy, volcano-chilling bad guy isn't going to really cut it in Craig's world exactly. So if they do bring him back it would entail some sort of update then. But here's the big question. If you're going to strip all the characteristics from the character itself, why even bring the character back at all? All that would remain is a name. I'm not saying it's a horrible idea to bring Blofeld back. I just don't see the need.

Lazenby. wrote:

Louis Armstrong wrote:

I will eat my shorts if Fiennes plays Blofeld... he'll probably have no nose, too. They might as well have called Renard Blofeld, for all that.

Yep. I can't see Bardem playing Blofeld either.

Lol. I completely misused that 'eating shorts' phrase. I meant to say, 'I would dislike if Fiennes played Blofeld', cause he already played a bald villain.

:oops:



Your new Blofeld.

To be quite honest, I can see Ralph Fiennes as Blofeld. That's the thought that has been in my head for months. Bardem no. He doesn't even look like a guy who would be named "Ernst Stavro Blofeld". I don't think Blofeld has be to all that old, just brilliant and ruthless.

He doesn't need to have any deformities or be bald, and with Fiennes looking more like a traditional Bond actor than Craig, I like the idea even more, with Fiennes, like Quantum, being a subtle and under the radar kind of a villain.

Chief of SIS wrote:

Here's my issue with this whole Blofeld thing. Let's assume they do do it and a capable actor takes the role or whatever. If you're going to bring back Blofeld now, you basically have to change him. The whole cat-petting, grey onesy, volcano-chilling bad guy isn't going to really cut it in Craig's world exactly. So if they do bring him back it would entail some sort of update then. But here's the big question. If you're going to strip all the characteristics from the character itself, why even bring the character back at all? All that would remain is a name. I'm not saying it's a horrible idea to bring Blofeld back. I just don't see the need.

I think the character's reputational gravitas as the "daddy of all Bond villains" is enough to motivate them to gamble on bringing him back. All facts faced, the series has been almost completely devoid of iconic villains since we last saw Blofeld, and that was 40 years ago (if we discount what were basically cameo appearances in FYEO and NSNA, that is). Since Blofeld, there's only really been perhaps Jaws and arguably Scaramanga who have joined the iconic ranks of the likes of Ernst, Auric and Largo from the golden days of Bond villainy. Craig's Bond is just too strong to keep pitting him against unthreatening random Johnny Foreigners, and Bond's long four-year absence and the 50th Anniversary (not to mention the leeway a complete reboot has afforded them) could very easily make the return of old Ernie a very viable option for EON.

Re: Fiennes & Harry Potter. Surely EON wouldn't be that blatant in making Fiennes the next Bond "Big Bad"...? I'm still expecting Fiennes to be merely a British Government "Inside Man", complete with hair, if he's indeed been cast. I'd expect Bardem to be the bigger threat, if recent EON villainy is any indication.

Lazenby. wrote:

the iconic ranks of the likes of Ernst, Auric and Largo

Largo? You must be joh-king. Guess he's got an iconic look... But what's he known as, the pirate villain? ;)

Lazenby. wrote:

Re: Fiennes & Harry Potter. Surely EON wouldn't be that blatant in making Fiennes the next Bond "Big Bad"...?

I dunno. They've hardly been subtle with their 'influences'. Lots of knee-jerk reactions to both their own success and the success of other films. But I do agree that Fiennes would more likely be given a dull British turncoat to play.

Louis Armstrong wrote:

Lazenby. wrote:

the iconic ranks of the likes of Ernst, Auric and Largo

Largo? You must be joh-king. Guess he's got an iconic look... But what's he known as, the pirate villain? ;)

Yep, just the "eye-patch villain" more than anything. :pirat:

I think Bond could do with some really big villainy again, TBH. Give the guy something tough to fight against. The last few films' villains seem to amount to little more than a couple of spoilt brats, a weedy old media guy and a couple of unthreatening foreigners. Bond can beat this lot in his sleep. Heck, even Mr Kidd with those fucking scary "I'll burn your fucking arse" kebabs packed more threat than this lot.

I liked LeChiffre a lot, but I think he needed a hulking Oddjob type of right hand man.

The Craig henchmen are non-entities. Elvis......? Who thought to name him Elvis?

He was meant to be the comedic anti-henchman, hence the goofy smile during the opera, can't hold a gun straight, the toupee gag. Everything about him was entirely deliberate. Can't say it was exactly successful.

well, they rebooted the Bond Film Franchise with Casino Royale...

so why not?

bring Blofeld back and I liked John Gardner's idea that the new Blofeld will be a woman!!

After all, it's the year 2011 - women can be criminals mastermind too!

Louis Armstrong wrote:

Why is Blofeld the only option if we're looking for a 'classic' Bond villain?

Because Blofeld spanned a number of Eon films, was recast every time and never died (definitively). I don't see why bringing him back should be any more wrong than bringing back Felix Leiter.

Sure, there are other "classic" villains, but I feel that Goldfinger belongs only in GOLDFINGER, Rosa Klebb only in FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE, Scaramanga only in THE MAN WITH THE GOLDEN GUN, etc. (similarly, I don't think Tracy "belongs" in any film other than ON HER MAJESTY'S SECRET SERVICE, barring veiled references to her in other films, of course). I view Blofeld differently. He's never been tied to just one film.

I would prefer that EON leave Blofeld alone and continue on with original characters as villains. That doesn't necessarily mean that they would have to continue in the same style of villains as Le Chiffre and Greene, as they could still go the larger-than-life route with an original character just as easily as they could with Blofeld.

The only time I would want to see Blofeld return would be if they were to decide to adapt OHMSS and YOLT correctly. We are a long ways away from that, or at least we should be a long ways away from that, so I'd just prefer to leave Blofeld out of the picture until that time arrives.

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