modesty Blaise film?

Number24

(This was first posted on the Modesty Blaise topic under the literature thread. I thisnk it has a better home here)
I have been a fan of Modesty Blaise for years, and I have read some novels and comic strips.
I'm waiting for a good MB film that can do her justice. I a feel MB film should be a period film set in the 60's, the period feel is so much at the heart of the whole Modesty style.
I have been dreaming of casting it (the alternative would be getting a life{[]

Natasha Henstridge, Cathrine Zeta-Jones and Uma Thurman have been considered. I think all three could be Modesty, but Henstridge might not be a good enough ectress.
I have some other suggestions for Modesty:
-Anna Hathaway (good-looking and popular, but can she look hard enough and is she athletic enough?)
-Jennifer Connely (Has the perfect look and she is one of the best actresses of her generation. Can she do action?)
-Monica Bellucci (Looks amazing, but is her english good enough?)
- Kate Beckinsale (has plenty of training doing action in black, figure-hugging outfit)

As for Willie Garvin:

- Viggo Mortensen (too old?)
- Jason Statham (A tough brit, but is he right for the other aspects of Willie?)
- Russel Crowe (a huge star, but perhaps he would be right in a blockbuster next too Zeta-Jones or Uma Thurman?)
Heath Ledger (after some long, hard months at the gym ....)
Natan Fillion (This man SHOULD be a star. Teach him the accent, train him very hard and cast him next to Anna Hathaway and two new action stars are born ...)

And here is a thought: before CR, would Eva Green and Daniel Craig be good candidates for modesty and Willie? I think so!
I don't know who my favourites are, particularely to play Modesty herself. I have just mentioned some names, som good and perhaps some less good.
Comments? Who would you like to see make a MB film?

SpectreIsland

I believe there was a Modesty Blaise film already done in 1966 starring Italian actress Monica Vitti. In 1982,there was also a TV movie with Ann Turkel in the starring role.

Number24

That's right. But the one in 1966 was a terrible spoof - a bit like if the Peter Sellers Casino Royale was the only James Bond film. The new one was made on a shoestring budget in 18 days, mainly to secure the film rights for Modesty Blaise for the film company. Not a bad film within its limitations, but such limitations!

John Drake

SpectreIsland wrote:

I believe there was a Modesty Blaise film already done in 1966 starring Italian actress Monica Vitti. In 1982,there was also a TV movie with Ann Turkel in the starring role.

Joseph Losey directed the 60's version, which had Terence Stamp as Willie Garvin and Dirk Bogarde as the villain. The set design and the costumes are perhaps the best thing about it. I've never seen the 82 version.

Miramax got a hold of the rights in the mid-90's and handed the project to Quentin Tarantino, who saw it as a perfect role for Uma Thurman. However, QT didn't want to direct. He thought that Luc Besson would be the ideal choice for this material, having dealt with a tough female heroine in his movie 'Nikita.' For some reason the project never got beyond the negotiation stages. Miramax had to rush out a cheapo version in 2003, to maintain ownership of the rights. 'My Name is Modesty Blaise,' is pretty poor by any standards.

I'm amazed more hasn't been done with this character. It would be great if they can find the right cast and director to bring Modesty Blaise to the screen. Besson and Thurman seemed a neat combination, but that was over ten years ago. Besson has lost his mojo and doesn't look like he knows or cares enough to try and get it back. Thurman, while still beautiful, is now into her late 30's, which is perhaps a little too old for Modesty. Still, I'd like to see something done with MB.

Number24

That's an interesting question; how old should Modesty be in the movie? I seem to recall she is about 20 years old in the some stories and in the late 30s at the end. I amy be wrong. Personally, I think they should start around the time she is "recruted" by the Secret Service. This would require an actress in her 20s.
Do you agree - a young modesty set in the 60s - would be the right place to start?

Number24

I just saw Serenity on DVD again. I still think Nathan Fillion could be a good Willie. I also got a new idea: Joss Wheedon could direct!
He does drama, action and comedy very well and he has a thing for young female action heroins. Before you ask - no, I don't want Sarah Michelle Gellar to play Buffy! .... but perhaps Eva Green could do it despite CR?
Look at this: http://evagreenweb.com/gallery/displayimage.php?album=248&pos=5
This:
http://evagreenweb.com/gallery/displayimage.php?album=random&cat=24&pos=-2475
and this:
http://evagreenweb.com/gallery/displayimage.php?album=random&cat=12&pos=-807

She is 27 years old and 168 cm tall and she speaks perfect english that (to me)a faint hint of something foreign. You may have heared of her, she starred in a film called Casino Royale

Does that sound right to you:
MODESTY BLAISE
written and directed by Joss Wheedon
Starring Eva Green and Nathan Fillion

At least they wouldn't have to spend much money on those three people ...

John Drake

Joss Whedon would be a great choice. 'Buffy' is one of the smartest shows ever. My only fear is that he seems to have a hard time working with other people's material. His attempts to get Wonder Woman going got nowhere, while his script for 'X-Men' was rejected.

Number24

Good point. What do you think of my casting suggestions.

Number24

Oh God, I saw my mistake now. I wrote "no, I don't want Sarah Michelle Gellar to play Buffy"
Obviously I ment she shouldn't play Modesty.
Silly me!

Number24

Here are some more pictures of Eva looking particularely Modesty-like:
http://gfx.filmweb.pl/blog/293957/92977.1.jpg
http://www.ghostofaflea.com/archives/EvaGreen2.jpg
http://www.televize.cz/images/fotografie/TVRevue/2006/9/39/10_1.jpg
http://oglobo.globo.com/blogs/arquivos/000_cult-bond-eva.jpg
http://www.sznews.com/2x/images/site3/20060919/U764P8T1D297257F913DT20060918055604.jpg

Number24

..and two for Nathan Fillion:
http://barefoot.provocateuse.com/images/photos/nathan_fillion_01.jpg
http://www.dragoncon.org/images/guest-photos/fillion2.jpg

John Drake

Number24 wrote:

Good point. What do you think of my casting suggestions.

I'd go for Green as Modesty. Fillion is a charismatic actor. I'm looking forward to seeing him in Adrienne Shelley's movie 'Waitress,' but I'd rather Willie remained a Brit. I love this picture of Green.



It looks like a still from a movie. I'd love to find out what it's called.

Willie Garvin

I've been a fan of Peter O'Donnell and Jim Holdaway's creations for decades-dating back to 1965.Modesty Blaise and Willie Garvin are two of the fascinating characters I've ever come across in adventure fiction, and why these two never made a successful transition to motion pictures remains something of a mystery--aside from the fact that O'Donnell's muse always tends to wind up in the wrong hands.

Peter O'Donnell's actually said that he doesn't want to see any more attempts at putting Modesty on the screen and considering what's happened to the character, it's hard to argue with his thinking.And that's too bad, because both the strip continuities and his Modesty Blaise novels have some compelling storylines,that--if handled respectfully and intelligently--could make some wonderful motion pictures.

Assuming that O'Donnell was to change his mind about Modesty Blaise movies,Eva Green would be an excellent choice as "The Princess".She and Modesty(especially as drawn by Jim Holdaway)share a comparable bone structure and she's also about the right height.Making her more closely resemble the character wouldn't take much effort--just give Eva black hair,and put it up in a chignon.Eva's also the correct age(give or take a year)since Modesty is eternally 26.O'Donnell only aged her beyond this one time--and that was for Modesty's final adventure,Cobra Trap,which is set in an unspecified future.

Another nice thing about casting Eva--or someone like her--is that she wouldn't bring excess baggage to the role,and could more easily "become" Modesty in a way some much bigger names might not be able to do.It's too bad Natasha Henstridge isn't about 10 years younger.She can handle comedy and drama equally well,is extremely athletic and could also be fixed up to look like Modesty.

At any rate,I'll second the suggestion of Nathan Fillion as a potential Willie Garvin.He's about the right physical size and height(Garvin's 6'3").His nose looks broken(another trait shared with Garvin), and his general coloring is similar to Willie's.I don't think it inconceivable that Canadian Fillion could learn to speak with a credible Cockney accent.Having said this,Jason Statham, with a hairpiece,would also be a good choice as Garvin.There's no question in my mind that Statham could handle the requisite action, and he's developed into a pretty good actor.Hugh Jackman might also be a credible Garvin.Overall,I think Garvin's much easier to cast than Modesty.

By the way,Peter O'Donnell once named the actors he'd have liked to have seen play Modesty and Willie.Michael Caine was the obvious choice to play Garvin,but here's the actress he favored as "The Princess":

John Drake

Willie Garvin wrote:

With black hair in the signature chignon, Julie Christie might've been terrific in the role.

I'm keener on her 'Dr Zhivago' co-star, Geraldine Chaplin. Possibly the most beautiful actress ever.

Number24

Willie Garvin must of course be british! If Nathan Fillion is half the actor he should be, he must learn the british (cockney) accent.

Willie Garvin

Yes,whoever plays Garvin should be able to speak with a convincing cockney accent(and a talented actor can probably do that).In fact,Garvin should really be able to speak with a variety of accents aside from his normal one--as should Modesty,since they often pass themselves off as being from countries outside the U.K.

taity

John Drake wrote:

It looks like a still from a movie. I'd love to find out what it's called.

Yeah, its an english flick called Casino Royale.

She has on the Algerian love knot. It also the same clothes she has on in the car ride to the hotel (Miss Broadchester line.) The hat wasnt in that scene, but it was shown when Vesper gets into the car with Bond. I think more footage was shot at the station, but ended up on the cutting room floor.

John Drake

taity wrote:

John Drake wrote:

It looks like a still from a movie. I'd love to find out what it's called.

Yeah, its an english flick called Casino Royale.

She has on the Algerian love knot. It also the same clothes she has on in the car ride to the hotel (Miss Broadchester line.) The hat wasnt in that scene, but it was shown when Vesper gets into the car with Bond. I think more footage was shot at the station, but ended up on the cutting room floor.

{[]. Wish they'd kept the hat though.

Number24

I think Jason Stratham could easily do teh accent and the physiscal side of Garvin, but he lacks charm, style and hair. Now I think Natan Fillion or a buffed up Heath Ledger would be the best Garvins.
Ledger is 28 years old ond 6'1'' tall. He is a very good actor, has many fans (esp. female),
has a good, deep voice ansd has been underused in action films.
He would have to do a Daniel Craig-style physical training program first, of course.

taity

John Drake wrote:

{[]. Wish they'd kept the hat though.

That hat was totally cool, and I think hats have been missing from the Bond movies for way too long. Bond 22 should have a scene with Bond wearing a cool bowler or something.

Number24

I think another good candidate for playing Garvin would be Thomas Jane:http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0005048/
his entry in IMDB claims he is 0.2 m tall, but that might be a typo:))

He had the body of Garvin in Punisher (despite his 0.2 m size..) handled the action well. He also gave the punisher some humanity and warmth.
In Stander he showed acting skills beyond what you would expect from an action actor. He also spoke with an africaans accent that convinced me )(not very hard, I admitt)
What do you think? de.movies.yahoo.com/.../fotos-268555-97990.html

Number24

Ah ... he is 6 feet tall.

Number24

I think a MB film should be a period film set in the 60's. That will make it unique among action francises and the period is a vital part of the sould of the series. She should jet-set on a Concorde between places like Tangiere, swinging London,Beirut, Macao and Teheran. The film(s) should have less voilence than most action films but it should be sexier. In that sense it would be more "european". Modesty is the kind of girl who walks naked into a room of villans give her and Willie an edge. Modesty and Willie can also change their clothes in the same room (seemingly) without any sexual tension. There should also be more martial arts than in a 007-film.
Eva Green is still my favourite Modesty, but Anna Hathaway could be good too:
http://www.superiorpics.com/anne_hathaway/pictures/Hathaway_sd1_picture.html
http://www.superiorpics.com/anne_hathaway/pictures/anne_sd681681668_picture.html
http://www.superiorpics.com/anne_hathaway/pictures/Hathaway_AG36366_picture.html
http://www.enfemenino.com/world/stars/photos__todo=zoom&i=2143&c=289167.html
http://www.phun.org/celebrities/anne_hathaway/anne_hathaway_41.jpghttp://www.phun.org/celebrities/anne_hathaway/anne_hathaway_36.jpg

Number24

Something went horribly wrong with taht last link;%

Number24

Here are some rather Modesty-like pictures of another canidate: Jennifer Connelly

http://renatoartes.files.wordpress.com/2007/02/connelly_peq.jpg


http://www.maxxiweb.com/files/wallpapers/fond/jennifer-connelly/68872.jpg

http://entimg.msn.com/i/gal/JenniferConnelly/CONNELLY11388219889_400.jpg

http://www.eftel.com/~almeath/jc/photos/newer_2000/craig_mcdea2.html

http://www.eftel.com/~almeath/jc/photos/newer_2000/carter_smith5.html

http://www.eftel.com/~almeath/jc/photos/newer_2000/lorenzo_agius4.html

Number24

Angelina Jolie is very famous and she has allready done a version of Modesty in the Tomb Raider films, but there is no denying she looks like Modesty:


and this is Angehttp://it.yourpattern.com/img/patterns/modesty_40x46_9.jpglina:
http://hitparade.ch/actorimages/angelina_jolie.jpg

http://alandroal.weblog.com.pt/arquivo/angelina%20jolie.jpg

Number24

I just read "Bellman" and I discovered that Modesty and Eva Green are preciesely the same height - 5' 6'' (168 cm)! That woman seems more and more perfect in the role.

Number24

I know I'm debating myself here, but why not?
at least no-one will out-witt me ...
I was thinking (not too har, mind ...): Both Angelina Jolie and Kate Beckinsale have played action heroines dressed in skin thight black costumes. Does that disquailify them to play Modesty? They are both good candidates in my oppinion, but will people confuse the roles?
"Is Angelina Lara Croft again, or ...???"
But Bruce Willes and Nicolas Cage have played action heroes in bloodied T-shirts many times, so what is the difference? I don't know

Willie Garvin

I've recently reconsidered my thoughts about a live-action Modesty Blaise film.It'd be interesting to see a Modesty Blaise movie that's fully animated.

The casting problems obviously wouldn't exist with animation.I'd like to see one of the Peter O'Donnell novels--A Taste for Death or Sabre Tooth,for example--fully animated, in a style purposely resembling that of the late Jim Holdaway-the artist and co-creator of the Modesty Blaise comic strip.Frankly,I think that such a project is doable--particularly now,with animated motion pictures more popular with the general public today.Even if the MB movie's animated look became a bit more abstract--as with Bruce Timm's designs for Batman for instance--it would still be an enormous improvement over what's already been done with MB
on the screen.

I also think that a three dimensional computer animated version of MB,ala' The Incredibles,for instance, but with a style considerably more 'realistic' and therefore faithful to the famous Holdaway look,would be equally successful.And ultimately such a film--with it's strong O'Donnell story and a visual adherance to it's source material-- would,I believe, be truer to the comic strip, and thus honor its creators more than with anything that could ever be done in a live-action project.

Additionally,an animated MB film wouldn't require any famous actors' voices to play the characters,either--just those of talented voice actors.And imagine the scope of such an animated movie-there'd be no cost-cutting,or changes of locale,etc.,in order to stay within a budget,as is so often the case with many big films--the Bonds especially.Since retaining the same principal actors wouldn't be absolutely necessary(unlike in a live-action project),there'd still be plenty of opportunity for a series of animated MB movies.

I know that there will always be some people who'll automatically write off anything that's animated as strictly for children.With all due respect,I don't agree with them.This would be a film for adults-or at least for people the same age range the James Bond films are geared towards(13 to 100).I contend that an intelligently written
and well-crafted animated Modesty Blaise movie--either hand-drawn or computer generated--would be very successful with audiences, and more than make it's money back.

Of course it's possible that such a Modesty Blaise film--animated or otherwise--might only be a cult movie despite any quality and boxoffice success it enjoyed--but I'm not at all sure that's such a bad thing.After all,the Modesty Blaise comic strip has always had a cult following,too.

Number24

I haven't thought of this possibility at all, but you are right! An animated MB could be very good if the style and content was ..ehh .. "stylish" and ....hmmmm... "adult" enough;%
Seriously, it could. An alternative would be live actors and CG enviorment, like "300" and "Sky captain and the world of tomorrow". just like those films they could make the style very comic bookish. I think both tecniques could get good results.

Number24

... and I would like a lot of 60's funk music on the soundtrack, a bit like this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FsuIJKD6O1w

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LIi47P8i0uY