1990:
Pierce Brosnan by random selection, is asked if he is interested in being Bond. He Agrees.
November 13, 1995:
Bond 20, Goldeneye, is released. No changes are made
December 19, 1997:
Tomorrow Never Dies is released. No changes are made.
November 19, 1999:
The World is Not Enough is released in theaters. No changes.
May 30, 2003:
Pierce Brosnan stars in the Bond 50th anniversary movie, Casino Royale. Brosnan's style in this film is up for interpretation for now.
2004: The Movies are announced to be in a 4 year hiatus to perfect Brosnan's final film.
October 24, 2008:
Quantum Of Solace is released in theaters, competing against High School Musical and Saw V that weekend. QoS's theme is Forever - I Am Yours. It is the highest rated Bond since Licence To Kill, almost TWENTY years ago. Pierce Brosnan goes out with a bang instead of a whimper.
(You may be asking, Why was a 55 year old Brosnan playing Bond, when you bashed more for playing it at 58? That's rather simple. Pierce Brosnan at 61 in November Man would have picked up more women than Moore at 58 in A View To A Kill. Sorry chaps, it's just the way things are.)
Movie: From Russia With Love | Novel: On Her Majesty's Secret Service | Actor: Sean Connery | Girl: Melina Havelock | Car: Aston Martin V8
Because I've blown this way out of proportion a month ago, I'm restarting this thread, and I'm now open to actual suggestions.
We're just going to do a simple list of movies by actors at this point.
Sean Connery:
1962 - Dr No
1963 - From Russia, With Love
1964 - Goldfinger
1965 - Thunderball
1967 - You Only Live Twice
George Lazenby:
1969 - On Her Majesty's Secret Service
1970 - Diamonds Are Forever
Roger Moore:
1973 - Live And Let Die
1975 - The Spy Who Loved Me
1976 - Octopussy (Less Campy)
1978 - Moonraker (Fleming Edition)
1980 - A View To A Kill
Timothy Dalton:
1982 - For Your Eyes Only
1984 - The Man With The Golden Gun (Less Camp, Still featuring Christopher Lee)
1986 - The Living Daylights
1989 - License To Kill
1990 - License Renewed (LTK "Hitman For Hire" sequel)
Pierce Brosnan:
1995 - Goldeneye
1997 - Tommorrow Never Dies
1999 - The World is Not Enough
2003 - Casino Royale
2004 - Quantum Of Solace
Daniel Craig:
2008 - Bond 24
2010 - Bloodstone
2012 - Skyfall
2014 - Spectre
2018 - Bond 28
Movie: From Russia With Love | Novel: On Her Majesty's Secret Service | Actor: Sean Connery | Girl: Melina Havelock | Car: Aston Martin V8
This is my last and definitive alternate timeline.
Up to 1961, everything is the same. However, there is no Thunderball Lawsuit. Kevin McClory is given split profits, allowing Ian Fleming's life to be extended by about 6 - 7 years, due to no stress induced health problems.
Sean Connery Era:
1962: Dr No
1963: From Russia, with Love
1964: Goldfinger
1965: Thunderball
After this, Sean Connery, getting tired of playing Bond, decides to resign, and Lazenby through his black magic and tall tales, lands the next role.
George Lazenby:
1967: On Her Majesty's Secret Service
1969: You Only Live Twice (Fleming Edition)
1971: Diamonds Are Forever (Fleming Edition)
Now that the movies are in the correct order, YOLT is now the followup to OHMSS Ian Fleming intended it to be, and DAF is also more faithful to the Fleming edition. George Lazenby Retires, and Roger Moore is bought into the role.
Roger Moore:
1973: Live and Let Die
1974: The Man with the Golden Gun
1977: The Spy Who Loved Me
1979: Octopussy
Roger Moore Retires at 50. He refuses to step back in. Timothy Dalton is asked to step into the role, and he is one one condition: They leave the camp in the 70's.
Timothy Dalton:
1981: For Your Eyes Only
1984: A View to A Kill
1987: The Living Daylights
1989: Licence To Kill
The MGM lawsuit occurs, and by the time it is over, Timothy Dalton steps down. Pierce Brosnan steps in.
Pierce Brosnan:
1995: Goldeneye
1997: Tomorrow Never Dies
1999: The World Is Not Enough
2002: Moonraker (Fleming Edition)
Daniel Craig:
2006: Casino Royale
2008: Quantum Of Solace (Gunbarrel at Beginning, Forever - I Am Yours)
2012: Skyfall (Gunbarrel at beginning)
2015: SPECTRE
And that's it. My definitive list. No more changes.
Movie: From Russia With Love | Novel: On Her Majesty's Secret Service | Actor: Sean Connery | Girl: Melina Havelock | Car: Aston Martin V8
Nice. But wouldn't Georgy boy be a bit too young in 67 for Bond?
Yes, I would agree that George Lazenby is a bit young, but in the eyes of producers, he would be perfect as the face of Bond at 28. If they were able to find A highly enthusiastic & apparently (not) man, young enough to stay as the face of Bond for around 17 years, his 45th birthday (Not until 1985!), they would sign him up in a heatbeat. Sadly, but also gracefully, Lazenby wouldn't even make the mid 70's.
Note:
In this universe, Lazenby gets a renewed passion after the film's release, and strikes a deal for two additional films back into the role.
Movie: From Russia With Love | Novel: On Her Majesty's Secret Service | Actor: Sean Connery | Girl: Melina Havelock | Car: Aston Martin V8
I'm honestly just updating this monthly at this point, it's like I have creator's curse or something.
Barry Nelson:
The Bond series is run on Climax for a trilogy, starred by Barry Nelson. Although slightly more popular, it does not make Nelson or Bond anywhere close to a household name.
October 21, 1954:
Casino Royale
No changes are made.
September 15, 1955:
The Property of a Lady
Shortly following the events of Casino Royale, Valerie gets in a fatal car accident under suspicious circumstances in Versailles. It is later found out that she was a rogue agent of a mysterious unnamed organization, a third party. However, thankfully, Valerie has left behind a trail in which MI6 can discover it. It is through this that an embezzlement clan known as SCOPE
(SoCiety Of Persons in counterEconomics) is unsheathed.
November 15, 1956:
For Your Eyes Only
In the high stakes finale, James Bond survives an assassination attempt by SCOPE while in Jamaica. However, his colleague, Clarence Leiter is not so lucky as he is killed by the bomb meant for Bond. Bond sets out on a vendetta against SCOPE while having to protect Leiter's widow, Judy at all costs.
1960:
Two years after the season finale of Climax, film rights for the James Bond series are bought out by EON productions for a surprisingly low price, and production of the EON era begins.
Movie: From Russia With Love | Novel: On Her Majesty's Secret Service | Actor: Sean Connery | Girl: Melina Havelock | Car: Aston Martin V8
The only change to occur is that Robert Shaw has a taller stature of 6'3, an equal to Sean Connery, so he doesn't have to stand on crates when shooting scenes with Connery.
September 17, 1964:
Goldfinger
No changes are made.
December 9, 1965:
Thunderball
The only change made is behind the scenes. Kevin McClory does not go power hungry and there is no Thunderball lawsuit, so McClory does not have as tight of a grip on the film.
1965:
Shortly after the photography of Thunderball, Sean Connery has an altercation with Harry Saltzman, and requests to step down from the role. In the same year, George Lazenby manages to smoothly "charm" his way into the role as the next 007.
George Lazenby:
December 18, 1967:
On Her Majesty's Secret Service
Set back two years and switched places with YOLT, The changes to OHMSS are minor, the biggest being George's gunbarrel not being poorly edited. Another big change includes the behind the scenes, where George instead of quitting, negotiates his contract for 2 more films instead of EON's 6.
May 24, 1969:
You Only Live Twice
After the assassination of Tracy, Bond goes on a vendetta against SPECTRE. Filler witth Bond's wives is removed and more time is spent with Bond inside the SPECTRE base. Bond leaves Blofeld crippled and to die.
December 1, 1970:
The Man With The Golden Gun
After dissolving SPECTRE from the inside, a last minute plan by Blofeld has been set into action where infamous Cuban hitman, Francisco Scaramanga has a price on Bond's head. With no way to identify Scaramanga, all seems hopeless for Bond until he meets Andrea, Scaramanga's lover, but willing traitor if it could mean her freedom.
1970: Roger Moore is asked to step up as Bond in the next movie, Live and Let Die. He agrees, and production begins.
Movie: From Russia With Love | Novel: On Her Majesty's Secret Service | Actor: Sean Connery | Girl: Melina Havelock | Car: Aston Martin V8
The film is shot in a 2.35:1 aspect ratio, so set design is bigger. Other than that, there are no changes.
December 15, 1973:
Diamonds Are Forever
Yes, it's going to be campy, but it WORKS with Roger Moore. And because he didn't ask for a million dollar film salary, the SFX won't suck. it's practically a win - win.
December 4, 1975:
Octopussy:
The film will remain the same, with maybe a little bit more roughness in the opening plane sequence from a more archaic era of Practical FX.
July 7, 1977:
The Spy Who Loved Me
No changes are made to this film.
1978:
After reaching 50, Roger decides that he is getting to old for his role, and because he has actually exceeded his contract, it is time to step down. Timothy Dalton is set in, and the series undergoes some changes to fit into the darker and grittier 80's.
Movie: From Russia With Love | Novel: On Her Majesty's Secret Service | Actor: Sean Connery | Girl: Melina Havelock | Car: Aston Martin V8
NOTE: Caroline Bliss has now replaced Lois Maxwell as Moneypenny
December 5, 1980:
For Your Eyes Only
The film's general structure remains the same, but it's tone is going to be slightly more darker and violent, but not yet at LTK levels. The PTS is played out in a similar fashion.
October 10, 1984:
A View To A Kill
The Roger Moore version we have (minus the PTS snowboarding scene) actually does a pretty good job at setting a darker mood. Just add a slight amount of grit and remove some of the camp.
June 29, 1987:
The Living Daylights
No changes are made.
June 13, 1989:
License To Kill
No changes are made.
1991-94:
The MGM lawsuit occurs, and Timothy Dalton retires after saying he's tired of waiting.
Pierce Brosnan steps in.
Pierce Brosnan:
November 13, 1995:
Goldeneye
No changes are made.
December 19, 1997:
Tomorrow Never Dies
No changes are made.
November 19, 1999:
The World Is Not Enough
Very few changes are made, one being that DENISE RICHARDS IS A MORE COMPETENT ACTOR IN THIS VERSION.
November 22, 2002:
Moonraker
During the Afghanistan war, former KGB members now working in the Middle East are attempting to build and launch a supermissile, codenamed "Moonraker" headed for London, Paris, Washington D.C., Moscow, and Beijing. It is zero hour on Bond and he must do what it takes to prevent the imminent destruction of superpowers against Al Qaeda.
Movie: From Russia With Love | Novel: On Her Majesty's Secret Service | Actor: Sean Connery | Girl: Melina Havelock | Car: Aston Martin V8
2003:
Pierce Brosnan leaves the Bond scene after turning 50 and wanting to work on other projects.
2005:
Daniel Craig is introduced into the role of Bond.
November 17, 2006:
Casino Royale
No changes are made.
March 13, 2009:
Quantum of Solace.
5 months are added to make the film a little bit more clean cut.
Forever - I Am Yours is the theme
There is a gunbarrel at the beginning.
Generally, there's more thought put into it
October 23, 2012:
Skyfall
The only change made is that there is a gunbarrel at the beginning.
October 26, 2015:
SPECTRE
The only change is in the gunbarrel.
Musical timing is corrected
Daniel Craig doesn't wave around his blasted gun
This is hopefully my final timeline.
Movie: From Russia With Love | Novel: On Her Majesty's Secret Service | Actor: Sean Connery | Girl: Melina Havelock | Car: Aston Martin V8
I really like the idea of the Barry Nelson show having a followup. Short of McClory making Thunderball in 1959, that'd be the most radical alternate history of all.
but... neither of those two titles suggested had been used by Fleming yet, not for another 5 or 6 years.
also the thing with that 1954 Casino Royale is it was all filmed (and broadcast) live, on one or two stage-sets, exactly like a play ... your plot ideas for the two followups look like they'd require some much more ambitious location shots, I'm imagining from your summaries something on the scale of Patrick McGoohan's Danger Man show. But maybe Casino Royale was so successful, it spun of into a more conventional show, at least with the budget of the TV westerns of the day?
and ... the filming of Casino Royale so soon after publication meant the rights were already sold and not available to Harry & Cubby, which is why we got the silly 1967 version, and had to wait over 40 years to get an official EON version. If there was such a Fleming title as For Your Eyes Only at that point, it too would be in a competitor's hands and not available for Roger to make a film of in 1981.
I'm just overanalysing as usual, but this whole exercise invites it!
a good excuse to study deeper the actual history and sort out the cause & effects of it that may not be apparent at first glance.
also its definitely not physically possible to make Robert Shaw two inches taller, and I really doubt its physically possible to make Denise Richards a better actress ... you'd just need to recast those two parts!
also the thing with that 1954 Casino Royale is it was all filmed (and broadcast) live, on one or two stage-sets, exactly like a play...your plot ideas for the two followups look like they'd require some much more ambitious location shots...But maybe Casino Royale was so successful, it spun of into a more conventional show, at least with the budget of the TV westerns of the day?
a If there was such a Fleming title as For Your Eyes Only at that point, it too would be in a competitor's hands and not available for Roger to make a film of in 1981.
also its definitely not physically possible to make Robert Shaw two inches taller, and I really doubt its physically possible to make Denise Richards a better actress ... you'd just need to recast those two parts!
Although I do agree with you about the actors statement and high budgets, I do believe that film rights could easily be purchased/signed over, and in TV shows they just expire more easily, but for argurment's sake and also because i've got creator's curse, this just won't sit right and I now have to revamp my entire timeline
Movie: From Russia With Love | Novel: On Her Majesty's Secret Service | Actor: Sean Connery | Girl: Melina Havelock | Car: Aston Martin V8
New timeline, but simplified. If you want more info, just look at the previous timeline where I explain things in better detail.
Barry Nelson:
1954 - Casino Royale
1955 - Moonraker (Not the one with bloody spaceships)
1956 - Risico (Previous Nelson version of FYEO but w/ new name)
Sean Connery:
1962 - Doctor No
1963 - From Russia, With Love (w/ Robert Shaw, not going to abandon him for height issues)
1964 - Goldfinger
1965 - Thunderball
George Lazenby:
1967 - On Her Majesty's Secret Service
1969 - You Only Live Twice
1970 - The Man With the Golden Gun
Roger Moore:
1972 - Live And Let Die
1973 - Diamonds Are Forever
1975 - Octopussy
1977 - The Spy Who Loved Me
Timothy Dalton:
1980 - For Your Eyes Only
1982 - The Property of A Lady (not Nelson edition)
1984 - A View To A Kill
1987 - The Living Daylights
1989 - Licence To Kill
Pierce Brosnan:
1995 - Goldeneye
1997 - Tomorrow Never Dies
1999 - The World is Not Enough (w/out Denise Richards)
2002 - Nobody Lives Forever
2004 - Everything Or Nothing
Daniel Craig:
2007 - Casino Royale
2008 - From Russia With Love Remake (Holdover for Quantum of Solace)
2010 - Quantum of Solace
2012 - Skyfall
2015 - SPECTRE
Movie: From Russia With Love | Novel: On Her Majesty's Secret Service | Actor: Sean Connery | Girl: Melina Havelock | Car: Aston Martin V8
There are a couple of other potential branching points, in the 1950s:
Fleming originally began writing Moonraker as a proposed film script. In some other parallel universe that coulda got made. If it was, it may have been more successful than the Casino Royale tele-play, and that would have changed the course of history.
It would have required a budget. There's a lot of locations (though all within England), and the missile launch site would have required some big props. Still, science fiction was a popular genre in the mid50s, and it mostly had apocalyptic overtones (and cold war metaphors), so if Moonraker had been done right it could have been a hit.
Apparently it was adapted as a radio-play, but that's long lost. Presumably even less successful than the adventures of CardSharp Jimmy Bond.
Also Dr No was the proposed pilot for a TV series about a different character named Commander Jamaica. Obviously never got made, but if did, Saltzman and Brocolli would have had to choose a different plot for their very first film, if nothing else. It wouldn't even have become a James Bond novel.
Would Fleming have retained motivation to have written any subsequent James Bond novels if there had been a Commander Jamaica tv series? He was on the verge of abandoning the series just one book earlier.
Also three of the five stories in For Your Eyes Only were plot outlines for a proposed Bond tv series that never went anywhere. If there were a Bond tv series starting in the late 50s, would there have been a film series at all? maybe yes, maybe no, Fleming still would have liked to sell the film rights to his earlier novels based on all I've read about him. But a competing tv series that audiences were already familiar with would have made any film adaptations less unique. They might never have become the phenomenon we know today, and might never have inspired a wave of imitations and parodies in the mid60s.
Fleming originally began writing Moonraker as a proposed film script. In some other parallel universe that coulda got made. If it was, it may have been more successful than the Casino Royale tele-play, and that would have changed the course of history.
It would have required a budget. There's a lot of locations (though all within England), and the missile launch site would have required some big props. Still, science fiction was a popular genre in the mid50s, and it mostly had apocalyptic overtones (and cold war metaphors), so if Moonraker had been done right it could have been a hit.
Peter Lorre and Orson Welles in the same film? thatd be le Chiffre vs le Chiffre!
I was thinking maybe one reason Fleming set all of Moonraker either within London or within a couple hours drive, might be precisely for the purpose of easily accessible locations in a planned film.
CARY GRANT 1958-1961 (early films with Grant in b&w)
Casino Royale (1958) close to the book
Live And Let Die (1959) close to the book
Moonraker (1960) close to the book
Diamonds Are Forever (1961) close to the book
SEAN CONNERY
From Russia With Love (1962) filmed a year earlier than usual and with cliffhanger of Bond being poisoned at the end
Dr No (1963) filmed a year later than usual and with gadget scene making sense also first 6 films have no SPECTRE
Goldfinger (1964) characters of gangs more developed
Thunderball (1965) less time underwater and ending better filmed
The Spy Who Loved Me (1966) based on the book and the comic strip
GEORGE LAZENBY
On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969) no change except 'this never happened to other fella' line left out
You Only Live Twice (1971) close to the book
The Man With The Golden Gun (1973) close to the book
Colonel Sun (1975) close to the book
ROGER MOORE
Nobody Does It Better (1977) the usual film title is changed to the title of the song
Mission Moonraker (1979) the usual film title is changed to differentiate from the original film
TIMOTHY DALTON
For Your Eyes Only/Risico (1981)
Octopussy/The Property Of A Lady (1983)
A View To A Kill (1985)
The Living Daylights (1987)
Licence To Kill (1989)
The Hildebrand Rarity (1991) based on the book and comic strip and expanded
Death To Spies (1993) Remington's idea
PIERCE BROSNAN
GoldenEye (1995)
Tomorrow Never Dies (1997)
The World Is Not Enough (1999)
Die Another Day (2002) no invisible car and tsunami surfing and better dialogue, no sex scenes
Everything Or Nothing (2004) story hatched together from Agent Under Fire, Nightfire, and EON games
DANIEL CRAIG (Bond rebooted for new age)
Casino Royale (2006) Same - a modern day interpretation of a classic novel
Quantum Of Solace (2008)
Bloodstone (2010) based on the game
Skyfall (2012)
SPECTRE (2015) no half brother rubbish, decent villain plan, no Super Bond, no retcon
Live And Let Die (2018) A modern day interpretation of the classic novel
Not going to touch the Barry Nelson area right now so here is everything else.
Sean Connery
1962 - Dr No
1963 - From Russia, with Love
1964 - Goldfinger
1965 - Thunderball
George Lazenby
1967 - On Her Majesty's Secret Service
1969 - You Only Live Twice
1971 - The Man with The Golden Gun
Roger Moore
1973 - Live And Let Die
1975 - Diamonds Are Forever (LALD Sequel)
1977 - Octopussy
1979 - The Spy Who Loved Me
Timothy Dalton
1981 - For Your Eyes Only
1983 - A View To A Kill
1986 - The Living Daylights
1989 - Licence To Kill (Milton Krest survives)
MGM Lawsuit
1993 - The Hildebrand Rarity (LTK Spinoff? Has Krest in it anyways.)
Pierce Brosnan
1995 - Goldeneye
1997 - Tomorrow Never Dies
1999 - The World is Not Enough (Replace Christmas Jones by having Wai Lin return)
2003 - Nobody Lives Forever (Based on Gardner novel)
Daniel Craig
2006 - Casino Royale
2008 - Quantum Of Solace (Set in New York w/ plot to destroy Wall Street stock markets)
2010 - Goldeneye Remake (To coincide with video game)
2012 - Skyfall
2014 - SPECTRE
Movie: From Russia With Love | Novel: On Her Majesty's Secret Service | Actor: Sean Connery | Girl: Melina Havelock | Car: Aston Martin V8
I originally wrote it so that the Goldeneye remake would have been made to coincide with the remastered game that year, but I agree now that maybe something more classic like FRWL or Goldfinger should have been remade.
Movie: From Russia With Love | Novel: On Her Majesty's Secret Service | Actor: Sean Connery | Girl: Melina Havelock | Car: Aston Martin V8
Something I forgot to touch up on, because of the year change, The Living Daylights in it's original form will appear on a-ha's Scoundrel Days album while Stay On These Roads keeps its '88 Remix. I've listened to both and I think Living Daylights fits nicely into Scoundrel Days.
Movie: From Russia With Love | Novel: On Her Majesty's Secret Service | Actor: Sean Connery | Girl: Melina Havelock | Car: Aston Martin V8
Barry Nelson:
1954 - Casino Royale
1955 - Seventh Avenue
1956 - Diamonds Are Forever
Sean Connery:
1962 - Dr No
1963 - From Russia, With Love
1964 - Goldfinger
1965 - The Man With The Golden Gun
George Lazenby:
1967 - Thunderball
1969 - On Her Majesty’s Secret Service
1971 - You Only Live Twice
Roger Moore:
1973 - Live And Let Die
1975 - The Property of A Lady (OP Retitled)
1977 - The Spy Who Loved Me
Timothy Dalton:
1979 - Moonraker (Fleming Edition, obviously)
1981 - For Your Eyes Only
1984 - A View To A Kill
1987 - The Living Daylights
1989 - Licence To Kill
1992 - Death To Spies
Pierce Brosnan:
1995 - Goldeneye
1997 - Tomorrow Never Dies
1999 - The World is Not Enough
2003 - Everything Or Nothing
Italus could you flesh out some of your changes? maybe give us a paragraph capsule plot summary, supporting actors you'd like to see, specific changes in tone or style, etc?
what is Seventh Avenue? is that an alternate title for Live and Let Die? (actually I like the idea of Barry Nelson having two American adventures, if that's what that is)
how would you do the Fleming version of Moonraker in 1979? with V2 rocket and surviving Nazi villain?
what do you imagine for these other new titles, and the Craig-era remakes?
how do you think some of these films would be different with the different actors, filmed in different eras? for eg Connery doing ...Golden Gun the year it was published (that's actually another cool idea, too)
Seventh Avenue would have been a 1 hour made for TV followup to Casino Royale, only borrowing certain elements from LALD. It would mainly trace communications from Le Chiffre to Seventh Avenue in Harlem, NY. Harlem Oddity, Mr. Big, who has been accused and acquitted of numerous murders, is immediately suspect. Clarence Leiter is abducted after his identity is revealed, & Bond on his own now has to take Mr. Big's girlfriend to Washington DC by train for safehousing and questioning. The climax takes place on the way where Mr Big attempts to hold the entire train hostage in exchange for Bond and Solitaire, Mr. Big is over by the train after falling out in hand-on-hand combat with Bond.
Diamonds Are Forever would complete the story, with the final branch with ties to Le Chiffre and Mr Big in Las Vegas giving Bond a SPECTRE style ransom note, payment within 72 hours or Leiter's life is taken. It's a search and rescue type of story with the climax of the series in Las Vegas.
Movie: From Russia With Love | Novel: On Her Majesty's Secret Service | Actor: Sean Connery | Girl: Melina Havelock | Car: Aston Martin V8
how do you think some of these films would be different with the different actors, filmed in different eras? for eg Connery doing ...Golden Gun the year it was published (that's actually another cool idea, too)
how would you do the Fleming version of Moonraker in 1979?
Moonraker would deal with the son of a surviving Nazi (Thought to be British Soldier) becoming an official arms manufacturer for England, following a similar line of events in the books, with slight modifications for movie continuity (Ex: Bond getting an Aston Martin instead of a Bentley) and also updated to keep in touch with late 70's technology, including updating the destructive power of the Moonraker itself
Although you didn't ask about this, I know someone will. My plan for Death To Spies would be a former KGB assassin going on a psychotic rampage and using Koskov's list of British/American agents to "finish the job himself". Think of it like a post-cold war Golden Gun.
Movie: From Russia With Love | Novel: On Her Majesty's Secret Service | Actor: Sean Connery | Girl: Melina Havelock | Car: Aston Martin V8
Yes, the version of Moonraker we get is gone, but in it's place is the original vision by Ian Fleming. I feel that it would have been a step in the right direction due to the growing age of a Bond Fan, and trying to, if in any way "cash in on the Sci-Fi genre", then do it the way Ian Fleming had held it to them with a golden platter.
Movie: From Russia With Love | Novel: On Her Majesty's Secret Service | Actor: Sean Connery | Girl: Melina Havelock | Car: Aston Martin V8
Comments
1990:
Pierce Brosnan by random selection, is asked if he is interested in being Bond. He Agrees.
November 13, 1995:
Bond 20, Goldeneye, is released. No changes are made
December 19, 1997:
Tomorrow Never Dies is released. No changes are made.
November 19, 1999:
The World is Not Enough is released in theaters. No changes.
May 30, 2003:
Pierce Brosnan stars in the Bond 50th anniversary movie, Casino Royale. Brosnan's style in this film is up for interpretation for now.
2004: The Movies are announced to be in a 4 year hiatus to perfect Brosnan's final film.
October 24, 2008:
Quantum Of Solace is released in theaters, competing against High School Musical and Saw V that weekend. QoS's theme is Forever - I Am Yours. It is the highest rated Bond since Licence To Kill, almost TWENTY years ago. Pierce Brosnan goes out with a bang instead of a whimper.
(You may be asking, Why was a 55 year old Brosnan playing Bond, when you bashed more for playing it at 58? That's rather simple. Pierce Brosnan at 61 in November Man would have picked up more women than Moore at 58 in A View To A Kill. Sorry chaps, it's just the way things are.)
We're just going to do a simple list of movies by actors at this point.
Sean Connery:
1962 - Dr No
1963 - From Russia, With Love
1964 - Goldfinger
1965 - Thunderball
1967 - You Only Live Twice
George Lazenby:
1969 - On Her Majesty's Secret Service
1970 - Diamonds Are Forever
Roger Moore:
1973 - Live And Let Die
1975 - The Spy Who Loved Me
1976 - Octopussy (Less Campy)
1978 - Moonraker (Fleming Edition)
1980 - A View To A Kill
Timothy Dalton:
1982 - For Your Eyes Only
1984 - The Man With The Golden Gun (Less Camp, Still featuring Christopher Lee)
1986 - The Living Daylights
1989 - License To Kill
1990 - License Renewed (LTK "Hitman For Hire" sequel)
Pierce Brosnan:
1995 - Goldeneye
1997 - Tommorrow Never Dies
1999 - The World is Not Enough
2003 - Casino Royale
2004 - Quantum Of Solace
Daniel Craig:
2008 - Bond 24
2010 - Bloodstone
2012 - Skyfall
2014 - Spectre
2018 - Bond 28
Up to 1961, everything is the same. However, there is no Thunderball Lawsuit. Kevin McClory is given split profits, allowing Ian Fleming's life to be extended by about 6 - 7 years, due to no stress induced health problems.
Sean Connery Era:
1962: Dr No
1963: From Russia, with Love
1964: Goldfinger
1965: Thunderball
After this, Sean Connery, getting tired of playing Bond, decides to resign, and Lazenby through his black magic and tall tales, lands the next role.
George Lazenby:
1967: On Her Majesty's Secret Service
1969: You Only Live Twice (Fleming Edition)
1971: Diamonds Are Forever (Fleming Edition)
Now that the movies are in the correct order, YOLT is now the followup to OHMSS Ian Fleming intended it to be, and DAF is also more faithful to the Fleming edition. George Lazenby Retires, and Roger Moore is bought into the role.
Roger Moore:
1973: Live and Let Die
1974: The Man with the Golden Gun
1977: The Spy Who Loved Me
1979: Octopussy
Roger Moore Retires at 50. He refuses to step back in. Timothy Dalton is asked to step into the role, and he is one one condition: They leave the camp in the 70's.
Timothy Dalton:
1981: For Your Eyes Only
1984: A View to A Kill
1987: The Living Daylights
1989: Licence To Kill
The MGM lawsuit occurs, and by the time it is over, Timothy Dalton steps down. Pierce Brosnan steps in.
Pierce Brosnan:
1995: Goldeneye
1997: Tomorrow Never Dies
1999: The World Is Not Enough
2002: Moonraker (Fleming Edition)
Daniel Craig:
2006: Casino Royale
2008: Quantum Of Solace (Gunbarrel at Beginning, Forever - I Am Yours)
2012: Skyfall (Gunbarrel at beginning)
2015: SPECTRE
And that's it. My definitive list. No more changes.
Yes, I would agree that George Lazenby is a bit young, but in the eyes of producers, he would be perfect as the face of Bond at 28. If they were able to find A highly enthusiastic & apparently (not) man, young enough to stay as the face of Bond for around 17 years, his 45th birthday (Not until 1985!), they would sign him up in a heatbeat. Sadly, but also gracefully, Lazenby wouldn't even make the mid 70's.
Note:
In this universe, Lazenby gets a renewed passion after the film's release, and strikes a deal for two additional films back into the role.
Barry Nelson:
The Bond series is run on Climax for a trilogy, starred by Barry Nelson. Although slightly more popular, it does not make Nelson or Bond anywhere close to a household name.
October 21, 1954:
Casino Royale
No changes are made.
September 15, 1955:
The Property of a Lady
Shortly following the events of Casino Royale, Valerie gets in a fatal car accident under suspicious circumstances in Versailles. It is later found out that she was a rogue agent of a mysterious unnamed organization, a third party. However, thankfully, Valerie has left behind a trail in which MI6 can discover it. It is through this that an embezzlement clan known as SCOPE
(SoCiety Of Persons in counterEconomics) is unsheathed.
November 15, 1956:
For Your Eyes Only
In the high stakes finale, James Bond survives an assassination attempt by SCOPE while in Jamaica. However, his colleague, Clarence Leiter is not so lucky as he is killed by the bomb meant for Bond. Bond sets out on a vendetta against SCOPE while having to protect Leiter's widow, Judy at all costs.
1960:
Two years after the season finale of Climax, film rights for the James Bond series are bought out by EON productions for a surprisingly low price, and production of the EON era begins.
Sean Connery:
October 5, 1962:
Doctor No
No changes are made.
October 10, 1963:
From Russia, with Love
The only change to occur is that Robert Shaw has a taller stature of 6'3, an equal to Sean Connery, so he doesn't have to stand on crates when shooting scenes with Connery.
September 17, 1964:
Goldfinger
No changes are made.
December 9, 1965:
Thunderball
The only change made is behind the scenes. Kevin McClory does not go power hungry and there is no Thunderball lawsuit, so McClory does not have as tight of a grip on the film.
1965:
Shortly after the photography of Thunderball, Sean Connery has an altercation with Harry Saltzman, and requests to step down from the role. In the same year, George Lazenby manages to smoothly "charm" his way into the role as the next 007.
George Lazenby:
December 18, 1967:
On Her Majesty's Secret Service
Set back two years and switched places with YOLT, The changes to OHMSS are minor, the biggest being George's gunbarrel not being poorly edited. Another big change includes the behind the scenes, where George instead of quitting, negotiates his contract for 2 more films instead of EON's 6.
May 24, 1969:
You Only Live Twice
After the assassination of Tracy, Bond goes on a vendetta against SPECTRE. Filler witth Bond's wives is removed and more time is spent with Bond inside the SPECTRE base. Bond leaves Blofeld crippled and to die.
December 1, 1970:
The Man With The Golden Gun
After dissolving SPECTRE from the inside, a last minute plan by Blofeld has been set into action where infamous Cuban hitman, Francisco Scaramanga has a price on Bond's head. With no way to identify Scaramanga, all seems hopeless for Bond until he meets Andrea, Scaramanga's lover, but willing traitor if it could mean her freedom.
1970: Roger Moore is asked to step up as Bond in the next movie, Live and Let Die. He agrees, and production begins.
June 28, 1972:
Live and Let Die
The film is shot in a 2.35:1 aspect ratio, so set design is bigger. Other than that, there are no changes.
December 15, 1973:
Diamonds Are Forever
Yes, it's going to be campy, but it WORKS with Roger Moore. And because he didn't ask for a million dollar film salary, the SFX won't suck. it's practically a win - win.
December 4, 1975:
Octopussy:
The film will remain the same, with maybe a little bit more roughness in the opening plane sequence from a more archaic era of Practical FX.
July 7, 1977:
The Spy Who Loved Me
No changes are made to this film.
1978:
After reaching 50, Roger decides that he is getting to old for his role, and because he has actually exceeded his contract, it is time to step down. Timothy Dalton is set in, and the series undergoes some changes to fit into the darker and grittier 80's.
Timothy Dalton:
NOTE: Caroline Bliss has now replaced Lois Maxwell as Moneypenny
December 5, 1980:
For Your Eyes Only
The film's general structure remains the same, but it's tone is going to be slightly more darker and violent, but not yet at LTK levels. The PTS is played out in a similar fashion.
October 10, 1984:
A View To A Kill
The Roger Moore version we have (minus the PTS snowboarding scene) actually does a pretty good job at setting a darker mood. Just add a slight amount of grit and remove some of the camp.
June 29, 1987:
The Living Daylights
No changes are made.
June 13, 1989:
License To Kill
No changes are made.
1991-94:
The MGM lawsuit occurs, and Timothy Dalton retires after saying he's tired of waiting.
Pierce Brosnan steps in.
Pierce Brosnan:
November 13, 1995:
Goldeneye
No changes are made.
December 19, 1997:
Tomorrow Never Dies
No changes are made.
November 19, 1999:
The World Is Not Enough
Very few changes are made, one being that DENISE RICHARDS IS A MORE COMPETENT ACTOR IN THIS VERSION.
November 22, 2002:
Moonraker
During the Afghanistan war, former KGB members now working in the Middle East are attempting to build and launch a supermissile, codenamed "Moonraker" headed for London, Paris, Washington D.C., Moscow, and Beijing. It is zero hour on Bond and he must do what it takes to prevent the imminent destruction of superpowers against Al Qaeda.
2003:
Pierce Brosnan leaves the Bond scene after turning 50 and wanting to work on other projects.
2005:
Daniel Craig is introduced into the role of Bond.
November 17, 2006:
Casino Royale
No changes are made.
March 13, 2009:
Quantum of Solace.
5 months are added to make the film a little bit more clean cut.
Forever - I Am Yours is the theme
There is a gunbarrel at the beginning.
Generally, there's more thought put into it
October 23, 2012:
Skyfall
The only change made is that there is a gunbarrel at the beginning.
October 26, 2015:
SPECTRE
The only change is in the gunbarrel.
Musical timing is corrected
Daniel Craig doesn't wave around his blasted gun
This is hopefully my final timeline.
I really like the idea of the Barry Nelson show having a followup. Short of McClory making Thunderball in 1959, that'd be the most radical alternate history of all.
but... neither of those two titles suggested had been used by Fleming yet, not for another 5 or 6 years.
also the thing with that 1954 Casino Royale is it was all filmed (and broadcast) live, on one or two stage-sets, exactly like a play ... your plot ideas for the two followups look like they'd require some much more ambitious location shots, I'm imagining from your summaries something on the scale of Patrick McGoohan's Danger Man show. But maybe Casino Royale was so successful, it spun of into a more conventional show, at least with the budget of the TV westerns of the day?
and ... the filming of Casino Royale so soon after publication meant the rights were already sold and not available to Harry & Cubby, which is why we got the silly 1967 version, and had to wait over 40 years to get an official EON version. If there was such a Fleming title as For Your Eyes Only at that point, it too would be in a competitor's hands and not available for Roger to make a film of in 1981.
I'm just overanalysing as usual, but this whole exercise invites it!
a good excuse to study deeper the actual history and sort out the cause & effects of it that may not be apparent at first glance.
also its definitely not physically possible to make Robert Shaw two inches taller, and I really doubt its physically possible to make Denise Richards a better actress ... you'd just need to recast those two parts!
Although I do agree with you about the actors statement and high budgets, I do believe that film rights could easily be purchased/signed over, and in TV shows they just expire more easily, but for argurment's sake and also because i've got creator's curse, this just won't sit right and I now have to revamp my entire timeline
Barry Nelson:
1954 - Casino Royale
1955 - Moonraker (Not the one with bloody spaceships)
1956 - Risico (Previous Nelson version of FYEO but w/ new name)
Sean Connery:
1962 - Doctor No
1963 - From Russia, With Love (w/ Robert Shaw, not going to abandon him for height issues)
1964 - Goldfinger
1965 - Thunderball
George Lazenby:
1967 - On Her Majesty's Secret Service
1969 - You Only Live Twice
1970 - The Man With the Golden Gun
Roger Moore:
1972 - Live And Let Die
1973 - Diamonds Are Forever
1975 - Octopussy
1977 - The Spy Who Loved Me
Timothy Dalton:
1980 - For Your Eyes Only
1982 - The Property of A Lady (not Nelson edition)
1984 - A View To A Kill
1987 - The Living Daylights
1989 - Licence To Kill
Pierce Brosnan:
1995 - Goldeneye
1997 - Tomorrow Never Dies
1999 - The World is Not Enough (w/out Denise Richards)
2002 - Nobody Lives Forever
2004 - Everything Or Nothing
Daniel Craig:
2007 - Casino Royale
2008 - From Russia With Love Remake (Holdover for Quantum of Solace)
2010 - Quantum of Solace
2012 - Skyfall
2015 - SPECTRE
Fleming originally began writing Moonraker as a proposed film script. In some other parallel universe that coulda got made. If it was, it may have been more successful than the Casino Royale tele-play, and that would have changed the course of history.
It would have required a budget. There's a lot of locations (though all within England), and the missile launch site would have required some big props. Still, science fiction was a popular genre in the mid50s, and it mostly had apocalyptic overtones (and cold war metaphors), so if Moonraker had been done right it could have been a hit.
Apparently it was adapted as a radio-play, but that's long lost. Presumably even less successful than the adventures of CardSharp Jimmy Bond.
Also Dr No was the proposed pilot for a TV series about a different character named Commander Jamaica. Obviously never got made, but if did, Saltzman and Brocolli would have had to choose a different plot for their very first film, if nothing else. It wouldn't even have become a James Bond novel.
Would Fleming have retained motivation to have written any subsequent James Bond novels if there had been a Commander Jamaica tv series? He was on the verge of abandoning the series just one book earlier.
Also three of the five stories in For Your Eyes Only were plot outlines for a proposed Bond tv series that never went anywhere. If there were a Bond tv series starting in the late 50s, would there have been a film series at all? maybe yes, maybe no, Fleming still would have liked to sell the film rights to his earlier novels based on all I've read about him. But a competing tv series that audiences were already familiar with would have made any film adaptations less unique. They might never have become the phenomenon we know today, and might never have inspired a wave of imitations and parodies in the mid60s.
Yes, starring Bob Holness:
well-known to us older Brits as the host of a TV quiz called Blockbusters.
Something like this....?
A hoax, unfortunately- see https://iansadler.wordpress.com/2011/07/05/moonraker-the-forgotten-1956-james-bond-film/
And perhaps this may be of interest:
https://www.ajb007.co.uk/topic/45986/quatermass-ii-similarities-to-moonraker-novel/
I was thinking maybe one reason Fleming set all of Moonraker either within London or within a couple hours drive, might be precisely for the purpose of easily accessible locations in a planned film.
Casino Royale (1958) close to the book
Live And Let Die (1959) close to the book
Moonraker (1960) close to the book
Diamonds Are Forever (1961) close to the book
SEAN CONNERY
From Russia With Love (1962) filmed a year earlier than usual and with cliffhanger of Bond being poisoned at the end
Dr No (1963) filmed a year later than usual and with gadget scene making sense also first 6 films have no SPECTRE
Goldfinger (1964) characters of gangs more developed
Thunderball (1965) less time underwater and ending better filmed
The Spy Who Loved Me (1966) based on the book and the comic strip
GEORGE LAZENBY
On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969) no change except 'this never happened to other fella' line left out
You Only Live Twice (1971) close to the book
The Man With The Golden Gun (1973) close to the book
Colonel Sun (1975) close to the book
ROGER MOORE
Nobody Does It Better (1977) the usual film title is changed to the title of the song
Mission Moonraker (1979) the usual film title is changed to differentiate from the original film
TIMOTHY DALTON
For Your Eyes Only/Risico (1981)
Octopussy/The Property Of A Lady (1983)
A View To A Kill (1985)
The Living Daylights (1987)
Licence To Kill (1989)
The Hildebrand Rarity (1991) based on the book and comic strip and expanded
Death To Spies (1993) Remington's idea
PIERCE BROSNAN
GoldenEye (1995)
Tomorrow Never Dies (1997)
The World Is Not Enough (1999)
Die Another Day (2002) no invisible car and tsunami surfing and better dialogue, no sex scenes
Everything Or Nothing (2004) story hatched together from Agent Under Fire, Nightfire, and EON games
DANIEL CRAIG (Bond rebooted for new age)
Casino Royale (2006) Same - a modern day interpretation of a classic novel
Quantum Of Solace (2008)
Bloodstone (2010) based on the game
Skyfall (2012)
SPECTRE (2015) no half brother rubbish, decent villain plan, no Super Bond, no retcon
Live And Let Die (2018) A modern day interpretation of the classic novel
Not going to touch the Barry Nelson area right now so here is everything else.
Sean Connery
1962 - Dr No
1963 - From Russia, with Love
1964 - Goldfinger
1965 - Thunderball
George Lazenby
1967 - On Her Majesty's Secret Service
1969 - You Only Live Twice
1971 - The Man with The Golden Gun
Roger Moore
1973 - Live And Let Die
1975 - Diamonds Are Forever (LALD Sequel)
1977 - Octopussy
1979 - The Spy Who Loved Me
Timothy Dalton
1981 - For Your Eyes Only
1983 - A View To A Kill
1986 - The Living Daylights
1989 - Licence To Kill (Milton Krest survives)
MGM Lawsuit
1993 - The Hildebrand Rarity (LTK Spinoff? Has Krest in it anyways.)
Pierce Brosnan
1995 - Goldeneye
1997 - Tomorrow Never Dies
1999 - The World is Not Enough (Replace Christmas Jones by having Wai Lin return)
2003 - Nobody Lives Forever (Based on Gardner novel)
Daniel Craig
2006 - Casino Royale
2008 - Quantum Of Solace (Set in New York w/ plot to destroy Wall Street stock markets)
2010 - Goldeneye Remake (To coincide with video game)
2012 - Skyfall
2014 - SPECTRE
I originally wrote it so that the Goldeneye remake would have been made to coincide with the remastered game that year, but I agree now that maybe something more classic like FRWL or Goldfinger should have been remade.
Something I forgot to touch up on, because of the year change, The Living Daylights in it's original form will appear on a-ha's Scoundrel Days album while Stay On These Roads keeps its '88 Remix. I've listened to both and I think Living Daylights fits nicely into Scoundrel Days.
Barry Nelson:
1954 - Casino Royale
1955 - Seventh Avenue
1956 - Diamonds Are Forever
Sean Connery:
1962 - Dr No
1963 - From Russia, With Love
1964 - Goldfinger
1965 - The Man With The Golden Gun
George Lazenby:
1967 - Thunderball
1969 - On Her Majesty’s Secret Service
1971 - You Only Live Twice
Roger Moore:
1973 - Live And Let Die
1975 - The Property of A Lady (OP Retitled)
1977 - The Spy Who Loved Me
Timothy Dalton:
1979 - Moonraker (Fleming Edition, obviously)
1981 - For Your Eyes Only
1984 - A View To A Kill
1987 - The Living Daylights
1989 - Licence To Kill
1992 - Death To Spies
Pierce Brosnan:
1995 - Goldeneye
1997 - Tomorrow Never Dies
1999 - The World is Not Enough
2003 - Everything Or Nothing
Daniel Craig:
2007 - Casino Royale
2008 - FRWL Remake
2010 - Quantum Of Solace
2012 - Skyfall
2014 - Goldfinger Remake
2017 - SPECTRE
what is Seventh Avenue? is that an alternate title for Live and Let Die? (actually I like the idea of Barry Nelson having two American adventures, if that's what that is)
how would you do the Fleming version of Moonraker in 1979? with V2 rocket and surviving Nazi villain?
what do you imagine for these other new titles, and the Craig-era remakes?
how do you think some of these films would be different with the different actors, filmed in different eras? for eg Connery doing ...Golden Gun the year it was published (that's actually another cool idea, too)
Seventh Avenue would have been a 1 hour made for TV followup to Casino Royale, only borrowing certain elements from LALD. It would mainly trace communications from Le Chiffre to Seventh Avenue in Harlem, NY. Harlem Oddity, Mr. Big, who has been accused and acquitted of numerous murders, is immediately suspect. Clarence Leiter is abducted after his identity is revealed, & Bond on his own now has to take Mr. Big's girlfriend to Washington DC by train for safehousing and questioning. The climax takes place on the way where Mr Big attempts to hold the entire train hostage in exchange for Bond and Solitaire, Mr. Big is over by the train after falling out in hand-on-hand combat with Bond.
Diamonds Are Forever would complete the story, with the final branch with ties to Le Chiffre and Mr Big in Las Vegas giving Bond a SPECTRE style ransom note, payment within 72 hours or Leiter's life is taken. It's a search and rescue type of story with the climax of the series in Las Vegas.
Moonraker would deal with the son of a surviving Nazi (Thought to be British Soldier) becoming an official arms manufacturer for England, following a similar line of events in the books, with slight modifications for movie continuity (Ex: Bond getting an Aston Martin instead of a Bentley) and also updated to keep in touch with late 70's technology, including updating the destructive power of the Moonraker itself
Although you didn't ask about this, I know someone will. My plan for Death To Spies would be a former KGB assassin going on a psychotic rampage and using Koskov's list of British/American agents to "finish the job himself". Think of it like a post-cold war Golden Gun.
Yes, the version of Moonraker we get is gone, but in it's place is the original vision by Ian Fleming. I feel that it would have been a step in the right direction due to the growing age of a Bond Fan, and trying to, if in any way "cash in on the Sci-Fi genre", then do it the way Ian Fleming had held it to them with a golden platter.