Wai lin in Die Another Day

BondWillReturn

So, I was just watching this documentary on Die Another Day (From Script to Screen) and at about 2/3 minutes in, Barbara is looking at a script, we get a close-up of the script. Here I saw the name "Wai Lin", so I assumed it would be a script from Tomorrow Never Dies. However, when I pauzed it I noticed the text was about Zao and Cuba, so I realized that in an early draft of the Die Another Day script, Wai Lin was going to return.

I don't know if this is well know information, but it was new to me, so I decided to share it!

00Beast

That's really neat! I haven't ever seen that before. I must say, Wai Lin would have been better in Die Another Day than Jinx. I really didn't like Jinx too much; I thought she was kind of useless, as if Bond could have completed the mission by himself. Man, I wish Wai Lin would have come back!

BondWillReturn

Now that you make the connection to Jinx, it does make me wonder: Did they write her in to replace Wai Lin? Maybe the actress wasn't available or something. Because sometimes Jinx does feel like a bad copy of Wai Lin's character.

thelordflasheart

I had heard that before, that they were looking at her character coming back as part of the "anniversary" aspect of the film. My understanding was that it would be a supporting part, not female lead like Jinx.

I'd love to get my hands on some of the first drafts of Bond scripts to see how they've changed, or even a transcript of some of the meetings between writers and producers. I remember an interview I read around the time of TWINE's release where someone mentioned they had discussions as to "whether or not Brosnan's Bond had ever been married".

Another interesting point was a "scoop" about the story synopsis or first draft of CR. The person writing claimed that they had seen a leaked copy and it said that Bond was recruited directly from Special Forces and was a bit of a rough character who MI6 molded into someone who could pass as a wealthy businessman. They claimed that when Bond first looks at himself in the mirror wearing a tuxedo he's a little taken aback and says "I've never seen myself in one of these things before...". Personally I believe that that's a load of BS, but there are a lot of CR-haters who would probably *want* to believe it as it would show how wrong-headed the project was from the get-go.

00Beast

Yeah, she does seem like a rip-off Wai Lin. I mean, they were both distinguished agents of their government's secret intelligence, they both took more charge and role than bimbos like Mary Goodnight, Holly Goodhead, or Stacey Sutton, and they both helped Bond during the final battle to a great extent.

BondWillReturn

@thelordflasheart Off-topic: there are some early draft Bond Script floating around online. I can't remember where I got them, but I've got an early draft of both Tomorrow Never Dies as well as The World is not Enough, and a screenplay for Warhead (the follow-up to Never Say Never Again)

Samuel001

This is MI6's article on what would have happened, all the way back from 2003: http://www.mi6-hq.com/sections/articles/bond_20_wai_lin.php3?t=&s=articles

Peaceful Fountains of Desire was the Wai Lin replacement added in at the last moment.

dragonsky

hm i think that they decided to get halle instead cause she is more popular and they expected that DAD would get more exclusivity

Samuel001

hm i think that they decided to get halle instead cause she is more popular and they expected that DAD would get more exclusivity

But Halle Berry was not the replacement for Michelle Yeoh, Rachel Grant was.

BondWillReturn

Thank you for clearing up the issue @samuel001 . Knowing what the scene was going to be, I'm actually glad it wasn't shot. It would've been way to long, the new scene get's the story forward a lot faster!

00Beast

I really wish that Wai Lin had come back. I just read the link that Samuel001 gave out, and those scenes would have been better than the replacements at the Hong Kong hotel.

M_Balje

Wai lin in Bond 23 be nice, as the unknown from the QOS hotel scene when he enter the hotel with Camile.

St_George

This is MI6's article on what would have happened, all the way back from 2003: http://www.mi6-hq.com/sections/articles/bond_20_wai_lin.php3?t=&s=articles

Peaceful Fountains of Desire was the Wai Lin replacement added in at the last moment.

Hmmm, interesting stuff this. Must admit, I wasn't aware of the Wai Lin intention in DAD (although I do remember watching the documentary when it was screened on British TV around the time of the film's release), nor was I aware of that article on MI6.

For me, though (and, hey, I know we're only talking about DAD here, but still ;) ), I'm glad Yeoh turned down the chance to reappear. I was never really that crazy about her Wai Lin character - it really lacked something for me - and, in any case, the scene that the MI6 article outlines would just have unnecessarily held up Bond's progression to Cuba, which frankly is the bess part of the film and all the better then he gets there quicker than intended at one stage in the film's development... :p

PrinceKamalKhan

bimbos like Mary Goodnight, Holly Goodhead, or Stacey Sutton, and they both helped Bond during the final battle to a great extent.

The rocket scientist/astronaut/CIA agent who flew the shuttle into space and learned to fight at Vassar? :-?

Among the secret agent girls, I'll take Holly over either Wai Lin or Jinx anyday.

But Halle Berry was not the replacement for Michelle Yeoh, Rachel Grant was.

And a decided improvement over Michelle the gorgeous Rachel indeed was.

For me, though (and, hey, I know we're only talking about DAD here, but still ;) ), I'm glad Yeoh turned down the chance to reappear. I was never really that crazy about her Wai Lin character

Me neither, SG. The Brosnan era triumvirate of Wai Lin, Christmas and Jinx constitute my 3 least favorite lead Bond girls.

it really lacked something for me - and, in any case, the scene that the MI6 article outlines would just have unnecessarily held up Bond's progression to Cuba, which frankly is the bess part of the film and all the better then he gets there quicker than intended at one stage in the film's development... :p

Agreed, except I do like the opening scenes in North Korea and later on in London.

Kerim

First I've read about that. In hindsight, that scenario would have actually been an improvement over what we wound up with in DAD.

00Beast

Kerim said:
In hindsight, that scenario would have actually been an improvement over what we wound up with in DAD.

I agree. Wai Lin would have been better than Jinx. I think it's funny how the best ideas for the Bond movies always get axed. It's a disappointment.

MajorDSmythe

I do recall hearing about this. Though it was published pre the release of DAD, I think the intended return of Wai Lin was mentioned in the book: The Bond Files. In all honesty, I would not have been against the idea of Wai Lin returning.

BAIN123

I heard Wai Lin would have been the massouse in the hotel room. Not sure how that would have worked as Bond surely would have recognised her straight away. If anything she should have been the main girl - I'd take her "independent woman" over Jinx anyday.

dragonsky

hm i think that they decided to get halle instead cause she is more popular and they expected that DAD would get more exclusivity

But Halle Berry was not the replacement for Michelle Yeoh, Rachel Grant was.

hmm my mistake than,but she should have had the role in DAD as henchwoman instead of jinx

Luds

Sadly Wai Lin was scrapped to get the more popular Halle Berry in there to satisfy the American public. Wai Lin, or Jinx? Oh boy, what a mistake.

saunders

Never mind what names were on it, I'm just amazed DAD actually had a script!

Samuel001

Sadly Wai Lin was scrapped to get the more popular Halle Berry in there to satisfy the American public. Wai Lin, or Jinx? Oh boy, what a mistake.

It was never a choice between Wai Lin or Jinx. Wai Lin was intended for a cameo but when Yeoh declined, Grant was brought in as Peaceful.

@Luds, you almost had Wai Lin and Jinx! :-))

00Beast

Saunders said:
Never mind what names were on it, I'm just amazed DAD actually had a script!

Hahaha! That's great, and I agree with you! Die Another Day is at the rock-bottom of my list, just before TWINE.

Samuel001

Saunders said:
Never mind what names were on it, I'm just amazed DAD actually had a script!

Hahaha! That's great, and I agree with you! Die Another Day is at the rock-bottom of my list, just before TWINE.

I think the main problem was that the script never stopped changing and was never at any one time, something everyone was happy with thanks, for the most part to Tamahori. The result: ...

PrinceKamalKhan

Sadly Wai Lin was scrapped to get the more popular Halle Berry in there to satisfy the American public. Wai Lin, or Jinx? Oh boy, what a mistake.

We had more than enough Wai Lin in TND and more than enough Jinx in DAD. I think there's something to the Bond tradition of not bringing back past lead girls. I didn't mind Maud Adams or Martine Beswick's returns but neither of them were previously the lead girls(or in Miss Adams' case, not until her 2nd appearance) and they were playing different characters each time.

It was never a choice between Wai Lin or Jinx. Wai Lin was intended for a cameo but when Yeoh declined, Grant was brought in as Peaceful.

@Luds, you almost had Wai Lin and Jinx! :-))

Why not throw in Christmas Jones and make it a triple nightmare? 8-X

dragonsky

lol christmas jones is not back character the girl that was casted for that role is the problem,couldnt they fount more serious girl than her?

Kerim

With Christmas's expertise on nuclear physics and Stacy Sutton's expertise on seismology, I never understood why those two weren't brought back to team up. Surely a plot involving a nuclear bomb setting off an earthquake would have been an ideal way to bring these two back.

Throw in Wai Lin's feminine charm and Jinx's superb dialouge and you have a can't miss Bond film.

PrinceKamalKhan

With Christmas's expertise on nuclear physics and Stacy Sutton's expertise on seismology, I never understood why those two weren't brought back to team up. Surely a plot involving a nuclear bomb setting off an earthquake would have been an ideal way to bring these two back.

Have a plot twist where Christmas and Stacy were fraternal twin sisters separated at birth. Knowing Babs, she'd probably have no problem with that.

Samuel001

Sadly Wai Lin was scrapped to get the more popular Halle Berry in there to satisfy the American public. Wai Lin, or Jinx? Oh boy, what a mistake.

We had more than enough Wai Lin in TND and more than enough Jinx in DAD. I think there's something to the Bond tradition of not bringing back past lead girls. I didn't mind Maud Adams or Martine Beswick's returns but neither of them were previously the lead girls(or in Miss Adams' case, not until her 2nd appearance) and they were playing different characters each time.

It was never a choice between Wai Lin or Jinx. Wai Lin was intended for a cameo but when Yeoh declined, Grant was brought in as Peaceful.

@Luds, you almost had Wai Lin and Jinx! :-))

Why not throw in Christmas Jones and make it a triple nightmare? 8-X

Had Yeoh signed on, who's knows what EON/Tamahori would've done next...

With Christmas's expertise on nuclear physics and Stacy Sutton's expertise on seismology, I never understood why those two weren't brought back to team up. Surely a plot involving a nuclear bomb setting off an earthquake would have been an ideal way to bring these two back.

Have a plot twist where Christmas and Stacy were fraternal twin sisters separated at birth. Knowing Babs, she'd probably have no problem with that.

That could work for a spin-off TV Series.

St_George

Never mind what names were on it, I'm just amazed DAD actually had a script!

Yup, the script, when you think about it, ain't that bad in the film's first half; it's in the second half that Tamahori's 'vision' for the movie bore fruit and thus re-writes a-plenty took place, I'd imagine...