Anthony Horowitz's James Bond novel - Trigger Mortis

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  • Posts: 4,622
    Birdleson wrote: »
    I would love it, I don't see it happening, but I would. But I'd want it in period. I'd rather not take anything from GAME OF THRONES.
    With Game of Thrones, I'm talking more in terms of comparable scale and budget, as opposed to the big screen extravaganzas.
    I do like the original Fleming storyline being adapted to he present as I do think all the stories would translate well. ie CR2006 could have been a lot more faitful to the book if it had chosen to be.

  • WalecsWalecs On Her Majesty's Secret Service
    Posts: 3,157
    timmer wrote: »
    I do think Eon should license the entire Fleming story collection to HBO and do a series on the Fleming books- all the stories- and in chronological order.

    I'd kill to see this happen.
  • Walecs wrote: »
    timmer wrote: »
    I do think Eon should license the entire Fleming story collection to HBO and do a series on the Fleming books- all the stories- and in chronological order.

    I'd kill to see this happen.

    This much touted idea has long been at the top of Villiers53's dream list albeit like @Birdleson I'd want it in period and can't agree with @timmer's assertion that DN,FRWL,TB,GF & OHMSS have already been done. Although literary aficionados have always expressed themselves as more satisfied with the aforementioned as they are closer to the source material, there were very big differences both stylistically and culturally between the '50s and the '60s. They were quite different eras.
    That said, I used to think that there would be zero chance of eon going this route in my life time. Now I'm not so sure. Given the advances that HBO have made to the quality of the small screen and the fact that big screen Bond is firmly ensconced in the modern day with original stories , perhaps they may see it as a way of developing and protecting their screen franchise and getting two bites of the cherry?
    It would certainly be the small screen event of the decade. Maybe Horowitz's new novel will be good enough to be the pilot for small screen period Bond?
  • Posts: 5,745
    Perhaps the Fleming series was then dipping their toes to test the waters.
  • JWESTBROOK wrote: »
    Perhaps the Fleming series was then dipping their toes to test the waters.

    Maybe, but I think that eon's screen writes pertain to Fleming's Bond novels and the characters that he created within them.

  • WalecsWalecs On Her Majesty's Secret Service
    edited January 2015 Posts: 3,157
    Villiers53 wrote: »
    Walecs wrote: »
    timmer wrote: »
    I do think Eon should license the entire Fleming story collection to HBO and do a series on the Fleming books- all the stories- and in chronological order.

    I'd kill to see this happen.

    This much touted idea has long been at the top of Villiers53's dream list albeit like @Birdleson I'd want it in period and can't agree with @timmer's assertion that DN,FRWL,TB,GF & OHMSS have already been done. Although literary aficionados have always expressed themselves as more satisfied with the aforementioned as they are closer to the source material, there were very big differences both stylistically and culturally between the '50s and the '60s. They were quite different eras.
    That said, I used to think that there would be zero chance of eon going this route in my life time. Now I'm not so sure. Given the advances that HBO have made to the quality of the small screen and the fact that big screen Bond is firmly ensconced in the modern day with original stories , perhaps they may see it as a way of developing and protecting their screen franchise and getting two bites of the cherry?
    It would certainly be the small screen event of the decade. Maybe Horowitz's new novel will be good enough to be the pilot for small screen period Bond?

    I agree with this (that's why I had quoted only the first lines of timmer's post). We already have modern Bond with Daniel Craig (as you said) and I'd love to see Casino Royale to The Man with the Golden Gun filmed as period pieces (plus the short stories as special episodes), and finally see proper adaptations of Live and Let Die and You Only Live Twice.
    Colonel Sun and Anthony Horowitz's novel should also be filmed.
  • Posts: 2,594
    No, I don't think DN, FRWL, GF, TB and OHMSS have been done properly. Faithful adaptations of the Fleming books would be wonderful and this is something I've always wanted but if they were done on TV, they'd need to have truly talented actors, maybe a good few big screen actors. A lot of TV actors are only mediocre in their abilities. This would be my main worry in terms of Bond TV productions.
  • edited February 2015 Posts: 4,622
    Bounine wrote: »
    No, I don't think DN, FRWL, GF, TB and OHMSS have been done properly. Faithful adaptations of the Fleming books would be wonderful and this is something I've always wanted but if they were done on TV, they'd need to have truly talented actors, maybe a good few big screen actors. A lot of TV actors are only mediocre in their abilities. This would be my main worry in terms of Bond TV productions.
    We've all read the books and seen the movies, so we are all comparing apples and apples.
    Of course, none of DN FRWL GF TB or OHMSS and quite obviously YOLT, were faithful to the Fleming books.
    The stories were all adjusted to create the desired film narrative. The point I was making though, regarding a period look, is that all 6 of the these films, at least capatured a period look and feel, even if they played with the stories,.
    The period vibe at least was captured, in that none of these movies was made any more than 6 years max, from the their source book's original publication.
    All 6 of the '60s Bond films are of the period of the novels, or close enough. Again we are only talking 6 years separation in the cases of FRWL and OHMSS, 5 years for GF, 4 years for DN and TB and 3 years for YOLT.
    DAF was the first Bond film to be radically separated from its source book's period.

    I would though be happy to see a faithful period adaption of the 12 Fleming novels and 9 short stories - 21 stories total, spread over an HBO series, in chronological order. Creative writers could flesh some of the short stories out if need be, or merge some of them into two part episodes.
    Who knows. The idea would be to get everything up faithfully in a mini-series.
    I would really love to see a version of AQoS, starting with Bond's sabatoge mission, visit to the club, tete a tete with the others in the bar, and then a dramatization of the core story, with the big reveal at the end.
    The Viv Michel saga as told from her POV would be real interesting on screen as well.
    So I am 100% with a period telling.

    However, I would be just as happy if everything was adjusted to the present time too. It's easily done. CR adjusted over 50 years of time to bring the original story into a 2006 setting.
    IMO they could have done a much better job. They could have stuck very close to the Fleming narrative if they wanted to. All the core bits, I think would have translated forward in time.

    One little wrinkle with a present day narrative, would be passage of time.
    With a period treatment you could move forward in time from 1953 to 1964 roughly, as the stories were published.
    In the modern context though you would have to condense the timeline, or simply don't fuss over it, ie just keep doing the stories in order until we get to "For James Bond the same view would always pall." End.
    The whole oeuvre might get spread over, maybe 4 seasons, or 4 years in real time.

    I'd be happy with either treatment, but my preference would be to bring everything forward, but even with a period treatment, iconic films such as DN, FRWL GF, TB and OHMSS could of course be revisited.
    The challenge though with those 5 stories in particular, is competing with the iconic period imagery already established by the orignal films.
    The look of DN's lair has been burned into our Bond psyches, as has much of the period settings of both Thunderball and FRWL.
    But these are just challenges. Good filmmakers could recreate fresh imagery that would hold-up favourably with the original look of these films.

    Again, a period treatment could work very well. One only need look at XMen:First Class which had an early '60s setting yet still looked very modernand colourful and even the original '60s Eon films, look real great in their pristinely restored treatments, as seen on blu-ray.

    So bring it on. I think its win-win. Do a deal with HBO. Meanwhile the big-screen cinema blockbusters can continue unabated too.

  • Posts: 5,772
    Something occurred to me this afternoon while I was buying the latest issue of Doctor Who Magazine at WH Smith : I saw Horowitz's "Moriarty" there, and thought that history was repeating itself. After all, before John Gardner got the contract for his Bond continuation novels, he had written "The Moriarty Diaries". Do you think that, perhaps, IFP have done that on purpose ?
  • DragonpolDragonpol https://thebondologistblog.blogspot.com
    Posts: 17,728
    Gerard wrote: »
    Something occurred to me this afternoon while I was buying the latest issue of Doctor Who Magazine at WH Smith : I saw Horowitz's "Moriarty" there, and thought that history was repeating itself. After all, before John Gardner got the contract for his Bond continuation novels, he had written "The Moriarty Diaries". Do you think that, perhaps, IFP have done that on purpose ?

    I don't know but it's certainly an interesting connection and perhaps even a good omen too!
  • ThunderpussyThunderpussy My Secret Lair
    Posts: 13,384
    Yes, well spotted ! I too hope it's a good omen. ;)
  • Posts: 1,552
    "Moriarty" is a fantastic novel, well written and gripping. I'd recommend it.
  • ThunderpussyThunderpussy My Secret Lair
    Posts: 13,384
    I also think that Horowitz, is a good solid writer, in many ways like J Gardner.
    So my hopes are high. :)
  • DrGorner wrote: »
    I also think that Horowitz, is a good solid writer, in many ways like J Gardner.
    So my hopes are high. :)
    DrGorner wrote: »
    I also think that Horowitz, is a good solid writer, in many ways like J Gardner.
    So my hopes are high. :)

    I asked Anthony if he was aware of Gardner's 'Moriarty' works at his launch and posted on it earlier in this thread.
    The good DrGorner is however correct, the coincidence is hopefully a good omen and he is right when he says both are good solid writers albeit I always thought John's best work lay outside of his Bond novels. Personally, I thought only Gardner's first five Bond novels could be described as good with 'Role Of Honour' being his best. Conversely, his Herbie Kruger books, his Oakes novels and his 'Generation Trilogy' were great works.
    Hopefully Anthony's best book will be his Bond book. My hopes are high particularly after reading his 'Moriarty' and seeing the recent 'Foyle's War' series. The plot lines in both were excellent.
    For those that are interested in all things Holmes, I thought Horowitz's take on Moriarty was much superior to Gardner's albeit they did come at it from very different angles and in John's defence, Ithought he did better job at evoking the Victorian era.


  • ThunderfingerThunderfinger Das Boot Hill
    Posts: 45,489
    timmer wrote: »
    Bounine wrote: »
    No, I don't think DN, FRWL, GF, TB and OHMSS have been done properly. Faithful adaptations of the Fleming books would be wonderful and this is something I've always wanted but if they were done on TV, they'd need to have truly talented actors, maybe a good few big screen actors. A lot of TV actors are only mediocre in their abilities. This would be my main worry in terms of Bond TV productions.
    We've all read the books and seen the movies, so we are all comparing apples and apples.
    Of course, none of DN FRWL GF TB or OHMSS and quite obviously YOLT, were faithful to the Fleming books.
    The stories were all adjusted to create the desired film narrative. The point I was making though, regarding a period look, is that all 6 of the these films, at least capatured a period look and feel, even if they played with the stories,.
    The period vibe at least was captured, in that none of these movies was made any more than 6 years max, from the their source book's original publication.
    All 6 of the '60s Bond films are of the period of the novels, or close enough. Again we are only talking 6 years separation in the cases of FRWL and OHMSS, 5 years for GF, 4 years for DN and TB and 3 years for YOLT.
    DAF was the first Bond film to be radically separated from its source book's period.

    I would though be happy to see a faithful period adaption of the 12 Fleming novels and 9 short stories - 21 stories total, spread over an HBO series, in chronological order. Creative writers could flesh some of the short stories out if need be, or merge some of them into two part episodes.
    Who knows. The idea would be to get everything up faithfully in a mini-series.
    I would really love to see a version of AQoS, starting with Bond's sabatoge mission, visit to the club, tete a tete with the others in the bar, and then a dramatization of the core story, with the big reveal at the end.
    The Viv Michel saga as told from her POV would be real interesting on screen as well.
    So I am 100% with a period telling.

    However, I would be just as happy if everything was adjusted to the present time too. It's easily done. CR adjusted over 50 years of time to bring the original story into a 2006 setting.
    IMO they could have done a much better job. They could have stuck very close to the Fleming narrative if they wanted to. All the core bits, I think would have translated forward in time.

    One little wrinkle with a present day narrative, would be passage of time.
    With a period treatment you could move forward in time from 1953 to 1964 roughly, as the stories were published.
    In the modern context though you would have to condense the timeline, or simply don't fuss over it, ie just keep doing the stories in order until we get to "For James Bond the same view would always pall." End.
    The whole oeuvre might get spread over, maybe 4 seasons, or 4 years in real time.

    I'd be happy with either treatment, but my preference would be to bring everything forward, but even with a period treatment, iconic films such as DN, FRWL GF, TB and OHMSS could of course be revisited.
    The challenge though with those 5 stories in particular, is competing with the iconic period imagery already established by the orignal films.
    The look of DN's lair has been burned into our Bond psyches, as has much of the period settings of both Thunderball and FRWL.
    But these are just challenges. Good filmmakers could recreate fresh imagery that would hold-up favourably with the original look of these films.

    Again, a period treatment could work very well. One only need look at XMen:First Class which had an early '60s setting yet still looked very modernand colourful and even the original '60s Eon films, look real great in their pristinely restored treatments, as seen on blu-ray.

    So bring it on. I think its win-win. Do a deal with HBO. Meanwhile the big-screen cinema blockbusters can continue unabated too.

    This is what I have been thinking as well. I would welcome it sincerely.
  • timmer wrote: »
    Bounine wrote: »
    main worry in terms of Bond TV productions.

    The period vibe at least was captured, in that none of these movies was made any more than 6 years max, from the their source book's original publication.
    All 6 of the '60s Bond films are of the period of the novels, or close enough. Again we are only talking 6 years separation in the cases of FRWL and OHMSS, 5 years for GF, 4 years for DN and TB and 3 years for YOLT.
    DAF was the first Bond film to be radically separated from its source book's period.

    So bring it on. I think its win-win. Do a deal with HBO. Meanwhile the big-screen cinema blockbusters can continue unabated too.

    This is what I have been thinking as well. I would welcome it sincerely.

    Many interesting and extremely valid points.
    One thing that I would come back on is @timmer's point that the six year separation is "close enough".
    Normally, this type of assertion would have a good level of credence. However, the level and speed of social and cultural change experienced in a post war UK in the seven years between 1955 and 1962 was absolutely huge. That, together with the fact that the earlier movies were made by modernists, meant that those films were very really aligned with the swinging sixties and very deliberately had no feel for the fifties — the decade in which seven of the novels were set.
    Having lived through this period, it's something I'm very sensitive to and as modern film makers recreate that era it is interesting that they too find huge differences. In fact, the period depicted in the last series of 'Foyle's War' is probably more indicative of early Fleming than the first Bond movies.
    I make this point because there is a lot to be gained from faithful interpretations. They would have a completely different feel to them and, as we all know, the content would also be quite different.
    All said, everything rests on eon and any hope of them selling or sharing screen rights is probably very remote. I do however think that it is more likely that they would take on the small screen project themselves and have the heritage Bond run in tandem with big screen Bond. Handled well, it could only enhance the franchise and the commercial rewards in this era of Netflix et all would be huge.
    If, for whatever reason they don't want to do this, I'd encourage them to take a very close look at the excellent Moneypenny Diaries. There is absolutely no doubt that these would make for a fabulous small screen project with zero risk to their core franchise.
    Us literary aficionados live in hope!

  • Posts: 2,594
    I think that if faithful small screen adaptations were made, they'd have to be set in the period in which they were written to be truly faithful. I wouldn't want to see modern adaptations.
  • We are digressing, enjoyably and to good effect, from the original thread about Anthony's new book.
    Does anyone have more information about his novel - year, location, themes etc...?
    I do consider it extremely bizarre that IFP announce it so far in advance and then just leave it hanging.
    You'd think they'd learn from eon, the masters of the drip campaign!
  • WalecsWalecs On Her Majesty's Secret Service
    Posts: 3,157
    Solo was announced even earlier.
  • Posts: 2,594
    Villiers53 wrote: »
    We are digressing, enjoyably and to good effect, from the original thread about Anthony's new book.
    Does anyone have more information about his novel - year, location, themes etc...?
    I do consider it extremely bizarre that IFP announce it so far in advance and then just leave it hanging.
    You'd think they'd learn from eon, the masters of the drip campaign!

    Yeah, it's strange how IFP say nothing for an eternity. I hope they're happy with the book!

  • DrShatterhandDrShatterhand Garden of Death, near Belfast
    Posts: 805
    Wondering if there's any chance that an extract of the new book will be published, in a weekend newspaper say. Was anything like this done with Solo or Devil May Care?
  • Wondering if there's any chance that an extract of the new book will be published, in a weekend newspaper say. Was anything like this done with Solo or Devil May Care?

    Yes, both had extracts quite widely featured but very close to the release.
    Personally, I'd have thought that with the advent of 'The Kindle', self publishing, the world domination of Amazon (perhaps Spectre in disguise), publishers would have sharpened their launch skills.
    Alas, they remain in dire need of a marketing basics 'one on one' course.
    This is such a shame because there is so much that could be done at relatively low or no cost to introduce new readers to the world of Bond.

  • MrcogginsMrcoggins Following in the footsteps of Quentin Quigley.
    Posts: 3,144
    May the 28th will see the title and perhaps a first extract great birthday treat for me
    I should make it clear that I am going on a guess regarding this date but I have a feeling they will go for may as it's the anniversary of the Man's Birth .
  • Mrcoggins wrote: »
    May the 28th will see the title and perhaps a first extract great birthday treat for me
    I should make it clear that I am going on a guess regarding this date but I have a feeling they will go for may as it's the anniversary of the Man's Birth .

    Excellent news and certainly a date for the diary. Where did you get the information from?

  • WalecsWalecs On Her Majesty's Secret Service
    Posts: 3,157
    Villiers53 wrote: »
    Mrcoggins wrote: »
    May the 28th will see the title and perhaps a first extract great birthday treat for me
    I should make it clear that I am going on a guess regarding this date but I have a feeling they will go for may as it's the anniversary of the Man's Birth .

    Excellent news and certainly a date for the diary. Where did you get the information from?

    He said he's just guessing based on the fact that May the 28th is Fleming's birth anniversary.
    Solo's title had been revealed in april 2013, so perhaps this one will be revealed in two months?
  • Walecs wrote: »
    Villiers53 wrote: »
    Mrcoggins wrote: »
    May the 28th will see the title and perhaps a first extract great birthday treat for me
    I should make it clear that I am going on a guess regarding this date but I have a feeling they will go for may as it's the anniversary of the Man's Birth .

    Excellent news and certainly a date for the diary. Where did you get the information from?

    He said he's just guessing based on the fact that May the 28th is Fleming's birth anniversary.
    Solo's title had been revealed in april 2013, so perhaps this one will be revealed in two months?

    Could be a good guess!

  • MrcogginsMrcoggins Following in the footsteps of Quentin Quigley.
    Posts: 3,144
    You could be right it might be a good guess !
    As some of you know I share a birthday with the man himself so this year I thought that a bunch of us might go on the day to Bond in Motion in London
    When I rang them to enquire about booking on the 28th of May I was told that the exhibition had been booked that day for a prouduct launch and would be closed to the public .
  • ThunderpussyThunderpussy My Secret Lair
    Posts: 13,384
    A new book and a new film, to look forward to ! :D
  • 007InVT007InVT Classified
    Posts: 893
    September 8th!

    Game on!
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