Pre-Internet/Early Internet Rumours about the James Bond Films?

DragonpolDragonpol https://thebondologistblog.blogspot.com
edited May 2016 in Bond Movies Posts: 18,252
What are your favourite and most memorable pre-Internet or early Internet rumours regarding the James Bond films?

Here are a few of mine that I merely heard through word-of-mouth from friends:

Sir Anthony Hopkins was going to star as the main villain in a James Bond film entitled Icebreaker where Bond goes up against members of the IRA also. (I'd still like to see Hopkins as a Bond villain in the future - especially after the Hannibal Lecter-like Silva in Skyfall). I believe that Hopkins was considered for the vilalin role (Harmsway/Elliot Carver?) in Tomorrow Never Dies before Jonathan Pryce eventually got that acting gig.

There was a plan (c. 1999) where a friend told me they were going to re-do all of the James Bond films from scratch again (I suppose with hindsight this was a very early reboot idea).

Both of these came from the same friend who belonged to a church youth group I used to be part of as a teenager. I have no idea where he read/heard of these rumours but they've always found them interesting nonetheless.

Now I'd love to hear your esoteric and odd rumours on the James Bond films... :)
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Comments

  • Posts: 4,325
    I remember the 1999 one about redoing them all - I think I read in a magazine interview with Brosnan that he was asked which one he would like to do if they re-did one, completely hypothetically, and he said OHMSS.
  • DragonpolDragonpol https://thebondologistblog.blogspot.com
    Posts: 18,252
    tanaka123 wrote: »
    I remember the 1999 one about redoing them all - I think I read in a magazine interview with Brosnan that he was asked which one he would like to do if they re-did one, completely hypothetically, and he said OHMSS.

    My friend was a film buff and I imagine he probably read that in a film magazine at the time. Now that you mention it, I do recall Brosnan wanting to remake OHMSS as he felt Lazenby wasn't the best actor for the role! I happen to disagree with him one that one though!
  • Posts: 4,325
    There was also a rumour that all the Bond girls would have cameos in TWINE.
  • DragonpolDragonpol https://thebondologistblog.blogspot.com
    Posts: 18,252
    tanaka123 wrote: »
    There was also a rumour that all the Bond girls would have cameos in TWINE.

    Interesting - not heard that one before but I suspect that was pre-Millennium hype?

  • CatchingBulletsCatchingBullets facebook.com/catchingbullets
    Posts: 292
    Circa 2001... Darcey Bussell would be playing opposite Bond in a film with Whitney Houston on starring and vocal duties.
  • CatchingBulletsCatchingBullets facebook.com/catchingbullets
    Posts: 292
    And THE WORLD IS NOT ENOUGH was originally called ELEKTRA (which is not strictly a rumour as it was a working title at one point in time).
  • Posts: 4,325
    There was also a rumour that all the Bond girls would have cameos in TWINE.
    Dragonpol wrote: »
    tanaka123 wrote: »
    There was also a rumour that all the Bond girls would have cameos in TWINE.

    Interesting - not heard that one before but I suspect that was pre-Millennium hype?

    Yeah 'twas.
  • Posts: 4,325
    Circa 2001... Darcey Bussell would be playing opposite Bond in a film with Whitney Houston on starring and vocal duties.

    Yes, I remember that one!
  • edited May 2016 Posts: 4,325
    Die Another Day ones - rumoured to be called Beyond the Ice as well as If Looks Could Kill (which actually feels very much like a Brosnan title somehow)
    - Sean Connery was rumoured to be making a cameo.
  • DragonpolDragonpol https://thebondologistblog.blogspot.com
    Posts: 18,252
    tanaka123 wrote: »
    Die Another Day ones - rumoured to be called Beyond the Ice as well as If Looks Could Kill (which actually feels very much like a Brosnan title somehow)
    - Sean Connery was rumoured to be making a cameo.

    I recall Beyond the Ice was considered as a title for DAD too around September 2000.

    Yes, I remember reading the Connery return as Bond's father rumour in August 2001 in a copy of the Daily Mirror - I still have that one in my scrapbooks somewhere.


  • edited May 2016 Posts: 4,325
    The Daily Mail ran a story in 2010 that the Bond films were not going to be made anymore.
  • DragonpolDragonpol https://thebondologistblog.blogspot.com
    Posts: 18,252
    tanaka123 wrote: »
    The Daily Mail ran a story in 2010 that the Bond films were not going to be made anymore.

    Yes, I recall something similar in The Times in early 2010, although it was probably not quite that drastic!

  • Posts: 4,325
    Dragonpol wrote: »
    tanaka123 wrote: »
    The Daily Mail ran a story in 2010 that the Bond films were not going to be made anymore.

    Yes, I recall something similar in The Times in early 2010, although it was probably not quite that drastic!

    They wrote it in a way that was implied - obviously they need to write sensationalist news stories to sell papers. I wrote them an email to say how disingenuous their article was and misleading - I never got a reply.
  • DragonpolDragonpol https://thebondologistblog.blogspot.com
    Posts: 18,252
    tanaka123 wrote: »
    Dragonpol wrote: »
    tanaka123 wrote: »
    The Daily Mail ran a story in 2010 that the Bond films were not going to be made anymore.

    Yes, I recall something similar in The Times in early 2010, although it was probably not quite that drastic!

    They wrote it in a way that was implied - obviously they need to write sensationalist news stories to sell papers. I wrote them an email to say how disingenuous their article was and misleading - I never got a reply.

    Given their daily arrogance, that's not a surprise.
  • JohnHammond73JohnHammond73 Lancashire, UK
    Posts: 4,151
    Wasn't there a rumour of Sean Connery having a cameo in a recent movie, particularly as Bonds' father?
  • jake24jake24 Sitting at your desk, kissing your lover, eating supper with your familyModerator
    Posts: 10,591
    Wasn't there a rumour of Sean Connery having a cameo in a recent movie, particularly as Bonds' father?

    Sam Mendes actually considered Connery for the role of Kincade.
  • royale65royale65 Caustic misanthrope reporting for duty.
    Posts: 4,423
    And we give Tamahori hell for his code name theory. Yeah, I'm glad that dear old Sam has nothing to done with the series anymore.
  • JohnHammond73JohnHammond73 Lancashire, UK
    Posts: 4,151
    jake24 wrote: »
    Wasn't there a rumour of Sean Connery having a cameo in a recent movie, particularly as Bonds' father?

    Sam Mendes actually considered Connery for the role of Kincade.

    That may be what I'm thinking.

  • Posts: 4,325
    Gerard Butler's rumoured casting before Die Another Day

    http://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/story?id=103871&page=1

    Incidentally he appears in Tomorrow Never Dies - 'We're now 13 degrees by the stern' - was his line - he speaks in a Scottish accent, so forgive any inaccuracies in that line.
  • jake24jake24 Sitting at your desk, kissing your lover, eating supper with your familyModerator
    Posts: 10,591
    royale65 wrote: »
    And we give Tamahori hell for his code name theory. Yeah, I'm glad that dear old Sam has nothing to done with the series anymore.

    It's not like it was ever seriously considered. It was an idea tossed around briefly and when the press reported on it, Mendes was forced to comment.
  • Creasy47Creasy47 In Cuba with Natalya.Moderator
    Posts: 40,956
    Something like having the original Bond return to play a totally separate character in SF is something that shouldn't have even been tossed around briefly or discussed at all.
  • DarthDimiDarthDimi Behind you!Moderator
    Posts: 24,145
    I recall something about the next Bond film being called "Equator" and then something about "Warhead 2000". None of those happened. I believe it was around 97' or something when those rumours reached me.
  • Posts: 4,325
    DarthDimi wrote: »
    I recall something about the next Bond film being called "Equator" and then something about "Warhead 2000". None of those happened. I believe it was around 97' or something when those rumours reached me.

    I believe that was McClory trying to get a rival Bond series going again - I remember Liam Neeson being rumoured to play Bond in it.
  • Posts: 5,981
    A funny one I read before the release of LALD :

    A weekly newspaper, Ici-Paris, told us that a scene from the movie would show Bond naked, with only a pair of pistols to hide his... Ahem... Unmentionables. Given that said newspaper had a reputation for printing very unreliable news, I should have taken that piece with a very large grain of salt.

    And of coure, there wsas the rumour that Jean Butler was considered for the part of the Bond girl for DAD. Or at least a part as a Bond girl. It didn't happen.
  • RC7RC7
    Posts: 10,512
    tanaka123 wrote: »
    DarthDimi wrote: »
    I recall something about the next Bond film being called "Equator" and then something about "Warhead 2000". None of those happened. I believe it was around 97' or something when those rumours reached me.

    I believe that was McClory trying to get a rival Bond series going again - I remember Liam Neeson being rumoured to play Bond in it.

    I'm pretty sure it was intended to be a Connery vehicle again. There's a shot of Connery on location in NYC in 'The Battle for Bond', from memory it involved robotic explosive sharks that entered NYC via the sewers and iirc there was to be a shot of Bond parachuting past the Statue of Liberty.
  • Posts: 4,325
    Angelina Jolie was rumoured for Vesper Lynd.
  • JohnHammond73JohnHammond73 Lancashire, UK
    edited May 2016 Posts: 4,151
    RC7 wrote: »
    tanaka123 wrote: »
    DarthDimi wrote: »
    I recall something about the next Bond film being called "Equator" and then something about "Warhead 2000". None of those happened. I believe it was around 97' or something when those rumours reached me.

    I believe that was McClory trying to get a rival Bond series going again - I remember Liam Neeson being rumoured to play Bond in it.

    I'm pretty sure it was intended to be a Connery vehicle again. There's a shot of Connery on location in NYC in 'The Battle for Bond', from memory it involved robotic explosive sharks that entered NYC via the sewers and iirc there was to be a shot of Bond parachuting past the Statue of Liberty.

    I believe this article has details of what you're referring to.

    http://www.gamesradar.com/the-lost-bond/

  • jake24jake24 Sitting at your desk, kissing your lover, eating supper with your familyModerator
    Posts: 10,591
    Creasy47 wrote: »
    Something like having the original Bond return to play a totally separate character in SF is something that shouldn't have even been tossed around briefly or discussed at all.

    I certainly don't disagree with you.
  • RC7RC7
    edited May 2016 Posts: 10,512
    RC7 wrote: »
    tanaka123 wrote: »
    DarthDimi wrote: »
    I recall something about the next Bond film being called "Equator" and then something about "Warhead 2000". None of those happened. I believe it was around 97' or something when those rumours reached me.

    I believe that was McClory trying to get a rival Bond series going again - I remember Liam Neeson being rumoured to play Bond in it.

    I'm pretty sure it was intended to be a Connery vehicle again. There's a shot of Connery on location in NYC in 'The Battle for Bond', from memory it involved robotic explosive sharks that entered NYC via the sewers and iirc there was to be a shot of Bond parachuting past the Statue of Liberty.

    I believe this article has details of what you're referring to.

    http://www.gamesradar.com/the-lost-bond/

    That's the one. I'll double check my copy later, I think there's a few production sketches.
  • Posts: 4,325
    RC7 wrote: »
    tanaka123 wrote: »
    DarthDimi wrote: »
    I recall something about the next Bond film being called "Equator" and then something about "Warhead 2000". None of those happened. I believe it was around 97' or something when those rumours reached me.

    I believe that was McClory trying to get a rival Bond series going again - I remember Liam Neeson being rumoured to play Bond in it.

    I'm pretty sure it was intended to be a Connery vehicle again. There's a shot of Connery on location in NYC in 'The Battle for Bond', from memory it involved robotic explosive sharks that entered NYC via the sewers and iirc there was to be a shot of Bond parachuting past the Statue of Liberty.

    Yes Warhead 2000 was, but I don't think that was the only attempt made to get a rival Bond, I remember Neeson being linked in the late 1990s
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