http://www.islandnet.com/~corona/films/details/jb18.html
James Bond Film #18
Genre: Action/Adventure.
Studio: MGM/UA.
Production Company: Unknown.
Project Phase: Movies Rumored.
Who's In It: Pierce Brosnan (James Bond, Agent 007, who IS confirmed).
Who's Making It: Bruce Feirstein (Screenwriter); Albert R. "Cubby"
Broccoli (Executive
Producer).
Premise: See Scoop Feedback.
Release Date: Unknown.
Comments: None.
Rumors: Unknown.
Scoop Feedback:
March 19, 1996... Pierce Brosnan's Bond returns to confront former Bond
George Lazenby (007
from On Her Majesty's Secret Service), who controls an underwater base
equipped with nuclear
warheads appropriated from the fallen Soviet empire. (Hey, if this isn't
the plotline for the movie, it
damn well should be!) Premise and movie title submitted anonymously via
Scoop Feedback.
Awaiting confirmation. [Thanks to...?]
March 23-25, 1996... Others out there in the electronic community have
send us their thoughts on
this rumored Aquator plotline, and the general sentiment is that it's
bogus. If the producers want to
generate audience build-up for the show, why go with Lazenby as the
villain; why not try for Sean
Connery? Doesn't this plot feel like a bad sequel to The Spy Who Loved
Me? And another
'stolen' nuclear warhead threat? But someone the Bond producers might be
dangling a carrot in
front of is Anthony Hopkins - as 007's nemesis. [Scoop feedback submitted
anonymously.]
Others have heard various snippets about the next Bond outine, and none
have included Lazenby,
stolen nuclear weapons, or megamaniacial billionaires with underwater
lairs in them. 'Clarke009'
heard that the proposed title of Bond #18 might be Dream Weaver - and has
read comments from
"Cubby" Brocolli that he'd never work with Lazenby again. [Thanks to
'Clarke009' and a slew of
anonymous letter-writers out there...]
So, is Aquator the name of the new Bond film, or will it be Dream Weaver?
Or is it all just a mess
of lies, innuendo, and falsehoods being released by a wealthy reclusive
madman with dreams of
global domination under his New World Order? Time will tell.
March 26-27, 1996... The next James Bond movie will not be based on any
John Gardner novel,
or for that matter the novel Colonel Sun, reports the screenwriter.
[Scoop info submitted
anonymously.]
Late March, 1996... One other has heard that the tentative release date
for this film is November
21, 1997. [Scoop reported by 'Clarke009'.]
April 3, 1996... Aquator haters will roll their eyes over this little
news item tossed our way:
sometime in March Jeffrey Caine, Bruce Feirstein, John Heinsleigh, Ron
Friedman and Fred
Wilkens (various studio employees responsible for Bond's last outing)
reportedly came to the Mall
of America for the grand opening of a 007 memoribilia store. In a Q&A
session, it was brought out
that the next Bond film is presently titled Zameer Aquator, and Lazenby
has been cast as the
nemesis "Zameer", an ex-CIA agent who teams up with an ex-KGB agent (to
be portrayed by
Terence Stamp). They steal nuclear missiles from the fallen Soviet Union
and hold the world under
siege. "Aquator" is the name of the base where the missiles are held.
Also mentioned was the casting
of the two new "Bond" girls - Natasha Henstridge (Species) and Salma
Hayek (From Dusk Till
Dawn, Desperado). If this info is true kiddies, then the casting reps for
the film work for MI5,
because nothing indicating any of the above actors has been reported
anywhere. Take it as you
like. [Scoop submitted anonymously.]
April 14, 1996... This just in: someone's informed us that Bruce
Feirstein has denied all rumors,
innuendo and speculation about the proposed Aquator storyline. Of course,
since this submitter was
anonymous, we can't confirm this speculation as well. However, once again
it should be stressed
that nothing concrete, save for Brosnan's involvement with the next Bond
film, has been officially
announced. [Scoop mailed anonymously.]
April 18, 1996... A rumor comes our way that Dean Devlin and Roland
Emmerich (creators of
Independence Day have expressed interest in the next Bond movie. Brosnan
has publically stated
that his choice would be Quentin Tarantino. [Scoop sent in by
'Sylvester'.]
April 30, 1996... Well, another possible Bond storyline has made its way
to ourselves. This one has
James on the run from bounty hunters from across the globe, hoping to net
a cool $1 billion dollars;
the person who gets the stuffed momento is none other than Blofeld's
daughter. As well, a rumored,
completely unconfirmed opening for the new film has Bond testing out a
new gimmick car through
the streets of London, chased by evil-doers - and M is his passenger. At
the end of the scene, with
the Z3 car in shambles, it launches a missile at a helicopter and breaks
in front of a crowd watching
the Queen on parade. Bond gets out, bows to Elizabeth II, who asks her
assistant who was that.
Reply (and duck if you didn't see it coming): "That, my Lady, is Her
Majesty's Secret Service."
[Scoop submitted anonymously - like you couldn't guess it already.]
May 4, 1996... The bounty hunter plotline sounds suspiciously like the
plotline from the John
Gardner novel Nobody Lives Forever. As the Bond producers have said
before, they will not be
using plotlines from any novels, Gardner or otherwise, for the next Bond
film. [Scoop info mailed in
by 'vcmr16c'.]
May 8, 1996... Anthony Hopkins and George Lazenby have reportedly turned
down any offers for
the new Bond show. Joe Don Baker, who portrayed CIA agent Jack Wade, is
reported to be
considering to return in the next installment. A new development has
Sharon Stone portraying
Blofeld's daughter as the main villain. [Scoop sent in anonymously.]
May 17, 1996... From the 'Get the Facts Straight' file: one Bond fan
would like it pointed out that
Lazenby had never been offered or considered for the villain in the new
Bond film, and Hopkins
hasn't been tendered any offer as yet. [Scoop information pointed out
anonymously.]
May 19, 1996... The producers have publically stated that Sharon Stone
will not be playing
Blofeld's daughter. [Scoop sent in anonymously.]
May 20, 1996... The Blofeld's daughter storyline sounds similar to a John
Gardner novel... and as
the producers have stated that the next Bond film will not use any
Gardner material, the rumor must
be bogus. [Scoop handed in anonymously.]
May 14-29, 1996... A number of Bond rumors, rumblings and fan's trains of
thought have been sent
to CA:
"It seems that this Aquator plot has been used once or twice before and
strikes me as being
unimaginative. The makers would do better to look at some of the comics
that have been
produced over the past few years, as the prospects could be a lot more
interesting." The
commentator also addressed the Tarantino-as-director rumor, asking why
the director of
GoldenEye, Martin Campbell, has been neglected. After all, didn't he have
a hand in the
re-invention success of the Bond franchise? [Provided anonymously.]
"I am Peter (formerly Petrov) Huczok. I was born 36 years ago in the
Ukraine. I have
appeared in 23 Russian films, currently living in England 1 year. My
agent has been
approached, I am to play KGB villain Zammeer (name not confirmed they say
it might
change.) I was told A. Hopkins turned down my role...I have signed
contract on May 2, 1996.
Script was written by Bruce Feirstein. I have met Michael Wilson in
London on May 1st,
1996." Unfortunately, the scoop provider did not leave us the means to
confirm this little tidbit, and it
must remain just a wild - but interesting - rumor. [Scoop provided by
'Peter Huczok'.]
A source indicates tell us that all information on possible storylines
and actors for the upcoming
Bond flick that have appeared so far is not true - save one. Anthony
Hopkins' name is being
considered, but without a script, it's pretty difficult to approach the
fella. [Scoop provided
anonymously.]
A rumor brought to us that is circulating on the "alt.fan.jamesbond"
newsgroup has the next Bond
movie titled "The Property of a Lady". The plotline would center on the
return of Hong Kong to
Chinese governship. The title is a reference to a short story by Ian
Fleming. [Scoop sent in by
'jjonnzz'.]
Another e-mail informs us that the band Oasis may be in talks for the
theme song. Also mentioned is
the rumor that Jack Nicholson may be up for the role of Blofeld's
brother. [Scoop comes from an
anonymous source.]
Another submitter tells us that the 18th Bond film is scheduled to go
into production before the end
of 1996. MGM/UA wants to follow-up on the huge success of the previous
film, and a $100 million
budget is expected. Martin Campbell and DoP Phil Meheux are expected to
return, plus Remy
Julienne in charge of the stunts. Co-producer Michael G. Wilson has a
stunt planned which involves
Bond and a girl parachuting from an exploding helicopter, falling through
a chasm of rock and
pursued by the spinning rotor blades from the 'copter. The stunt was
originally pencilled in for
GoldenEye but deemed too expensive and dangerous. China could be a
possible location for
filming. [Scoop mailed in by 'Ernst Stavro Blofeld' from Murren,
Switzerland.]
Yet another contributor lets us know that the storyline will go back to
Bond's early years, sort of a
prequel of sorts, and showcase how he got the double-O moniker (a.k.a.
his licence to kill.) [Scoop
info submitted anonymously.]
"Quentin Tarantino has reportedly signed to direct the next Bond film for
$3.2 million. The
producers are eager to see how Tarantino handles the assignment and may
be looking for a
multipicture deal if they like the project." [Scoop provided - of course
- anonymously.]
This contributor also claims that all the Aquator and Blofeld's daughter
rumors are utterly false, and
then goes on to mention that Cubbi Broccoli has chosen a bacterial
weapons
...
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