The Death Collectors: Bond Films that Never Were

Perhaps this Octopussy will be the George MacDonald Frasier version, with October Debussy trying to team up with Bond go take down Spectre.
 
Perhaps this Octopussy will be the George MacDonald Frasier version, with October Debussy trying to team up with Bond go take down Spectre.

As usual, you're close!

But this next entry includes at least two twists (with a potential third)

A.- It's not Moore or Brolin as Bond
B.- It's influenced by a geopolitical event going a different way
C.- It may (not 100% sure) be the first entry to take place in a universe we've already visited
 
14. Octopussy (1984)
OCTOPUSSY (1984)
Ian Ogilvy IS James Bond

JS2Qu5X.png


In light of recent military failures and the Prime Minister’s stubbornness,
I feel it is my duty to challenge Mrs. Thatcher for the leadership.”

(Sir Ian Gilmour, late 1982)

[Continuation of the “GAVINVERSE”,
see “PER FINE OUNCE” for background]​

The powerful, traumatizing images of the sinking of the aircraft carrier HMS Hermes stunned millions of Britons, many of which had continued to believe the Falklands War was either going well or wasn’t as much of a war as The Sun claimed it was. Not only many saw it as the image of the year – perhaps even of the past decade – but also as the strongest blow to British prestige and morale since Suez, yet another unmistakable sign of decline in a nation that just didn’t seem to be able to turn the corner on its prolonged fight for prosperity. To make matters worse, Prime Minister Thatcher poured gasoline on the fire by immediately promising the launching of a second task force as soon as possible, with unfinished ships if need be. Still possessing an unshakable faith in victory – supported by a number of facts the public wasn’t privy to – Thatcher had been stunned when one of those “dreary little men” she had sacked had dared to challenge her, and close to disbelief when her own parliamentary party made it clear she had to go. She had done so in anger, leaving another of her colleagues – her congenial deputy Whitelaw – to pick up the pieces.

Whilst Britain experienced such a gloomy outlook, the production team at EON was caught by surprise right as they started developing their next Bond project, and pre-production was suspended for a few weeks as Cubby Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson wondered how to best tackle the current situation. It had been a very tough period for the Secret Agent, which had only recently given signs of life after a major hiatus. Following the unsuccessful tenure of John Gavin (1971-1974), which failed to reach the heights once achieved by Connery, and the collapse of the Broccoli-Saltzman relationship, the franchise entered into development hell, with the only Bond films released during the mid to late 70’s being the equally unsuccessful EON’s Moonraker (1977) – with Michael Jayston as Bond – and Kevin McClory’s James Bond of the Secret Service (1978). After 1979 went and passed without a new film, many wondered if the character had any remaining life into it. Three actors had failed to capture Connery’s magic or come up with a magic of their own, so, the press asked, was there really any hope?

Still, Broccoli was determined to revive the franchise again, and after witnessing the success of the new TV series Return of the Saint he felt he had found a man who could breathe new life into 007. The 36 year-old English actor Ian Ogilvy didn’t take much convincing, and by early 1980 he was signed up to play 007 in The Man with the Golden Gun (1981). TMTGG had been a reasonable, moderate success, with Ogilvy being favorably praised on his charisma and humor as opposed to Gavin and even Lazenby, with criticism being more directed towards the plot and/or production than to the cast itself. Broccoli was in business again, and immediately pushed forward on developing a new project. Although there was still one Fleming novel to be filmed (Live and Let Die), Broccoli would not risk another racially charged project after the controversy surrounding Per Fine Ounce. He also didn’t wish to tempt fate again by adapting another Bond continuation novel, resulting in an original story and concept based around several Fleming short stories. Despite fears that it would be too racy for audiences, the film would be titled after the short story “Octopussy”.

John Glen was brought again to the director’s chair to build on his previous work, and noteworthy author George MacDonald Fraser was added to the scriptwriting team alongside veterans Wilson and Richard Maibaum. The initial plans for the story focused around Bond facing the formidable Octopussy, the franchise’s first main female villain. However, once the Falklands War turned into a prolonged, bitter conflict, and although Broccoli had no appetite for politics within the Bond series, there was still a feeling that the current doubts about Britain’s place in the world could hardly go unanswered. As a production member put it to UA – soon to be MGM/UA after the sale of the latter to the former -, Bond was a British symbol, and one that local audiences needed now more than ever. Still, they couldn’t really place the agent in the middle of war, nor could they – as the tabloid press jokingly suggested – have Bond fight it out with a random South American despot. They needed a memorable yet credible villain, which then resulted in a brief filtration with Richard Maibaum’s Monsieur Diamont, another incarnation of his infamous Goldfinger twin concept.

Who suggested it remains unknown, but when the return of Ernst Stavro Blofeld and the SPECTRE organization was brought up, the imagination of the scriptwriting team lit up and caught on fire. Soon they hashed out an unusual script, fearing a complex set of intrigues which ended up pitting Bond and Octopussy against 007’s nemesis, something which would hopefully cement Ogilvy’s legitimacy as the “true heir” and also offer an opportunity to lift the spirits of the public. Production was therefore pushed into 1983 as Broccoli and EON tried to clear the legal hurdles associated with McClory’s claim to being Blofeld/SPECTRE’s owner. Rather than take the Irishman to court and lose again – as they did before he got his rival film made -, they simply went to McClory’s partners, acquiring the rights to the characters behind his back for a generous settlement. McClory was furious, but his previous arrangements with Paramount left him with no room to maneuver. Perhaps the largest creative decision yet to be made was where to set the film, there being a struggle between those who favored Japan (Maibaum) and those who favored India (Fraser). Fraser won the fight.

With Ian Ogilvy, Anthony Sharp and Dudley Moore returning as Bond, M and Q (respectively), Frank Finlay was chosen to play Blofeld, having previously been considered for the first Gavin film. Alongside him, Barbara Carrera would get to play Octopussy, a role she reportedly found fascinating to explore. Alongside the Ogilvy/Finlay/Carrera main trio, an assortment of veterans and new stars were brought in, including Steven Berkoff, David Hemmings, James Faulkner, and a new Miss Moneypenny. With veteran John Barry providing the soundtrack yet again, and after negotiations with other singers fell through, Laura Branigan was brought in to perform the title song “All Time High”, which, while not as successful as other Bond songs from the decade, still performed decently at the charts. Filming took place in mid to late 1983 – just as the Falklands War ended – across England, India, Japan, and the Netherlands, an extensive production effort aided by a generous budget allocated by MGM/UA. Although mostly congenial, the atmosphere was somewhat clouded by a series of accidents involving several action sequences, particularly those set in India.

Octopussy’s pre-title sequence takes place in an unidentified country – heavily implied to be South American -, where James Bond (Ian Ogilvy) parachutes into a military compound equipped with a satellite dish of sorts. Bond places explosives charges and successfully destroys the building, making a last minute escape on a custom-made Acrostar Jet (Bede BD-5). Free from harm, Bond quips that “they just never see it coming”.

In Udaipur, India, an enormous floating palace which houses the so called “cult of Octopussy”, an all-female, mystical criminal organization that smuggles gold bullion, is suddenly attacked by a private army. Despite a fierce resistance, several “Octopussies” are murdered and the palace is captured, the enemy revealed to be the revived SPECTRE organization, led by the arch-criminal Ernst Stavro Blofeld (Frank Finlay) and his followers Smythe (Steven Berkoff), head of his private army; and Gobinda (Kabir Bedi), his faithful and fearsome bodyguard. Left for dead, the resourceful October Debussy (Barbara Carrera) vows to take revenge on SPECTRE and escapes the palace. In London, England, MI6 Chief M (Anthony Sharp) expresses concern to Bond about an inexplicable rise in heroin smuggling, as well as rumors that the SPECTRE organization might have been brought back from the death. Before he can intervene, M’s is killed at the Blades Club by a pair of twin assassins (David and Anthony Meyer), and he dies in Bond’s arms.

Despite 007’s determination to avenge his boss, the secret agent is repeatedly obstructed and undermined by M’s successor Villiers (David Hemmings), who initially assigns Bond to a desk job. As Bond tries to dig deeper, Villiers is revealed to be an agent for SPECTRE, who frames 007 for the murder of M and fires Miss Moneypenny (Michaela Clavell) when she tries to intervene. Bond is then chased across London by MI6 agents and makes a successful escape on his Bentley, only for him to receive a mysterious message inviting him to meet at his late wife Tracy’s grave. There, Bond meets October, who has taken up the mantle of “Octopussy”. She reveals the SPECTRE connection to him as well as Blofeld’s apparent plans to create a small independent state in Central Asia which to rule over. After obtaining covert assistance and help from Q (Dudley Moore), Bond and Octopussy fly to Germany to follow the trail of Blofeld’s heroin operations and take part in an auction which forms part of the captured Octopussy network discovering a link to Afghanistan. Attacked once again by the twin assassins in an ambush staged at the Nürburgring, the couple is able to dispatch them both after a high-speed chase, and they fly to Kabul.

In Afghanistan, Bond establishes contact with Kamal Khan (James Faulkner), a leader in the Afghan resistance and an old friend from his college days. Kamal has also felt the impact of SPECTRE’s operations, who have been supplying both the resistance and Soviet forces to keep the war going. Joining forces, the group attack and destroy an enemy supply base led by Smythe, the SPECTRE army chief being ruthlessly killed by Octopussy. After distributing the weapons to Kamal’s resistance cell, Bond and Octopussy enlist the help of several surviving Octopussies thanks to Magda (Kristina Wayborn), and they assault the palace with the help of all the allies they’ve gathered. Bond is captured and brought to Blofeld’s presence, where they have an extended conversation in which Blofeld boasts about the “insignificance” of both Britain and Bond himself, touting his successful conquest of MI6. Bond releases himself as Octopussy presses on the assault, and soon after the SPECTRE forces are overrun.

Blofeld makes a last minute escape in a plane with Gobinda by taking Octopussy hostage, all while Bond clings to the fuselage. Forced to fight Bond by his boss, Gobinda falls to his death after a struggle, and 007 released Octopussy before Blofeld can kill her. The roles reversed, Octopussy and Bond both taunt Blofeld over his failure, and they parachute out of the plane before it crashes, seemingly killing the SPECTRE Chief for good. Whilst, in London, Q and Moneypenny witness Villiers’s arrest with a satisfied look and reveal 007’s name has been cleared, Bond and Octopussy take a much needed vacation aboard a private yacht in India.

Octopussy's premiere took place in June 1984, exactly a month after the 1984 General Election, with the attendance of the Prince and Princess of Wales, both of which reportedly cheered during a particularly triumphant moment for Bond. While not at the premiere, Prime Minister Roy Jenkins, Deputy PM David Steel and Foreign Secretary David Owen attended a screening together, providing a famous photo op in the first few weeks of the new SDP-Liberal Alliance minority government. Despite some minor controversy in the US over the film’s title, Octopussy was an unmistakable box office smash, easily surpassing TMWTGG’s take and delivering the kind of commercial triumph Broccoli had waited for years. Critics were not as complimentary, with praise for the personal stakes of the plot and most of the performances and action sequences being tempered by the runtime – which was criticized as excessive – and the misuse of the film’s humor, including a specifically reviled gorilla scene. Still, the film was a success which consolidated Ogilvy in the minds of audiences as being Bond, leaving him in a far stronger position than his three predecessors had ever been, all while EON immediately set to work on another film due for 1986.

To this day, Octopussy is largely remember as one of the best Bond films, breaking the creative stagnation of the franchise by offering a different, more complex plotline and a series of interesting personal relationships (including those between Bond, Octopussy, Blofeld and M), as well as thrilling action scenes. Whilst not perfect, it is often quoted as a “return to form”, although fans are divided on whether TMWTGG or OP saved the franchise from a slow death. Highlights of the film include Blofeld’s attack on the Octopussy cult, M’s death, Bond’s initial meeting with Octopussy, the Afghanistan sequences, and the Nürburgring chase.

Author’s Notes: I originally wanted to use Ogilvy – who was considered by EON as a possible Moore-like replacement after 1978 – to portray one of John Gardner’s novels, possibly Icebreaker or Licence Renewed, but the whole thing didn’t work. Then I remember the alternate plot for Octopussy, and I decided to combine a number of ideas that weren’t working on their own (Octopussy, Ogilvy, the Falklands War) into this specific scenario, set in the world of “Per Fine Ounce”. Had to shuffle part of the original cast a bit after I started running out of ideas.​

THE DEATH COLLECTORS will return in
“SKYFALL”
 
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Roy Jenkins as the Prime Minister of Great Britain? Man I wish that would have happened!!

Lumine, after reading your excellent(& so creative!)ideas for James Bond films, I am really, honestly
starting to think that Barbara Broccoli should hire YOU to write the script of the next James Bond
movie(would you reboot him completely & just pretend NTTD had never happened?)
 
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Wonder if Skyfall was the pre goldeneye idea of high tech Bond before we got the post cold war Goldeneye.

We need Colin Firth was Bond, dunno how but we need it , bonus if that is after Bridget Jones

I'm guessing the Once Upon A Spy treatment with M going rogue when blackmailed by her illegitimate Russian oligarch son and needing to be killed by Bond.
 
OCTOPUSSY (1984)
Ian Ogilvy IS James Bond

JS2Qu5X.png


In light of recent military failures and the Prime Minister’s stubbornness,
I feel it is my duty to challenge Mrs. Thatcher for the leadership.”

(Sir Ian Gilmour, late 1982)

[Continuation of the “GAVINVERSE”,
see “PER FINE OUNCE” for background]​

The powerful, traumatizing images of the sinking of the aircraft carrier HMS Hermes stunned millions of Britons, many of which had continued to believe the Falklands War was either going well or wasn’t as much of a war as The Sun claimed it was. Not only many saw it as the image of the year – perhaps even of the past decade – but also as the strongest blow to British prestige and morale since Suez, yet another unmistakable sign of decline in a nation that just didn’t seem to be able to turn the corner on its prolonged fight for prosperity. To make matters worse, Prime Minister Thatcher poured gasoline on the fire by immediately promising the launching of a second task force as soon as possible, with unfinished ships if need be. Still possessing an unshakable faith in victory – supported by a number of facts the public wasn’t privy to – Thatcher had been stunned when one of those “dreary little men” she had sacked had dared to challenge her, and close to disbelief when her own parliamentary party made it clear she had to go. She had done so in anger, leaving another of her colleagues – her congenial deputy Whitelaw – to pick up the pieces.

Whilst Britain experienced such a gloomy outlook, the production team at EON was caught by surprise right as they started developing their next Bond project, and pre-production was suspended for a few weeks as Cubby Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson wondered how to best tackle the current situation. It had been a very tough period for the Secret Agent, which had only recently given signs of life after a major hiatus. Following the unsuccessful tenure of John Gavin (1971-1974), which failed to reach the heights once achieved by Connery, and the collapse of the Broccoli-Saltzman relationship, the franchise entered into development hell, with the only Bond films released during the mid to late 70’s being the equally unsuccessful EON’s Moonraker (1977) – with Michael Jayston as Bond – and Kevin McClory’s James Bond of the Secret Service (1978). After 1979 went and passed without a new film, many wondered if the character had any remaining life into it. Three actors had failed to capture Connery’s magic or come up with a magic of their own, so, the press asked, was there really any hope?

Still, Broccoli was determined to revive the franchise again, and after witnessing the success of the new TV series Return of the Saint he felt he had found a man who could breathe new life into 007. The 36 year-old English actor Ian Ogilvy didn’t take much convincing, and by early 1980 he was signed up to play 007 in The Man with the Golden Gun (1981). TMTGG had been a reasonable, moderate success, with Ogilvy being favorably praised on his charisma and humor as opposed to Gavin and even Lazenby, with criticism being more directed towards the plot and/or production than to the cast itself. Broccoli was in business again, and immediately pushed forward on developing a new project. Although there was still one Fleming novel to be filmed (Live and Let Die), Broccoli would not risk another racially charged project after the controversy surrounding Per Fine Ounce. He also didn’t wish to tempt fate again by adapting another Bond continuation novel, resulting in an original story and concept based around several Fleming short stories. Despite fears that it would be too racy for audiences, the film would be titled after the short story “Octopussy”.

John Glen was brought again to the director’s chair to build on his previous work, and noteworthy author George MacDonald Fraser was added to the scriptwriting team alongside veterans Wilson and Richard Maibaum. The initial plans for the story focused around Bond facing the formidable Octopussy, the franchise’s first main villain. However, once the Falklands War turned into a prolonged, bitter conflict, and although Broccoli had no appetite for politics within the Bond series, there was still a feeling that the current doubts about Britain’s place in the world could hardly go unanswered. As a production member put it to UA – soon to be MGM/UA after the sale of the latter to the former -, Bond was a British symbol, and one that local audiences needed now more than ever. Still, they couldn’t really place the agent in the middle of war, nor could they – as the tabloid press jokingly suggested – have Bond fight it out with a random South American despot. They needed a memorable yet credible villain, which then resulted in a brief filtration with Richard Maibaum’s Monsieur Diamont, another incarnation of his infamous Goldfinger twin concept.

Who suggested it remains unknown, but when the return of Ernst Stavro Blofeld and the SPECTRE organization was brought up, the imagination of the scriptwriting team lit up and caught on fire. Soon they hashed out an unusual script, fearing a complex set of intrigues which ended up pitting Bond and Octopussy against 007’s nemesis, something which would hopefully cement Ogilvy’s legitimacy as the “true heir” and also offer an opportunity to lift the spirits of the public. Production was therefore pushed into 1983 as Broccoli and EON tried to clear the legal hurdles associated with McClory’s claim to being Blofeld/SPECTRE’s owner. Rather than take the Irishman to court and lose again – as they did before he got his rival film made -, they simply went to McClory’s partners, acquiring the rights to the characters behind his back for a generous settlement. McClory was furious, but his previous arrangements with Paramount left him with no room to maneuver. Perhaps the largest creative decision yet to be made was where to set the film, there being a struggle between those who favored Japan (Maibaum) and those who favored India (Fraser). Fraser won the fight.

With Ian Ogilvy, Anthony Sharp and Dudley Moore returning as Bond, M and Q (respectively), Frank Finlay was chosen to play Blofeld, having previously been considered for the first Gavin film. Alongside him, Barbara Carrera would get to play Octopussy, a role she reportedly found fascinating to explore. Alongside the Ogilvy/Finlay/Carrera main trio, an assortment of veterans and new stars were brought in, including Steven Berkoff, David Hemmings, James Faulkner, and a new Miss Moneypenny. With veteran John Barry providing the soundtrack yet again, and after negotiations with other singers fell through, Laura Branigan was brought in to perform the title song “All Time High”, which, while not as successful as other Bond songs from the decade, still performed decently at the charts. Filming took place in mid to late 1983 – just as the Falklands War ended – across England, India, Japan, and the Netherlands, an extensive production effort aided by a generous budget allocated by MGM/UA. Although mostly congenial, the atmosphere was somewhat clouded by a series of accidents involving several action sequences, particularly those set in India.

Octopussy’s pre-title sequence takes place in an unidentified country – heavily implied to be South American -, where James Bond (Ian Ogilvy) parachutes into a military compound equipped with a satellite dish of sorts. Bond places explosives charges and successfully destroys the building, making a last minute escape on a custom-made Acrostar Jet (Bede BD-5). Free from harm, Bond quips that “they just never see it coming”.

In Udaipur, India, an enormous floating palace which houses the so called “cult of Octopussy”, an all-female, mystical criminal organization that smuggles gold bullion, is suddenly attacked by a private army. Despite a fierce resistance, several “Octopussies” are murdered and the palace is captured, the enemy revealed to be the revived SPECTRE organization, led by the arch-criminal Ernst Stavro Blofeld (Frank Finlay) and his followers Smythe (Steven Berkoff), head of his private army; and Gobinda (Kabir Bedi), his faithful and fearsome bodyguard. Left for dead, the resourceful October Debussy (Barbara Carrera) vows to take revenge on SPECTRE and escapes the palace. In London, England, MI6 Chief M (Anthony Sharp) expresses concern to Bond about an inexplicable rise in heroin smuggling, as well as rumors that the SPECTRE organization might have been brought back from the death. Before he can intervene, M’s is killed at the Blades Club by a pair of twin assassins (David and Anthony Meyer), and he dies in Bond’s arms.

Despite 007’s determination to avenge his boss, the secret agent is repeatedly obstructed and undermined by M’s successor Villiers (David Hemmings), who initially assigns Bond to a desk job. As Bond tries to dig deeper, Villiers is revealed to be an agent for SPECTRE, who frames 007 for the murder of M and fires Miss Moneypenny (Michaela Clavell) when she tries to intervene. Bond is then chased across London by MI6 agents and makes a successful escape on his Bentley, only for him to receive a mysterious message inviting him to meet at his late wife Tracy’s grave. There, Bond meets October, who has taken up the mantle of “Octopussy”. She reveals the SPECTRE connection to him as well as Blofeld’s apparent plans to create a small independent state in Central Asia which to rule over. After obtaining covert assistance and help from Q (Dudley Moore), Bond and Octopussy fly to Germany to follow the trail of Blofeld’s heroin operations and take part in an auction which forms part of the captured Octopussy network discovering a link to Afghanistan. Attacked once again by the twin assassins in an ambush staged at the Nürburgring, the couple is able to dispatch them both after a high-speed chase, and they fly to Kabul.

In Afghanistan, Bond establishes contact with Kamal Khan (James Faulkner), a leader in the Afghan resistance and an old friend from his college days. Kamal has also felt the impact of SPECTRE’s operations, who have been supplying both the resistance and Soviet forces to keep the war going. Joining forces, the group attack and destroy an enemy supply base led by Smythe, the SPECTRE army chief being ruthlessly killed by Octopussy. After distributing the weapons to Kamal’s resistance cell, Bond and Octopussy enlist the help of several surviving Octopussies thanks to Magda (Kristina Wayborn), and they assault the palace with the help of all the allies they’ve gathered. Bond is captured and brought to Blofeld’s presence, where they have an extended conversation in which Blofeld boasts about the “insignificance” of both Britain and Bond himself, touting his successful conquest of MI6. Bond releases himself as Octopussy presses on the assault, and soon after the SPECTRE forces are overrun.

Blofeld makes a last minute escape in a plane with Gobinda by taking Octopussy hostage, all while Bond clings to the fuselage. Forced to fight Bond by his boss, Gobinda falls to his death after a struggle, and 007 released Octopussy before Blofeld can kill her. The roles reversed, Octopussy and Bond both taunt Blofeld over his failure, and they parachute out of the plane before it crashes, seemingly killing the SPECTRE Chief for good. Whilst, in London, Q and Moneypenny witness Villiers’s arrest with a satisfied look and reveal 007’s name has been cleared, Bond and Octopussy take a much needed vacation aboard a private yacht in India.

Octopussy's premiere took place in June 1984, exactly a month after the 1984 General Election, with the attendance of the Prince and Princess of Wales, both of which reportedly cheered during a particularly triumphant moment for Bond. While not at the premiere, Prime Minister Roy Jenkins, Deputy PM David Steel and Foreign Secretary David Owen attended a screening together, providing a famous photo op in the first few weeks of the new SDP-Liberal Alliance minority government. Despite some minor controversy in the US over the film’s title, Octopussy was an unmistakable box office smash, easily surpassing TMWTGG’s take and delivering the kind of commercial triumph Broccoli had waited for years. Critics were not as complimentary, with praise for the personal stakes of the plot and most of the performances and action sequences being tempered by the runtime – which was criticized as excessive – and the misuse of the film’s humor, including a specifically reviled gorilla scene. Still, the film was a success which consolidated Ogilvy in the minds of audiences as being Bond, leaving him in a far stronger position than his three predecessors had ever been, all while EON immediately set to work on another film due for 1986.

To this day, Octopussy is largely remember as one of the best Bond films, breaking the creative stagnation of the franchise by offering a different, more complex plotline and a series of interesting personal relationships (including those between Bond, Octopussy, Blofeld and M), as well as thrilling action scenes. Whilst not perfect, it is often quoted as a “return to form”, although fans are divided on whether TMWTGG or OP saved the franchise from a slow death. Highlights of the film include Blofeld’s attack on the Octopussy cult, M’s death, Bond’s initial meeting with Octopussy, the Afghanistan sequences, and the Nürburgring chase.

Author’s Notes: I originally wanted to use Ogilvy – who was considered by EON as a possible Moore-like replacement after 1978 – to portray one of John Gardner’s novels, possibly Icebreaker or Licence Renewed, but the whole thing didn’t work. Then I remember the alternate plot for Octopussy, and I decided to combine a number of ideas that weren’t working on their own (Octopussy, Ogilvy, the Falklands War) into this specific scenario, set in the world of “Per Fine Ounce”. Had to shuffle part of the original cast a bit after I started running out of ideas.​

THE DEATH COLLECTORS will return in
“SKYFALL”
These are fascinating, another Thunderball remake next?
 
So in the PFO/OP universe, we have ...

Series appears as IOTL until OHMSS, then ...

1971 - Diamonds are Forever with John Gavin
1973 - Per Fine Ounce
1974 - The Spy Who Loved Me
1977 - Moonraker with Michael Jayston
1981 - The Man with the Golden Gun, with Ian Oglivy
1984 - Octopussy
 
Branigan doing a Bond song? I love it.. she woulda been perfect for All Time High. It woulda made it so much more memorable song. I sub to a guy on YT who makes edits of what if movies and he did a Lazenby Bond move circa 1984 and he used Self Control as the theme song for it, it worked perfect. So her doing it isn't out of the ordinary at all.

Love this series.. so many what if's! Really digged the Gibson/Neeson entries as well as Lazenby's. Will we get to see any more of his movies? I always wondered how he would done LALD.

Another good option would be what if Sam Neil took it. Granted you've done did TLD but that would be a fun what if even if you do a sequel.
 
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