For every Bond movie we did get, there were probably a half-dozen half-finished movies that never made it past the conceptual stage. Sometimes, those aborted missions got pretty close to completion before they were shut down: delve into the rich history of Bond movies that never were and never will be…

Quentin Tarantino’s ‘Casino Royale’ (2005)

The Bond series fartsploded after the follow-through that was ‘Die Another Day’, so Bond producers were desperate to reintroduce some credibility to the franchise. One way they explored this was entertaining Quentin Tarantino’s interest in directing a reboot of ‘Casino Royale’. That reboot did happen, albeit with ‘GoldenEye’ director Martin Campbell back in the hot-seat, but Tarantino’s interest was real and Campbell confessed the American had bid on the rights. For what it’s worth, Tarantino’s take on the Ian Fleming novel would have been set in the 60s with a younger James Bond, but he still wanted 49-year-old Pierce Brosnan to play the role, which may explain why producers went another way.

‘James Bond Of The Secret Service’ aka ‘Warhead’ (1975)

You could write a book about Kevin McClory’s legal battles with Eon, but it’d be called ‘The Big Book Of Boring Courtroom Dramas’ and no one would want to read it. By far the most ridiculous prospective Bond movie on this list, Kevin McClory’s first attempt at remaking ‘Thunderball’ in 1975 had a major boon in the shape of Sean Connery, who agreed in principle to return to Bond. It saw SPECTRE lure Russian and American ships into the Bermuda Triangle where they’d steal nuclear weapons, then they’d commandeer the Statue Of Liberty to use as a base to unleash a robot shark armed with a nuke. Sold! Tragically, we were denied this obvious masterpiece and we had to wait until 1983’s ‘Never Say Never Again’ to see a past-his-best Connery re-don his mothballed tux.

George Lazenby’s ‘Diamonds Are Forever’ (1971)

Aussie actor George Lazenby’s only got one shot at Bond but by all accounts, ‘On Her Majesty’s Secret Service’ was a classic. A direct sequel was forthcoming: ‘Diamonds Are Forever’ was originally planned to begin where ‘OHMSS’ ended, with Bond in mourning for his wife Tracy and vowing revenge. Characters including Irma Blunt and Marc-Ange Draco would return; the opening credits were even drafted, with Louis Armstrong’s ‘We Have All The Time In The World’ the tune chosen. However, Lazenby brazenly walked away from Bond, setting the scene for Connery to return to the role for a record $1.25 million salary. The ‘Diamonds Are Forever’ we actually got was… let’s just say… not a classic.

‘Warhead 2000 AD’ (1997)

Writer and dead horse flogger Kevin McClory attempted to kickstart another ‘Thunderball’ remake halfway through the Brosnan era, before the alt-Bond movie vanished during various courtroom sagas. Shame, because it had potential: ‘Warhead 2000 AD’ built up a lot of hype with the suggestion that a former Bond would return to the role – not Sean Connery this time (though he was rumoured for the villain) but Timothy Dalton. Nothing was ever confirmed, however, and in 2000 after Sony settled with MGM, the world was denied a third Thunderballs-up.

Pierce Brosnan’s fifth Bond (2004)

Before he was unceremoniously ousted in favour of Daniel Craig’s bulkier bruiser, Pierce Brosnan was all set to star in a fifth Bond movie – until ‘Die Another Day’ happened, that is. Initially only contracted for four movies, Brosnan made no secret of his desire to continue the role and his contract was extended for a fifth. “I will do another one,” he said in 2002. “It would be wonderful to do another one. After that, I do not know.” After Bond 20’s critical mauling, Brosnan’s requested paycheque for Bond 21 was considered too high and partly led to the decision to reboot the franchise. “Michael [G. Wilson, producer] was stoic and said, ‘You were a great James Bond. Thank you very much’” said Brosnan. “I said ‘Thank you very much. Goodbye.’ That was it.”

‘Dr. No’, starring Cary Grant (1962)

Britain’s premier secret agent was very nearly played by an American, albeit an English-born – and bloody suave – one. Uber-producer Cubby Broccoli urged the charming star to play the role that would eventually be played so memorably by Sean Connery in 1962’s ‘Dr. No’; the pair were close and Grant was even the best man at Broccoli’s wedding. It wasn’t to be: Grant would only commit to one movie, and he would have been 58 when it came out – the same age Roger Moore was when he hung up his Walther PPK.

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