Information
- BFI identifier2654
- Date1983 (Copyright)
1983-12-16 (Release) - Production countryUSA, United Kingdom
- Production company
- SynopsisSpy adventure. British agent James Bond, a little older and less healthy than he used to be, is sent to a health farm, Shrublands. There he encounters some suspicious behaviour involving US airman Jack Petachi and his violent nurse, and Bond comes under attack from a thug, Lippe, whom Bond defeats more through luck than skill. Bond later connects these Shrublands mysteries with the stealing of two nuclear warheads by the criminal organisation S.P.E.C.T.R.E.. Bond follows a lead to the Bahamas, where the warheads are being hidden, and during his investigation he becomes involved with the unhinged millionaire businessman (and S.P.E.C.T.R.E. operative) Maximillian Largo, his mistress Domino and the flamboyant, predatory Fatima Blush (Petachi's ruthless 'nurse' and in fact another S.P.E.C.T.R.E. operative). Blush does her best to kill Bond using, variously, sharks, a bomb and a gun. When the investigation moves to the south of France, Bond is joined by Felix Leiter of the C.I.A., though from there Largo takes Bond on his yacht to his north African fortress called Palmyra, where Bond is imprisoned. Bond remains determined to escape, save Domino and prevent the nuclear bombs from going off. (Synopsis)
- Work historyProduction/'remake' note: The film stands outside the James Bond film series produced by Albert R. Broccoli and the production company Eon. It came about because of legal issues involving the writing of 'Thunderball' (the novel and the 1965 film), which had resulted in producer Kevin McClory being granted certain rights to make films based on the novel. Thus 'Never Say Never Again' is technically a second film adaptation of the novel, and not a remake of the 1965 film 'Thunderball'. Working titles note: Producer Kevin McClory was involved for years in a bid to exercise his rights to adapt the novel 'Thunderball' again for the cinema. Earlier screenplays for the project included: 'James Bond of the Secret Service' (first draft dated 11 November 1976), written by Len Deighton, Sean Connery and Kevin McClory, and later 'Warhead' (first draft dated 6 September 1978), written by Sean Connery and Kevin McClory (the story being attributed to Ian Fleming, Kevin McClory and Jack Whittingham). These screenplays varied more from the 'Thunderball' novel than did the eventual screenplay, 'Never Say Never Again', which was more a direct updating of the 'Thunderball' novel, featuring 1980s technology. Technically, then, 'James Bond of the Secret Service' and 'Warhead' were unproduced screenplays, rather than 'working titles' for producer Jack Schwartzman's particular outcome ('Never Say Never Again') from what had been an ongoing project. Filming locations: Alpes-Maritimes (France), Antibes (Alpes-Maritimes, France), Bahamas, Nassau (New Providence Island, Bahamas), Beaulieu-sur-Mer (Alpes-Maritimes, France), Grand Bahama Island (Bahamas), Nassau Harbour (Nassau, New Providence Island, Bahamas), Cap Martin (Alpes-Maritimes, France), Casino Square (Monte Carlo, Monaco), Casino de Monte Carlo (Monte Carlo, Monaco), Côte d'Azur (France), England (UK), Florida (USA), Fort Carré (Antibes, Côte d'Azur, France), Luton (Bedfordshire, England, UK), Malta, Menton (Alpes-Maritimes, France), Monaco, Monte Carlo Bay (Monte Carlo, Monaco), Monte Carlo (Monaco), Musée Rothschild (Cap Ferrat, Alpes-Maritimes, France), New Providence Island (Bahamas), Nice (Alpes-Maritimes, France), Ocala (Florida, USA), Port Vauban (Antibes, Côte d'Azur, France), Rose Island (Bahamas), Route du Bord du Mer (Côte d'Azur, France), Shrubland Park (Coddenham, Suffolk, England, UK), Silver Springs (Florida, USA), South Ocean (New Providence Island, Bahamas), Spain, The Exumas (Bahamas), Thorn EMI Elstree Studios (Borehamwood, Hertfordshire, England, UK), Villa Rothschild (Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat, Alpes-Maritimes, France), Villefranche-sur-Mer (Alpes-Maritimes, France), Waddesdon Manor (Waddesdon, Buckinghamshire, England, UK)
- Genre
- Subject
- Credits
- CastSean Connery (James Bond)
Klaus Maria Brandauer (Maximillian Largo, 'Max')
Max von Sydow (Ernst Stavro Blofeld)
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Title
Never Say Never Again (Original)
Warhead (Working)
James Bond of the Secret Service (Working)
James Bond, Secret Agent (Working)
EIDR identifier
10.5240/E058-3983-F191-9805-DD81-QCategory
FictionThis work is included in the BFI Filmography.
- Collections
- Film / Video
35mm Colour Positive - Safety - Combined - Master
VHS cassette - Video - Status pending
VHS cassette - Video - Status pending
view all - Scripts / DocumentsScript - Original story: Whittingham, Jack; Fleming, Ian - SCR-568
Script - SCR-676
Ephemera: publicity - PBS-2654
Small pressbook held.
view all - StillsPhotograph: publicity - Landscape - Colour - bfi-00n-q6n
Photograph: transparency - Portrait - Colour - bfi-00n-ldw
Photograph: transparency - Portrait - Colour - bfi-00n-ldv
Photograph: transparency - Portrait - Colour - bfi-00n-6bs
Photograph: transparency - Landscape - Colour - bfi-00n-1z9
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- Books
- +Never Say Never Again
Work - 2654 - 1983 (Copyright)
USA - Film - Fiction
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