Blofeld back again (for the very first time)?

We are smack dab in the middle of the “silly season” for James Bond fans: that time between when a new 007 picture is shaping up for production, and the time when definite details are released by the studio. Rumors and speculation abound. This particular rumor got our attention, however. Latino Review.com is a site well-known and respected for its credibility. They don’t get everything right every time, but they get more things right more often

Telly Savalas as Ernst Stavro Blofeld in ON HER MAJESTY'S SECRET SERVICE -- 1969. Graphic by Paul Baack.

than other movie news sites. (They were the first to review the Casino Royale screenplay, alerting the world that we had a new classic James Bond movie aborning.) They have deep and well-placed sources…

The title of Gig Patta’s article pretty much says it all: Bond 23 Scriptwriter John Logan Hints Blofeld as Villain in New Movie. Logan, brought in to polish-up Neal Purvis & Rob Wade’s script, hinted — or perhaps joked — to a BAFTA Screenwriters lecture that “Bond should always fight Blofeld.” Which, when you think about it, is an odd thing to say. The character of Ernst Stavro Blofeld has been missing from the Cinèma du Jamesbonderie since 1983 (1971 if you want to get all canonical on us,) and doesn’t have much resonance for the Brosnan/Craig generation of fans. So, in our humble opinion, his choice of words were oddly specific. And, since this is the rebooted series, there’s no logical reason the earlobe-less one couldn’t show up, SPECTRE in tow. It’s a fun idea to contemplate.

Donald Pleasance as Ernst Stavro Blofeld in YOU ONLY LIVE TWICE -- 1967. Graphic by Paul Baack.

The HMSS Weblog… Your Source for Unfounded Rumors and Baseless Speculation! You’re welcome.

Ian McKellen to Play “Goldfinger” in New Radio Production

Ian McKellen to Play “Goldfinger” in New Radio Production

Toby Stephens will voice James Bond and Rosamund Pike will play Pussy Galore in this BBC Radio 4 production that is to be a faithful dramatization of the Fleming novel.

Interesting concept with some major talent involved. Though “Goldfinger” was really one of Fleming’s weaker novels, I’m very interested to hear this version.

Tom Zielinski

The biography of Auric Goldfinger?

At HMSS, we’re not much into James Bond fan fiction. Why would you put all the time and energy into something you (legally) wouldn’t be able to publish? And, as any aspiring James Bond writer should know, Ian Fleming Publications is not looking for any new Bond authors, or looking at any unsolicited manuscripts.

Having said that, however, we’ve tripped over somebody who’s come up with a pretty cool idea. Roland Hulme, on his Militant Ginger blog, has posted his idea for, and prologue to, a fictionalized biography of one Mr. Auric Goldfinger. Called The First Edition Death Warrant, it examines Goldfinger’s obsessions, his personal drives, and his history. As Mr. Hulme puts it,

I imagined the story of this man’s life. It was exciting, erotic and macabre. As a young man, I envisioned him as a noble sort, outwitting Nazis and Russians during World War II. However, as his obsession with the ‘purity’ of gold increased, Goldfinger himself became more and more corrupt.

We think this is a novel (no pun intended) idea, with some degree of merit. Ian Fleming’s villains are such terrific characters, and loom so large in our imaginations, that we think something like this could be a fascinating read. Hulme says he’s contacted the estate of Ian Fleming to see if they’d be interested. We wish him luck!

Read all about it at the Militant Ginger.