MI6 Confidential looks at SPECTRE, Donald E. Westlake

The newest issue of MI6 Confidential takes a look at a key segment in the upcoming SPECTRE as well as a prominent American author’s try at writing a James Bond movie.

Among the articles is a feature about the movie’s 300-member second unit and the work it did on a Rome car chase involving the Aston Martin DB10 Bond drives. The sequence is one of the highlights of the 24th James Bond film.

Also a part of the issue is an article concerning “the little-known story” about author Donald E. Westlake’s 1995 treatment for a Bond film, according to an MI6 Confidential promo.

Westlake (1933-2008) was a prolific author of crime stories. But his 007 writing effort hasn’t received much attention until now.

In 1995, Westlake was interviewed by a columnist for The Indianapolis News while the author was at a crime writing festival in Muncie, Indiana. The column quoted Westlake as saying he was going to write the next James Bond movie — not the then-upcoming GoldenEye but the next film after that.

Producer Michael G. Wilson was asked during a Q&A sessions with fans at a November 1995 convention in New York about Westlake’s remarks. Wilson confirmed that Eon Productions had been in touch with Westlake, and said that the author might someday write a Bond movie. The next movie turned out to be Tomorrow Never Dies, which was started by Bruce Feirstein, rewritten (without credit) by others and finished by Feirstein.

For more information about the new issue, CLICK HERE. The price is 7 British pounds, $11 or 8.50 euros.