Killing off Judi Dench's M in Skyfall was a bold move to revitalize the 007 franchise after Quantum of Solace's poor reception. Dench's departure was part of a plan to give Bond a new world with a new M, introducing major changes after the problematic previous film.
By the end of Skyfall, M had passed away, a new M was introduced, Q, Moneypenny, the classic "M's Office". Bond had confronted his childhood past, the death of his parents, the loss of his "mother" [M]. He was at peace with Vesper (after Quantum) and had dispersed of the ghosts (Silva) of MI6's.
Why did Timothy Dalton leave the James Bond franchise?
Dalton revealed that he had initially signed a three-film contract, and a third movie was in the works, but it was scrapped because of the lawsuits. Dalton declined the opportunity to return as Bond in another movie when he was asked to sign a longer contract, leading to Pierce Brosnan taking on the role.
Dame Judi Dench has shed some light on what it's like to film a James Bond movie. The legendary British actor played the role of M in eight Bond movies, beginning in 1995 with GoldenEye and ending in 2015's Spectre. As the chief of M16, M was known to be a stern, focused character.
Connery also didn't have a good relationship with the James Bond franchise's producers and was not happy with his salary of $750,000 plus 25 percent of merchandising for the fifth film. He made it known to EON Productions, the company in charge of the franchise, that he wanted a $1 million salary for the sixth movie.
Judi Dench | How James Bond's Boss Lives and How She Spends Her Millions
Who was supposed to be James Bond instead of Sean Connery?
David Niven: 1967
When Sean Connery had been cast in November 1961, David Niven had been Fleming's choice for the role; the actor reflected the author's image of the character. In 1965 producer Charles Feldman signed Niven to play Sir James Bond for Casino Royale, a film not made by Eon Productions.
However, Sir Michael, now 91, was not interested in playing Bond. He later told the Express: 'I was always very much more ordinary. Bond was a glamorous, imaginative creation. I've always played real people.
M is the head of MI6 and stands for for "Missions" – to identify that the incumbent is the head of the Missions Department. M is not one character, but rather a role that has been held by various characters across the 25 films.
Hey there, 'Q' stands for Quartermaster, who is the person 007 sees to obtain the gadgets he will be using for the mission. 'M' is the codeword given to the head of MI-6. In the Fleming novels, 'M's name was finally revealed in 'The Man With The Golden Gun' as Sir Miles Messervy.
Q (standing for quartermaster), like M, is a job title rather than a name. The use of letters as pseudonyms for senior officers in the British Secret Service was started by its first director, Captain Sir Mansfield George Smith-Cumming (1859–1923), who signed himself with a C written in green ink.
Originally Answered: Are there any actors who have turned down the role of James Bond? Yes. There's actually been quite a few actors who have turned down the role. Adam West, Burt Reynolds and Clint Eastwood all turned it down as they felt the part should be played by a Brit.
George Lazenby and Timothy Dalton were not heavy smokers, but they both smoke the occasional cigarettes as Bond in the collective three movies they starred in. Pierce Brosnan was the first actor to lay claim to a smokeless Bond, but he eventually buckled and puffed a cigar in his final film Die Another Day.
The first head of MI6 was a man named Sir Mansfield Smith-Cumming. He famously signed all his correspondence in the agency with the letter 'C' in green ink. In the Fleming novels M stands for the character's last name, and I think his whole name is Sir Miles Messervy.
She makes her first appearance in the 1995 Martin Campbell-directed "GoldenEye," in which M is put in charge of Pierce Brosnan's Bond, and she brings a fierceness to the character that she carries through each of the subsequent films.
She's the no-nonsense MI6 boss known only by the codename M. But now the true identity of James Bond's mentor has finally been revealed. An eagle-eyed film fan managed to freeze-frame a single camera shot in 'Skyfall' lasting just a split-second and discovered that M's real name is Olivia Mansfield.
LONDON (AP) — Aaron Taylor-Johnson is the latest actor reportedly offered a license to kill and succeed Daniel Craig as the new James Bond. The “Kick-Ass” star is no stranger to action movies and at 33 is a good age to join the franchise, as producers likely want a 10 year commitment to the role.
Dame Judith Olivia Dench CH OBE DBE FRSA (born 9 December 1934) is an English actress. Widely considered one of Britain's greatest actors, she is noted for her versatile work in various films and television programmes encompassing several genres, as well as for her numerous roles on the stage.
"M" is a fictional character in Ian Fleming's James Bond series; the character is the Head of Secret Intelligence Service, also known as MI6. After the long period between Licence to Kill (1989) and GoldenEye (1995), the Bond producers brought in Dame Judi Dench to take over as the new M.
Dame Judith Olivia Dench, CH, DBE, FRSA (born 9 December 1934), is an English actress and was notable for being the first female M in the James Bond film series.
Fleming favoured either David Niven, Moore or his cousin, Christopher Lee, with his neighbour in Jamaica, Noel Coward, as Dr No, all of whom were deemed unsuitable for one reason or another. In fact Coward himself turned down the part, famously sending a telegraph to the producers which simply read: "Dr. No? No!
Broccoli and Harry Saltzman originally sought Grant for the role of James Bond in Dr. No (1962) but discarded the idea as Grant would be committed to only one feature film; therefore, the producers decided to go after someone who could be part of a franchise after James Mason would only agree to commit to three films.
