If I Have the Juice, Why Shouldn't They?

James Bond could have been gone for good, but the franchise was reinvigorated nine years ago. "Spectre" opened to $70 Million in North America, shy of 2012's record-setting "Skyfall". It was still good enough, though. There were plans for another 007 picture, with or without Daniel Craig.

Craig was compared to Sean Connery, whom fans thought was the best actor to play the misogynistic spy. But the 47 year old hinted that "Spectre" could be his last movie as 007. Academy Award winner Sam Mendes had "Touch of Evil" on his mind for the opening of "Spectre", a long, continuous shot of the celebration of Dia de Muertos (Day of the Dead) in Mexico City. Bond was on an unofficial mission, unaware that the outcome would take him down memory lane. Everyone thought his stepbrother was killed in an avalanche, but he survived. And he became the head of the global criminal organization. Some fans would be disappointed, as he was no other than Ernst Stavro Blofeld.

Ian Fleming thought of an evil genius aspiring for world domination, and James Bond would be the perfect foil for this megavillain. They met in Switzerland, where Blofeld planned to destroy Britain's agricultural economy. Bond thwarted it, but his bald-headed enemy had the last laugh. (Blofeld's men gunned down Tracy Draco, Bond's new wife.) The author might not agree with the producers, about Bond and Blofeld related to each other. Fleming wrote many short stories on 007; one tale revealed he had a son. It may not guarantee box-office success, the reason there have been changes in the big-screen adaptation of Fleming's works. "Octopussy" would be one of them, as the celluloid version was very different from the book.

What goes around, comes around

"Octopussy", first published on June 23, 1966, was a morality tale. Dexter Smythe, a decorated World War II officer, was contemplating suicide when he had an unexpected visitor. James Bond brought him bad news.

This was one of Fleming's works where Soviet spies won't make a surprise appearance in the middle of the story. And 007 was a minor character. It was rather about Smythe's encounter with Oberhauser, a Nazi officer. A lust for Hitler's gold bars prompted him to kill Oberhauser. It was the perfect crime, as the deed happened in the Alps. War was a good alibi. But the glacier melted many years later. And Smythe's life turned for the worse.

The Secret Service was put in charge of Smythe's case, and Bond wanted to handle it. Oberhauser was a father figure to him. It doesn't mean 007 was a traitor to Her Majesty, as their relationship went way back before the war. But fans were intrigued. Bond had no high regards towards women. He was an alcoholic too. And some wonder if he really prefer solitude. It turned out that he had stories to tell. If only the producers and writers would consider it for the next Bond picture.