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For Your Eyes Only Canadian Remake proposed

The classic James Bond film “For Your Eyes Only” (1981) could soon see a remake according to a proposal by Canadian filmmaking duo Lee Demarbre and Ian Driscoll. What sounds like a really bad idea is probably worse than you could ever imagine.

But is remaking an official Bond film even allowed? Certainly, the Bond production company won’t approve anything of the sort. However, the legal situation in Canada would make it possible since the copyrights for James Bond have recently expired there and were not renewed. This opened the door to books, films and merchandising making use of the brand James Bond. Also included are reinterpretations of the classic stories written by Bond creator Ian Fleming.

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Soon to be remade in Canada? Poster artwork for the 1981 Bond thriller “For Your Eyes Only”

In a recent interview with radio station CBC, filmmakers Demarbre and Driscoll spoke about their bold plans to bring 007 to Canada and most importantly who they would love to see playing the main part. Here is the 10 minute interview in full:

Judging from the interview, the two filmmakers seem to have their minds set on doing a remake but without thinking it through to the end. Probably their biggest enemies in this undertaking are the limited release market as well as Bond’s huge fanbase who is very critical when it comes to their favourite film hero. On the other hand, the original Ian Fleming short story “For Your Eyes Only” is partly set in Canada and the bordering US state Vermont which would allow the filmmakers to use both the original storyline as well as their home country.

remakeFleming’s short story begins with the murder of the Havelocks, a British couple in Jamaica who have refused to sell their estate to Herr von Hammerstein, a former Gestapo officer who is the chief of counterintelligence for the Cuban secret service. They are killed by two Cuban hitmen at the direction of their leader, Major Gonzales; all three work for von Hammerstein. The Havelocks turn out to be close friends of M, who served as the groom’s best man during their wedding in 1925. M subsequently gives Bond a voluntary assignment, unconnected to sanctioned Secret Service duties, to travel to Vermont via Canada, find von Hammerstein at his rented estate at Echo Lake and assassinate him as a warning to future criminals who might think to target British citizens. When Bond arrives on the scene, he finds the Havelocks’ daughter, Judy, who intends to carry out her own mission of revenge with a bow and arrow. Judy kills von Hammerstein by shooting him in the back with an arrow from 100 yards (91 m) away at the exact moment that he dives into a lake. A shoot-out then occurs between Bond and Gonzales and the two Cuban gunmen. Bond kills all of them and returns to Canada with Judy, who has been wounded during the gunfight.

Looking at the mediocre films that cult filmmaker Lee Demarbre (43) has directed in the past, the outlook on an enjoyable remake is grim. Primarily focused on the Horror/Fantasy genre, films like “Jesus Christ Vampire Hunter” (2001), “Smash Cut” (2009) or “Summer’s Moon” (2009) were far from being a hit with the general audiences and bordered on the ridiculous.

The general idea behind the proposal seems to be the delivery of an overall “fresher” version of James Bond with even a Canadian hip-hop band being considered for the title song. 

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