MI6 takes a retrospective look at what could have been the 17th James Bond film and Timothy Dalton's third outing as 007, a very different concept to what fans of today are familiar with...

Bond 17 - Synopsis, Gadgets, Vehicles & Locations
24th July 2006

MI6 takes a retrospective look at what could have been the 17th James Bond film and Timothy Dalton's third outing as 007, a very different concept to what fans of today are familiar with. The world now knows "GoldenEye" starring Pierce Brosnan as Bond 17, however at the time of original planning, 007's seventeenth outing would have looked very different.  

Unofficial Synopsis
MI6 receives a letter threatening the destruction of a secret government lab in Scotland. A week later, with no further contact or ransom demands, the lab is mysteriously destroyed. James Bond is dispatched by MI6 under the guidance of Nigel Yupland to assess the threat. Following his only lead, Bond tracks down master thief Connie Webb and discovers her sinister dealings with Kohoni Industries.

Bond journeys to Japan to offer Connie the chance to broker a deal and sell a high-tech computer chip to her contacts. Escaping from certain death at the hands of twin assassins - the Kohoni brothers - Bond pursues Connie to Hong Kong to meet with her buyers.

Aided by veteran agent Denholm Crisp and Q, Bond must learn the true nature of Sir Henry Lee Ching's scheme, escape a Yakuzi assassin and deal with the Chinese Secret Service.

After witnessing the aftermath of a nuclear meltdown in China caused by Sir Henry, Bond must stop him at all costs before he launches many more attacks - causing global pandemonium and sparking World War Three.

 
Above: It was planned for Timothy Dalton to make a third James Bond film, but fate intervened.

Characters

James Bond (Timothy Dalton) - Returning to play James Bond for a third time, Timothy Dalton will lend his hard dark edginess to Ian Fleming's iconic spy.

Q (Desmond Llewelyn) - MI6's top gadget master will once again head out into the field to support Bond on assignment - this time in Japan.

M (Robert Brown) - The head of the 00 section is under pressure to produce positive results after coming under an internal review from Yupland.

Nigel Yupland - A career focused man, Yupland has quickly ascended in rank to Minister of Defence at MI5. He has the confidence of the British Prime Minster, and no love for the 00-section and would like to see nothing more than it shutdown.

Connie Webb - A retired Olympic skier in her early 30s, she is the daughter of a world famous thief. This American adventuress also takes after her father's line of work and is occasionally used by the CIA to steal unobtainable items.

Twin Kohoni Brothers - Both brothers are large well-built men in charge of a vast Japanese industrial empire, and have no intention to sell their company. The twins have connections to the Japanese underworld and Yakuzi.

Denholm Crisp - A veteran agent who is verging on retirement. Resides in Japan and is old friends with Q.

Otto Winkhart - Swiss Lawyer who acts as Connie's middleman for fencing highly priced commodities.

Sir Henry Lee Ching - In his mid 30's, this half Chinese-British computer genies entrepreneur has built his own large high tech computer chip empire, supplying the World with industrially grade chips which are used in everything form factory robots through to missiles. Currently based in Hong Kong, his motivations are a mystery.

Dr. Ronberdy - Ching Lee's research assistant who advises him on the computer chip Bond is selling.

Mi Wai - A beautiful field Chinese Intelligence Services operative.

Quen Low - Mi Wai's immediate superior who is section chief of Chinese Intelligence Service. Suspects the British may be planning to renege on a promise to hand back Hong Kong.

Rodin - A Yakuzi assassin who is on Sir Henry's payroll and out to stop Bond and Connie at any cost. He is equipped with an array of high tech weapons and gadgets that would make even Q envious.

Locations
Bond 17 would have ventured to the Far East the final two acts of the film being set in Japan and Hong Kong. The climatic battle would have taken place deep beneath Hong Kong city.

  • United Kingdom
  • Scotland (secret government weapons testing laboratory)
  • London (Houses of Parliament, MI5 and MI6 Headquarters)
  • Japan
  • Tokyo
  • Hong Kong
  • Central China

Vehicles

  • Aston Martin DB5
    - Twin ejector seats
    - Rear bulletproof shield
    - Mines
    - Flares
  • Lamborghini
  • Stealth Car
    - Heat seeking missiles
    - Machine guns
    - Infrared tracking system
  • Motorcycle with front mounted missile launcher
 
Above: Bond's classic Aston Martin DB5 would have returned for "one final outing".

Gadgets

  • A high-tech helmet with a Heads Up Display (HUD) that has several views: heat sensing, night vision, and more
  • 'Nan' - a female robot assassin

While many details of this abandoned production are vague, MI6 puts the pieces together to take a look at what could have been the 17th James Bond picture based on the available materials.
Stay tuned to MI6 for a series of features on the ill-fated 3rd Dalton film.

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