A single shot silenced the machinery. As the base began to shudder and the SPECTRE agents scrambled for the exits, Bond found Domino, Largo's captive "butterfly," and led her toward the surface.
The existence of Never Say Never Again traces back to a bitter legal dispute in the early 1960s. Ian Fleming collaborated with producer Kevin McClory and writer Jack Whittingham on a script for a proposed Bond television series or movie. When those plans fell through, Fleming turned the material into his 1961 novel, Thunderball , without properly crediting his collaborators. Never Say Never Again -James Bond 007-
The story begins not in 1983, but in the late 1950s. At that time, filmmaker Kevin McClory and writer Jack Whittingham collaborated with author Ian Fleming on an original story for what could have been the first James Bond film. The collaboration fell apart, but Fleming later adapted the project into the novel Thunderball . This led to a bitter legal battle where McClory successfully sued, claiming Fleming stole their work. The court ruled in his favor, granting him the exclusive film rights to Thunderball , the characters of SPECTRE, and its leader, Blofeld. A single shot silenced the machinery
The title, Never Say Never Again , is an ironic, self-referential joke. In 1971, after finishing his fifth Bond film, Diamonds Are Forever , Connery told the press he would "never again" play the role. He was tired of the grueling schedule, the typecasting, and the feeling that the role had taken over his life. The title reportedly came from Connery's wife, who told him he should never say never again. By agreeing to star in the film, Connery was winking at the audience, acknowledging his own broken promise and embracing the absurdity of his return. Ian Fleming collaborated with producer Kevin McClory and
story, which eventually allowed him to produce his own adaptation—effectively a remake—independent of Eon Productions , the official stewards of the series. "The Battle of the Bonds"
Directed by Irvin Kershner (fresh off the success of The Empire Strikes Back ), the film functions as a modern, updated retelling of the Thunderball storyline:
Activated back into service, Bond travels to the Bahamas and the French Riviera to infiltrate Largo's inner circle, seduce his beautiful mistress Domino Petachi (Kim Basinger), and locate the missing warheads. The Distinct Vibe of an Unofficial Bond Film