The story behind James Bond’s longest-ever absence from cinema: “I respectfully declined”
The James Bond franchise has led to several creative battles and disputes over the years, with conflict over casting, story decisions and overall control of the series, which recently exploded after the Broccoli family sold the rights to the beloved character to Amazon. However, while the story will undoubtedly be ripped apart and spun into several pointless sequels and spinoffs, in its heyday, it was one of the most iconic British franchises of all time, with some of the most prolific actors joining the series over the years and reprising the role of Bond.
But despite the suave and slick nature of the films, this is something that was not reflected in the production itself, with infamous disagreements and troubled relationships that have plagued the shoot over the years. Whether it be Daniel Craig’s troubled shooting experiences after countless severe injuries or the Bond girls who have spoken up about being mistreated by the press, it has never been an easy ride. But there was a period in which this was even more pronounced after the franchise took a five-year break between the release of two films, leading to intense speculation as to what was happening behind the scenes.
License to Kill, directed by John Glen in 1989, is one of the two James Bond films in which Timothy Dalton plays the secret agent. After starring in The Living Daylights, Dalton reprised the role two years later, with the intention that he would come back for a third picture.
But surprisingly, License to Kill ended up being his final James Bond film, despite the fact that a third film was due to go into production in 1990.
While audiences questioned the real reasoning behind this shock decision, Dalton later revealed that the decision was a result of legal complications, and he initially intended to star in the third film. When discussing this, Dalton said, “We had the script. They were interviewing directors. We were really rolling forward, ready to start. It was actually quite a good story, I thought”. However, a legal dispute between Eon Productions and MGM causes unforeseen delays, giving Dalton a chance to leave the franchise entirely. “Because of the lawsuit, I was free of the contract. And Mr. Broccoli, who I really respected as a producer and as a friend, asked me what I was going to do when it was resolved. I said, ‘Look, in all honesty, I don’t think that I will continue.’ He asked me for my support during that time, which of course, I gave him.”
However, when the lawsuit was eventually resolved a few years later, Dalton was asked if he would like to rejoin the franchise. “[Broccoli] asked if I would come back, and I said, ‘Well, I’ve actually changed my mind a little bit. I think that I’d love to do one. Try and take the best of the two that I have done, and consolidate them into a third.’ And he said, quite rightly, ‘Look, Tim. You can’t do one. There’s no way, after a five-year gap between movies that you can come back and just do one. You’d have to plan on four or five.’ And I thought, oh, no, that would be the rest of my life. Too much. Too long. So I respectfully declined.”
When the next film was eventually released in 1995, it was Pierce Brosnan who reprised the lead role, starring in Goldeneye as well as Tomorrow Never Dies, The World is Not Enough and Die Another Day. Perhaps if Dalton had been less indecisive about his role in the franchise, Brosnan would not have been cast, leading to one of his most iconic performances.
