Of course, South Africa is a major location in Jeffery Deaver's new Bond novel Carte Blanche
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Twelve Apostles mountains in South Africa |
Carte Blanche marks the first time James Bond has travelled to South Africa in a book or film. In 1971's Diamond Are Forever, Sean Connery's James Bond says, "I've always fancied a trip to South Africa." While that film does feature a scene set in South Africa with villians Wint and Kidd, 007 gets sent to Holland instead.
However, the rumored South Africa setting may be just that - rumor. Local film commissions love to claim their regions are being "considered" as a Bond location. India has also claimed to be the focas of the Bond 23 the filmmakers, something they've said of the last several Bond films.
Meanwhile, South Africa is enjoying the attention Carte Blanche is giving the country. Mariette du Toit-Helmbold, the CEO of Cape Town Tourism, says that Deaver's choice is an "acknowledgement of the inspirational setting of Cape Town."
Speaking of locations, it's worth noting that Carte Blanche has also scooped the new Mission Impossible film, Ghost Protocol, by setting action in Dubai.
Carte Blanche is out now in the UK. It will be released in the U.S. on Tuesday (Amazon.com
Personally, I'd love to see it. The Africa sequences represent some of the best James Bond storytelling we've ever seen, literary or film.
ReplyDeleteAnd, more than just action, I'm talking about seeing 007 problem-solve on the fly, develop and deal with changing relationships, and fantastic homages to Ian Fleming (eg, when James Bond arrives at the airport).
That said, I think there's next to no way we'll see anything like this in Bond 23. No way. Unfortunately.
Bond and in particular Flemi g, are no strangers to the continent of Africa. In DAF the illicit diamond trade centres the adventure and makes mention of Dr Bees and an Afrikaner IDB smuggler. Fleming's connection to the late head of security by Silcoe ex director of MI6 plots a very realistic storyline of how diamonds find their way out of the alluvial fields to arrive in Antwerp. Sadly the Bond producers Wilson/Broccoli have no desire to visit our SA shores and embrace a country realing with the aftermath of Apartheid. EON + IFP proove us wrong, we dare you. Cape Town awaits...
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