Plan B

zaphod99

I have wondrered for some time if EON have a substitute actor on retainer during filming? When announced the release date is specified, screens lined up, schedules set. What would happen if the lead actor was ill, injured, or incapacitated to the extent that filming could not resume. It strikes me that as the investment is so great their is likely to be contingency in place. Or do they just collect on the insurance? Anyone know/ have a view?

Barbel

Good point! I really don't know about that one, but it makes sense that they would have a Plan B.

Sir Miles

I'm sure they'd collect on the insurance first...then look for a new Bond.

The_Commander

Pretty much everything that production does is geared towards minimising the risks to the stars of the movie, but sometimes accidents do happen (such as Craig damaging his knee this time round). The production co-ordinators would then try to pull other filming forward if possible to cover the absence of the star, or re-arrange scenes to account for any injuries.

However, sometimes you just can't forsee what lies around the corner (such as Heath Ledger passing away during production of Dr Parnassus) and in these instances, the insurance policies will come into play.

How the producers would get around the death of a star in a Bond movie is unclear - you couldn't really do the same as Gilliam did with Ledger - with Parnassus being a fantasy film, he got away with re-casting the role, explaining it away as different physical incarnations of the same character as he passed through different worlds, but Bond is very different.

I can't see any situation where they'd have an understudy on standby, as is common in the theatre - audiences just wouldn't accept it. If the movie was 70%+ complete, they could probably get around finishing the film by re-writes, doubles shot from behind and CGI. Let's hope it never happens though.

UnderwaterBattle007

Didn't Oliver Reed pass away before the completion of the film Gladiator. However I think they had filmed the majority of his scenes and I believe they just used a stand-in for when his character is stabbed in the back at the end of the film which was also filmed from behind.

Loeffelholz

UnderwaterBattle007 wrote:

Didn't Oliver Reed pass away before the completion of the film Gladiator. However I think they had filmed the majority of his scenes and I believe they just used a stand-in for when his character is stabbed in the back at the end of the film which was also filmed from behind.

Yes, I believe Oliver Reed dropped dead of a heart attack in some tavern on Malta, where they were shooting. They CGI'd Reed's face on a double for that last shot...and you can tell

The_Commander

Correct - the (in)famous bon viveur did indeed pass away during Gladiator's filming and completion took place exactly as you state. River Phoenix also died during a production from drug overdoses whilst at a Johnny Depp-owned nightclub. Even worse, Brandon Lee died during the shooting (no pun intended) of The Crow. I wonder what the insurance pay-out was on that occasion, when he was killed in an on-screen accident?

Maybe a solution is to do what Peter Gabriel, the UK singer and former Genesis front-man, has reputedly done - have yourself totally digitised in hundreds of poses and from hundreds of angles. He's also apparently recorded his voice speaking all the phonics (language building blocks) in various pitches and at various volumes so that after his death, he can carry on producing music!!

Loeffelholz

With films I believe this is known as a 'completion bond.' It can often be found in film end credits.

Strangeways

Paul Walker died during filming of FF7 which delayed the release by a full year.

zaphod99

Strangeways wrote:

Paul Walker died during filming of FF7 which delayed the release by a full year.

I'm wondering if the knee injury which threatened to stall production (apparently) will curtail how much of the stunt work that Daniel (or whoever is next) is allowed to do? It was obviously more serious than first reported as Daniel needs more surgery. One of the things that I really value re his tenure is the sheer physicality and the way that he has (literally) thrown himself into the role. I thought that I noticed more of the doubles in SP but that could just be that I know that Daniel was absent/incapacitated for some stunts/action. It would be a shame,but understandable if it does.

The_Commander

I think DC suffered his knee injury whilst in Austria if memory serves, however, I always wince when

he's whacked in the front of the knees when telling Oberhauser to stop playing the video of Mr White shooting himself