The Canceled James Bond Movie That Connected To A Sean Connery Classic

Of all the actors to have played James Bond, Timothy Dalton may be the most underrated. Even George Lazenby gets brought up fairly frequently for the novelty of his one-film tenure and its distinct subject matter in the grand scope of the franchise. Despite holding a nearly impeccable reputation as an actor, Dalton entered the franchise at a strange time, caught between the muddy dip of the later Roger Moore years and the modern rejuvenation of "Goldeneye" and Pierce Brosnan's four-film reign.

Dalton only starred in two "Bond" movies — 1987's "The Living Daylights," and 1989's "Licence to Kill." While neither were enormous hits, they both garnered strong reviews. Dalton's 007 was more grounded and serious, and his plots followed suit, both being a bit more Tom Clancy adaptation than the bombastic comic book spy capers of the previous decade. Unfortunately, the world wasn't quite ready for this more muted take on Bond, and management changes at MGM stalled the series. A few different treatments and pitches made the rounds back then for what could have been another Dalton outing, including one called "Reunion with Death," which would have tied Dalton's Bond back to the Sean Connery era.

The script saw Bond journeying to Japan, where he encountered a descendant of Tiger Tanaka, the Japanese Secret Service agent played by Tetsurō Tamba in 1967's "You Only Live Twice." That kind of connection between "Bond" eras is rare, and it would have been cool to see a movie tackle it with Dalton in the leading role.

"Reunion with Death" wasn't the only idea for another Timothy Dalton "Bond" movie. Another idea would have dealt with robots, introducing a bit more of the science fiction aesthetic and camp factor that defined certain films of the Connery and Moore eras. Neither version came to fruition due to studio politics, the lackluster performance at the box office, and Dalton ultimately departing the franchise for greener pastures.

Looking back, though, the two entries we did get with Dalton in the leading role seem strangely prescient. "Licence to Kill" in particular shows a dark and violent side to 007, who embarks on a revenge quest after quitting MI6. It's most similar in tone and approach to Daniel Craig films like "Casino Royale" and "Skyfall," though its '80s sensibilities also kind of make it feel like a high-budget episode of "The A-Team."

In the end, it took some time for the idea of a broody Bond to catch on. Brosnan's run of films was far more comparable to the original Sean Connery "Bond" movies, emphasizing the agent's charisma and focusing on explosive, ridiculous plots. With the 007 franchise once more in a transition period, it will be interesting to see what kind of approach the next film and star will take. Hopefully, they'll have more look catching on than Dalton did back in the late '80s.