With Cary Fukunaga in the director’s chair, Bond 25 is gearing up to finally head into production–with Daniel Craig in tow–this April. And according to a new report from The Guardian, the latest installment in the 007 series is operating under the working title Shatterhand–which is not a new Scandinavian murder mystery on Netflix, although it probably should be. Most movies use working titles during production, usually to maintain secrecy. Sometimes these are random words that could be real titles (Return Of The Jedi was Blue Harvest), and sometimes they’re wacky jokes (Titanic was Planet Ice). But in the case of Bond 25, this working title is actually a reference to a series villain.
In Ian Fleming’s 1964 novel You Only Live Twice, “Shatterhand” is an alias employed by Ernst Stavro Blofeld–Bond’s longtime arch-nemesis, played most recently in Spectre by Christoph Waltz. Blofeld is to the Bond movies as the Colonel is to KFC: The character has been played by numerous actors over the years, which the movies explain away by depicting Blofeld as a villain who’s just really fond of changing his face. And sure, maybe Blofeld will be back for Bond 25 or Shatterhand or whatever they call it (probably not Shatterhand, to be honest), but it seems more likely that this is just a bit of misdirection–then again, that’s exactly what Blofeld would want you to think.
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Shatterhand, or Old Shatterhand, was also the name of a character in a series of Westerns written by German writer Karl May and made into films in the Sixties by German company CCC, being played by actors like Stewart Granger and most famously Lex Barker, who made several, mostly shot in Yugoslavia with Pierre Brice as his sidekick Winnetou The Warrior. They are ….quite strange.
Fun fact: Karl May claimed to actually be Old Shatterhand (even kept the rifle above his writing table), with his novels being autobiographic retellings of his adventures and travels in the United States. This made him a celebrity in Imperial Germany at the end of the 19th century – that is, until he was found out as a fraud. Still, to his death he would never admit the truth and remained adamant about actually having lived the fictitious adventures of his literary characters.His life would make for an interesting biopic.
Fun fact. Stewart Granger’s real name was James Stewart.
My nemeses call me “Fapperhand”. I can explain later.
Please don’t.
I’m ashamed to say I loled at that. Take your star.
Mine call me Brownfinger.
I had shatterhand once when there was no TP at the bus station.
-Cornholio
“…depicting Blofeld as a villain who’s just really fond of changing his face.”And his height.
“…depicting Blofeld as a villain who’s just really fond of changing his face.”And his height.
The NES adaptation already exists AND it isn’t by LJN!
It’d be nice if they have Christoph Waltz back as Blofeld, I thought he was good in the role, even though SPECTRE was a complete clown fiesta.
He did incredible for what he was given to work with. Such an undercooked story/character. Bloefeld is a neat villain. He deserves better.
Waltz was a bad choice for that character. He’s never come off as scary or intimidating and certainly not powerful to me. He’s always just kind of a jovial Austrian that thinks he’s evil. Javier Bardem’s acting was far more compelling and his manner was appropriately weird where Waltz just seems like a rich hipster asshole. Not really acting from what I can tell.
I blame that on the writing, not Waltz’s acting. Waltz is a great actor when in the right movie.
Agreed on the writing. It was abysmal. My take on Waltz is unpopular yet I still think he was a joke in “Inglorious Basterds”, also.
Christoph Waltz can unfortunately only do one thing – the thing he did in Inglourious Basterds.
I thought Spectre was fine right up until the desert base sequence. That’s when the movie John Harrison’d all over the place and acted like that thing that everybody saw coming was supposed to blow our minds. It doesn’t really recover after that, despite an action finale that inexplicably insists on roping M, Q, and Moneypenny into it just because they want to get their money’s worth from name actors in minor roles. YMMV, of course.
And also that opening sequence with the Day of the Dead parade was top-notch.
Should have been Chiwetel Ejiofor.
A clown fiesta, oh boy! I’ll see if Hannibal Lecter can cook the clown. I’m going to see if I can find the members of the ICP.
Giving Dave Bautista Nuclear Man’s fingernails was an interesting choice.
My suggestion…Bond 25: Really? Only 25? Seems like there’s been twice that many.Yeah, it seems cumbersome, but it will look great on the poster.
Since the current Bond team decided to make Spectre into a dramatic retelling of the plot from Austin Powers III, I think I’ll be happier if we just forgot about Blofeld entirely.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shatterhand
I was going to say, surely this indicates that the next Bond movie will be about a vest-wearing sci-fi punching machine, and will be set to a kicking rad Iku Mizutani chiptune soundtrack.
They’re this close to getting Brian Lee O’Malley and Edgar Wright on board.
Thank you. I’d nearly lost faith in the AV Club commentariat.
Shatterhand? Like that old NES game?!?
Whoa, that’s an image I haven’t seen in almost 30 years.
So he’s gonna fight the dual bladed sword wielding badass from the Mojoverse?Oh wait, that’s Shatterstar!
Goddammit Daniel Craig is just the fucking worst, man.
I for one am looking forward to Sia’s new Bond theme “Shatterhand”
This is the series that’s used the titles Goldfinger and Octopussy, Shatterhand is far from goofy relative to the rest of the films. I’m on board for a return to a little bit of camp, even if it’s just in title.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Old_Shatterhand
I really don’t care what it’s called, but my hopes are that the movie follows the recently established pattern in quality:Casino Royale – Great
Quantum of Solace – Meh
Skyfall – Excellent
Spectre – Ok
Bond 25/“Shatterhand” – Bloody Amazing
Fun fact: Shatterhand was also the name of the hero in a series of racist (even for the time) young adult novels written by a German man. Each story was the same, Shatterhand would go somewhere in America (the writer had never been) meet another German, then go fight Native Americans. Funner fact: These books were favorites of Adolf Hitler.