“Fans will be relieved to hear that it features exotic locations (part of the story is also set in London) and much-loved characters such as M, Miss Moneypenny and Bond’s friend Felix Leiter.“

This is great news for fans of James Bond’s brother from Langley because a present-day Felix Leiter has been absent from the James Bond novels since 2000′s Doubleshot by Raymond Benson, however, Leiter was last seen in Sebastian Faulks’ Devil May Care (2008), a period piece set in 1967.

Since Deaver will be rebooting the literary franchise and updating James Bond’s backstory, it is expected that Felix Leiter will get the same treatment therefore ‘Project X’ could potentially feature an un-maimed Leiter for the first time since Ian Fleming’s Live and Let Die (1954).

Stay tuned to FelixLeiter.com for all the latest news on Felix Leiter’s role in ‘Project X’. Thanks to ‘zencat’ for the tip.

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Related Article:

The X-File: Your Field Guide to ‘Project X’

Welcome to The X-File, the first and only compilation of every known ‘Project X’ detail to date. This article contains only information reported by respectable sources and contains absolutely no fan speculation. It will be updated periodically as new information becomes available.

Project X

Plan: ‘Project X‘ by Jeffery Deaver is the first entry in a brand new, rebooted James Bond book series penned by various authors.¹ Deaver is under contract for one novel but has stated that he may pen another once his schedule opens up in 2013.²

Publication Date: Approximately May 28, 2011 (Ian Fleming’s birthday)³

UK Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton³

US Publisher: Simon & Schuster³

Other Countries: “The first foreign language deal is with the Dutch publisher, Unieboek, and offers are coming in from Germany, France, Spain, Russia, Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Korea. I’m aiming for deals in at least 30 countries before the end of this year.”⁴

Official Website • @007ProjectX on Twitter • JefferyDeaver.com

Research

Research: Deaver currently has between 3,000 and 4,000 pages of research.²

Outline: As of June 18, 2010, Deaver’s outline was approximately 180 pages long (30-40 pages longer than the typical outline for his other novels).²

Title

Working Title: Project X³

Fleming Influence: Deaver wants a title that not only works with the novel but also one that captures the essence of Ian Fleming.⁵

Final Title: There are currently 45 possible titles for the final product and it will be the person, place and/or thing that Bond is investigating. All of Deaver’s titles are his own; none of them have ever been written by someone else although he doesn’t always get his first choice.⁵

Plot

Year: Mid-2011⁶

Time Span: The story will take place over a period of 4 or 5 days.² According to People, Deaver is “the master of ticking-bomb suspense” hence the story’s short duration.⁷

Locations: The story will feature 3 or 4 exotic locales⁷, all of which Deaver has visited.¹

Deaver Trademarks: “It will have a lot of twists and turns and misdirections, and several big surprise endings.”⁶

James Bond

Age: 29 or 30 years old; although Deaver told CBn Forums member “godwulf” that his Bond will have been born in 1982, thus making him 28 or 29 in mid-2011.²

Military Experience: Afghanistan (Operation Herrick)² and Iraq⁶

Smoking Habit: James Bond will no longer smoke cigarettes.¹

May: Bond’s Scottish housekeeper will be replaced with an Indian or Pakistani maidservant.¹

Secret Intelligence Service

M: The head of the SIS will return to being a man after being a woman (Barbara Mawdsley) during Raymond Benson’s tenure.¹ It is still unclear whether he will be Fleming’s Admiral Sir Miles Messervy or an entirely new character.

Miss Moneypenny: M’s personal secretary will be in her mid-30s.¹

Mary Goodnight: Bond’s personal secretary will be 21 years old.¹

00 Section: It will be a shadowy assassination division of the Secret Intelligence Service that disavows its agents if they are compromised during an assignment.¹

New Threat: 007 will be fighting post-9/11 terrorism.¹

Central Intelligence Agency

Felix Leiter: James Bond’s brother from Langley will be making an appearance.⁹

Fan Interaction

Fan Input: Deaver, in connection with Ian Fleming Publications, will be soliciting input from fans via the Internet. Details regarding how this will be accomplished are still unknown.⁸

Official Website: JamesBondProjectX.com

Twitter: @007ProjectX

Latest News

08/09/2010: Felix Leiter to return in ‘Project X’

06/12/2010: “There is some Project X news brewing, but for the moment, we are sworn to secrecy…” (Book Bond)

Videos

Courtesy of JamesBondProjectX.com (May 28, 2010)

Courtesy of Dr. Shatterhand’s Botanical Garden (June 3, 2010)

Discuss ‘Project X’ on the CommanderBond.net Forums, the largest James Bond 007 forum in the world.

“Get me a make on a white pimpmobile!”

David Hedison, two-time Felix Leiter, turns 82 years old today and all of us here at FelixLeiter.com would like to wish him a wonderful happy birthday!

Mr. Hedison appeared in 1973′s Live and Let Die and 1989′s Licence to Kill. He was the first actor to portray the cinematic Leiter twice, a record he now shares with Jeffrey Wright. Many Bond fans consider him their favorite interpretation of Felix Leiter and many wish he had been given the opportunity to play the character more. I too share this sentiment and wish he had at least returned in 1987′s The Living Daylights. I don’t dislike John Terry in that film but I think we can all agree that David Hedison IS Felix Leiter! Mr. Terry was merely filling in for him until he returned two years later in Licence to Kill as far as I’m concerned.

I had the opportunity to meet him as well as Priscilla Barnes (Della Leiter) at the first annual International Sports & Entertainment Festival in Cleveland, Ohio in June 2006. I shared my experience at this event in this article at CommanderBond.net. Mr. Hedison was the first actor from a James Bond film that I had ever met and I will always remember that experience.

Thank you for being a class act and FLc hopes you have many more happy birthdays to come!

–

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Rik Van Nutter

May 1, 1929 – October 15, 2005

Rik Van Nutter, the third actor to play Felix Leiter, was born 79 years ago today. I recently watched Thunderball and I really enjoyed his portrayal of our favorite CIA agent. He was certainly better than his predecessor, Cec Linder, and I wish he had returned in Diamonds Are Forever instead of Norman Burton. Not just for the sake of continuity (which there had been none of in the Leiter role at the time) but because Burton wasn’t that great.

Ever wonder how Van Nutter got the role? Check out 00Twelve’s An Uncommon Opportunity: How Rik Van Nutter Got the Role. It’s a fascinating read!

–

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]]> http://www.felixleiter.com/2009/05/01/rik-van-nutter-born-80-years-ago-today/feed/ 0 http://www.felixleiter.com/2008/05/28/flemings-felix-leiter-is-back/ http://www.felixleiter.com/2008/05/28/flemings-felix-leiter-is-back/#comments Wed, 28 May 2008 21:27:21 +0000 Chris Wright http://www.felixleiter.com/?p=215

Today is the centenary of Ian Fleming’s birth and to mark the occasion, Ian Fleming Publications published a brand new James Bond novel called Devil May Care. It’s written by Sebastian Faulks and takes place in 1967, where Fleming left off. Felix Leiter makes an appearance in the novel which is very exciting because he’s been absent in the Bond novels since Raymond Benson’s Doubleshot in 2000.

CLICK HERE TO ORDER AT AMAZON.COM 

CLICK HERE TO ORDER AT AMAZON.CO.UK

Discuss Devil May Care in this thread on the FelixLeiter.com Forums, the only place dedicated to the discussion of Felix Leiter on the Internet.

The Times just posted their second extract from the upcoming Bond novel, Devil May Care by Sebastian Faulks writing as Ian Fleming. I enjoyed the first extract but this one is much better especially because Felix Leiter is name-checked. I can’t wait until I get my copy in the mail because we’re in for a treat! Devil May Care hits bookshelves on Wednesday, Ian Fleming’s 100th birthday.

‘THE TIMES’ – EXTRACT I

‘THE TIMES’ – EXTRACT II

Discuss Devil May Care in this thread on the FelixLeiter.com Forums, the only place dedicated to the discussion of Felix Leiter on the Internet.

Felix Leiter will return in Sebastian Faulks’ Devil May Care in 007 days on May 28, Ian Fleming’s 100th birthday! Pre-order your copy today on Amazon.com or Amazon.co.uk. Visit CommanderBond.net for more information regarding this upcoming James Bond novel.

Discuss Devil May Care in this thread on the FelixLeiter.com Forums, the only place dedicated to the discussion of Felix Leiter on the Internet.

 

“Get me a make on a white pimpmobile!”

David Hedison, two-time Felix Leiter, turns 81 years old today and all of us here at FelixLeiter.com would like to wish him a wonderful happy birthday!

Mr. Hedison appeared in 1973′s Live and Let Die and 1989′s Licence to Kill. He was the first actor to portray the cinematic Leiter twice, a record he now shares with Jeffrey Wright. Many Bond fans consider him their favorite interpretation of Felix Leiter (see this poll) and many wish he had been given the opportunity to play the character more. I too share this sentiment and wish he had at least returned in 1987′s The Living Daylights. I don’t dislike John Terry in that film but I think we can all agree that David Hedison IS Felix Leiter! Mr. Terry was merely filling in for him until he returned two years later in Licence to Kill as far as I’m concerned.

I had the opportunity to meet him as well as Priscilla Barnes (Della Leiter) at the first annual International Sports & Entertainment Festival in Cleveland, Ohio in June 2006. I shared my experience at this event in this article at CommanderBond.net. Mr. Hedison was the first actor from a James Bond film that I had ever met and I will always remember that experience.

Thank you for being a class act and FelixLeiter.com hopes you have many more happy birthdays to come!

Below is a current picture of Mr. Hedison in London at the Vintage Magazine Shop on March 22, 2008. He still looks great for 81!

Discuss David Hedison’s 81st birthday in this thread on the FelixLeiter.com Forums, the only place dedicated to the discussion of Felix Leiter on the Internet.

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Welcome to FelixLeiter.com!

Sebastian Faulks’ Devil May Care will be released in three weeks on May 28, Ian Fleming’s 100th birthday! Pre-order your copy today on Amazon.com or Amazon.co.uk. Visit CommanderBond.net for more information regarding this upcoming Bond novel.

Raymond Benson will be signing books in Leiter’s home state on May 8, 10 and 12!

MAY 8, 2008 – 6:30 PM

Murder by the Book
2342 Bissonnet St.
Houston, TX 77005

MAY 10, 2008 – Noon

Barnes & Noble (Woodlands Mall)
1201 Lake Woodlands Dr. #3008
The Woodlands, TX 77381

MAY 12, 2008 – 7:00 PM

Borders
3309 Esperanza Crossing
Austin, TX 78758

From 1997 to 2002, Benson penned six James Bond novels, three novelizations, and three short stories including The Facts of Death and Doubleshot which feature Felix Leiter.

For more information on these appearances as well as others, visit RaymondBenson.com.