Lee Child Reveals Why He Turned Down James Bond Twice
‘Reacher’ Creator Turned Down James Bond Twice for One Brutally Simple Reason

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Lee Child, creator of the Jack Reacher series, declined offers from the Ian Fleming estate to write James Bond novels in 2008 due to financial reasons and a lack of affinity for the Bond universe. He felt vindicated in his decision, citing Bond's outdated character and the estate's uptight nature.
- 01Lee Child was approached twice by the Ian Fleming estate to write James Bond novels but declined both times.
- 02Child preferred to retain 100% royalties from his Reacher books rather than accept 50% from Bond novels.
- 03He expressed a lack of connection to the Bond character and criticized the estate's demeanor as 'uptight.'
- 04Child's foreword for a republished edition of Fleming's Blofeld Trilogy was rejected due to disagreements with the estate over content.
- 05His Jack Reacher series has been successfully adapted into a Prime Video series, which premiered on February 3, 2022.
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Lee Child, the author behind the popular Jack Reacher series, revealed in an interview with The Sunday Times that he turned down offers from the Ian Fleming estate to write new James Bond novels on two occasions in 2008. Child cited financial motivations, stating he preferred to keep 100% of the royalties from his Reacher books rather than accept 50% from Bond. Beyond finances, he expressed a lack of interest in the Bond universe, describing the people associated with it as 'a bit uptight' and criticized the character's outdated 1950s persona. Additionally, Child was asked to write a foreword for a republished edition of Fleming's Blofeld Trilogy, which included titles like Thunderball and You Only Live Twice. However, this foreword was ultimately rejected after Child refused to amend his comments about Fleming's background and Bond's Scottish identity, which he argued evolved due to Sean Connery's portrayal. Despite the setbacks with the Bond estate, Child's Jack Reacher series has thrived, leading to a successful adaptation into a Prime Video series, which began streaming in early 2022.
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