Timothy Dalton wanted to make another James Bond before Pierce Brosnan became 007 but there is one reason why he could not complete his Bond trilogy.

SUMMARY

 Timothy Dalton wanted to make a third James Bond film that combined the best parts of his first two films as 007.
 A legal dispute between Eon Productions and MGM put a halt on the production of the third film, leading Dalton to initially decline continuing as James Bond.
 Dalton later reconsidered, but declined again when the producer insisted on planning four or five more Bond movies, as he felt it would be “too much, too long.” Pierce Brosnan ultimately took on the role in the next film.

Although Timothy Dalton only starred in two James Bond movies before Pierce Brosnan became 007, he wanted to make a third film before he ended his tenure as the British spy character.

Long before Timothy Dalton’s The Living Daylights hit the big screen, several behind-the-scene developments changed the course of what the film was supposed to be.

For instance, Pierce Brosnan was supposed to star as James Bond in the film, but NBC brought him back to play the titular role in Remington Steele after initially canceling it.

The iconic frozen lake car chase scene from Die Another Day was also originally written for The Living Daylights. However, it did not ultimately make it to the movie’s final cut. Despite all the off-screen changes and complications, The Living Daylights performed well at the box office.

Its follow-up, License to Kill, was also a hit, proving that Timothy Dalton had successfully found his feet in the James Bond franchise. After the two movies’ success, Dalton also wanted to do a third, but a few issues held him back.

It is tough to pick James Bond’s overall best moments when every actor’s version of the super spy has at least one iconic scene to his name.

Dalton Wanted To Make 1 More Bond Movie To Combine The Best Parts Of His 007

In an interview (via The Week), Timothy Dalton was asked whether his short tenure as James Bond could be attributed to the fear of stagnation.

He responded that even though that was one of his concerns when he started playing Bond, it was not the primary reason why he left the franchise.

Before delving into the details of why he departed from the role, Dalton mentioned that after The Living Daylights and License to Kill, he was supposed to reprise his role in a third James Bond film, which had even entered pre-production in 1990.

Even though the film faced delays, Dalton wanted to do a third one that combined the best of the two films he had done. Unfortunately, things did not go as planned.

Why Timothy Dalton’s Third James Bond Movie Didn’t Happen

As Dalton revealed, the third film already had a good script, and even directors were being interviewed for helming it. However, a legal dispute between Eon Productions and MGM put a hiatus on the film’s production, indefinitely delaying its release date.

Since Dalton was freed from the contract after the dispute, producer Albert Broccoli asked him if he would still be willing to play the part after the legal battle was settled.

After spending some time away from the project, the actor realized he did not want to do it anymore. Therefore, he told Boccoli that he did not wish to continue.

Despite initially declining the offer, Dalton later changed his mind and asked Broccoli if he could reprise his role as James Bond.

He even suggested that he would want his third movie to be a culmination of his first two films, marking the end of his journey as Bond.

The producer, however, insisted that he should at least plan four or five more Bond movies after the five-year gap from the dispute, which Timothy Dalton believed would be “Too much. Too long.“

Hence, he declined the James Bond role again and Pierce Brosnan starred as the character in 1995’s Goldeneye.