50 Years Ago, Sean Connery Wanted to Star in a James Bond Movie with Robot Sharks!

The year was 1976. Sean Connery had hung up his James Bond tuxedo five years earlier, following his role in “Diamonds Are Forever.” Since then, he had starred in the acclaimed “The Offense” (1973) and the peculiar “Zardoz,” appeared in “Murder on the Orient Express” (1974), and shared the screen with Michael Caine in “The Man Who Would Be King” (1975).

But a peculiar project was about to bring him back into the spotlight.

Operation Plagiarism

James Bond had continued without Sean Connery, now portrayed by Roger Moore in two films: “Live and Let Die” (1973) and “The Man with the Golden Gun” (1974). However, as it was time to plan another spy adventure, an outsider entered the scene.

His name was Kevin McClory, and he was determined to remake “Thunderball,” a Bond film released in 1965 starring Connery. Why? Because McClory had originally co-written the screenplay with Jack Whittingham, but author Ian Fleming had taken their work, turned it into a novel, and didn’t give them any credit! Subsequently, the Bond film producers turned it into a well-known movie.

After winning two lawsuits, McClory had regained the adaptation rights to his version of “Thunderball” and was eager to bring it to the big screen. He partnered with Len Deighton, a novelist whose works had been adapted into films like “The Ipcress File” and “Billion Dollar Brain,” both featuring Michael Caine. However, McClory needed more help.

Sean Connery Joins the Team

Another writer joined the project, Sean Connery himself! Approached by McClory, Connery agreed to try his hand at scriptwriting for the film, now dubbed “Warhead.” According to the BBC, the film’s climax featured “a swarm of remote-controlled robotic sharks armed with nuclear weapons” targeting Manhattan and the Statue of Liberty.

The story largely echoed “Thunderball” but with a more parodic twist, and with Connery’s name attached, Paramount showed interest in funding the project. However, there was a snag. Eon, the company producing the James Bond films with Roger Moore, was preparing “The Spy Who Loved Me.” Their script was suspiciously similar to the one written by McClory, Connery, and Deighton. How? That remained a mystery.

The Film Eventually Made It to the Big Screen

Eon sued McClory for plagiarism and vice versa. Who was in the right? Connery and Paramount decided to step away from the project to avoid legal battles, and “Warhead” was shelved for a time. Meanwhile, Eon continued with their production and released “The Spy Who Loved Me” in 1977.

In 1983, McClory finally produced a remake of “Thunderball” titled “Never Say Never Again,” with Sean Connery returning as Bond under the direction of Irvin Kershner. It was a box office hit, as was “Octopussy,” released by Eon the same year and Roger Moore’s last appearance as Bond.

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