Yes, this is Ian Fleming's baby, but I felt it was my duty as a respectful fan to remake/update/ modernize Casino Royale. This time I characterize Bond very darkly, the way I would portray him. This will be the basis for an amateur Bond film I plan to get made where I star as James Bond, and I will post the script when finished. I'm trying to write both the novel and the screenplay back to back. These independent projects have been in development hell since 2005. This, I hope, will be the final step.

There will be some nods to the original book, and the 2006 film, but only slight nods, location wise, and some of the memorable quotes will be paraphrased. Most of this will be original, but the nods and references to the original are purely in respect for Ian Fleming. It's also his 100th birthday this year, and the 55th anniversary this April for Casino Royale, and Daniel Craig's 40th birthday, come to think of it. I though, why not write it to be finished within the time of these events?. So Read, enjoy, and review.

CASINO ROYALE

By Bryan Peters

There are places on this earth that no man should ever enter. Places of sin and greed. Places where if you're dealt a bad hand, you are surely out of the game. You can roll the dice, hope it lands where you bet on, but if not, your money is gone. Places like these are the gathering spots for the world's greedy. Millionaires, gangsters, people who are too arrogant for their own good. Some come to risk everything to make a good image for themselves. Some come with nothing at all, and leave with everything. Some are down on their luck, and some of them are just too lucky. It makes no difference. These are places of sin. No return. It may seem like heaven, until reality kicks you in the teeth and brings you round to your senses, to see things the way they really are. The reality of this safe heaven is… really the opposite. This is hell.

The place in question is called a casino, they are everywhere in the world. In every country, and in nearly every city. They even exist in our most pleasant, beautiful dreams, and, unfortunately, inexplicably, in our worst nightmares. Only when those dreams and nightmares come real do we take notice as to what hell we can put ourselves through sometimes.

This just happens to be the story of one of these nightmares coming to life. In fact, things turned out good, a beautiful, peaceful dream, something you wouldn't want to wake from. But soon enough, it was too good to be true, and the dream slowly turned into a man's worst nightmare.

Some people theorize that when you die, you go somewhere wonderful. No, it is not heaven. Nor is it hell. The truth is nobody knows what it is. The only thing that matters is that it is an endless hotel and casino.

There is one man, who knows that with his profession, he isn't destined to live a long time. His is a job that sends his life expectancy down the drain. But he couldn't complain at the time. A recent promotion meant his calling was inevitable. He is a man who could care less where he goes when he dies, but is certain that there had better be a road to drive his Bentley…

And that man's name is Bond…

JAMES BOND…