James Bond in film "Octopussy". However, when Kevin McClory announced his re-working of "Thunderball" as "Never Say Never Again", the producers re-contracted Moore in the belief that an established actor in the role would fare better against McClory's choice of Bond, Sean Connery. Before "For Your Eyes Only" had been released, Albert Broccoli had asked John Glen to return and direct "Octopussy". George MacDonald Fraser wrote an initial treatment that was extensively revised by Michael G. Wilson and Richard Maibaum. First unit filming began on 10 August 1982 at the Berlin Wall crossing point Checkpoint Charlie, although the second unit had already been at
O.K. Connery Sabatello that Neil sounded like his brother Sean. Sabatello met Neil at the Caledonian Hotel in Edinburgh to recruit him to play the lead role in a Eurospy film. Neil recalled when he did his screentest the crew kept saying "OK, Connery, OK" that became the title for the film. Experienced director Alberto De Martino who had previously filmed "Upperseven, the Man to Kill" and "Special Mission Lady Chaplin" (both 1966) recalled his father Romolo de Martino doing Neil's extensive makeup and problems with Neil's inexperience as an actor. He also recalled Sabatello approaching Sean Connery do to an appearance