Elliot Carver

Lore & Background

Elliot Carver is the billionaire owner of the Carver Media Group Network (CMGN), a global media empire. In the film, he uses an encoder obtained at a terrorist arms bazaar by his associate, cyberterrorist Henry Gupta, to provoke war between China and the UK. Meaconing the GPS signal, Gupta sends the frigate HMS Devonshire off course into Chinese-occupied waters in the South China Sea, where Carver's stealth ship, commanded by his chief enforcer Stamper, ambushes and sinks it with a 'sea drill' torpedo. Carver's henchmen steal one of Devonshire's missiles and shoot down a Chinese MiG fighter jet investigating the scene. Stamper kills the Devonshire's survivors with weaponry loaded with Chinese ammunition. Carver plans to destroy most of the Chinese government with the stolen missile, allowing a corrupt Chinese general named Chang to assume power and negotiate a truce between Britain and China. Once the conflict is over, Carver will be given exclusive broadcasting rights in China for the next century, which would then allow his broadcasting network to be completely global. Carver is married to Paris Carver, an ex-girlfriend of Bond's, whom he orders killed after discovering her betrayal. While many reviewers compared Elliot Carver to Rupert Murdoch, screenwriter Bruce Feirstein based the character on Robert Maxwell, with Carver's reported death bearing similarities to that of Maxwell's: 'Missing, presumed drowned, while on a cruise aboard his luxury yacht,' as stated by M at the end of the film.

In Their Own Story

Carver releases news articles about the crisis hours before MI6 had become aware of it, prompting M to send Bond to investigate. Bond travels to Hamburg to seduce Carver's wife, Paris, to get information to enter CMGN headquarters. Bond defeats Stamper's men and cuts Carver off the air during the inaugural broadcast of his satellite network. Carver discovers the truth about Paris and Bond and orders both killed. After Paris provides Bond with information to infiltrate Carver's newspaper facility, she is killed by Carver's assassin, Dr. Kaufman. Bond steals the GPS encoder from Gupta's office. Bond and Chinese agent Wai Lin board Carver's stealth ship to prevent him from firing the missile at Beijing. Bond captures Gupta as a hostage, but Carver kills Gupta, claiming he has 'outlived his contract'. Bond detonates a grenade in the hull, damaging the ship and rendering it visible to radar. Bond kills Carver with his own drilling machine. Bond traps Stamper in the missile firing mechanism and saves Wai Lin as the missile explodes, destroying the ship and killing Stamper.

Reader's Guide

Elliot Carver is the main antagonist of *Tomorrow Never Dies*. He is a non-combatant who relies on his henchmen, particularly Stamper and Dr. Kaufman, to do his dirty work. Carver meets his end when Bond uses Carver's own drilling machine against him, killing him aboard his stealth ship as it is destroyed by a missile explosion.

Did You Know?

• Elliot Carver was played by Jonathan Pryce.
• Screenwriter Bruce Feirstein based Carver on media magnate Robert Maxwell, not Rupert Murdoch.
• Carver's reported death is described as 'Missing, presumed drowned, while on a cruise aboard his luxury yacht,' similar to Maxwell's actual death.
• Carver plans to gain exclusive broadcasting rights in China for the next century after engineering a war between Britain and China.
• Carver kills his own associate Henry Gupta, stating he has 'outlived his contract'.