 Peter R. Hunt (I) (qv) was the original choice of director for  this movie. He had helmed  _On Her Majestys Secret Service (1969)_ (qv), an earlier Bond movie  which has a number of similarities and connections with this movie.  However, Hunt was unavailable to return to the series being  contracted to other films, namely _Death Hunt (1981)_ (qv),  ironically also having a snow setting.