James Bond producer Barbara Broccoli has spoken about the prospect of finding a replacement for star Daniel Craig who will be leaving the role of 007 after the upcoming No Time To Die.
It’s one of the most anticipated films of the year but it’s been a bumpy road for No Time To Die. The 25th instalment in the James Bond franchise has experienced delays, injuries, and directorial changes in its short life. These stresses were felt most acutely by the film’s producer, Barbara Broccoli.
The daughter of the great American producer Albert R. Broccoli, Barbara has spent her professional life working on the Bond franchise. Her first job as a 17-year-old was with the publicity department for The Spy Who Loved Me and she was a credited assistant director on Octopussy. But her greatest influence has been felt in the last few decades, working as a producer for the last eight Bond films as well as the upcoming No Time To Die. Broccoli has overseen Pierce Brosnan’s and Daniel Craig’s interpretations of the gentleman spy and soon, she will begin the search for her third Bond.
“We still have so much to do to finish this film, to get it right, so we’re really focusing on that,” Broccoli said of her impending task. “I’m in denial, to be honest, about Daniel. I can’t really confront that right now.”
For a long time it looked as if Broccoli would have had to make this decision several years ago. Go back a few years and Craig was determined to finish his stint as the gentleman spy after Spectre. He is now the longest-serving actor to play the role and it was the film’s powerhouse producer who asked him to reconsider.
“He felt at the end of the last movie he’d kind of done it,” Broccoli went on. “I said to him, ‘I don’t think you have, I think there’s still more of the story of your Bond to tell.’ Fortunately, he came around to agree with that.
“He’s evolved, like men are evolving, one hopes. Daniel’s brought a lot of humanity into the role and to his relationships in the film. He’s got vulnerabilities. He’s much more 21st-century.”
The next iteration of James Bond will have to continue that. The big question now is just who that will be. Idris Elba and Richard Madden are amongst the frontrunners but they could soon be joined by another name. The odds for Aiden Turner to take up the role have shortened dramatically in recent weeks and he is expected to be amongst the frontrunners very soon. There have even reportedly been meetings between Turner and the producers in recent months.
Speaking about the rumours, Turner had this to say. “I’ve said it many times: the word I use about this is just ‘bizarre’. I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t exciting and flattering.”
The character may go in a slightly different direction under a new actor but some things won’t change. James Bond is an iconic figure, not just in the movie world but out of it too. It’s hard to think of the character without thinking of Aston Martin. The automotive giants confirmed that four of their cars will appear in the upcoming No Time To Die.
But Bond’s influence is felt elsewhere. Bond is no stranger to the casino, as evidenced in a number of the films down the years. He has been ranked by online casino Betway as one of the best examples of casinos in popular culture. Similarly, Bond is rarely seen without a drink in his hand in the casino settings. A vodka martini is his usual tipple of choice but Craig starred in a recent ad for Heineken. Whoever picks up the mantel after him will have to continue to represent the James Bond brand that has been so successful.
There are some pretty big changes from Craig’s 007 to the previous iterations but James Bond can’t change too much. There’s no doubt that whoever takes up the mantel after No Time To Die will have to keep a great deal of what makes the character who he is. Barbara Broccoli may have said that she isn’t thinking about replacing the current leading man but things are probably already moving behind the scenes. No Time To Die hits theatres in early April and it wouldn’t be a surprise to see Craig’s replacement announced shortly after.