The hunt to replace Daniel Craig as the next James Bond is one of the most feverishly speculated rumours in Hollywood, and it doesn’t look like we’re getting an answer to it any time soon.
James Bond producer Barbara Broccoli recently revealed that it will be 'at least two years' before they start shooting the next 007 film and explained that producers haven’t even begun to search for a replacement for Craig yet as they want the next movie to be “a reinvention of Bond.”
“Nobody’s in the running,” Barbara admitted to Deadline at a star-studded event in London hosted by the BFI.
“We’re working out where to go with him, we’re talking that through. There isn’t a script and we can’t come up with one until we decide how we’re going to approach the next film because, really, it’s a reinvention of Bond.
“We’re reinventing who he is and that takes time. I’d say that filming is at least two years away.”
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Barbara and her brother, Michael G Wilson, were the guests of honour at the highly prestigious BFI Chairman’s Dinner, where the pair were presented with fellowships from the institute to honour them for their professional achievements and contributions to British cinema.
The guest list for the event was a who’s-who of iconic Bond alumni past and present, with Ralph Fiennes and Naomie Harris -- who play the current incarnations of M and Moneypenny - being on hand to dole out the awards.
Fiennes in particular was on top form, describing the duo as “exemplars of film producers and filmmakers” and heaped praise on their 'transcendent tenacity'.
Speaking about the search for the next 007, Fiennes quipped that as he and Harris 'killed Bond' in the last entry in the franchise, he and Naomie 'would be the people to fix it': "You find him and we’ll train him."
Throughout the night, various Craig-era luminaries such as Dame Judi Dench, Lea Seydoux, Rami Malek, director Sam Mendes, and yes, Daniel Craig himself, chimed in with a series of warm-hearted and charming video messages extolling the virtues of Broccoli and Wilson’s filmmaking prowess, whilst longtime franchise composer David Arnold played a selection of vintage Bond themes on the piano.
In his keynote speech, BFI chairman Tim Rogers said it was an honour to present the two with the prestigious fellowship and said he could “think of no-one else more deserving particularly as we celebrate the 60th anniversary of the incredibly successful James Bond franchise.
With amazing insight and vision Michael and Barbara have not only re-invented Bond for today’s audiences, but No Time to Die arrived at exactly the right moment to welcome those audiences back to the big screen experience as never before.
As equally, if not more, important is their commitment to our industry away from the spotlight, where they work tirelessly to open doors for others by playing a huge part in educating, supporting and inspiring the next generation of filmmakers.”
Topics: Daniel Craig, James Bond, TV and Film
Tom Sanders