MOVIE NEWS – The producer says work has not yet begun on reinventing James Bond in the post-Craig era. She added that a new Bond-themed adventure series – 007’s Road to a Million – will help fill the hunger of fans.

 

Two years have passed since Daniel Craig hung up his gun and Omega watch after the release of No Time to Die. But fans desperate to see who will be the next 007 will have to wait a long time to be shocked or shaken up. Producer Barbara Broccoli says there is “a long way to go” before the character is “reinvented for the next chapter” and that executives “haven’t even begun” the process of modernising the franchise. He added that the next film would have to reflect how the world has changed in the two decades since Craig was confirmed as the sixth 007, and pointed out that Bond has often been reinvented.

“I remember back in GoldenEye, everyone said ‘the Cold War is over, the wall is over, Bond is dead, there’s no need for Bond, there’s peace all over the world and there are no villains now’ – oh boy, what a mistake that was,” he said, adding that modernisation is always necessary when a new actor plays the role.

She and Craig wanted to focus on “what a 21st century hero looks like”.

She added: “Daniel gave us the opportunity to develop the emotional life of the character… and the world was ready for it. I think these films reflect the era in which they live and we have a very, very long journey ahead of us to reinvent it for the next chapter, and we haven’t even started.”

She spoke to the Guardian about the new Bond-themed Amazon series 007 Road to a Million, which he said is “fun to do in the meantime” and will hopefully help to satisfy fans’ hunger for the famous franchise.

Broccoli and her half-brother Michael G Wilson have been involved in casting the global adventure series, in which nine ordinary pairs of people take on physical and psychological challenges in Bond-related locations to win £1 million. This is the first time the Bond brand has been used in a non-scripted TV series, using the film’s theme song, epic locations and imagery.

Asked if there will be other Bond TV spin-offs, she said: ‘Our focus is on making feature films. When we embark on a Bond film, it occupies our full attention for three or four years, so that’s what we focus on.”

Broccoli says the programme “has the same ethos of heroism, courage and perseverance as in the films… I think it’s really good entertainment and that’s what people need.”

Wilson says the show, which is a collaboration between Amazon Studios, Eon Productions, 72 Films and MGM Alternative, “is for the general audience, but Bond fans will find special easter eggs in it.”

The Bond-connected Britishness is also reflected in the cast of contestants, who represent the diversity of the UK and who, notably in the person of a pair of South London siblings, also sparkle with what 72 Films co-founder David Glover calls a “very British sense of humour”.

Broccoli, whose father was the essential Bond producer Albert “Cubby” Broccoli, hopes to make versions with other countries. “We’re not quite there yet; we’d like to launch and see the reaction… but I’d love to see different versions from all over the world, from Africa, India and Asia.”

Source The Guardian