As Daniel Craig confirms his return, here's everything we know about the next 007 movie
007 will return... on November 8 2019, according to a tweet
put out by the James Bond Twitter account. But, they explain, this is only the
US release date, and British cinemagoers can expect to be watching the spy's
25th (or 24th official) adventure slightly earlier.
Besides the release window, details are scarce. But here's
what we know so far:
Who is writing?
Along with the release date, we also know that Neal Purvis
and Robert Wade will be on script duty. The duo have been writing Bond films
since 1999's The World is Not Enough and oversaw the franchise's transition
from the excesses of the Brosnan era to the Jason Bourne-influenced grittiness of Daniel Craig's tenure.
Purvis and Wade have also collaborated with John Logan and
Jez Butterworth on the most recent Bond films, so it may not be too surprising
if those playwrights get credited with revisions to the script.
Another question is tone: under the direction of Sam Mendes,
Skyfall and Spectre attempted to embrace the vivacity (and occasionally the
humour) of the Connery films. With Mendes confirmed not to be returning, the
film may resume the full seriousness of Casino Royale.
What will the plot
be?
Good question. Speaking to The Telegraph in January, Purvis
admitted that they had no idea how to tackle Bond in a post-Donald Trump world.
"I'm just not sure how you would go about writing a James Bond film
now," the writer said. "Each time, you've got to say something about
Bond's place in the world, which is Britain's place in the world. But things
are moving so quickly now, that becomes tricky. With people like Trump, the
Bond villain has become a reality. So when they do another one, it will be
interesting to see how they deal with the fact that the world has become a
fantasy."
Will Daniel Craig
return?
Of course, the script is only half the battle. The film's
overall feel will mainly depend on who plays Bond. Despite claiming in 2015
that he would rather "slit his wrists" than reprise the role, Craig
finally confirmed this week that he will indeed return as Bond. He reportedly
isn't coming cheap, however: it's claimed that at one point he was offered $150
million to make two more Bonds.
But even though he is ready to play Bond again, it is likely
that this will be Craig's last time doing so. "I just want to go out on a
high note, and I can't wait," he told US talk show host Stephen Colbert.
By 2019 Craig will have been in the role in films over a
13-year span, longer than any other Bond actor with the exception of Sean
Connery's one-off appearance in Never Say Never Again (1983). From a fresh
blood perspective, this film makes sense as a sendoff to the Craig period.
What about the supporting
cast?
It also follows then that the story of Craig's Bond and
recurring (or more appropriately, surviving) characters should be wrapped up
neatly. The matter of which cast members are returning can tell us a lot about
the story even in the absence of other knowledge.
Spectre (2015) revealed Ernst Stavro Blofeld, played by
Christoph Waltz, to be the "author" of all of Bond's suffering from
Casino Royale onwards. Though he was captured, it seems improbable that the
producers would waste time and money introducing the franchise's most famous
villain, only to ignore him one movie later.
Waltz has admitted to feeling that he didn't
"nail" the character first time around, but his Blofeld spent most of
the film concealing his identity, and doing very little in the way of world
domination. Perhaps a more adventurous script (and a lot of money) will get him
back for sure.
The Craig films have also spent more time exploring Bond's
(seemingly doomed) romantic arcs, but so far no Bond girl has made it alive
into the sequel. It appeared that this cycle had been broken by Spectre, when
Bond escaped with Lea Seydoux's character, the Vesper Lynd-substitute Madeleine
Swann. In a world where no cinematic universe wants to be inattentive to female
audiences (even the Bond films), it's very probable that Seydoux will also make
a return.
Additionally, it won't be too much of a surprise if Ralph
Fiennes's M, Naomie Harris's Moneypenny and Ben Whishaw's Q are also assisting
Bond. These interpretations of the characters are getting settled in and it
makes little sense for them to be gone, especially when prior incumbents in
those roles were long term Bond fixtures.
Where will it shoot?
As is standard procedure on Bond films, at least one
location for Bond 25 has apparently been found long before a word of the script
has been typed. According to reports in February, the Croatian city of
Dubrovnik has been in "advanced negotiations" to host the production.
Dubrovnik is also used as a location in Game of Thrones.
Who will direct?
The director with the most momentum/wishcasting behind him
is Christopher Nolan, who talks regularly about his love of the character and
influence taken from the series. With Dunkirk released he would be expected to
have his next film due in 2019/20, so it's a window he could fall right into.
But Nolan has some directorial practices that Eon might be unwilling to
accommodate, like his preference for casting the same actors and writing his
own script (or collaborating with his brother Jonathan). A non-writing director
is more likely to be what Wilson and Broccoli want.
This appears to be true with the recent shortlist of
directors rumoured to be in line to direct: Denis Villeneuve, David Mackenzie
and Yann Demange.
Villeneuve is the most high profile with his celebrated
films like Sicario and Arrival, and if his films are only getting bigger Bond
would be a suitable outlet.
Villeneuve is the most high profile with his celebrated
films like Sicario and Arrival, and if his films are only getting bigger Bond
would be a suitable outlet.
