James Bond is one of the longest-running franchises in cinematic history, though those chomping at the bit to see who the new 007 will be have a long wait ahead.
Producer Barbara Broccoli – who with half-brother Michael G. Wilson has controlled the James Bond franchise since 1995 – teased a ‘long road ahead’ for casting.
Daniel Craig called it quits two years ago after a 15-year run that spanned six films – Casino Royale (2006), Quantum of Solace (2008), Skyfall (2012), Spectre (2015) and No Time To Die (2021).
Broccoli was promoting her new 007-inspired reality series 007: Road to a Million, which debuts on Amazon Prime Video on Friday, November 10.
While fans have been clamoring for answers for the past two years, Broccoli revealed their work to find a new 007 hasn’t really even started in earnest yet.
Long wait: James Bond is one of the longest-running franchises in cinematic history, though those chomping at the bit to see who the new 007 will be have a long wait ahead
Long road: Producer Barbara Broccoli – who with half-brother Michael G. Wilson has controlled the James Bond franchise since 1995 – teased a ‘long road ahead’ for casting
Daniel is done: Daniel Craig called it quits two years ago after a 15-year run that spanned six films – Casino Royale (2006), Quantum of Solace (2008), Skyfall (2012), Spectre (2015) and No Time To Die (2021)
There are often sizable gaps between different Bond eras, including the six year gap between Timothy Dalton’s last 007 film, 1989’s License to Kill and Pierce Brosnan’s first film, 1995’s Goldeneye.
There was also a four-year gap between Brosnan’s fourth and final film – 2002’s Die Another Day and Craig’s first, Casino Royale.
With nearly two years removed from No Time to Die, Broccoli insisted the new film would have to reflect how the world has changed since Craig took over 007.
‘I go back to GoldenEye when everyone was saying “the cold war is over, the wall is over, Bond is dead, no need for Bond, the whole world’s at peace and now there’s no villains” – and boy was that wrong!’ Broccoli said.
She added that when they cast Craig, they were aiming to, ‘focus on what a 21st-century hero would look like.’
‘Daniel gave us the ability to mine the emotional life of the character … and also the world was ready for it,’ she added.
‘I think these movies reflect the time they are in, and there’s a big, big road ahead reinventing it for the next chapter and we haven’t even begun with that,’ she said.
Broccoli and Wilson are producing the Amazon series 007: Road to a Million, which features nine pairs who are sent on a global adventure, with Brian Cox playing ‘The Controller’ who dictates what they must do.
Gap: There was also a four-year gap between Brosnan’s fourth and final film – 2002’s Die Another Day and Craig’s first, Casino Royale
Cold War: ‘I go back to GoldenEye when everyone was saying “the cold war is over, the wall is over, Bond is dead, no need for Bond, the whole world’s at peace and now there’s no villains” – and boy was that wrong!’ Broccoli said
Emotional life: ‘Daniel gave us the ability to mine the emotional life of the character … and also the world was ready for it,’ she added
Producers: Broccoli and Wilson (left) are producing the Amazon series 007: Road to a Million, which features nine pairs who are sent on a global adventure, with Brian Cox playing ‘The Controller’ who dictates what they must do
Broccoli said the show has the, ‘same ethos of heroism, courage and fortitude we do in the movies … I think it’s really good entertainment and that’s what people need.’
She added that the show was, ‘a nice fun thing to be doing in the meantime’ while they prepare for the future of the film franchise, though don’t expect more TV.
‘Our focus is making the feature films. When we get going on a Bond movie it takes our full attention for three or four years so that’s our focus.
‘We make the Bond movies for the big theatrical screen and everything about the Bond movies is for audiences to see around the world on that format, so we’ve not wanted to do television,’ she said.