The next actor to shake and/or stir up the James Bond series will have to be less of a commitmentphobe than the famous spy. Ahead of the 60th anniversary of 007's film debut, Variety sat down with producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson, who revealed that they are looking for an actor who will return to the role for 10 to 12 years, following Daniel Craig’s recent send-off in No Time To Die.
“A lot of people think, ‘Oh yeah, it’d be fun to do one,’” Broccoli says. “Well. That ain’t gonna work.”
Most Bond actors have had multi-picture runs, though George Lazenby infamously played the role in just a single installment, 1969's On Her Majesty’s Secret Service. Craig appeared in five films, starting with Casino Royale in 2007.
Earlier this summer, Broccoli told Deadline that “nobody’s in the running” and that it would be at least two years until filming begins on a follow-up. The producers see each new actor as a way to reinvent a role that has been regularly seen onscreen since 1962.
Variety notes that Broccoli is very active in the U.K. chapter of Time’s Up and has been working to create more in-depth roles for women in a franchise that has historically seen Bond girls as being as much of a classic accessory for the spy as his gadget watch. No Time To Die was praised for minting Ana de Armas as an action star and featuring Lashana Lynch’s character taking up the 007 title.
“It’s an evolution,” Broccoli says. “Bond is evolving just as men are evolving. I don’t know who’s evolving at a faster pace.”
Many viewers have also called for more racial diversity in the series, with Idris Elba as a long-running favorite to sit behind the wheel of 007's Aston Martin. Though Variety reports that the producers are quick to show their support for him, the Three Thousand Years Of Longing star doesn’t have much of an interest in the role himself. Actors including Riz Ahmed, Daniel Kaluuya, and Regé-Jean Page have also become popular amongst fans.
Though it is unclear when the interview took place, it does not address an even more burning question: following the death of Queen Elizabeth II, will Bond still be working for her majesty’s secret service?