Bond’s special relationship: Broccoli and Craig

Eon’s Barbara Broccoli and current James Bond star Daniel Craig

However Bond 25 turns out — and there’s a lot of filming yet to go — the movie may wrap up a noteworthy era: the relationship between Eon Productions boss Barbara Broccoli and star Daniel Craig.

The two have a closer producer-star relationship than any other in Bond film history.

Don’t take the blog’s word for it. Statements and actions made over the years demonstrate it.

2006: During production of Craig’s debut Bond film, Casino Royale, the Eon boss commented during an interview about Craig in historic terms.

Well, he’s a phenomenal actor. I think he’s the actor that defines his generation of actors.

Generation is an imprecise term. Still, it’s probably fair to say the generation of Craig (b. 1968) includes George Clooney (b. 1961), Brad Pitt (b. 1963), Matt Damon (b. 1970), Ben Affleck (b. 1972), Idris Elba (b. 1972) and Leonardo DiCaprio (b. 1974).

2015: SPECTRE poster reveals that Daniel Craig is one of three co-producers. It’s the first time that a Bond actor has received any type of producing credit.

2015: With SPECTRE, Craig’s fourth film as James Bond about to come out, Barbara Broccoli says in a Huffington Post story she’s in denial about a Craig-less James Bond future.

“I just don’t want to think about it,” Barbara tells HuffPostUK on the subject of 007’s eventual replacement. “I’m in denial. I don’t want to think about that day. Daniel Craig is Bond, forever, as far as I’m concerned.”

2017: With Daniel Craig secured for Bond 25, Barbara Broccoli describes her feelings to a podcast by The Hollywood Reporter.

Until Craig announced in August 2017 he’d be back, Broccoli said: “My heart was breaking.” In response to a question, she says all the Bond actors have been good but Craig is the best Bond. “He is particularly incredible.”

2018: A number of Bond 25 press releases (SUCH AS THIS ONE and THIS ONE) list Daniel Craig along with Eon’s Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson at the beginning as if Craig was right there in making the decision. That’s new territory for the Bond film series.

2019: During a livestream about Bond 25, the host, sitting with Barbara Broccoli says, “Let’s have a little reminder of how he took on this iconic character and truly made it his own.” A montage of clips from Craig’s James Bond films follows.

2019: Barbara Broccoli says in an interview she hasn’t given up on the idea that Daniel Craig may return after Bond 25.  “He’s so much a part of the whole process, we’ll make a great movie and then see what happens.”