Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson of Eon Productions were interviewed on a BBC Radio show on Sept. 27. The duo indicated they weren’t in a hurry to find a successor for Daniel Craig as James Bond.
“We’re not thinking about it at all,” Broccoli said, according to a Variety summary of the interview. “We want Daniel to have his time of celebration. Next year we’ll start thinking about the future.”
Naturally, the blog has questions.
How seriously should we take these remarks?
In general, a CEO always is supposed to be thinking about the future. Barbara Broccoli certainly qualifies as a CEO.
On the one hand, there are signs that Broccoli has at least thought about a post-Craig future for Eon’s Bond film series.
No Time To Die director Cary Fukunaga told Total Film that he had a meeting with Broccoli before he was named to helm the 25th James Bond film.
“At that point Daniel said he wasn’t doing another one, so we spit-balled all the potential new Bonds – that was exciting,” Fukunaga said in that interview.
On the other hand, there are signs that Broccoli is really, really reluctant to let go of Craig. “I’m sort of in denial,” she said in the BBC interview. “I would love for Daniel to continue forever.”
Personally, I take her at her word. She is not anxious to move on from Craig.
Will the search (whenever it starts) be complicated?
Searching for a Bond actor is never easy. The next search will have additional complications.
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Bond’s home studio, has agreed to be acquired by Amazon. But that deal hasn’t been completed and is subject to regulatory review.
It remains to be seen what Amazon will do with MGM assuming the deal goes through. Eon likes some current MGM film executives and has lobbied for Amazon to keep them on board.
Regardless, assuming Amazon completes the deal, that will be an additional piece of complication.
What’s more, Eon has its own issues. Wilson turns 80 next year. There are popular fan theories that he may retire after No Time to Die. Who knows whether that’ll be the case. Still a new Bond isn’t the only succession issue facing Eon.
Filed under: James Bond Films | Tagged: Amazon, Barbara Broccoli, BBC, Bond 25, Bond 26, Cary Joji Fukunaga, Eon Productions, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Michael G. Wilson, No Time to Die, Total Film, Variety |
The Spy Command 
At this time the bond producers have to see how “No time to die” fair out at the world box office results. Yes. A film executive should be looking to the future, however, next year (2022) is right on top of us before we realize it. The Question is which actor can successfully fill daniel craig’s shoes as the next james bond 007 ?
You follow this stuff very closely so does it feel to you that Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson are doing way press themselves as well as the actors name dropping them more often than usual in the hyping up just before the movie is released to the public?
I’ll also take her at her word, but also feels like the message of this press tour is wonderfulness of Daniel Craig so doubt she would want pull focus from it with future casting.
Among the things Henry Cavill has going for him is he’s sincerely a big gamer. I get Barbara Broccoli doesn’t like video games, particular the first person shooter ones, but it’s so weird to just leave that whole market off the table, or just make kind of blah ones, with all the goodwill that Goldeneye has gotten them. I hope the future 007 can push them back into the video game space.