(Los Angeles) The next James Bond, whose new face still remains a mystery, will now serve “King and country”, explained Wednesday its producers, who have not yet started discussions with Amazon on the future of the agent 007.
Posted at 9:01 a.m.
“We are just starting our relationship with Amazon”, which bought the rights to the franchise from the MGM studio, Barbara Broccoli, the historical producer of the adventures of the spy with legendary phlegm, told AFP. “We haven’t started discussing the next movie yet. »
Mme Broccoli and his half-brother, Michael Wilson, were honored Wednesday for their contribution to Hollywood, during a ceremony where they left their footprints in cement in front of the illustrious Chinese Theater.
The opportunity for them to maintain the mystery about the future of James Bond: since Dying can wait in 2021, Daniel Craig’s final act, which shook up the character considerably, speculation is rife about his succession.
“We are not going to rest on our laurels and keep the same formula”, assured Mme Broccoli, heir to the franchise of her father Albert “Cubby” Broccoli, the producer who began adapting Ian Fleming’s novels for the screen 60 years ago.
The choice of Daniel Craig, to embody a blonde 007 and much rougher than his predecessors, had initially created controversy. But the five films made during his mission set box office records: the opus Sky Fall notably generated more than a billion dollars in 2012.
To replace it, everything seems possible. Could James Bond be embodied by the first black actor in the franchise, as some fans wish? Or could a woman put on her costume, as Mr.me Broccoli?
The producer maintains the suspense: “there are certain immutable elements” in this spy saga, she underlined. “The main character of James Bond is the most important element of the films and we believe he is incorruptible, serving the Queen, and now King and country. »
“Stay innovative”
The character “has nothing to gain from a personal point of view. He’s in it because he’s trying to make the world safer,” she added. “I think that’s something we won’t change. »
But her father, Albert “Cubby” Broccoli, who created the franchise 60 years ago, always pushed the producer “to take risks so Bond could change over time.” As heirs, “we like to try things, sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t, but it keeps us innovative”.
Eon, the Broccoli family company, has retained significant control over the adventures of the secret agent, star of 25 films so far.
Barbara Broccoli and Michael Wilson have presided over the cinematic destiny of 007 since Golden Eyereleased in 1995, a year before their father died.
Historically, Eon shared the profits of the franchise with the MGM studio, which had signed a complex agreement to have the right to finance and distribute the films.
But MGM was acquired by Amazon in March for $8.5 billion. And concerning James Bond, it is no longer the legendary studio that is in control, but the technology giant, which has launched its own streaming platform.
Amazon Prime Video has already announced plans to produce a reality TV show themed around Her Majesty’s Most Faithful Servant, titled 007’s Road to a Million.
“The public has certain expectations. But he also likes to be surprised. So it’s fully part of our effort, “said Michael Wilson, hoping that Bond adapts to the challenges of today’s world.
“What will be the worries of the world in two or three years? How can we stay up to date? he wondered. “We cannot offer the same thing over and over again. »