The production of James Bond 25 has met with another mishap, as during a controlled explosion a crew member was injured and the Pinewood Studios set partially damaged. Following on the blockbuster success of Spectre, the venerable James Bond franchise is set to return for a 25th installment, with Daniel Craig once again back in the lead role.
Initially it looked like Craig might actually step away from Bond after four times playing the character, but ultimately the actor elected to sign on for one more go. Production on Bond 25 got off to a tumultuous beginning however, after original director Danny Boyle abruptly exited the film, citing creative differences. Things seemed to be back on track after Cary Fukunaga stepped in to replace Boyle, but recently the movie again met with misfortune when Craig suffered an ankle injury while shooting in Jamaica. Despite Craig's injury, the film is still expected to make its originally announced release date.
Coming on the heels of Craig's on-set injury, Bond 25 has suffered yet another calamity, and is beginning to look like a cursed movie. As revealed by the official James Bond Twitter account:
"During the filming of a controlled explosion on the set of Bond 25 today at Pinewood Studios, damage was caused to the exterior of the 007 Stage. There were no injuries on set, however one crew member outside the stage has sustained a minor injury."
As reported by Deadline, the explosion and crew member injury is not expected to delay production. This is obviously good news coming so soon after Craig's injury, which itself could very well have brought production to a halt, but is not expected to seriously delay the film. Much like James Bond himself, Bond 25 is showing an ability to barely escape catastrophe and somehow keep on moving.
Though for now it seems Bond 25 will stay on track toward making its release date, the latest mishap certainly contributes to a sense that this is a doomed production. Indeed, some might argue Craig and company should take this latest setback as an omen and shut down the Bond franchise once and for all. Long before Bond 25 went into production, many argued the series had become irrelevant and should be put out of its misery. However, the films' box office returns still remain healthy, especially overseas, so financially there's plenty of incentive to keep the series alive. In hopes of perhaps making Bond 25 a little less irrelevant, or maybe just a little less sexist than previous installments, the new film has brought on Fleabag creator Phoebe Waller-Bridge to punch up the script. It's an interesting move for sure, but it remains to be seen if a more female perspective can really help James Bond 25 feel more up-to-date than prior films, or if this series is simply a dinosaur.
Source: James Bond, Deadline
