James Bond producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson have said that the search for the next 007 won’t start until at least 2022. No Time To Die is Daniel Craig's fifth and final adventure as the British secret agent. Having been pushed back several times due to the coronavirus pandemic, it will finally hit US screens in October. The film, which also stars Rami Malek as the villainous Lyutsifer Safin and sees Christoph Waltz returning as Blofeld, will be the longest Bond movie yet, with a runtime of 2 hours and 43 minutes.
Though the promotional machine began and then spluttered to an end for both its initial November 2020 and April 2021 release dates, the cast and crew have begun the press campaign in earnest for next month's official release date. The promotion seems to be working: advanced ticket sales in the UK (where the film is released on 30 September) are huge, with a performance reportedly comparable to the Marvel behemoth that was Avengers: Endgame. Last week, Craig drew attention for his comments on whether Bond should be played by a woman. Inevitably, talk has also turned to who might succeed Craig as the world-famous spy.
As reported by THR, the Bond production team (and half-siblings) Broccoli and Wilson told BBC Radio 4 that no decision had yet been made on who would take over from Craig. The pair said that Craig's departure leaves "big shoes to fill," and for now they want the actor to have "his time of celebration." According to Broccoli and Wilson, they will start to think about who could be handed the role "next year." Read the full quote below:
“We’re not thinking about it at all,” [Broccoli] said. “We want Daniel to have his time of celebration. Next year we’ll start thinking about the future.”
Added Wilson: “He’s been such a great Bond. Those are big shoes to fill. I can’t even [think if it’s] possible.”
Craig knows both the celebration and criticism that comes with the Bond role. Though easily forgotten now, when Craig was revealed as Pierce Brosnan's successor back in 2005, he was subject to serious fan backlash. The critiques focused on superficial aspects of Craig himself, such as his stature, hair color and build. Alongside the criticism, however, Craig has also enjoyed the perks, as he recently spoke about how Bond helped him secure his stormtrooper cameo in Star Wars: The Force Awakens. Craig was also recently made an honorary Commander in the Royal Navy, giving him the same rank as Bond.
Though Broccoli and Wilson are focusing on No Time To Die and celebrating Craig's legacy for the time being, the rumor mill around who will next be handed the keys to the iconic Aston Martin started long ago, and will only continue to ratchet up. Actors such as Idris Elba, Tom Hiddleston and Tom Hardy have long been associated with the role. Bridgerton star Regé-Jean Page, however, might be taking matters into his own hands, as he has been cast as the lead in the film reboot of The Saint. It is the same lead role which, in the 1960s TV version, was played by former Bond actor Roger Moore. Moore's performance in the role, which has many similarities to Bond, was one of the main reasons why he was offered the "license to kill."
While speculation on who will next take on James Bond will no doubt continue, Broccoli and Wilson's comments mean that fans will have to be patient before they discover which lucky actor will land the iconic character. In the meantime, they will be able to enjoy Craig's final outing as Bond in No Time to Die when it premieres in October. And hopefully, after this final installment in a long-running stint as the British spy, Craig himself will be able to hold up a martini in celebration.
Source: THR
