The script is a familiar one to longtime 007 fans.
Immediately after the rollout of any given James Bond movie, the reigning actor will say something to suggest his days in the role are over, contract or not.
It’s a bit of hardball Roger Moore played several times during his tenure as Bond in the 1980s, with the end game of jockeying for a higher payday on his next mission.
On the eve of the release of Bond 24 Spectre last fall, Daniel Craig made some alarming comments indicating he was done playing James Bond, and even though he’s reportedly signed for a fifth movie, speculation has run rampant since then that Bond 25 will introduce a new actor as Ian Fleming’s gentleman spy. Further, director Sam Mendes—who famously turned down the Spectre gig immediately after Skyfall but was eventually enticed to return—says he’s absolutely done with Bond this time.
It cannot go unmentioned that the domestic distribution rights are once again up for grabs, and I suspect the uncertainty over the return of Daniel Craig and director Mendes has a great deal to do with studio negotiation tactics. The two Craig/Mendes films have scored $2 billion combined global box office dollars, earned some of the best reviews of the series, and won a handful of Oscars to boot, but with these two guys possibly out of the picture for Bond 25, EON (the Bond producers) could be thinking they’re in a stronger position to barter for more favorable terms from the various competing studios vying for a slice of the future 007 pie.
Director Sam Mendes and Daniel Craig as James Bond
Logic would suggest the opposite—that any such seismic changing of the guard would inherently lower expectations and put more pressure on EON—yet the mere curiosity factor of a new creative team would make Bond 25 the must-see event of its season.
When We’ll Likely See Bond 25
Used to be James Bond would return to cinemas like clockwork, with most of the 007 flicks of the 1970s, ’80s and ’90s premiering at regular two- to three-year intervals. Whenever a Bond movie has taken longer than that to gestate, the audience hunger for 007 has been more palpable and the resulting movie, having had more time for fine-tuning, has been an unparalleled success—think GoldenEye (six-year gap) and then Casino Royale and Skyfall (both four-year gaps). It seems like a prudent strategy for EON to take a bit more time to work on the next script and pre-production, so whether or not Craig returns for a fifth round, the next Bond movie will likely appear after a four-year gap, in 2019.
Even if Bond 25 somehow manages to ramp into production soon enough for a 2018 release, it’s safe to say the era of the two-year cycle is history—these movies are just too darned complex to plan and execute in such a rushed timeframe nowadays.
To wit: the last time EON attempted to adhere to the accelerated two-year schedule, we got the half-baked and uneven Quantum of Solace.
Why Craig Should Return
On the surface, the finale of Spectre would seem to be a fitting goodbye for Craig—007 captures but does not kill the megalomaniacal bad guy, and then he gets the girl, quits Her Majesty’s Secret Service, and they both drive off into the sunset. Upon closer scrutiny, this is too unsatisfying a swan song for Craig—notably because Ernst Stavro Blofeld is too large a villain in the Bond universe to simply be discarded via incarceration so soon after his long-anticipated return (technically, his introduction—we’re still in reboot mode, after all).
Craig’s Bond deserves a full-fledged multi-film arc battling wits with 007’s most nefarious nemesis. Plus, any fan familiar with the Ian Fleming books knows there is a critical chapter that has yet to be filmed—the one involving the fate of Mrs. Bond. Whereas Spectre ends on an uncharacteristic up note for the Craig-era movies, Craig’s gritty reinvention of James Bond is not quite complete without this inexorable turn of events.
Christoph Waltz claims he will return to play Blofeld again only if Craig comes back as well, rightly mentioning how important it is to maintain continuity with the same two actors facing off repeatedly (all previous Blofeld actors were one-offs, so Waltz’s return would set a precedent).
Why Craig Should Retire
That said, if Craig has truly soured on the 007 experience, perhaps it’s for the best if he hangs up his holster for good—some fans and critics were quick to note Craig’s general lack of enthusiasm throughout Spectre, and what fun it would be to see somebody new in the tuxedo who’s more energized and totally jazzed about being James Bond. Discussing a performer’s inevitable aging is admittedly indelicate, but Craig’s definitely not getting any younger and his tour of duty as the face of 007 may have reached its expiration date.
Potential New Bonds
If the Daniel Craig era is truly finished, there are some interesting names being bandied about as potential successors. At the top of the “maybe” list are Tom Hiddleston (Loki in Marvel’s Avengers and the Thor movies) and Jamie Bell (he starred in Billy Elliot, and was Thing in last summer’s misfired Fantastic Four reboot). Both have demonstrated their acting chops and would no doubt be charming in the role, but neither exudes the threatening physical presence of Daniel Craig or Sean Connery.
Henry Cavill (new Superman) has also been mentioned, and he’s definitely got the physical prowess going for him, but his joyless turns in Man of Steel and Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice suggest he’s far more handsome than he is charismatic—though he did fare better in Guy Ritchie’s nimble spy trifle The Man from U.N.C.L.E. last summer.
Christian Bale’s name has also been floated as a possible Next Bond, though he seems oddly wrong for the part, despite—or, perhaps, because of—his success as the Caped Crusader.
More interesting than any of these guys would be Tom Hardy (Bronson, Mad Max: Fury Road), who’s got the devilish good looks along with the brawny and intimidating physicality, but with that extra little touch of craziness in his eyes that would make his 007 the most dangerously unpredictable incarnation of the superspy yet.
Or, if all else fails, EON could really shake things up and finally give Idris Elba a shot, if only to shush (or incense) the naysayers who claim James Bond could never be black.
Possible New Directors
The Bond producers recently offered Daniel Craig a $100 million payday to return for two more 007 movies (so far he’s declined…but never say never). In light of this, it’s not too much of a stretch to think Mendes will receive another similarly lucrative offer he cannot refuse, especially if a four-year gap satisfies his need to do more theater and/or smaller films in the interim in order to recharge his batteries.
If not Mendes, there are a handful of Brit directors who would readily fit the bill, starting with Christopher Nolan. Nolan was reportedly courted for Spectre during the period before Mendes finally relented to return, he’s already worked with both Tom Hardy and Christian Bale, and parts of his dream heist blockbuster Inception played just like a classic 007 caper. True to the Bond producers’ modus operandi, Nolan favors live stunts, practical effects, and physical models over the use of excessive CGI.
Matthew Vaughn directed both Kick-Ass and Kingsman: The Secret Service and would make for an arresting choice. If his take on Bond turned out to be half as ballsy as those two hard-R flicks it would re-energize the series like no 007 movie ever before (though it’s doubtful EON would release an R-rated Bond movie).
Guy Ritchie’s snappy work on the two recent Sherlock Holmes flicks and The Man from U.N.C.L.E. puts him in good contention, though plans for a third Holmes movie could keep him otherwise occupied for a while.
Forget about Danny Boyle. He’s frequently been suggested, but even though he did a smashing job orchestrating the London Olympics in 2012 (including that amusing bit with Daniel Craig escorting Her Royal Highness), he’s already voiced his disinterest in helming a Bond epic in favor of continuing to make smaller and edgier films.
A long shot, but also mentioned in the candidate pool, is Mad Max filmmaker George Miller—he’s Aussie not British, but he’s a master-class filmmaker who prefers to shoot real stunts and use practical effects rather than fake it with CGI, and he would be a logical choice if Tom Hardy steps in to wield Bond’s Walther PPK.
If the Bond producers do opt to expand their search criteria beyond Great Britain, there are two Scandinavian filmmakers who could be a good fit for Bond, both of whom have made a name for themselves directing critically acclaimed John le Carré adaptations: Tomas Alfredson (Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy) and Susanne Bier (The Night Manager). Bier would be the bolder choice, as she would become the first-ever woman director of a Bond movie.
Of course, there’s always trusty Martin Campbell who, after shepherding both Pierce Brosnan and Daniel Craig through their respective Bond debuts GoldenEye and Casino Royale, would seem to be the ideal go-to guy should EON cast a new 007.
Suggestions for Bond 25
Though it remains to be seen exactly when, it’s a cinematic certainty that James Bond will indeed return. When he eventually does, here are a life-long fan’s hopes for Bond 25:
- Keep the running time to two hours. There’s no need for a Bond movie like Skyfall or Spectre to push the 150-minute mark.
- Throughout his 54-year filmography, James Bond has never visited Australia. If by some miracle EON hires George Miller to direct the next Bond, a mission down under would seem appropriate.
- To reiterate, it would be nice to see a return of Christoph Waltz as Blofeld, with or without Craig (but preferably with). Waltz’s reprise of the character would go a long way towards solidifying the continuity we’ve enjoyed since Casino Royale, and all the better if Ralph Fiennes, Naomie Harris, and Ben Whishaw return again as M, Moneypenny, and Q.
- While we’re at it, bring back hulking henchman Mr. Hinx (Dave Bautista), whose departure in Spectre was left deliberately open-ended. Just don’t give him a pig-tailed pixie girlfriend and then turn him into a good guy.
- Get Jeffrey Wright again as Bond’s CIA ally Felix Leiter. And please give him more to do next time than in Quantum of Solace.
- Finally, commission an upbeat, pulse-pounding theme song—think A View to a Kill or Live and Let Die. Best Original Song Oscar wins for Skyfall and Spectre notwithstanding, please no more bloody ballads.
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