James Bond Will Reportedly Remain a Man and Still Be British or From the Commonwealth, Pierce Brosnan Insists 007 Must Not Be American, and Longlegs Director Says ‘F**k Jeff Bezos’
The James Bond rumor mill continues following the shock news that Amazon had taken full creative control over 007, and we’re no closer to knowing who will play the famous spy in whatever’s next.
However, according to a new report, James Bond will remain a man and still be British or from the Commonwealth, ruling out the likes of Ryan Gosling.
The Mail on Sunday said that Amazon circulated an internal memo stipulating James Bond would not change gender or nationality under its tenure.
That’s sure to please Irish actor Pierce Brosnan, who played Bond in GoldenEye, Tomorrow Never Dies, The World Is Not Enough, and Die Another Day from 1995 to 2002. Speaking to The Telegraph, Brosnan said ‘it’s a given’ that 007 should be British.
However, if an actor from the Commonwealth is possible, that leaves the door open to Australian Chris Hemsworth, who has expressed his interest in playing the character in the past. In 2019, the Thor and Extraction star told Balance magazine, after the publication pointed out his performance as British Formula One driver James Hunt made him a perfect candidate: “When we were shooting Rush someone had said that and I thought, ‘Cool, if this is my audition tape, then great.’ I don’t think you’ll ever meet anyone who doesn’t want to have a crack at James Bond. I’d love to do it.
“But that’s up to so many elements and is way beyond myself; it’s not one you can pitch yourself on to either. It’s something that the community of Bond fans, Barbara Broccoli and the whole crew there agree on, and it has to be a very organic decision from them. There have been a lot of names thrown out there and a lot of brilliant people can tackle that one.”
Hemsworth’s comments have now resurfaced following the Mail on Sunday’s report and word that a man from the Commonwealth could play Bond. The Today Show Australia took the speculation and declared: “It’s a surety. He is in.”
There is a degree of concern about the future of James Bond following Amazon’s acquisition and the stepping back of long-term 007 producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G Wilson.
Amid speculation that Amazon may decide to go with a Bond TV series, Variety reported that a new Bond film is still the “top priority.” As for what’s next, Amazon will allegedly first look for a producer for the franchise. Apparently David Heyman, who shepherded the Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts films with a cohesive vision, is the kind of producer Amazon is looking for.
Christopher Nolan reportedly “expressed interest” in directing a Bond movie after Tenet, but Broccoli allegedly insisted no director would have “final cut” while she was in charge of the franchise and turned him down. Nolan went on to make Oppenheimer, which made nearly $1 billion at the global box office and won the best picture and best director (Nolan) Oscars.
Amazon’s control over Bond hasn’t gone down well with some. Longlegs and The Monkey director was asked during a recent Reddit AMA whether he’d be op-en to directing a Bond movie, and his answer was loud and clear: “No, because f**k Jeff Bezos.”
Fans are particularly keen to know who will play Bond next. While some are calling for the likes of Venom star Tom Hardy, the MCU’s Idris Elba, Professor X actor James McAvoy, Magneto actor Michael Fassbender, and Kraven’s Aaron Taylor-Johnson (who was previously rumored to be top of the list), the clear fan-favorite is Superman and The Witcher star Henry Cavill.
According to Variety, Amazon is unable to hire anyone on Bond until the closure of its Broccoli-Wilson deal, which is expected at some point this year. The news followed an explosive report that alleged the future of the James Bond franchise was “on pause” amid what was described as an “ugly” stalemate between the Broccoli family and Amazon.
The behind-the-scenes battle between Barbara Broccoli, who had retained creative control over Bond and decided who played the iconic British spy, and Amazon, which acquired the right to release Bond movies after it bought Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer in a deal worth $8.45 billion back in 2021, had left Bond “trapped,” the Wall Street Journal reported.
Amazon and Eon have yet to issue a comment.
Photo by Tuane Fernandes/picture alliance via Getty Images.
Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at [email protected] or confidentially at [email protected].
