Daniel Craig as James Bond in Skyfall
When Amazon MGM Studios took over creative control of the James Bond franchise, film fans and pundits expressed their worries. Would Amazon reduce the super spy's adventures to streaming-only movies? Would there be a fleet of spinoffs focusing on Bond villains and Bond girls? Even the decision to add content warnings to the older Bond films has sparked a wave of controversy.
Bond fans might have a new problem to worry about, as a report from Radar Online claims that Amazon executives are struggling with which direction to take the franchise. The reason for this lies with the ending of No Time to Die, Daniel Craig's final outing as Bond. No Time to Die pits Bond against the soft-spoken, yet sinister bioterrorist Lyutsifer Safin , who seeks vengeance against the terrorist organization Spectre for killing his family. Safin has developed a series of nanobots that can target specific strands of DNA, killing anyone who possesses said DNA; he plans to launch the nanobots globally and start a new world order. Bond manages to kill Safin, but not before he's infected with nanobots that will kill his lover, Madeleine Swann and their daughter. Rather than risk his loved ones' lives, Bond opts to stay on Safin's island as it's destroyed by a missile strike, dying in the process. This appears to be the major issue Amazon is dealing with, although it's utterly ridiculous when considering the Bond franchise's history. The Ending of 'No Time To Die' Apparently Left Amazon Execs With A "Huge Creative Headache" No Time to Die took what was arguably the biggest swing of any Bond film by killing off its protagonist. Not only did it lean into the more layered performance that Craig brought to his Bond, but it effectively capped off his run. Yet for some reason, Amazon execs think that moviegoers will be confused if Bond is recast. Earlier this year, Anthony Horowitz, who penned several official James Bond novels and even created his own Bond-influenced young adult series in Alex Rider, offered his thoughts: "The last time we saw Bond, he was poisoned and blown to smithereens – how will they get past the fact he is dead with a capital D? I think that was a mistake, because Bond is a legend. He belongs to everybody, he is eternal – except in that film. If I was asked tomorrow to write the script, I wouldn't be able to do it. Where would you start? You can't have him waking up in the shower and saying it was all a dream." While this might be a major concern for other film franchises, Horowitz and Amazon's execs are forgetting one key element of the James Bond franchise, which underlines how overblown their concern really is. Amazon's Execs Are Forgetting One Key Thing About James Bond The James Bond movies stand apart from other film franchises due to the fact that the role of Bond is recast every few years, which works in its favor. Not only does this approach keep the series fresh, but it also lets an actor put their own stamp on the character. Craig's Bond was a more world-weary super spy who often flirted with the idea of leaving his cloak-and-dagger life behind. Pierce Brosnan combined danger and a suave demeanor when he played Bond. Roger Moore and Sean Connery both delivered performances that closely resemble Ian Fleming's original portrayal of Bond. While previous films would reference past events, they never fully leaned on them in the way that the Fast and Furious films or the Marvel Cinematic Universe might. Even Judi Dench's M had a far different relationship with Brosnan's Bond than she did with Craig's Bond. Amazon execs are also forgetting that audiences have been conditioned to accept specific roles being recast. Batman, Superman and Spider-Man have all seen different actors inhabit their respective cowls, capes and webs. HBO's Harry Potter is tapping a whole new cast to bring the Wizarding World to life. The best example is found in another icon of British pop culture: Doctor Who. The Doctor often regenerates after a set period of time, and much like Bond, fans can follow along without any confusion. Amazon's worries seem superfluous at best and hyperbolic at worst, especially when a director like Denis Villeneuve is at the helm. The Newest James Bond Screenwriter Might Have A Way Forward for the Franchise While Denis Villeneuve is directing the next James Bond film, Steven Knight will be penning the script. Knight has his own vision for Bond, stating that he wants to utilize his love for the character to give fans something they haven't seen before."I’ll be able to produce something that’s the same but different and better and stronger and bolder," Knight said during an interview. If Knight wants to bring a fresh new take to Bond and calm down Amazon's execs in the process, he should consider adopting the"codename" theory that suggests that each James Bond is merely adopting that name as a cover. It would be a great way to make the new Bond stand out. Details about Villeneuve and Knight's take on Bond remain scarce, but if Amazon's leadership is panicking, they should remember that this is a character that's constantly been reinvented over the course of 60 years. Audiences won't think that the new Bond is connected to Craig in any way; they're more than likely curious about the gadgets, the girls, and if he still likes his martinis shaken, not stirred. No Time to Die Like PG-13 Action Thriller Adventure Release Date October 8, 2021 Runtime 163 Minutes Director Cary Joji Fukunaga Writers Neal Purvis, Robert Wade, Cary Joji Fukunaga, Phoebe Waller-Bridge Producers Barbara Broccoli Prequel Casino Royale, Quantum of Solace, Skyfall, Spectre Franchise James Bond Cast See All
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