James Bond producers want to 'surprise' fans with 'refreshed' 007

Virgin Radio

3 Oct 2022, 09:28

The producers of James Bond say they want to “surprise” fans with a “refreshed” 007 as the franchise enters a new era.

Ever since Daniel Craig announced he would be stepping down from the iconic role, the rumour mill about who will be his replacement has well and truly been spinning.

The likes of Tom Hardy and Idris Elba have been named as favourites to become the new 007, but Bond producers have said they want a “refreshed” version of the spy.

Speaking at the BFI’s In Conversation: 60 years of James Bond event, Michael G. Wilson said he and co-producer Barbara Broccoli recognised how audiences have a “sense of ownership” over the character.

He said (via RadioTimes.com): "He's a fictitious character who's become part of our culture – like Sherlock Holmes, or Superman, or any of these characters, they transcend any particular moviemaker or any writer, anything like that.

"They become property of the nation and there is a sense of ownership about it and people can be outraged if they think James Bond is going off the tracks. For Barbara and I, it's something we keep in mind – we want to satisfy the audiences but we need to surprise them and refresh it, so that's the challenge."

Previously, Barbara Broccoli said that the next movie would be “a reinvention of Bond”.

She explained: “We’re working out where to go with him, we're talking that through. There isn’t a script, and we can’t come up with one until we decide how we’re going to approach the next film because, really, it’s a reinvention of Bond.”

She added: “We’re reinventing who he is, and that takes time. I’d say that filming is at least two years away.”

In other Bond news, a documentary exploring the iconic music of the franchise is set to premiere on Prime Video this week (5th October).