The new James Bond must be British, insisted former 007 star Pierce Brosnan, after reports that the character will be kept male amid a leaked in-house memo.
The Irish actor, who played the renowned spy between 1995 and 2002, brushed off rumors that the role could fall to an American, insisting that it was "a given" that Bond has to be British.
Brosnan, 71 now, also sanctioned the recent transition of creative direction, with Amazon-MGM overseeing the franchise now. In a chat with the Sunday Telegraph, he commended the challenge for long-time producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson.
"It's very brave for them to do that," Brosnan said. "I only hope that [Amazon] gives the work and the character its due dignity, imagination, and respect.
Bond Franchise Under New Leadership
The classic movie franchise was bought by the streaming giant for £770m. Under terms of the deal completed in February, Broccoli and Wilson—who have guided the franchise for many years as children of its long-time producer Albert "Cubby" Broccoli—will give up creative oversight, although they will maintain co-ownership.
The shift reportedly follows heated debates over Bond’s future direction, with The Wall Street Journal revealing that Broccoli once referred to Amazon executives as “f***ing idiots” over their proposals to expand the franchise with spin-offs and television adaptations.
Wilson acknowledged that he and Broccoli had been “very reluctant to delegate” the intellectual property to a television format. Broccoli reinforced this stance, emphasizing: “It’s not something we’ve ever wanted to do.”
Speculation over the Next Bond Actor
With Daniel Craig's last outing as the iconic spy now four years in the past, speculation has intensified about who will take on the role. No script, director, or lead actor has been announced, but names such as Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Theo James, and James Norton have come forward as the favorites.
As Mail Online reports, an Amazon insider has confirmed the studio's position: "The actor has to be British or from the Commonwealth – and he has to be male."
Reports of Amazon's acquisition have caused fans to react with mixed emotions. Some are concerned that the US firm could transform Bond's character too fundamentally, either through the diversification of casting or through the updating of his image in a manner that would feel incongruous with the history of the franchise.
In spite of the franchise's traditionally showy approach—most famously parodied by the Austin Powers movies—Brosnan has previously stated that Broccoli would not have sanctioned a gay Bond in her lifetime, although he himself had no issue with the concept.
Meanwhile, some others see Amazon's reach as a chance to remake the franchise, possibly revising the character's long-debated misogynistic tendencies. Esquire magazine famously called Bond a "tasteless, boring rapist" in years past, and today's audience may be more willing to judge the character as passé than something to emulate.
Brosnan Looks Back at Playing Bond
In its 23 years, the Bond franchise has only produced five films, struggling to contend with today's action heroes like John Wick and Jason Bourne.
Looking back at his own time as the British spy, Brosnan was proud of his role in Bond's lasting legacy.
"History has been handed down, and I'm extremely proud to have been a part of the history and the legacy of Bond and the films that I made with Barbara and Michael," he said.
"That we moved the needle, that we brought it back to life. It had been dormant [for] six years, and GoldenEye was such a success that it continued and went from strength to strength… You know, everything changes, everything falls apart, and I wish them well."
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