As Daniel Craig has hung up his tuxedo after a stellar run of James Bond movies, the world’s attention is firmly turned towards who will be the next actor in the lead. With that very position in question, as well as when we might expect to see the next 007 movie getting into gear, the timeframe for the next chapter in Bond history has constantly been in question.
Thanks to a new update from series producer Barbara Broccoli herself, we now know just when we should expect Bond 26 to start filming; and it’s not terribly far. Last night, the British Film Institute held a private event honoring Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson. Through a report by Deadline, we now know that Broccoli herself places Bond 26’s production in the following time frame, courtesy of the following remarks from those festivities:
Nobody’s in the running. 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. We’re reinventing who he is and that takes time. I’d say that filming is at least two years away.
On one hand, staking out 2024 as the production window for the next James Bond movie doesn’t feel terribly far. After the Daniel Craig era of Bond saw extended gaps between installments on a more regular basis, three years after No Time To Die’s release isn’t a horrible span. But if you’re one of those fans who were hoping this year would yield the announcement of a new 007, with more clockwork entries in the series to follow, this may feel like an eternity.
The strategy that Barbara Broccoli has laid out is a pretty natural fit, considering how No Time To Die ended. With the Craig continuity resulting in the death of his incarnation of Commander Bond, there’s no way to move forward in that particular storyline. In order to have Bond 26 written, or to even begin to cast the next Bond, the approach for the future of the series needs to be defined.
Something else that should be noted is how Broccoli chose to describe this process. The James Bond movies are about to be “reinvented” yet again, which could mean a lot of things. Anything from a period appropriate reboot that readapts Ian Fleming’s novels to merely feeling out how Bond should embody the current era of storytelling is up for grabs. At this point, all we know for certain is that the next adventure is still in development, and James Bond won’t be heading to television any time soon.
Just as Casino Royale introduced a new era of 007, Bond 26 is shaping up to be another crucial link in the chain of the EON Productions legacy. From top to bottom, this next movie will define the character for years to come, setting the tone in the world of espionage entertainment. Knowing when to expect that next chapter’s voyage to begin makes all the difference, no matter how long or short the wait may seem.
While we may not have a new James Bond film or actor to look forward to in 2022, almost all of the 007 movies are currently streaming for Amazon Prime subscribers. That includes No Time To Die, in all of its controversial glory; but sadly omits Spectre from the full tally. So if you're looking for a full refresh of the Craig era, be sure to keep that in mind.
