For a moment, I forgot that Ralph Fiennes was a part of the updated James Bond franchise. No disrespect to the amazing Oscar nominee, but when we think of Bond, we immediately think about Daniel Craig (the current 007), and maybe whichever actor is circling the role of "Bond Villain," but not the man who has been tapped to replace Dame Judi Dench in the long-running spy franchise.
But Fiennes did play a major role in the latest Bond film, Skyfall, and he expects to return for the as-yet-untitled Bond 24, which is expected to be in theaters in 2015. And while promoting his next movie, The Grand Budapest Hotel, Fiennes revealed when the next 007 thriller would begin filming. Speaking to MTV, the actor shared:
"It's meant to start shooting in October. I haven't read a script yet, so I can't tell you much. They'd probably swear me to secrecy anyway."
You bet they would, sir. In fact, when it comes to Bond 24, most everyone tied to it has buttoned up their lip. We’re thrilled to report that Skyfall director Sam Mendes agreed to return (after hemming and hawing for a while). He’s also bringing Bond screenwriter John Logan back into the fold, though Logan reportedly is NOT writing parts 24 and 25 as one long story with the intention of filming them back-to-back. Which is a shame. The Bond franchise has never played around with continuity from film to film (beyond the existence of rival spy groups and the occasional enemy), even though they know that a new movie will reach theaters within two years. Why not give fans a larger story that stretches over multiple films?
The bad news continues. We recently reported that masterful cinematographer Roger Deakins would not be returning to shoot the next Bond, meaning we won’t get brilliant shots like this:
But we will get Craig, and we will get Fiennes as the MI6 head assigning him on a lethal mission. Mendes has his work cut out for him. Skyfall is believed to be, by many, one of the best Bond films of all time – if not THE best. We’re excited to see what they can cook up, and we’ll likely track the production’s progress once it begins in October.
