The James Bond franchise has had many variations over the years, all originating from British author Ian Fleming’s novels, where he introduced 007 in his 1953 novel Casino Royale. The film franchise began with Albert R. “Cubby” Broccoli and Harry Saltzman, who purchased the screen rights and created Eon Productions in 1961, with the first movie, Dr. No, arriving in 1962. Now, Amazon is taking on the legendary property, and the race for the next Bond is on.
Pierce Brosnan and Judi Dench have given their thoughts on the franchise, including the upcoming Amazon MGM Studios adaptation and who should get the shaken-and-not-stirred Martini. In an interview with Vanity Fair, the former 007, Brosnan, weighed in on the hotly debated casting battle between British actors for the new Bond movies. Brosnan backed his favorite candidate and stated:
“Oh, I’m just an audience member now. I’m just the man in the street who is eager to see who is going to play this epic role of cinematic history. All the men who are on the list now are actors I admire. Callum Turner is someone I’ve worked with, and he’s so strong. They all have a voice, a physique, and a presence on film. They all have longevity as actors, all of these young men.”
“Oh, I’m just an audience member now. I’m just the man in the street who is eager to see who is going to play this epic role of cinematic history. All the men who are on the list now are actors I admire. Callum Turner is someone I’ve worked with, and he’s so strong. They all have a voice, a physique, and a presence on film. They all have longevity as actors, all of these young men.”
Brosnan played James Bond in four Eon Productions films from 1995 to 2002, and helped to revive the franchise after a six-year hiatus. He was initially offered the role of the British secret agent in 1986, but had to fulfill his obligations with a TV series titled Remington Steele. Timothy Dalton took on the role for the two movies, The Living Daylights and Licence to Kill. Brosnan portrayed Bond in GoldenEye, Tomorrow Never Dies, The World Is Not Enough, and Die Another Day.
Brosnan also voiced, and his likeness was scanned for James Bond video games, including the Nintendo 64 title GoldenEye 007. He later exited the role as Bond and paved the way for Daniel Craig to take it on in 2006. Brosnan backing Turner, known for Eternity, is a surprising turn of events due to Slow Horses‘s star Jack Lowden being the usual top choice according to many betting sites and ScreenRant‘s own poll.
Dench is known for portraying James Bond’s MI5 boss M in eight Bond movies, which began with GoldenEye (1995) and ended with Skyfall (2012), as well as a brief cameo in Spectre (2015). In an exclusive excerpt from the iconic actress’s memoir Is It Too Late to Make a Run For It?, Variety has shared some snippets where Dench reflects on her career in the Bond franchise. She also reveals her favorite Bond, and how the character’s evolution reflects the times:
“I’ll always have a soft spot for Sean [Connery] because he was the original, but what’s lovely is that both Pierce and Daniel really made it their own. They each have a great sense of humor and can be self-deprecating, which I find very attractive in life, and which I think is an essential quality for Bond.
<p>What I like is the way the character molds around the actor – so much so that I can't then imagine anybody else playing the part. When I first played M, Bond was suave and elegant. He'd order his martinis and pass through fights almost effortlessly, emerging with hardly a scratch on his face or a mark on his Savile Row suit. Then gradually – over the course of the eight films I did – Bond became dirtier, more realistic, less of a fantasy figure, I suppose. I don't think the scripts are as witty as they once were, which is perhaps a shame, but then the character moves on – Bond reflects the times."</p> </blockquote>“I’ll always have a soft spot for Sean [Connery] because he was the original, but what’s lovely is that both Pierce and Daniel really made it their own. They each have a great sense of humor and can be self-deprecating, which I find very attractive in life, and which I think is an essential quality for Bond.
What I like is the way the character molds around the actor – so much so that I can’t then imagine anybody else playing the part. When I first played M, Bond was suave and elegant. He’d order his martinis and pass through fights almost effortlessly, emerging with hardly a scratch on his face or a mark on his Savile Row suit. Then gradually – over the course of the eight films I did – Bond became dirtier, more realistic, less of a fantasy figure, I suppose. I don’t think the scripts are as witty as they once were, which is perhaps a shame, but then the character moves on – Bond reflects the times.”
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