Historical producers of the “James Bond” saga since 1995, Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson will receive this Thursday, November 14, the Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award, an honorary Oscar from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. A prize that Albert R. Broccoli, known as “Cubby”, Barbara's father, received in 1982 from Roger Moore.
On this occasion, the duo gave an interview to the Associated Press in which they sketched the future of Agent 007. Asked about the inevitable question of who will succeed Daniel Craig and launch a new chapter in the time-honored saga since 1962 to the British secret agent, Barbara Broccoli said: “This is an important decision.”
“Every time we cast a new actor, the films change. It's the excitement of a new Bond, a new direction, said Michael G. Wilson. Each of these actors who accepted the role brought something new and different.”
They have also confirmed that the seventh actor of James Bond will indeed be a man and will probably be in his thirties. He will have to commit for at least ten years. On the other hand, Barbara Broccoli has said nothing, at this stage, about the actor Aaron Taylor-Johnson whose name comes up more and more insistently in specialized circles.
Disturbingly in this interview, Michael G. Wilson, 81, speaks in the past tense about his work on 007. Will he hand over and leave Barbara Broccoli alone in charge? What seems certain is that James Bond will indeed return to the cinema, and not in a series.
The producer affirms that the spy's adventures will be destined for cinemas, despite a rapidly changing world of the 7th Art: “People are playing it safe. I think in times of crisis like this you have to be courageous. It’s definitely a new era in the film industry, so we’re trying to find a solution.”
No production date for “Bond 26” has yet been determined, nor the name of the director who will direct it on behalf of Eon Productions and the Amazon/MGM studio. The final episode to date, “No Time to Die,” was released in 2021.
