Over the last 10, 15 years our generation of fans - roughly speaking between 50 and 65 - seems to experience a growing estrangement with the series. Some of it is no doubt due to changing perceptions, changing fashions, the general move from spy thriller to generic action adventure. Then there’s been that bizarre self-referential iconography that tried to replicate the series hay-day without finding its way out of the maze it built itself.
And maybe it all just shows how we are slowly growing old-ish and out of touch with where the series is going.
Bond films have always been close to their moment of production. Look at all the posts here about the love people have for the Bond films of their youth. Then add @Stbernard’s comments about how his younger staff responds to the older films. The franchise has endured because the contents of the tool box were always wedded to the moment of their unboxing.
With the pressure on each film becoming greater. If someone doesn’t like a particular instalment there’s a long time between martinis to see if the next movie is more to their liking.
That would be ideal. The momentum the Brosnan era began with.
I’m generally able to embrace a particular era and its style for what it is, be it Moore or Craig. I suspect that will remain true for Bond 7. My passion for the series is still there after all this time. It’s the series itself with its infrequent releases that forced the flame to reduce in size. Once oxygen returns I’m positive the hype will be back - perhaps not exactly like the wonder of my youth, but the next best thing. Once a fan always a fan.
I would love that. A James Bond film every two years would be great! But I fear in these movie-making times that that might not be as realistic as it used to be*. That being said, a Bond film every three years is very doable, and I would be fine with that result if it was a consistent output. But a film every four years or more is too long a gap.
With each passing day, I find myself wondering how on earth the writers are going to deal with the concept of the US as a trusted ally of Bond.
“A whole civilisation will die tonight.”
When we have a megalomaniacal regime hellbent on terrorising the world and punishing its allies - Britain in particular - I just don’t see how dropping Felix into this film will not stretch the limits of credibility to a degree that would make 1979-era Moore raise a couple of eyebrows.
Without going deeper into this as yet, I expect Amazon will likely want to ignore the manifest tides of current affairs and either just hope this will blow over - unlikely - or try to expand its worldbuilding into giving us a sanitised ‘fantasy Bond’ (a Disney version?) from a parallel world where villains don’t hold public office yet and things are essentially still as they used to be. Seriously, what else can they do?
From a corporate perspective there’s also the fact markets have become highly unstable these last six weeks or so. Amazon’s aim will certainly be to exploit their Bond property as much as possible - which would make a Leiter spinoff a no brainer. However, leaning into it may not be the best option at the moment. There is significant risk any emphasis on a US angle might hurt the entire product. A lot longer than current officials and their exploits may hold sway.
Honestly, I don’t envy the producers, Knight or Villeneuve one bit. They’ve been in one of the worst spots with their task, filling giant shoes. And now they are having to do it in a world having gone utterly mad.
Yes, I sympathise enormously. They have a difficult task. Looking the other way and focusing hard on something else may be the only option for the moment. I do wonder how the (re)writing is being shaped by current events.
I believe the release of the next Bond will be pushed back, like all major film productions, considering just the skyrocketing costs of oil and upcoming scarcity of it.
Entirely possible production will either be pushed back year(s?) or have to significantly reshape location and funds use to make up for the added costs. We’re also looking at significant cost of living adjustments due to fuel, fertiliser, food, any oil-related components and products. This would be a cascading effect making life more expensive on a broad range - not necessarily affecting every region with the same force but on a global scale touching livelihoods and thereby changing disposable income.
No chance of an Amazon produced Bond film addressing this, since Bezos is one of the ones donating to the administration.
Personally, I think now more than ever is the perfect time for Bond to face an American Billionaire as the primary villain. Not an analogue for Trump, Bezos or Zuckerberg, but someone who could sit at the same table as them. But I find it unlikely that this would happen either.
No Amazon product is going to seriously challenge the regime; that’s been the entire point of the tech-oligarchy aligning with them. Amazon will very likely aim to reboot Bond two or even three steps removed from reality even if it means to ignore current events. Of course that doesn’t mean audiences would do the same…
But as long as it’s humanly possible to pretend nothing were wrong that’s what Amazon’s mission brief is going to be: act normal, look innocent.
