Or put an inventive director at work, who is less dependent on a large budget but can let his creativity run wild. The first Bondfilms didn’t have a gigantic budget relatively speaken either, but they still looked marvelous and “expensive”.
Real craftsmen like Terence Young together with people like Ken Adam, Syd Cain, John Stears etc.
Surely there must still be people like that?
I’m going to try something a little different here. I believe the production is looking for a younger, lesser-known actor for Bond. I give you: Thomas Doherty
I’m going to be honest, I’d never heard of him before today. He was on the IMDb birthday list, and I thought he had a distinctive look, so I checked him out. He is:
Scottish
31 years old (today)
6’ tall
Which I feel fulfils the most basic criteria. Acting-wise, he got his start in a variety of Disney projects but has since transitioned to teen and then to more grown-up, dramatic roles. He’s considered a rising star and seems to be generally well-regarded as an actor. In particular, he has been noted for his charm, charisma and physicality, which would serve him well as Bond.
If they’re not looking for an established star, I’d say he deserves a screen test.
He surely looks like the part.
Of the current names mentioned he’s maybe the one looking most like the part, going by this pic (at first I thought this was an AI Bond). One would have to see him in one of these role to judge whether a casting would be appropriate. I should think his agent would surely be on the case already - especially if they really haven’t decided yet.
I’m pretty sure it’s not an AI pic; I harvested it from the wilds of Instagram via Google image search.
This is the challenge with the idea of casting a lesser-known actor, at least from a fan perspective: what are you actually judging them on?
For now, the best I can find is a clip compilation from The Invitation, a horror film that doesn’t seem to be particularly well-regarded. There’s about 17 minutes of footage focused on his character. It’s fairly rough and heavily edited, and your tolerance may vary—I didn’t get very far with it. But the garden party scene at 1:53 definitely shows some potential. The suit, the attitude, and the accent (he’s naturally very Scottish) work as a solid showcase for how he might carry Bond.
Other than that, Paradise might be something to look at. Doherty joins the second series, playing a mysterious figure. I’m not familiar with the series myself, so I can’t offer much more insight yet, but it may be worth a look as a more recent and potentially more substantial role.
Some angles his face looks eerily like a young Connery. Not sure Amazon would look specifically for such a resemblance but it would certainly help with the fans.
A slightly odd non-statement here from Amazon MGM Studios:
“The search for the next James Bond is underway. While we don’t plan to comment on specific details during the casting process, we’re excited to share more news with 007 fans as soon as the time is right.”
Update: guess it’s just confirming this Variety story that auditions are officially underway.
Here we go. Things starting to feel more real now.
Grab the popcorn
Wouldn’t this mean that the script is complete ?
I’d say no. But the story direction is probably decided with a workable draft and character profiles. All we can do is trust the casting process, even though it’s nervous hoping they get it right. It’s what we need to get through if the franchise is to continue.
Given that these films usually have writers on set continually tinkering, one could argue that the script isn’t complete until the final edit.
There’s been that non-story on The Rest Is Entertainment last week that pushed Elordi’s case with the bookies. Every time something like that happens it’s usually because someone put money in a specific outcome - odds against/odds for - on a specific date, not the final outcome. Good to see things are going on and nothing’s been decided yet.
Many editors and directors would strongly argue the film is getting another re-write as it’s being edited.
Exactly.
And since this bloke called Bond is not exactly a new character, casting can (officially) begin without any script.
If this whole thing is not a smoke screen (and the actor is already chosen - remember Craig?) the script will have to be tailored to the new guy anyway.
Many drafts will have been written at this point - and judging from previous Bond productions all might be thrown out anyway to start fresh with tons of different writers. Knight will keep a credit, of course.
One thing I always tell people is that bookies want you betting on the wrong horse; it’s how they make their money.
The other thing I always tell people is that I don’t know sport, but I do know Bond. And I wouldn’t bet on the next Bond.
With Craig they had a clear vision that they wanted someone who could come across as young and brutal at the same time.
I would say Casino Royale called for Craig. Not the other way around.
I’m not sure how much sense it would make to choose an actor when the script isn’t done
Depends. Maybe they are now at a stage where they have to decide how to go onwards with the script. And that might depend on who ends up as Bond. Not just ‘young’ or ‘athletic’ but the concrete personality they want?
Agreed. With real deal screen tests happening it’s a blank canvass. It’s possible for any actor invited along to capture the attention of casting agents and jump up into estimations. The real answer is ‘as long as it takes’, but I’m wondering how long this process will be.
