James Bond Producers Say The New 007 Must Commit For A Decade: "Not Everybody Wants To Do That"

Barbara Broccoli says that James Bond is "evolving" along with real-life men.

Broccoli has headed up the 007 film franchise through Eon Productions along with her half-brother Michael G Wilson since her late father Cubby handed them control of the business in 1995.

Broccoli and Wilson worked with Pierce Brosnan on four Bond movies — 1995's GoldenEye, 1997's Tomorrow Never Dies, 1999's The World is Not Enough, and 2002's Die Another Day — before hiring Daniel Craig for 2006's Casino Royale. Craig bowed out of the role in last year's No Time to Die, his fifth Bond outing.  

The half-siblings are now on the lookout for the next James Bond. 

Speaking to Variety, Broccoli said: "The thing is, it’s going to be a couple of years off. And when we cast Bond, it’s a 10-, 12-year commitment. So he’s probably thinking, ‘Do I really want that thing?' Not everybody wants to do that. It was hard enough getting [Daniel Craig to do it]. A lot of people think, ‘Oh yeah, it’d be fun to do one!' Well. That ain’t gonna work!"

Wilson added: "It’s a big investment for us, too, to bring out a new Bond!"

Broccoli went on to explain that finding an actor to take on the role of the spy movie legend is more than just re-casting a role and is more about finding someone who can "re-invent" the part altogether.

She explained:  "That’s why, when people go, ‘Oh, who are you going to get?’ it’s not just about casting an actor for a film. It’s about a reinvention, and ‘Where are we taking it? What do we want to do with the character?’”

“And then, once we figure that out, who’s the right person for that particular reinvention? With [Craig], when we had the conversation at this very table about, you know, [whether he was] going to do it, he said, ‘Well, I’m going to do it. I really want to be a part of it, the whole thing.’ And he lived to regret that! But it’s a big commitment. It’s not just showing up for a couple of months of filming.

"It’s an evolution. Bond is evolving just as men are evolving. I don’t know who’s evolving at a faster pace."

All the James Bond movies — including the latest, No Time to Die — are now streaming on Amazon Prime Video.— BANG SHOWBIZ

Photo: TPG News/Click Photos