Ways to Mark 007 Day As the Next 007 Stays a Mystery?
Arriving this weekend is James Bond Day, in case you missed it – 5 October is recognized as a worldwide celebration focused on the world of 007, thanks to it marking the date of the world premiere of the first Bond film, with Sean Connery, in the year 1962. Consider it as a bit like Star Wars Day, but with less Wookiees and Ewoks and an abundance of elegant confidence.
A Subdued Event Now
Yet this time around, the advent of James Bond Day feels rather anticlimactic. Not long has passed after the acclaimed director was confirmed to helm the future installment back in June, and not long afterwards when Peaky Blinders’ Steven Knight was hired to pen the screenplay. But there’s been almost no indication afterwards of the new 007 being officially announced, and very little idea about the direction this long-running series will proceed. The only information is industry speculation from entertainment outlets implying that the creative team are seeking a relatively youthful UK performer, who might be a person of colour but is not going to be female, an established star, or anyone slightly known.
Disappointment for Bookmakers
Undoubtedly, this represents disappointing news for the many internet betting sites which have making a pretty penny over recent months out of trying to convince bettors that the selection process is involving a shortlist of actors plus the charismatic star from Saltburn with Australian origins.
Going Back to Newcomers
Notably, the last time the movie franchise actually went for an absolute newcomer was in 1969, as George Lazenby briefly took up the famous firearm. Before that, the original Bond certainly wasn’t a star: he had had a few minor film roles and done a bit of theater and modeling jobs as well as working in fitness and milk delivery in his hometown prior to accepting the lead role in the debut movie. The creative heads intentionally rejected an established star; they wanted a new face who the public would believe as the real 007, as opposed to an actor playing Bond.
Employing this strategy again might prove to be a brilliant tactic, exactly as it was in the early 1960s.
The Villeneuve Factor
But getting Villeneuve involved indicates that there is no get-out clause at all in case the future agent ends up as unconvincing. Dialling up the exploding pens and double entendres is no longer an option under the guidance of is a serious filmmaker of genre film-making best known for thoughtful science fiction where the dominant feature is deep philosophical tension.
An aggressive type in black tie … Daniel Craig as Bond in Casino Royale.
Fresh Approach for James Bond
Nevertheless, in numerous aspects, hiring Villeneuve provides clear signals we should understand regarding the upcoming post-Craig phase. It's unlikely there will be vehicles that disappear or double entendres, and it's doubtful we'll see Sheriff JW Pepper again shortly. This entire situation is, of course, absolutely fine for those who prefer the secret agent contemporary in style. Yet it fails to indicate how Villeneuve’s take on Britain’s suavest state-sponsored assassin will be unique against earlier agents who immediately preceded him particularly should the next chapter doesn’t choose to take the whole story in the original time period.
Redefining All Chapters
Craig was instantly distinctive as a new kind of elegant secret agent when he arrived in the role in the 2006 film, an aggressive figure in black tie who would avoid at all costs in a stealth vehicle, or trading sex puns with Denise Richards while defusing a nuclear warhead. He made the previous Bond's polished style which recently had been considered by some the finest agent since the original, seem like an imitation Connery badly reheated. This is not unprecedented. Lazenby succeeded Connery temporarily, Brosnan followed the overlooked Dalton, and the silly final Moore films followed brilliantly dead-eyed and callous early Roger Moore. Each Bond period reshapes the previous, however, every version remains distinctively James Bond 007, and worth raising a glass to. It feels odd, as we apparently celebrate this year’s Bond Day, that we are asked to toast one who remains unidentified.
