It’s been a long silent wait for Bond fans.
Since Spectre everyone has been waiting for some information about when James Bond will return. We know he will, but the question of ‘when’ has been a tough answer to get.
Bond news have pretty much gone silent for quite a long time now. Desperate for any kind of Bond updates fans have been forced to speculate, let rumors ignite and just tap their toes waiting for something…anything from EON about when 007 will show up again.
Well, finally the official word has come down that Bond 25 will happen and fans will see it in November 2019.
Hearing that is kind of comforting. I was getting really sick of seeing the speculative hollow rumors that have been popping up since Spectre came out in November 2015. It’s been exhausting to read. “Craig is quitting” “New Bond Candidates Are – Idris Elba, Gillian Anderson, Tom Hardy, Tom Hiddleston, Michael Fassbender”. “Craig says he’d rather cut his wrists than do another Bond movie”. “EON wants to do a 007 Expanded Universe of movies”. “They offered Craig half a billion dollars to return”. And on and on and on.
I don’t really pay much attention to any of these rumors that have sprouted up in the last year or two about 007. I guess they’re amusing as a little meaningless time diversion, but I figure most of them are just click-bait articles that don’t really offer anything really newsworthy to report. I was waiting for something official from EON, and now we have it.
So, Bond 25 will be released in the U.S. on November 8, 2019 and the rest of the world will get to see it earlier ’cause they’re better than us in the U.S. I guess.
Aside from the release date the only other information given is that Neal Purvis and Robert Wade will be writing the script.
This shouldn’t come as much of a surprise. Purvis and Wade have been working on the Bond movies since 1999’s The World Is Not Enough and I don’t think any Bond fans thought they wouldn’t once again be associated with Bond 25. They’ve gotten a bit of criticism throughout their Bond tenure, with some fans feeling EON would be better to drop them, but that doesn’t seem to be happening – at least for Bond 25.
Other than that, that’s all we know at this point. The cast, the director and the big question of whether Daniel Craig is returning – there is zero information about any of that regardless of what any website, blog or entertainment show says.
The announcement by EON basically said, “We’ll let you guys know all about that stuff later”. So, we’re going to have to wait for that news. Until then I’m sure the rumors and creative speculation will pick up from there fueling even more unconfirmed stories until something official is announced.
If I had to to make a prediction (and why not since everyone else is, but I’ll preface it by saying it’s just my guess and I admit I have no inside sources feeding me intel) is that Craig will return and this will be his final Bond film.
Since Skyfall I always had it in my head he was going to do two more films. I could swear I remember him saying that in some interview! I’ve had that branded in my brain and I haven’t been able to shake it, no matter what I’ve read.
It seems Barbara Broccoli really wants him to stick around and she’s willing to do anything to keep him. He’s had time to do other work, he did some stage work, he’s got Logan Lucky coming out. His time away from Bond will make it feel more inviting for him to return. Unlike when he was promoting Spectre and just having finished it when he made that slashing his wrists comment.
His Bond tenure has been pretty rocky with all the behind-the-scenes troubles with studios and delays. I feel he got cheated with so many issues plaguing the series since he signed on. But even more importantly, Bond fans have had to wait for Bond films in a much more haphazard release time than what should have happened.
I think had things run smooth with EON and their studio partnerships, specifically with MGM, we could have possibly seen Craig’s fifth Bond film already. He’s been Bond since 2006. By the time Bond 25 is released it will have been thirteen years of him serving as 007. I think he could have gotten more films done if there were no studio issues and if of course he was motivated to do them.
What’s odd to me is I think back to 2006 when Craig was the younger, stronger Bond coming in to rescue the series with Casino Royale. There he was replacing 49-year-old Pierce Brosnan in Die Another Day. Now Craig will be 51-years-old by the time Bond 25 is released. Not that I think his age is much of a factor as others do. To me, if he still looks cool and fit by all means keep going.
I do think they painted themselves in a bit of a corner with the story of Spectre as to how things will continue with Bond 25. It isn’t a story I’m very excited to see more of. I’d prefer a standalone Bond adventure from Craig, but that would just confuse audiences who have been infected with ‘sequel sickness and movie universe building’ and would be confused if Bond 25 veered away from what went down in Spectre.
They don’t have to worry, I’m banking that EON is sticking with their decision of making a continuity between all of Craig’s movies. I would have preferred to have heard some fresher blood was coming onboard rather than Purvis and Wade, but like I said I kind of expected them to return.
I also suspect that everything has been ironed out with Craig to return as Bond for some time now and they made a conscious decision to not make it official just yet. Maybe they’re waiting closer to the start of filming or until Craig is done promoting Logan Lucky to reveal the news. They might even like all the attention they’re getting from the endless speculation about whether Craig is returning. It certainly drums up awareness that a new Bond movie is coming down the pike. They might just want to milk all that free press as long as possible.
Also I’m curious as to what EON and MGM have worked out with a distributor. No mention of that anywhere and that has been a big cause of headaches for the Bond films. Apparently they resolved that for at least one movie.
So, what do you think? Is Craig returning? Will Bond 25 be his last one or does he possibly have more Bond adventures in him after this? Is Bond 25 going to be a direct follow-up to Spectre with Léa Seydoux and Christoph Waltz coming back and Dave Bautista perhaps making a looming henchman return appearance?
Bond 25 won’t possibly ignore all that came before with Craig’s movies will it? Could it just be a random, final, last hurrah mission for Craig? Could they possibly be considering killing him off before another new Bond arrives?
And what if Craig doesn’t return? Instead of Bond 25 being Craig’s swan song as 007 could it be the introduction to a brand new Bond??? Are fans ready to see Craig leave and greet a new younger 007 to join Ralph Fienns, Naomie Harris and Ben Whishaw? Are we prepared for all the fan theorizing and opinions of who should take over the role?
Hopefully we’ll get some more answers soon. Until then, let the guessing continue! Just don’t take too much of it seriously until it’s official.
I believe Craig will return but it will be his last Bond if he does. As you said, its been over a decade and Craigs tenor has been uneven at best. I think he should try to get one more good Bond movie before he hangs up the PPK.
Ya know, Craig has Star Trek Luck. With Craig, it seems that the odd numbered movies are the good ones to watch.
If he does come back, I think they will continue the Spectre line. What I think is you’ll see a tepid remake of “On Her Magesty’s Secret Service.” I think Blofeld will kidnap his new love interst to leverage his release in some way. Maybe get revenge, for her father’s betrayl. If you ask me, Waltz was under utilized and wasn’t given to Drax or Stromberg like meglamania. The story seemed too personal.
I hope they bring Dave back as Hinx. His death was so ambigous and HE WORKED. He a Bond villian through and through. Maybe with his injuries, they could make him the new, less goofy, JAWS. A huge killer with prosthetic jaw who doesn’t talk much.
One thing I hope they do dump is the “Why do we need spys in the the modern world” story lines. They welcome has been more overstayed than a “get the point” joke.
I don’t think they’ll kill Bond. They might go for a Killed in the Line of Duty but no body was found type deal. Kinda like the ending of The Dark Knight Rises.
If they do bring in a new Bond, I’d be okay with that. Craig has served his time and did a good job. Hopefully, the next actor won’t put up with a hostile media and hackings from North Korea. Which didn’t help Spectre.
As for fan theories, they’re inevitable at this point. Its the new world we live in. Someone will always think they got the answers. Heck look at my speil above. Do you really think I know what I am talking about?
I feel a tad disappointed that I would have to wait an extra year for a Bond film, but I’d prefer an extra year, and a great Bond film than a half hearted attempt.
I speculate that Craig will come back, he’ll do one more for sure, but I won’t be surprised if he does two more! 2019 is the release year for Bond 25, and that will give EON three years before the 60th anniversary of the series when I really do expect a Bond film. 2022 will be the perfect time to introduce a new actor to the role and create another reboot (or preferibly even go back to loose continuation) But is three years really enough? Will it be more convienient to have Craig finish off his tenure on the 60th Anniversary? Although I feel this will be overkill and as much I love Craig’s interpretation, I really do feel he has only one more Bond film left in him. By 2019 he would already be the longest serving Bond (13 years) and with all theories pointing to a OHMSS type story (with hints of the novel version of You Only Live Twice) one film should tie things up nicely.
Purvis and Wade love OHMSS. They’ve slipped in references and homages to it in a few films they’ve written so I expect more than one or two in the next movie.