On Monday, longtime James Bond movie producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson sent out a press release announcing that the 25th film in the franchise, currently untitled, will hit U.S. theaters on November 8, 2019. Notably absent from the press release was any mention of star Daniel Craig, according to Entertainment Weekly.
Interesting. Very interesting.
Craig’s less than enthusiastic comments regarding a return to the 007 franchise are well-covered territory by now as are the rumors that Eon Productions and MGM were considering letting him walk (though whichever studio wins the bidding rights to the series would likely have something to say about that). Craig has more than capably manned the role in four films and 2015’s Spectre, while still a hit with more than $800 million worldwide, was a notable step down both financially and creatively from 2012’s Skyfall, according to Box Office Mojo. While the studio and fans would prefer one last go-around with Craig, it wouldn’t be a shock to see a new secret agent take up the Beretta 418.
Since the press release, however, The New York Times reported that Craig will indeed return for the next James Bond movie. The outlet cites “two people briefed on the matter, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to avoid conflicts with Eon and MGM.” This gives Bond 25 a sense of continuity and an opportunity to say a proper goodbye to one of the most well-received 007s in franchise history.
As of now, the movie does not have a director or cast, but the press release did announce that Neal Purvis and Robert Wade, the screenwriting team behind every Bond script since 1999’s The World is Not Enough, will be back. It will be interesting to see if the movie touches on Britain’s place in the world post-Brexit and if Craig really is on board for another go.
