Steven McIntosh, Entertainment reporter
When a bartender asked James Bond in 2006’s Casino Royale whether he’d like his vodka martini shaken or stirred, the irritated spy replied: “Do I look like I give a damn?”
Such throwaway lines were a clever way of signalling to the audience that this was a new era for 007 – and that the film series launched in 1962 was being overhauled with the arrival of Daniel Craig.
Over the next few films, producers struck a balance between nodding to the past while also moving away from some of the cheesier elements of the series, no longer sticking rigidly to all of the tradition and tropes of Bond.
“Were you expecting an exploding pen?” Ben Whishaw’s Q later asked the secret service agent in Skyfall. “We don’t really go in for that anymore.”
Two decades on from Craig’s debut, the series is about to be rebooted once again, with a new actor and new creative team. It’s an exciting time for Bond fans as they wait to see what shape the next era will take. Here’s what we know so far.
When will the next James Bond actor be announced?
After years of speculation, the wheels are firmly in motion and we expect to hear who the new James Bond actor is in November or December.
Speaking in August, producer Amy Pascal told Deadline: “I would say the end of the year is a good bet. We are being really, really methodical.”
The final screen tests reportedly took place in late October, so, unless something unexpected happens, it should not take much longer for producers to make their decision and the actor to sign the contract.
After that, it’s just a matter of how the announcement will be made. In an earlier era, Bond actors were revealed with a traditional photo call or press conference.
But now that the franchise is owned by Amazon MGM, some expect the company to make the announcement via its own Prime Video streaming service.
Who is the new James Bond going to be?
A handful of actors are thought to have made it to the final screen tests to take on Britain’s biggest film role. The three frontrunners are thought to be:
Source: bbc.com