After a very long wait,Daniel Craigfinally confirmed his return forJames Bond 25last month after seemingly endless speculation on the matter. That means that the upcoming installment of the long-running franchise is going to have a bit more of the same before passing the torch to another actor down the road. But could the franchise begetting some new perspectiveas well in the form of a female director? According to producer Barbara Broccoli, it is absolutely something that they would consider.
Barbara Broccoli, who has been in control of theJames Bondmovies along with Eon Productions ever since her father, Albert “Cubby” Broccoli passed away, recently spoke withScreen Dailyabout her upcoming movieFilm Stars Don’t Die in Liverpool. During the conversation, she was asked about whether or not she would consider having a female director helm aJames Bondmovie in the future. Her answer was short, but definitive.
“Of course.”
NoJames Bondmovie has ever been helmed by a female director in the more than 50 years that the franchise has been around. Granted, the007 serieshas never been particularly modern when it comes to thetitle character’s treatment of the opposite sex. As Judi Dench pointed out inGoldeneye, Bond is a “sexist, misogynist dinosaur. A relic of the Cold War.” But Hollywood is changing and for theJames Bondfranchise to continue beyondJames Bond 25, things will need to change. Bringing in a female director would certainly be a way to do that. Barbara Broccoli also discussed diversity in the film industry, which she feels is important both in front of and behind the camera.
“There are a lot of women working on this production [Film Stars] which pleases me very much. It’s incredibly important to support change in front of and behind the camera. I love working with women. It’s a different vibe.”
So, could we possibly see a female director forJames Bond 25? It isn’t overly likely, but we can’t totally rule it out. Sam Mendes, who directed bothSkyfallandSpectre, isn’t going to return for the next installment. However, it has already been revealed that Yann Demange (‘71), David Mackenzie (Hell or High Water) and Denis Villeneuve (Arrival) are the top choices forJames Bond 25, with Demange rumored to be the frontrunner. Though, the actual choice hasn’t been revealed yet, but we should be hearing some official news shortly sinceJames Bond 25is slated for release on July 04, 2025.
Movies likeWonder Woman, which was directed by Patty Jenkins, are going to change the landscape of major blockbusters in the years to come. Jenkins and other female directors like Ava Duvernay (Selma) are leading the charge and we will see more female directors tackling major franchises in the future. Will theJames Bond franchisebe one of the next to let a female director take the helm? If Barbara Broccoli remains in charge, there’s a decent chance of that happening in the future.
