Any studio that knows what it’s doing isn’t going to bring in True Detective and Beasts of No Nation director Cary Fukunaga for Bond 25 with the intention of cranking out a by-the-numbers 007 placeholder, and based on the filmmaker’s own recent statements, the helmsman is hoping to strike a balance between honoring the franchise’s past and offering something new and a tad subversive.
Fukunaga elaborated on this idea in an interview with Inquirer.net, in which he explained his intentions to continue Daniel Craig’s arc from previous movies, which in itself means making some changes to the character:
“In terms of what I can bring to change the character, Bond is on a character arc that started with Casino Royale, and I will be carrying that on. There will be changes, I am sure. As in any story, a character has to change in order [to have] a narrative.”
What’s more, while Fukunaga is remaining vague on the details, he’s assured us that a few series traditions will be returning for this next entry.
“Yeah, there will be the things in the Bond-verse that you have come to expect,” he promised. “I can’t say too much, though.”
Though there’s been some gossip lately that Christoph Waltz’s Blofeld and Ben Whishaw’s Q won’t be among these returning elements for the new film, Fukunaga has shot down such hearsay and refused to confirm either way:
“Who is saying those rumors? We haven’t finished the screenplay, so there is no way that anyone could know that. Those are two extraordinary actors, so if there is space for them in the story, I would absolutely want them there. But I don’t know yet what it’s going to be.”
While it could be some time before we learn if either of these actors will be making a return, it’s clear that Fukunaga is a big fan of Craig’s Bond, saying that “he brought an incredible amount of vulnerability and humanity to the character” when he first hit the scene with Casino Royale.
With this upcoming flick looking to be the grand finale for Craig’s five-movie run in the role, the speculation continues to intensifying around the question of who’ll be next to assume the James Bond title, with fans suggesting everyone from Tom Hiddleston to Crazy Rich Asians star Henry Golding. Whoever the studios end up settling on, they’ll have plenty of time to decide before Bond 25 hits theaters on February 14th, 2020.