James Bond Casting
First, the villain is determined
Daniel Craig had to deal with a dangerous bioweapon in his last adventure as 007.
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In the next James Bond film, the villain will be decided first – a not inconsiderable consideration for the Bond casting.
James Bond fans all over the world are eagerly awaiting the decision as to who will be the next spy in His Majesty’s Secret Service and who will inherit Daniel Craig (54). Barbara Broccoli (62) and Michael G. Wilson (80), the longtime producers of the Agents franchise, but now revealed to the “Hollywood Reporter”that they would actually decide first what threat 007 will face in the new film.
The villain is outlined first
“We start by thinking, ‘Who is the Bond villain?'” said Broccoli, who has helmed the long-running franchise since 1995’s ‘James Bond 007: GoldenEye.’ To that end, Broccoli and Wilson, along with their authors, would consider what the entire world is afraid of right now. This then forms the “over-story” of the next film, according to the producer.
“We have to think about the direction of the Bond films and the storylines and where we want to take them,” said Broccoli. Once the “feeling” has been found for where it’s going, then “we start to think about the casting”. In each of his films, Bond has to face such a “geopolitical problem” that needs to be overcome.