The next James Bond, whose new face still remains a mystery, will now serve "King and country", explained its producers on Wednesday, who have not yet started discussions with Amazon on the future of agent 007. "We are just starting our relationship with Amazon", which bought the rights to the franchise from the MGM studio, Barbara Broccoli, the historical producer of the adventures of the spy with legendary phlegm, told AFP.
“We haven't started discussing the next movie yet.
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Ms. Broccoli and her half-brother, Michael Wilson, were honored on Wednesday for their contribution to Hollywood, during a ceremony where they left their footprints in cement in front of the illustrious Chinese Theater.
The opportunity for them to maintain the mystery about the future of James Bond: since "Dying can wait" in 2021, the final act of Daniel Craig, which considerably jostled the character, speculations are rife on his succession .
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"We are not going to rest on our laurels and keep the same formula," assured Ms. Broccoli, heiress to the franchise of her father Albert "Cubby" Broccoli, the producer who began adapting Ian Fleming's novels to the screen 60 years ago.
The choice of Daniel Craig, to embody a blonde 007 and much rougher than his predecessors, had initially created controversy.
But the five films made during his mission set box office records: the opus "Skyfall" in particular generated more than a billion dollars in 2012.
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To replace it, everything seems possible.
Could James Bond be embodied by the first black actor in the franchise, as some fans wish?
Or could a woman put on her costume, as Ms. Broccoli has already suggested?
The producer maintains the suspense: “there are certain immutable elements” in this spy saga, she underlined.
“The main character of James Bond is the most important element of the films and we believe he is incorruptible, serving the Queen, and now King and country.
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MGM acquired by Amazon
Eon, the Broccoli family company, has managed to retain significant control over the adventures of the secret agent, star of 25 films so far.
Barbara Broccoli and Michael Wilson have presided over 007's cinematic destiny since "GoldenEye", released in 1995, a year before their father's death.
Historically, Eon shared the profits of the franchise with the MGM studio, which had signed a complex agreement to have the right to finance and distribute the films.
But MGM was acquired by Amazon in March for $8.5 billion.
And concerning James Bond, it is no longer the legendary studio that is in control, but the tech giant, which has launched its own streaming platform.
