Barbara Broccolo says that James Bond is "evolving" along with real-life men.
Barbara Brocolli on casting the next James Bond
The 62-year-old producer has headed up the '007' film franchise through Eon Productions along with her half-brother Michael G. Wilson since her late father Cubby handed control of the business in 1995 and has so far cast Pierce Brosnan and Daniel Craig - who bowed out of the role back in 2021 after 15 years - as the titular spy character but explained that the next Bond will be a "couple of years" away.
She said: "The thing is, it’s going to be a couple of years off. And when we cast Bond, it’s a 10-, 12-year commitment. So he’s probably thinking, ‘Do I really want that thing? Not everybody wants to do that. It was hard enough getting [Daniel Craig to do it]. A lot of people think, ‘Oh yeah, it’d be fun to do one!' Well. That ain’t gonna work!"
Michael added: "It’s a big investment for us, too, to bring out a new Bond!"
Barbara went on to explain that finding an actor to take on the role of the spy movie legend is more than just re-casting a role and is more about finding someone who can "re-invent" the part altogehter.
In the joint interview, she told Variety: "That’s why, when people go, ‘Oh, who are you going to get?’ it’s not just about casting an actor for a film. It’s about a reinvention, and ‘Where are we taking it? What do we want to do with the character?’” says Broccoli. “And then, once we figure that out, who’s the right person for that particular reinvention? With [Craig], when we had the conversation at this very table about, you know, [whether he was] going to do it, he said, ‘Well, I’m going to do it. I really want to be a part of it, the whole thing.’ And he lived to regret that! But it’s a big commitment. It’s not just showing up for a couple of months of filming.
"It’s an evolution. Bond is evolving just as men are evolving. I don’t know who’s evolving at a faster pace."
Tagged in Daniel Craig James Bond Pierce Brosnan