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Fans of the James Bond franchise will have to wait a little longer to see Agent 007 in action again after producer Barabara Broccoli revealed that there are at least 2 more years left before the next movie starts filming. She also clarified that no actor is in the running yet since they are still figuring out how to reinvent the character.
As a way to change from the sophisticated approach from the Daniel Craig era, Broccoli and her team probably have a few ideas already and so do fans. On Reddit, many have come up with solid suggestions on how the next phase of Bond movies should be structured. And while some of the suggestions might seem odd, they just might work.
Focus On Standalone Tales
In the 21st century, most franchises have adopted a series structure. However, Jordan11HFP11 thinks the next phase of Bond movies should focus on one-off stories that “don’t carry weight to the next one.”
The Redditor’s suggestion is a concrete one because the attempt to tie all Craig-era movies together didn’t work well. Quantum Of Solace and Spectre were poor follow-ups to brilliant movies while Blofeld as an overarching villain ended up being weaker than his underlings. It’s no surprise that he is currently not considered one of Daniel Craig’s best Bond villains and for that reason, giving each future movie a conclusive story would be for the best.
Reimagine The Old Villains
Redditor lux9000 likes a scenario where old villains are reimagined. They give an example of Auric Goldfinger, saying that “this time he can try to do something dastardly like manipulating cryptocurrency or something.”
It’s a risky move that might lead to the usual outcry about “ruining the classics,” but it might as well be what audiences enjoy. After all, the earliest Bond villains are considered the best, yet the current generation never had the chance to watch them. Having Auric Goldfinger or Dr. Julius No coming up with more complex schemes in the modern world might be a risk worth taking.
Revive The Pre-Craig Continuity
Before the Craig era, Bond was the same person being portrayed by different actors and appearing in a floating timeline. According to yellowwarmy79, this was good. The Redditor thinks they should “could continue the loose continuity from Connery to Brosnan.”
It’s a formula that has worked before and a formula that could work again. No explanation has to be given on why a different-looking James Bond is being sent on a mission, but the story just gets underway. This will also make it possible for some of the best James Bond supporting characters from previous movies to make an appearance once again.
Make It An Action-Comedy
Character-Carpet7988 thinks the Craig movies have been a bit too dark. They say the production team should “make action sequences more fun, camp and bit over the top,” adding “I much prefer Bond throwing a tray on someone than endless shooting.”
Such is the tone the franchise adopted for a long time, and it wouldn’t hurt to go that route again. Instead of Blofeld simply dying in a holding cell as he does after his interaction with Craig’s Bond, fans could be treated to more ridiculous death such as him getting dropped into an industrial chimney. Most modern espionage movies are dark anyway, and in order to differentiate itself, the Bond franchise can dive deeper into the comedy genre.
Maintain The Craig-Era Continuity
Another way the franchise can move forward is by continuing the current story with all the same characters but a new Bond actor. Jyumlsong believes this could work because “there was no corpse” when Craig’s Bond died.
The recasting of key characters has also been done many times throughout the history of Hollywood. Furthermore, Madeline’s last line, “Let me tell you a story about a man named James Bond,” also lays out the path for a chronicle type of storytelling. She could serve as a narrator and tell new stories about Craig’s Bond.
Avoid Globetrotting
Some of the recent plots haven’t felt grounded because Bond moves from country to country a bit too much. If he could stay in one country for lengthy periods of time, the overall production budget will be lower, and the story will become more focused.
A ’50s Setting
In the fanbase, there is a desire for old-fashioned spycraft, too. Redditor pvqccd3 confesses they’d “love to see a Bond set in the 1950s, much closer to Fleming’s own Bond.”
Ian Fleming’s Bond had a lot of fun chasing after baddies in the ’50s, and there’s no harm in granting him the opportunity to do so again. After all, earlier movies like Goldfinger and Dr. No are set around this time period, yet they are still considered iconic to date. From great costumes to absurd gadgets, a period Bond movie could be refreshing.
Focus On Global Events
Kiiroi_Senko thinks it would be good if the next Bond movies tailored themselves around real-life happenings. They point to the “civil war in Syria” as an example of a scenario where Bond would fit in.
The franchise has hardly acknowledged world events in recent times, but maybe that’s what it needs to shake things up. Even mentioning real-life world leaders could make events feel a little more realistic. It could incorporate Bond as part of an MI6 mission to stop an ongoing war or settle a global crisis that’s currently taking place.
Explore Bond’s Pre-007 Days
There’s an opportunity to examine Bond’s younger years, too. DrRexMorman suggests “a Crown-style James Bond show that follows the character through more muted adventures as a young agent to middle age.”
It would be interesting to see what Bond was up to before he attained 007 status. The story can start with Bond’s time in the military and then focus on him being a promising agent rather than an established one. There’s an opportunity for a straight-up origin story too, ending when Bond finally attains 007 status.
An Anthology By Different Directors
MeuShane feels that since a good number of the best new Hollywood directors have expressed their desire to make a Bond movie, they should all be allowed to do it as per their own vision. They give an example where “Edgar Wright could make a classic-era movie set in the ’60s while Nolan could make the high concept ones that he loves to do.”
It’s a brilliant suggestion because it creates room for experimentation. The franchise can easily switch genres from installment to installment with Nolan making a smart sci-fi Bond movie, whereas Quentin Tarantino can make a Western Bond movie set in the Civil War era. Such a direction also makes it easy to pull the plug early. In case the reception isn’t good after two movies, the producers can go back to the drawing board.
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