4 ms·

While I prefer a Bond movie, after seeing how Amazon handled Jack Reacher, they might be able to do some sort of mini-series. As long as James Bond is a white,

While I prefer a Bond movie, after seeing how Amazon handled Jack Reacher, they might be able to do some sort of mini-series. As long as James Bond is a white, British male. You can't change the character after all this time, just for the sake of changing it. If they want to make someone else "007," fine, since someone will get the license Bond retires or gets killed.

EliRivers 2y ago
What if they changed the character, not for the sake of changing it, but to bring out something new and interesting and creative that produced an overall better viewing experience?
- piva00 2y ago
  Yup, for example: I'd love to see what a good writing of a Bond played by Idris Elba would look like. The only requirement is good writing which seems to not be incentivised much in this world of lame data-driven corporations dictating taste.
  - spockz 2y ago
    I think a run with Idris Elba would be wonderful. But I’m not sure how they will pull it off at all. The original Bond was stereotypical of how women were treated, for Queen and Country. The Daniel Craig reboot made Bond have a soul and conscience, and more depth in character. This was also aided by more time having passed and the world’s theater changed accordingly. Where can go that won’t be a repeat of what Daniel Craig did? Go in the past or future?
    - piva00 2y ago
      Going to the future could be interesting, exploring a bit more of sci-fi, a more Star Trek-y society where social justice isn't as large of an issue, new technologies of terror from a Bond villain marrying with Black Mirror-esque future. I could see this working broadly without triggering the neo-cons sensibilities about whatever they call "wokeness" but being able to explore cultural acceptance, horrors of new technology, etc.
    - vouaobrasil 2y ago
      > Where can go that won’t be a repeat of what Daniel Craig did? Go in the past or future? Why not just repeat Craig style? It would still be entertaining and I'd be happy without anything "new".
    - tonyedgecombe 2y ago
      >I think a run with Idris Elba would be wonderful. I'd have liked to see that but I think it's probably too late now, he is only four years younger than Craig.
superultra 2y ago
If you read the article you would’ve seen that Brocolli is fine with a non-white and/or gay person playing Bond; they have to be British and male though. I think that’s the a good tact to take. Let’s not pretend that Bond as a character hasn’t changed over the decades. A good approach is how Machine Games approached Indiana Jones. The older movies, especially Temple, have some really uncomfortable scenes with women and Asian people. So they opted instead to portray Indy as we remember him, which is a gruff everyman who respects cultures and people and hates facists. Bond can be done the same way right
- 5555624 2y ago
  I understand Brocolli is fine with it. (I didn't say he wasn't.) I just don't see changing Bond's sex or race. Bond is an established character. if you want, say, an Asian female secret agent, come up with a new character.
  - mrkpdl 2y ago
    > I understand Brocolli is fine with it. (I didn't say he wasn't.) I just don't see changing Bond's sex or race. Your comment changed Brocolli from a ‘she’ to a ‘he’ though… So maybe you don’t mind so much after all?
  - superultra 2y ago
    Maybe you skimmed too quickly. Brocolli is a woman - that’s made abundantly clear throughout the article - and she also is adamant about maintaining the gender of the character. It appears that race (and sexual orientation) is not a key component of Bond for the family, and I agree with them. Why would it? I think a gay black British man would do very well. The original Bond, both in the books and the older movies, despite the misogyny apparent of the time, also broke a lot of stereotypes for sex and licentiousness. Pushing those boundaries has been key to Bond for a long time. Why not a gay black man then, to hold to the same spirit.
- duskwuff 2y ago
  > The older movies, especially Temple, have some really uncomfortable scenes with women and Asian people. Good lord, yes. Temple of Doom received criticism for its racist depiction of India even when it came out in 1984; it's downright uncomfortable to watch today.
rchaud 2y ago
So I take it you skipped the Sean Connery films then?
- roryirvine 2y ago
  Er, Sean Connery was also a white, British male. Sure, he may not have visited Britain often in his later years, but that was for tax reasons and doesn't change where he was born.
  - rchaud 2y ago
    Er, no, Sean Connery was born and raised in Scotland. He literally had a tattoo that reads "Scotland Forever". Entirely different culture and history and relationship with the British military/imperial apparatus than Bond represents.
    - roryirvine 2y ago
      The demonym 'British' covers people from all four countries of the UK, including Scotland. Are you perhaps confusing British with English?
    - deleted 2y ago
      [deleted]
    - blibble 2y ago
      Scotland was very much a driving force in the empire Ireland too
- 5555624 2y ago
  Don't confuse the actor and the character. While Connery was not British, Bond was.
  - dageshi 2y ago
    Connery was British, he was from the British Isles, hence British.

EliRivers 2y ago

What if they changed the character, not for the sake of changing it, but to bring out something new and interesting and creative that produced an overall better viewing experience?

piva00 2y ago
Yup, for example: I'd love to see what a good writing of a Bond played by Idris Elba would look like. The only requirement is good writing which seems to not be incentivised much in this world of lame data-driven corporations dictating taste.
- spockz 2y ago
  I think a run with Idris Elba would be wonderful. But I’m not sure how they will pull it off at all. The original Bond was stereotypical of how women were treated, for Queen and Country. The Daniel Craig reboot made Bond have a soul and conscience, and more depth in character. This was also aided by more time having passed and the world’s theater changed accordingly. Where can go that won’t be a repeat of what Daniel Craig did? Go in the past or future?
  - piva00 2y ago
    Going to the future could be interesting, exploring a bit more of sci-fi, a more Star Trek-y society where social justice isn't as large of an issue, new technologies of terror from a Bond villain marrying with Black Mirror-esque future. I could see this working broadly without triggering the neo-cons sensibilities about whatever they call "wokeness" but being able to explore cultural acceptance, horrors of new technology, etc.
  - vouaobrasil 2y ago
    > Where can go that won’t be a repeat of what Daniel Craig did? Go in the past or future? Why not just repeat Craig style? It would still be entertaining and I'd be happy without anything "new".
  - tonyedgecombe 2y ago
    >I think a run with Idris Elba would be wonderful. I'd have liked to see that but I think it's probably too late now, he is only four years younger than Craig.

superultra 2y ago

If you read the article you would’ve seen that Brocolli is fine with a non-white and/or gay person playing Bond; they have to be British and male though. I think that’s the a good tact to take. Let’s not pretend that Bond as a character hasn’t changed over the decades. A good approach is how Machine Games approached Indiana Jones. The older movies, especially Temple, have some really uncomfortable scenes with women and Asian people. So they opted instead to portray Indy as we remember him, which is a gruff everyman who respects cultures and people and hates facists. Bond can be done the same way right

5555624 2y ago
I understand Brocolli is fine with it. (I didn't say he wasn't.) I just don't see changing Bond's sex or race. Bond is an established character. if you want, say, an Asian female secret agent, come up with a new character.
- mrkpdl 2y ago
  > I understand Brocolli is fine with it. (I didn't say he wasn't.) I just don't see changing Bond's sex or race. Your comment changed Brocolli from a ‘she’ to a ‘he’ though… So maybe you don’t mind so much after all?
- superultra 2y ago
  Maybe you skimmed too quickly. Brocolli is a woman - that’s made abundantly clear throughout the article - and she also is adamant about maintaining the gender of the character. It appears that race (and sexual orientation) is not a key component of Bond for the family, and I agree with them. Why would it? I think a gay black British man would do very well. The original Bond, both in the books and the older movies, despite the misogyny apparent of the time, also broke a lot of stereotypes for sex and licentiousness. Pushing those boundaries has been key to Bond for a long time. Why not a gay black man then, to hold to the same spirit.
duskwuff 2y ago
> The older movies, especially Temple, have some really uncomfortable scenes with women and Asian people. Good lord, yes. Temple of Doom received criticism for its racist depiction of India even when it came out in 1984; it's downright uncomfortable to watch today.

rchaud 2y ago

So I take it you skipped the Sean Connery films then?

roryirvine 2y ago
Er, Sean Connery was also a white, British male. Sure, he may not have visited Britain often in his later years, but that was for tax reasons and doesn't change where he was born.
- rchaud 2y ago
  Er, no, Sean Connery was born and raised in Scotland. He literally had a tattoo that reads "Scotland Forever". Entirely different culture and history and relationship with the British military/imperial apparatus than Bond represents.
  - roryirvine 2y ago
    The demonym 'British' covers people from all four countries of the UK, including Scotland. Are you perhaps confusing British with English?
  - deleted 2y ago
    [deleted]
  - blibble 2y ago
    Scotland was very much a driving force in the empire Ireland too
5555624 2y ago
Don't confuse the actor and the character. While Connery was not British, Bond was.
- dageshi 2y ago
  Connery was British, he was from the British Isles, hence British.