The new James Bond will not be chosen until bosses identify a villain for the next 007 movie.
Producer Barbara Broccoli, 62, says her team are “nowhere near” choosing their man, or woman, to replace Daniel Craig, 54.
She reveals: “We sit down with writers and think ‘What is the world afraid of?’ and ‘Who’s the Bond villain?’ That’s really the main focus at the beginning.
“Once we have a sense of where we want to go, then we’ll start thinking about casting. Normally when we’re making a movie, everybody wants to know who’s going to play Bond, who’s the villain, who’s the lady, who’s singing the song. It’s part of the mystique.
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“We’re not just casting someone for one film. We’re casting someone, hopefully, for a decade at least and we’re nowhere near that decision. Multiple pictures over many years – not everybody is willing to do that. You become an ambassador and people recognise you as associated with the character.”
Barbara would not be drawn on who will be 007 – with the likes of Idris Elba, Henry Cavill and Tom Hardy in the mix.
But she did confirm that, after the Queen’s death, Bond would be working for His Majesty’s – rather than Her Majesty’s – Secret Service.