With a new James Bond film in development, questions about the direction of the long-running franchise continue to attract attention. Ben Whishaw, who portrayed Q in Daniel Craig’s final three Bond films, has now shared what he believes the next chapter needs to get right. His comments come as the series prepares to announce the actor playing the new 007.
Ben Whishaw on what the next James Bond movie needs to do
Ben Whishaw believes the next James Bond film needs to take the franchise in an entirely new direction to reflect changes in the world since the previous chapter. The actor, who played MI6’s Q in three movies starring Daniel Craig, believes the filmmakers need to reconsider the character’s place in the modern world.
In an interview with The Sunday Times, Whishaw said, “The world has changed so much since the last Bond film, so you have to find what is relevant about it. I think it needs to be reinvented completely. But it’s not for me to say.” He also made clear that he has moved on from his time in the franchise and does not regularly think about the films. “I rarely think about Bond. That would be weird,” he said.
The actor was also asked about the attention surrounding the search for Daniel Craig’s successor as 007. He acknowledged the intense public interest, saying, “People go crazy about it.” Whishaw then added, “It’s all deliberate hype. When you are working on it, it’s incredibly secretive, almost like being a spy — you only get the pages of the script that you are in. It’s a ploy to create suspense and glamour, but it’s kind of fun.”
Whishaw appeared as Q in Skyfall, Spectre and No Time to Die. However, he is not expected to reprise his role in the upcoming film. The new installment is being directed by Denis Villeneuve, with Steven Knight writing the screenplay. Amy Pascal and David Heyman are producing the project, which is currently untitled.
