Filming got underway in Jamaica in April in what will be Daniel Craig’s final outing as Britain’s favourite secret agent. Little has been revealed about James Bond 25’s plot as producers Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli keep story details under lock and key. We do know, however, that franchise regulars Naomie Harris, Jeffrey Wright, Léa Seydoux, Ben Whishaw Ralph Fiennes and Rory Kinnear will return with Bohemian Rhapsody star Rami Malek becoming the standout new addition.
Wilson and Broccoli confirmed the start of production at a special coFleming. Lashana Lynch, Ana de Armas, Dali Benssalah, and Billy Magnussen were also revealed as new cast members with David Dencik known to be playing one of the new villains.
We know the film’s premise includes the fact Bond has now left active service. But he’s drawn back into battle when his old friend Felix Leiter comes to him for help. The Americans need to find a missing scientist and decide the British secret agent is the best man for the job. The film’s early PR suggests Bond must famous a danger like never before to get the scientist back.
Yet, while details about what we can expect from James Bond 25 might be sketchy, the long-running series of action-adventures has always served up a familiar dose of characteristic conventions. From the egomaniacal villains to the unforgettable henchmen, eye-catching love interests, exotic locations, gadgets, fast cars and the sight of Bond in a casino, these films know what audiences buy the ticket for.
Indeed, the best Bond films rely upon a formula that has brought it commercial success since the days of Sean Connery and George Lazenby. So synonymous are these conventions that such elements as the “Bond Girl” are unique to the franchise while Bond’s choice of drink – “shaken not stirred” – has transcended the screen to become well-known parlance to recognisably reference the secret agent.
Indeed, his love of gambling, and the frequency of which 007 finds himself locking horns with a villain in the casino has even witnessed the James Bond strategy emerge as a way of turning odds in the player’s favour at the roulette table. This was popularised by Fleming’s Casino Royale novel in which he develops his own betting system designed to turn the odds in his favour.
One of the best James Bond roulette scenes involves Connery’s 007 jamming a villain’s head through the wheel in Diamonds Are Forever. It’ll make sense for the secret agent to return to the casino in his latest outing as we know filming is taking place in Jamaica, the same location in which the majority of Dr No takes place, a film boasting one of the most iconic Bond casino scenes ever because it introduced us to both “shaken not stirred” and the classic 007 welcome: “the name’s Bond, James Bond”.
We can further speculate that James Bond 25 will be a decidedly different film from the one we were going to get before Danny Boyle left the project. Stepping aside because of a writing dispute, Cary Fukunaga is now in the director’s hotseat, his track record suggesting we’ll see a film in line with the work of Sam Mendes (who made Spectre and Skyfall).
The latest James Bond film, which will shoot at Pinewood Studios in London and on-location in Italy, Jamaica, Norway and London, will be released worldwide on April 3, 2020. It’ll be Daniel Craig’s fifth and final outing as the eponymous hero.
