The new Bond is the old Bond, says co-star
LONDON – The new James Bond is the old James Bond, says an actress who has appeared in the last four films about the British spy.
According to Dame Judi Dench, Pierce Brosnan will reprise the role in the upcoming remake of Casino Royale, which is expected to be released next year.
“Despite the fact that everyone on the face of the Earth has been tested as his possible replacement, he’ll be doing it again and it will be announced come summer,” Dench told Britain’s Daily Mirror newspaper.
Depending on which reports you believe, Brosnan was either dropped by the producers of the long-running film franchise or decided to quit the role while he was on top.
He last appeared as Agent 007 in 2002’s Die Another Day. Since then, a long list of actors have been rumoured to be contenders for the job, from Daniel Craig to Dougray Scott to Clive Owen to Colin Salmon to Jude Law.
The latest speculation, however, had Brosnan having his licence to kill renewed. That said, the producers of the films have so far refused to back up Dench’s comments.
“No cast members, locations or release dates can be confirmed,” a spokesperson said.
Dench has played M, Bond’s boss, since Brosnan took over the role. Her remarks came while talking to a gossip columnist in New York.
The new Casino Royale will be the 21st Bond film. When a new actor takes over the lead role in the series, it’s often considered a risky move.
When George Lazenby replaced Sean Connery, for example, the result was 1969’s On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, which is considered a low point in Bond’s screen history. Timothy Dalton, who replaced Roger Moore, lasted only two movies in the role.
Bond first appeared in the 1953 Ian Fleming novel Casino Royale, which was made into a spoof by a rival producer in 1967.
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