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.
“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.
