007 -NO TIME TO DIE-Bond just needs to be reinterpreted for the digital age!

David Booth |Global Media Executive driving business growth across OTT, Digital Media & Linear.

As we wait in anticipation for the release of 'Bond 25'- Daniel Craig’s 007 swansong ‘No Time To Die’, it got me thinking where next for the 007 franchise in this new world of post Trump, post Brexit, in a more egalitarian world- no longer tolerant of outmoded thinking? We are facing huge geo-political forces, social mass movements never seen on such a scale in decades. Gen Z and its younger cohorts Gen Alpha will be revolutionary in outing the old and ushering in the new.

Against this ever changing backdrop we have a rather successful film franchise (which was first written by Ian Fleming in 1953 for another world it seems), spanning decades creating generations of fans. As we move forward into the new decade it may well appear that Bond maybe outdated to a younger fan base and perhaps no longer relevant- or is it?

The Craig Era

When Daniel Craig was announced as the next James Bond back in 2005, I had my doubts. I enjoyed him in British crime film ‘L4YER CAKE’ but was biased in my views in who I wanted next as the suave British spy. Craig’s portrayal of Bond has proved me totally wrong, as the character and storylines have substantially reinvented Bond and enabled the franchise to attract a wider audience since his successful debut in ‘Casino Royale’. I have admired this interpretation of Bond and hats off to the various Directors over the years- Martin Campbell, Marc Forster and Sam Mendes who took up the 007 challenge. The Bond franchise has grown in appeal, as can be seen with the films ‘Skyfall’ grossing a whopping US$ 1.1Bn and ‘Spectre’ US$ 880m at the Box Office.

Craig’s portrayal of 007 has brought rugged masculinity, charm, wit and more importantly a much needed journey of self awareness to the big screen. The high octane stunt scenes that we are accustomed to, plus the various writers ability to tap into societal changes have been key. We have seen other strong characters develop side by side to Bond -Judy Dench’s portrayal of M as an assertive and not to be messed with older female and much needed mentor to Bond, Eve Moneypenny being an operative out in the field and able to put down unwanted advances with ease and poise, Q a hyper-intelligent younger man, with guile and wit making him more than a match for Bond rebuffs…all of these highlight and don’t shy from Bond’s failings as an individual in an ever changing world which he is attempting to adjust to. (He can even rock tight fitting swimwear nicely paying homage to past films). Maybe some of this has been lost on international audiences and harshly judged by critics but I have immensely enjoyed the subtle cues to Bond history, the one liners and pithy remarks with a raised eye-brow or laugh as these characters interact with each other and have developed over the last four films.

Craig has been influential also behind the camera, heavily involved in using his connections to entice Sam Mendes to direct the last two films and also in fine tuning scripts during the writing phase. This time round, no doubt he was influential in recruiting Phoebe Waller-Bridge (Fleabag & Killing Eve fame) to scribe on ‘No Time To Die’ to inject humour and elements of psychological depth in the script.

The franchise has been criticised for being sexist as Bond womanises around the world. Previous incarnations have been that and no excuses and yes the portrayal of Bond’s treatment of the character Lucia Sciarra in ‘Spectre’ (played by Monica Bellucci) after the death of her villainous husband can be highlighted as a bit cringe worthy. However we have seen Craig’s Bond open his heart to love, more deeper to loss and eventually compassion. The story-arc has unearthed his past albeit briefly as an orphan highlighted first by Vesper Lynd in Casino Royale, where she quickly analyses him, and critiques his recruitment into MI6 as a maladjusted young man simply wearing an Omega watch. We see the dots join up in ‘Skyfall’ as he returns to Inverness-shire in Scotland accompanied by M and his backstory is unearthed of Scottish Father and French mother and the tragedy that bestowed a young James, to finally meeting his nemesis in the form of his adopted brother unearthed as Ernst Stavro Blofeld played by the wonderful Christoph Waltz in the last film ‘Spectre’.

The writers could easily have wrapped up the Craig era with the last film- walking away from the carnage of his pursuit of his true nemesis over the story arc -arm in arm with Madeleine Swann the daughter of one of his earlier foes, Mr. White. His arrogance eroded after a journey of self discovery replaced with more awareness of the world and people around him than the blunt instrument we first encountered in the flashback scenes in Casino Royale. No, that would be too easy and we are made to wait what seems like a lifetime in this world of the super-now. Bond is back on the big screen in Spring 2020 in NO TIME TO DIE and I can’t wait a moment longer.

Under Craig’s tenure as 007 we have seen a number of challenges bestow the production – the Hollywood Writers strike in 2008 affecting any fine tuning at all of the ‘Quantum’ script, followed by MGM Studio finance challenges delaying production of the third film ‘Skyfall’, injuries to the main actor, supposed differences in creative and editorial viewpoints, disdain from the leading actor himself whether he wished to continue as the main protagonist, coupled with endless media speculation who will be the next Bond. Most crucial has been the huge societal and political changes occurring over this period. This has questioned how relevant is the storytelling of Bond in a new world, where equality is key and also questioning who is the villain these days as unlike the Cold War era, crime and espionage is hidden behind a cyber wall.

Unlike other successful Action-Thriller franchises such as ‘The Bourne Trilogy’ where a linear storyline is more or less developed, Bond is besieged to some extent by its legacy. Although writers have attempted to bring the Craig era under an over-arching narrative and deliberately remain topical. However being characterised as a man of somewhat older vintage…(although Craig in his earlier films does make him ageless to a degree) does shackle the storyline.

In this world of a content arms race, maybe the franchise needs to look beyond an actor doing a 5 film stint. We have seen since Connery, actors get a 4 at best 5 film run out over a decade or so if they are lucky. Waiting years for the next instalment may not wash in the future as that potential fan base may well be eroded and moved on. Studios are pretty risk adverse and re-booting a storyline is the safe bet in this complex media landscape to ensure a sure fire hit and on-going Studio profitability. However dusting down and re-interpreting them for a new audience is lazy and is besieged with challenges as the earlier 007 adaptations were originally books and screenplays written against the backdrop of the Cold War. We are in a different world of a content arms race where viewers, fans, subscriber choice is immense and on going brand engagement and relevance is a must.

POST 2020- WHERE AND WHAT NEXT?

For me, Bond is ripe for reinterpretation less reinvention. Simply reinterpret with a multitude of different avenues for MGM Studios/ EON Productions to explore.

MGM who own the rights to produce and distribute the Bond Franchise, have launched their own OTT platform EPIX Now in an attempt to compete against the plethora of SVOD/ AVOD platforms besieging us. They could do well by taking a leaf out of Disney’s playbook in how they have successfully re-booted franchises to tell a story differently for new audiences. Case in point- Disney’s Star Wars foray (‘Star Wars: The Force Awakens’ grossing $1Bn), with the culmination of the Skywalker saga ‘The Rise of Skywalker’ hitting the big screen on December 19th in the UK, interwoven with backstory prequel films, a new tv series ‘The Mandalorian’ made exclusively for their new streaming service Disney+. Disney are strategically planning in a galaxy not so far, far, away a new trilogy of Star Wars films post 2020 developed by Rian Johnson, and a new potential new cinematic and video era. This all neatly ties in with new Star Wars experience Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge at Disneyland California and their subsequent themed events at the other Disneyland resorts, where super-fans can immerse themselves in a world of fantasy and fun.

Without wanting to slay the goose that lays the golden egg, Bond brand guardians Barbara Broccoli and Michael Wilson, might gamble on exploring a wider franchise rather than relying on producing a film every 3+ years. Yes by all means continue the AAA Priority Blockbuster but back this up with exploring and developing a new cinematic or video universe that has so many avenues to develop, fertilise and exploit across media platforms for a new generation. Create a high octane franchise told across several experiences. Bond can remain the somewhat complex male dealing with loss and abandonment, but retell this compelling backstory in developing how a young James was recruited and became a licensed Assassin and Spy (I would love to see Scottish Actor Richard Madden of Body Guard, Game Of Thrones fame, yes ‘King of the North’). But also unhinge the shackles of 007 in this new decade by telling it through the eyes of a strong and equally compelling female character making her way in an unorthodox career choice. If rumours are true of Lashan Lynch playing Nomi, the new 007, then there is so much scope to run and play with the code name and feature other younger operatives, building out the franchise by showcasing MI6 as a series in itself. Imagine unearthing the daily lives of those who work there and the complexities it brings up having to lead a double life filling the void left by hit BBC drama Spooks. Reinterpret this and hyper-exaggerate this for Gen Z audiences, possibly via short form episodic narratives available on Snap or Instagram’s IGTV or to soon be launched mobile only platform Quibi. Create a Bond super-fan franchise which goes deeper and is more instantaneous- a new authentic story for global audiences.

TV series can bring so much more depth to a character and creative expression over time than what a film can do, it gives a license to explore more subject matter, uncover and build out and layer character complexities over seasons and help remain contemporary in tone and feel. If used wisely it enables a franchise to attract an audience or a subscriber in a new media landscape both on the big screen, on linear, tablet, smart phone and beyond via property franchise management. More importantly it provides a new world to be creatively re-imagined, creating a storyline from the perspective of others viewpoints and characters. Imagine this being played out as episodics via mobile to a whole new fanbase?

We are in a media world where Netflix, Amazon and Apple woo novelists at Book Fairs as part of their aggressive buying spree acquiring literary rights and striking deals with publishers and authors, then sourcing production to create the next hit.

However, word of warning, the TV landscape is littered with poorer versions of the original films- we are currently seeing this with the lambasting for the made for tv spin off from the Bourne films ‘Treadstone’ (USA Network), and others such as ‘Taken’ (NBC), ‘Shooter’ (USA Network). The challenge is meeting the high expectations of the movies with lower programming budgets. For any smaller screen re-interpretation, seismic budgets will be needed to meet our quality viewing threshold criteria and heightened expectations.

The major ace up the sleeve is that Bond is a global brand that simply just needs to be further expanded for this new era. Eon Productions already have the critically acclaimed SECRET CINEMA experience (where you can sip a martini, interact and live the movie) - supersize this with dedicated theme parks or pop up venues to expand the reach to key markets and new audiences, thus creating the ultimate iconic world for NEW fans and the Bond super-fan.

I wait eagerly in anticipation to view Cary Joji Fukunaga’s interpretation of Bond, knowing full well that with the stellar talent line up of Rami Malek, Christoph Waltz (hopefully lurking in the background) Lashan Lynch as a potential new MI6 operative coupled with Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s injection of wit in the script writing, MGM/ EON will have another memorable and high grossing box office hit come Spring 2020. More notably we will have come full circle with the story of James Bond characterised by Daniel Craig and enter a pivotal, exciting, yet more challenging era for the 007 franchise. As befitting is the title of BOND 25, the 007 franchise has No Time To Die soon.

David Booth is a Global Media Executive who likes to blog, strategise and talk about Sports & Entertainment content.