How to launch the next James Bond: 007 Casting Director breaks what you need to be bond

The future of James Bond He is heading towards an unexplored territory. With Amazon who now holds the keys to the iconic espionage franchise and visionary director Denis Villeneuve Set direct James Bond 26, the hunt for the next 007 is officially active.

But while Villeneuve could have the last word, a voice that has been behind the legacy of the bond for more than four decades, the legendary casting director Debbie mcwilliamsHe has a lot to say about what he really needs to be the most famous secret agent in the world.

Starting his trip to Bond in 1981, McWilliams played a crucial role in modeling the cinematographic identity of 007, helping to select Timothy Dalton, Pierce brosnanAND Daniel Craig for the part. Working alongside the producers Barbara Broccoli AND Michael G. WilsonHe contributed to maintaining the mystique of evolution of the character through the generations.

Now retired, McWilliams has recently shared information on Radio Times on how the casting bond process worked and what qualities the next actor should have to fill those shoes impeccably tailor -made.

“There are many back and back and discussions,” he explained. “I can’t impose my will too strongly, even if I try it,” he admitted with a laugh. “But in the end, Barbara and Michael had the last word.”

That collaboration, said McWilliams, was the key to maintaining Bond’s identity, allowing the franchise to adapt to each new generation. He was, as he said, “no pre -established process”.

“It always depended a lot on the vision of the director and producers,” he revealed. For example, when Royale casino Restart the series in 2006, it was a question of reinventing bonds for a modern audience.

“You know, let’s face it,” McWilliams said. “As good as it was, it’s not a threat, while Daniel is. You feel a very strong presence in the room with him, and I think it’s incredibly important.”

That “threat”, that controlled intensity, became a distinctive feature for Craig’s bond, which gave new energy and grit to the franchise. But according to McWilliams, discover that quality does not concern following a formula.

“He is the best person for work and one year could be a person, a year someone else, you can’t really predict. There is no algebraic thing in which we say: ‘Right, we have this and we have, and it is the same as that’. Simply does not work like this.”

With Amazon who now supervises the future of Bond and the meticulous eye of Villeneuve to the project, there are many speculations on who could take the next role. Names like Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Idris Elba, Paul MescalAND Rege-Jean page they were all thrown around, and even former 007 Pierce brosnan It was suggested for a return.

McWilliams finds these funny voices. “They make me die laughing,” he said. But when it comes to what makes the bond right, it has some rules.

“[Bond] It must seem like a normal guy, “McWilliams said.” You can’t be Dwayne Johnson. It must have a great physique – requires a high level of physical fitness – but should not stand out in any situation. “

This balance between charisma and subtlety, strength and moderation is essential. But the muscles and charm are not enough.

“He must also be a brilliant actor,” he underlined. And maturity, says McWilliams, plays an important role. “We have examined many younger actors and I don’t think they had gravitas. They didn’t have the experience, they did not have the mental ability to take it, because it is not just the part that take place, it is a massive responsibility.”

At the same time, McWilliams enjoyed freedom that came with the casting of lesser known actors. He called him “a gift” that he should not choose a famous face.

However, he does not believe in a perfect “bond model”. “There is no absolute ideal mold,” he said. “It would never be and should never be, because otherwise it becomes boring.”

This is probably the most important advice that Amazon could take while modeling the next era of James Bond. Making boring 007 would be the final failure. Fortunately, with Denis Villeneuve Behind the camera, it looks like the minimum of their concerns.

The next Bond actor cannot be revealed soon, but anyone who takes the cloak will enter one of the most demanding and definitive roles of cinema. As McWilliams clarified, being Bond does not adapt to a mold. It is a question of redefining it.