It’s fair to say that Eon isn’t having the smoothest of rides with Bond 25, the latest chapter in the long-running spy series having suffered director and screenwriter shake-ups, production delays and on-set accidents, leading to what the crew are reportedly referring to as a “well-polished shit show”.
Back in April, Fleabag creator Phoebe Waller-Bridge was brought in to “liven up” the script, and now the BAFTA winner has been speaking to Deadline about her work on the film, and specifically the movie’s female characters.
“There’s been a lot of talk about whether or not [the Bond franchise] is relevant now because of who he is and the way he treats women. I think that’s bollocks. I think he’s absolutely relevant now. It has just got to grow. It has just got to evolve, and the important thing is that the film treats the women properly. He doesn’t have to. He needs to be true to this character. When I saw [Daniel Craig’s] Bond for the first time, there was a wryness to his performance that I really loved. So, I was really excited about writing dialogue for him.
“I mean, the script was there. It’s already there. I think it’s unfair to say that I’m writing the script. I just want to make sure that when they get those pages through, that Lashana, Lea Seydoux and Ana de Armas open them and go, ‘I can’t wait to do that.’ As an actress, I very rarely had that feeling early in my career. That brings me much pleasure, knowing that I’m giving that to an actress.”
SEE ALSO: Bond 25 set photos feature 007 and Felix Leiter
Bond 25 is set for release in the UK on April 3rd 2020 and in the U.S. on April 8th 2020 and stars Daniel Craig (James Bond), Ralph Fiennes (M), Naomie Harris (Moneypenny), Rory Kinnear (Tanner), Léa Seydoux (Madeleine Swann), Ben Whishaw (Q) and Jeffrey Wright (Felix Leiter), while new additions include Rami Malek (Bohemian Rhapsody), Ana de Armas (Blade Runner 2049), Lashana Lynch (Captain Marvel), Billy Magnussen (Velvet Buzzsaw), Dali Benssalah (A Faithful Man) and David Dencik (Top of the Lake).
Originally published June 7, 2019. Updated November 24, 2019.
