After every current James Bond movie drops, there’s almost always talk about the next film. In those talks, the traditional nickname is basically something along the lines of Bond 25, which is the most recent sequel we’ve been looking forward to since 2015’s Spectre. Typically, this all leads up to the official reveal of the film’s name at a big press conference event. But while we got a nice live streaming reveal of the film’s cast this morning, we unfortunately don’t have that title yet! Still, let's go through the brand new details we do have.
While I thought we’d have an official title by this morning, we did get some substantial information, including a first look at the plot, in addition to those cast members, old and new, that were revealed this morning. And there are still some pretty big reveals to be had, even in the shadow of the missing title.
Announced at Ian Fleming’s Goldeneye villa in Jamaica, producer Barbara Broccoli sadly confirmed that there was no name for Bond 25 as of yet, though she did provide the following detail of how the film will open. That detail was also reflected in the official synopsis for the film, which is as follows:
Bond has left active service and is enjoying a tranquil life in Jamaica. His peace is short-lived when his old friend Felix Leiter from the CIA turns up asking for help. The mission to rescue a kidnapped scientist turns out to be far more treacherous than expected, leading Bond onto the trail of a mysterious villain armed with dangerous new technology.
So 007 is finally relaxing and taking life less seriously, presumably with Madeline Swann, the woman he fell head-over-heels for in Spectre. And not only has evil reared its head, it's a dire enough situation that only Felix Leiter is the best hope of bringing Bond back. Though if that sizzle reel of Craig’s tenure is any indication, extra motivation may be at hand as he just might be losing Madeline, completing the On Her Majesty’s Secret Service path that his last adventure started him out on. Cue the Bond theme, and our favorite super spy getting back into the game, for a hard-driven battle of revenge.
For Bond 25, that mysterious villain will take the form of Academy Award winner Rami Malek, who is finally confirmed as playing the still unnamed baddie. Malek was unable to attend this event, but provided a pre-recorded message in which he said the following:
[I'm not] jealous one bit that you're all in the absolutely stunning setting of Ian Fleming's iconic Caribbean home, Goldeneye, on the island of Jamaica. No, not at all. I'm stuck here in New York in production, but I'm very much looking forward to joining the whole cast and crew so very soon. I promise you all I will be making sure Mr. Bond does not have an easy ride of it, in this his 25th outing. I can't wait to see you all soon. Cheers.
In addition to Malek, the Bond 25 cast is also adding franchise newcomers Dali Benssalah, Ana De Armas, Lashana Lynch, David Dencik, and Billy Magnussen were all revealed as part of the roster that this new film is bringing into the field. Though there was also some surprising news dropped into the returning cast portion of the announcement.
While cast members Ralph Fiennes, Naomie Harris, Lea Seydoux, Rory Kinnear, and Ben Whishaw are all confirmed as Bond 25 players, a face we haven’t seen in some time has been brought back to the fold. The return of Jeffrey Wright’s Felix Leiter sees James Bond’s “brother from Langley” returning for the first time since 2009’s Quantum of Solace. This was previously speculated as a possibility, fueled by Wright himself, and it’s good to finally have confirmation that Felix Leiter will return for Bond 25.
All of these announcements were in service of the start of Bond 25’s principal production phase, which means that shooting is now underway in Jamaica, as we speak. Which is probably why, at the end of the livestream shared with the world this morning, we were treated to photos of a set that was constructed in the area.
If we were to venture a guess, the structure shown in the photo below is probably be the corner of the world that James and Madeline will call home at the beginning of Bond 25. But you can judge for yourself, as you take a look at that snapshot below:
It’s certainly been interesting to follow the path of Bond 25, as it originally started life as a project for director Danny Boyle, with a script from John Hodge in the works. Though eventually, Boyle dropped from the picture entirely over creative differences, leaving Joji Fukunaga to step into the director’s chair.
Because of said setbacks, as well as a couple rounds of rewrites ordered on Bond 25, production was delayed, pushing it out of the original November 8, 2019 slot it was supposed to debut in. With February 14, 2020 being the first replacement date, the final April 8, 2020 release date was settled upon, and now that production has started, we’re confident that’ll stick.
Which leads us to that big question: when in the world are we going to have a name for Bond 25? Usually, the big reveal press conference that the Bond franchise has famously been known for would give the public their first taste of what the film would be about, complete with a convenient name that doesn’t depend on a number.
But here we are, with the next Bond film in production and no title given. More than likely, that pesky script work has left the team without a convenient name for Bond 25. Whatever it is, I'd guess it will probably follow the same formula of a single word that keys everyone into the plot, while also being edgy.
Come to think of it, the recently dismissed title Shatterhand would be a nice fit, as it follows that criteria, and would make a great trilogy of S-sounding titles after Skyfall and Spectre. Also, with some parties convinced that this morning’s announcement should have included the rumored return of Christoph Waltz’s Ernst Stavro Blofeld, that title would be apt as it was one of his aliases during the Ian Fleming run of novels.
While that particular thought isn’t confirmed in any way, shape, or form, it feels like something that’d be a pretty amazing finale. One last showdown with a formidable foe would be a hell of an end for Daniel Craig to go out on, leaving a new actor able to step in fresh and clean.
You can watch the entire Bond 25 live streaming event below, to see the lovely splendor of Jamaica for yourself; as well as some of the stunning clip reel work the team for this event has put together.
Wherever the future of Bond 25 takes us from this point forward, it’s sure to be a mix of the respectable past and a bold way forward. We’ll have to wait a little longer to know what to call this film, but with the information we’ve gotten this morning, there’s enough of a tease to keep us waiting patiently.
Bond 25 will be released in theaters on April 8, 2020; outside of its usual November timeframe.
