Pierce Brosnan: "The Next James Bond Should Also Be British... Respecting the Character Is Important"

Pierce Brosnan Emphasizes, "The Next Bond Should Be British"
Debate Over Casting Grows as Amazon MGM Studios Takes Creative Control

The copyright of the '007 James Bond' series, long regarded as the pride of British cinema, has recently been transferred to the American entertainment company Amazon MGM Studios. Actor Pierce Brosnan (71) has asserted that "the next Bond should be played by a Brit." Brosnan is one of only two 'non-British Bonds' in the series' history.

Pierce Brosnan Instagram Capture

According to the British BBC on the 9th (local time), Brosnan expressed in an interview with the Sunday Telegraph that it is "only natural" for James Bond to be portrayed by a British actor. He added that he hopes Amazon, which now holds creative control, will handle the character with dignity, imagination, and respect.

The '007 James Bond' series is a film adaptation of novels written by British author Ian Fleming, depicting the exploits of a secret agent with the codename 007 working for the foreign intelligence service (MI6). Over several decades, more than 20 films have been produced, earning worldwide acclaim. The series has maintained a distinctly British character and narrative, establishing itself as a source of pride for British cinema. At the 2012 London Olympics opening ceremony, the actor playing James Bond appeared alongside Queen Elizabeth, symbolizing the series as a cultural icon representing Britain beyond just a film franchise.

Against this backdrop, the series' copyright was recently transferred to the American Amazon MGM Studios. Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson, who own the intellectual property rights to the 007 series, handed over creative control to Amazon MGM Studios in the form of a joint investment, with MGM now holding the primary decision-making authority for future films.

This development has heightened interest in the fate of the 007 series, which has seen no new installment for four years since '007 No Time to Die.' While some worry that the distinctly British flavor of 007 might fade, there is also anticipation for a new Bond who could be non-British, a person of color, or even a female Bond.

Historically, the role of Bond in the 007 series has been played mostly by British actors, from the first James Bond, Sean Connery, to the current Daniel Craig. Only two Bonds have been non-British: Brosnan, who is Irish, and George Lazenby, who is Australian. To date, no American actor has taken on the role.

According to the BBC, among the candidates to continue the legacy of a 'British Bond' are James Norton, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, and Theo James. Among non-British actors, Irish-born Paul Mescal, Cillian Murphy, and Aidan Turner are mentioned, as well as Australian Jacob Elordi and American Austin Butler.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.