@Photo by Steve Schofield
Fleabag star Phoebe Waller-Bridge may be directing the 26th movie in the James Bond franchise, according to published reports in the UK.
According to The Mail, Waller-Bridge has been in “early discussions” with Barbara Broccoli, thee producer of the Bond franchise via her Eon Productions. Broccoli has reportedly called the 37-year-old actress her “number one choice” for the director’s chair, recently vacated by Cary Joji Fukunaga.
Waller-Bridge helped write the script for the 2021 film No Time To Die, in which Bond sacrifices his life to save those he loved. According to one source, says The Mail, “Daniel Craig brought Phoebe in to work on No Time To Die, and she added humour and pathos to the film. Everyone adored working with her.
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The unnamed source added: “Barbara believes Phoebe is a huge talent and brings a fresh, modern take to Bond. They’ve already had very early discussions, but there are lots of variables in the equation, including Phoebe’s increasingly packed schedule.”
And a packed schedule it is indeed. Waller-Bridge is playing Harrison Ford’s goddaughter Helena in Indiana Jones And The Dial of Destiny, slated to debut at next month’s Cannes Film Festival. She’s starring in If, a fantasy comedy that will premiere in 2024. And the versatile performer is also writing a script for Tomb Raider, a series for the Amazon streaming service.
The source continued: “Phoebe’s a workaholic and her schedule is packed. But the next Bond won’t go into production until next year and won’t be released until 2025, so everyone is hoping she can work it into her schedule.”
Speculation is also rampant about who will be playing Bond in the upcoming film. Among the possibilities are Tom Hardy, Henry Cavill, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, and Regé-Jean Page.
Though Idris Elba is favored by many fans, he’s taken himself out of the running by claiming he’s “too old” for the role.
Barbara Broccoli has been quoted as saying that the next 007 “can be of any colour, but he is male. You think of him as being from Britain or the Commonwealth, but Britain is a very diverse place. We’re reinventing who he is, and that takes time.
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