Helen Mirren has no love for the James Bond franchise.
The British actress instructed The Commonplace that she “by no means preferred” the movies attributable to their “profound sexism.” In flip, Mirren defined why there shouldn’t be a feminine Bond amid the franchise shake-up at Amazon MGM after longtime producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson ceded inventive management in a billion-dollar cope with the studio. Mirren as a substitute believes that the true tales of actual ladies spies ought to as a substitute be delivered to the display screen over a gender-swapped Bond.
“The entire collection of James Bond, it was not my factor. It actually wasn’t. I by no means preferred James Bond. I by no means preferred the way in which ladies had been in James Bond,” Mirren stated. “The entire idea of James Bond is drenched and born out of profound sexism. Ladies have all the time been a serious and extremely essential a part of the Secret Service. They all the time have been. And really courageous. If you happen to hear about what ladies did within the French Resistance, they’re amazingly, unbelievably brave. So I might inform actual tales about extraordinary ladies who’ve labored in that world.”
Nevertheless, Mirren does respect not less than two former 007s: Daniel Craig and her “MobLand” co-star Pierce Brosnan.
“I’m an enormous fan of Pierce Brosnan, I imply large fan,” Mirren stated. “Clearly, he’s attractive and the whole lot. And I believe he’s fabulous in ‘MobLand,’ however he additionally occurs to be one of many nicest folks you’ll ever have the pleasure to work with. And certainly Daniel Craig, who I’ve met and know a little bit bit. Once more, a really beautiful gracious particular person.”
After the Amazon MGM deal, producers Amy Pascal and David Heyman are heading up the Bond franchise. Whereas there have been no bulletins but about the place the franchise will go subsequent, the idea of a feminine Bond has been floated for greater than a half-century. Broccoli beforehand stated that beneath her tenure, although, Bond would all the time be male.
“No Time to Die” actress Ana de Armas agreed with Broccoli in 2022, saying, “There’s no want for a feminine Bond. There shouldn’t be any have to steal another person’s character, , to take over. This can be a novel, and it leads into this James Bond world and this fantasy of that universe the place he’s at.”
De Armas added, “What I would love is that the feminine roles within the Bond movies, despite the fact that Bond will proceed to be a person, are delivered to life differently. That they’re given a extra substantial half and recognition. That’s what I believe is extra attention-grabbing than flipping issues.”