The troubled history of Bond 25

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Following the release of Spectre — his fourth Bond film — Daniel Craig said famously that he would ‘rather slash my wrists’ than reprise the spy role.

But then, lo and behold, the gruff actor said he would take on the part again — one last time.

No pushover, Craig is reportedly being paid more than £60 million for the role, making him one of Hollywood’s best-paid actors. And he is said to be exercising extraordinary clout on set.

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While actors such as Lea Seydoux have gone on record saying they don't mind the level of control Craig has exercised on the production, many on the crew side of things can't stand it:

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The New York Post’s celebrity gossip column, Page Six, quotes a source saying: ‘Everyone on the production side detests working with Daniel, he’s so difficult and makes things impossible.

‘But [Bond producer] Barbara Broccoli thinks that he walks on water, and only her opinion matters.’

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There are photos from the set, provided by snooping fans and paparazzi, of Craig in heated exchanges with the film's director - Cari Joji Fukunaga - though the photos are largely out of context. For all we know they could have been arguing about soccer.

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In readiness for his hotly anticipated return, Craig has adopted a gruelling diet and exercise regime.

But no amount of rigorous preparation could have prevented his recent on-set mishap: the 51-year-old actor slipped and injured his ankle while filming in Jamaica earlier this month.

The actor, who — unlike some of his predecessors — likes to do his own stunts, was filming one of his final scenes when he fell awkwardly while running.

The action was supposed to be shifting to a studio in the UK, but that is understood to have been postponed while Craig has surgery in New York.

Thankfully for the rest of the cast and crew, the star is due to be out of action for only two weeks.

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I feel like credit must be given to Craig for having the balls to do his own stunts. Many of the actors to play the role before him always utilized stuntmen for anything that involved something more than sliding on the ground. But that can be a double-edged sword as an injury can delay production as well as the release date. Fortunately Craig is almost done with his scenes so the ankle injury and subsequent surgery won't impact the film in the long run.

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Bond 25 (its lack of official name is another concern for fans) was originally scheduled for release this autumn, but then there were delays getting Daniel Craig to sign on for another film, not to mention the debacle over the director and script. The date was pushed back to February 2020.

Then, in February this year, the date was shifted again to April 8, 2020. It means there is a tight window in which to get filming (which has been under way for about six weeks) and editing wrapped and the film out, so it doesn’t clash with any other major releases.

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Meanwhile, the launch of Bond 25, meant to be a dazzling curtain-raiser, was something of a let-down. Fans had been expecting, at the very least, the film’s name. But, no, Bond 25 it remains. Shatterhand, the original provisional title, after an alias used by Blofeld, seems to have been discarded.

At the live-streamed event from writer Ian Fleming’s former home in Jamaica, plot details were thin, but we do know that Bond 25 will involve the CIA and Felix Leiter, who ask for help when tracking down a scientist.

The cast seemed a little lacking in enthusiasm, and Daniel Craig wore a baggy blue suit and a pair of old trainers.

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While the above is disheartening to me, nothing screams "disaster" more than the six screenwriters who will be credited with having a hand in the script. The biggest warning sign, however, is the last writer that was brought in (at Craig's personal request) to polish/re-write the screenplay:

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Phoebe Waller-Bridge is showbiz gold dust. She was lauded for Fleabag, brought us Killing Eve and can seemingly do no wrong.

But the decision to bring her in to make more tweaks to the Bond 25 scripts has not been universally liked. Craig was apparently determined to give the next 007 a sense of humour, leading to a chase to sign the writer, as confirmed by Broccoli at the launch.

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Although it’s not unusual for a film to have more than one scriptwriter, Bond 25 has six.

Bond veterans Neal Purvis and Robert Wade had a script ready and waiting, but it was reportedly put aside after director Danny Boyle and his Trainspotting co-writer John Hodge were hired. A Russian villain was reportedly a central character.

However, everything was thrown into disarray with Boyle’s departure. Cary Joji Fukunaga, the director of U.S. crime series True Detective, was his replacement, and Purvis and Wade came back. Paul Haggis, acclaimed for his writing contributions to Casino Royale and Quantum Of Solace, was also involved, and a fourth writer, Scott Z. Burns, of The Bourne Ultimatum fame, was brought in.

But, according to reports, Daniel Craig still felt something was missing, hence the arrival of Phoebe Waller-Bridge.

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‘She’s writing a re-write of a re-write,’ said a source, of Waller-Bridge’s involvement. ‘Daniel’s writing. Cary’s writing. The crew reckon they’re working on a well-polished s*** show.

‘They have an outline of plot, but dialogue is all last-minute. It’s not the way to make a movie. I would imagine they’ll sort it out in the cutting room. That’s where most movies get made anyway. But you’d think the Bond lot would be more together than this.’

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Daily Mail