Yahoo News James Bond 25: Everything you need to know
James Bond is a British franchise behemoth, boasting multiple facelifts and reboots that manage to keep it current without losing the essence of what Bond is – a smooth AF secret agent, serial shagger and international man of mystery who almost always gets his guy. And girl come to that.
The last four instalments have seen "James Blond" Daniel Craig take on the mantle of 007, and now it's been confirmed that he will return for a fifth.
This will be 25th in the James Bond series and as the news pours in we'll keep this story updated regularly to make it your one-stop shop for everything you need to know about Bond, James Bond, 25.
Bond 25 release date: Delayed again
Following the departure of Danny Boyle as director (more on that in a bit), it was reported that the movie would be delayed from its November 2019 release date.
That has turned out to be the case as along with the announcement of Cary Joji Fukunaga as director, producers confirmed that the movie will start filming at Pinewood Studios on March 4, 2019 ahead of a worldwide release date of February 14, 2020.
Then, just when we thought it couldn't happen once more, the release date was delayed again in February 2019 and filming postponed. MGM announced that it would be pushed back by two months, and is now coming out on April 3, 2020 in the UK and April 8, 2020 in the US.
Related: Should we be worried about James Bond 25?
The movie has started filming some second unit scenes in Norway, including a dramatic chase sequence across the ice, and officially went into production on April 28.
Filming is taking the cast to the likes of the Italian town of Matera, as well as Jamaica (the "spiritual home" of Bond) and London.
The location for today's #BOND25 Live Reveal is GoldenEye, 007 author Ian Fleming's Jamaican villa. pic.twitter.com/Zd7Sr8hNRd
- James Bond (@007) April 25, 2019
Bond 25 cast: Daniel Craig is back!
The subject of whether Daniel Craig would return was wildly debated for what felt like FOREVER.
But finally in August 2017 he announced on the late show that yes, he would be returning, saying, "We've been discussing it. We've just been trying to figure things out. I always wanted to, I needed a break."
Suggesting that Bond 25 may be his 007 swansong, he added: "I just want to go out on a high note, and I can't wait."
Related: Why every James Bond actor quit
We're glad he's back but we must confess we think it's probably a good thing that it'll be his last. Time for someone else to take the spotlight.
The actor hasn't enjoyed the smoothest ride with the film so far, as more recently he was sidelined from shooting after injuring his ankle while on-set in Jamaica.
Not the best news considering all of the delays, although the studio did reassure fans that Craig will be okay and they're still on schedule for an April 2020 release date.
Joining him in returning are Ralph Fiennes as M, Ben Whishaw as Q, Rory Kinnear as Tanner, Naomie Harris as Moneypenny, Jeffrey Wright as Felix Leiter and, as rumoured, Léa Seydoux as Dr Madeleine Swann.
Christoph Waltz apparently won't be back as Blofeld and his name wasn't mentioned in the official cast announcement.
Turning to the newcomers, all of their characters are being kept under wraps, but Bond 25 will feature Dali Benssalah, Billy Magnussen, Ana De Armas, David Dencik, Captain Marvel star Lashana Lynch and Bohemian Rhapsody's Rami Malek.
Malek had been rumoured to play a villain in the new movie and after he didn't rule it out, his message at the cast announcement seemed to confirm it: "I will be making sure Mr Bond will not have an easy ride of it."
A word about #BOND25 from Rami Malek pic.twitter.com/CLJ5mpO9mu
- James Bond (@007) April 25, 2019
Before Boyle's exit, Wonder Woman star Said Taghmaoui revealed that he had signed on be Bond 25's villain. "I was cast by Danny Boyle, and just now he left the project, so of course there's some uncertainty," he explained.
Related: 9 actors you totally forgot were in James Bond
Dave Bautista isn't ruling out a return for his Spectre villain Mr Hinx – who was dragged from a train but never shown dead – either.
"There was talk. I admit it, my hopes were really high. Not so much anymore. I realise that they're well into Bond 25 – maybe into pre-production at this point – but I haven't had any inclination that they plan on using me," he told Digital Spy.
"I was really hoping they would, because I wanted those bragging rights. I wanted to come back. I'm a fan of the franchise and I was very proud of that role and proud to be a part of it, and I was hoping they would have me back for the 25th."
As for the Bond girls in the movie, Black Panther's Lupita Nyong'o has been rumoured, but apparently ruled out.
Bond 25 director: Creative differences
Danny Boyle was all set to take charge of Bond 25 before a shock announcement by the producers saw him leave the project.
They cited "creative differences" as the reason he left mere months before production was expected to begin, as cameras were expected to roll in December 2018. The producers then confirmed that Cary Joji Fukunaga will take over as director on Bond 25.
But is it the right call?
Boyle later opened up about his exit, calling it a "great shame" and hinting that it was down to what he was planning to do, reportedly killing off Bond.
As for the writers, it was reported that the movie would be written by long-time 007 duo Neal Purvis and Robert Wade, who had come up with a treatment for the film before Boyle and his writing partner John Hodge – who left shortly after Boyle – came on board.
After both were rumoured, it has been confirmed that The Bourne Ultimatum's Scott Z Burns and Fleabag creator Phoebe Waller-Bridge have also worked on the script.
Speaking of which, the Fleabag writer teased what we can expect from the movie with her input, admitting she wants the female characters to "feel like real people" while seeing what she "can sneak in" in terms of feminist humour.
Bond 25 plot: How will Daniel Craig exit?
With the official cast announcement came our first synopsis for the movie and here it is for your eyes only:
"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."
Not much to go on there, but perhaps we can get some hints from the original working title of Shatterhand.
That's a reference to Dr Guntram Shatterhand in Ian Fleming's 1964 Bond novel You Only Live Twice. The novel is very different to the 1967 Sean Connery film and sees 007 head to Japan after the death of his wife Tracy.
Bond is requested to assassinate Shatterhand and his wife who turn out to be Tracy's killers Ernst Stavro Blofeld and Irma Bunt. 007 eventually kills Blofeld, but loses his memory after receiving a head injury.
With Seydoux returning in Bond 25, could she be killed and set Bond on a similar path of revenge and eventual amnesia?
The only people who know for sure are the writers as Ralph Fiennes revealed in early March that he hasn't even read a script yet: "Well I know we're shooting this year, I'm genuinely not being coy, I've not yet read a script, I don't have a start date."
Oh, and it's not Shatterhand anymore apparently. According to Production Weekly, the working title is now Eclipse.
Bond 25 trailer: When will it land?
With all the production delays and behind-the-scenes changes, it'll be a while until we see any footage, likely late 2019 at the earliest.
But perhaps we'll get some teaser footage when cameras start rolling on the new movie, just to reassure fans that it's actually happening.
James Bond 25 will be released in the UK on April 3, 2020 and in the US on April 8, 2020.
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