No products in the cart.
Fitness Tips
James Bond Casting Director Says Amazon Can't "Mess With the Essence of Bond"
25
Feb
Feb
As the stewardship of the James Bond franchise changes hands, one longtime collaborator with the Broccoli family has spoken out about concerns she has over the future of 007, specifically when it comes to casting Bond and the tone of the films.
“I have now hung up my casting hat and have moved on to other film-related projects,” casting director Debbie McWilliams told ScreenDaily. “I wish everyone the best of luck and hope the transition can be relatively painless. But it won’t be the same.”
McWilliams has been a casting director on the James Bond films since 1981, starting with Roger Moore’s fifth film, For Your Eyes Only. In all, she was involved in casting decisions for 13 Bond films, which spanned the eras of Moore, Timothy Dalton, Pierce Brosnan, and Daniel Craig. As such, she worked closely with both Albert “Cubby” Broccoli, and his daughter, Barbara Broccoli, the movers-and-shakers behind the Bond movie family dynasty for nearly six decades.
With Broccoli and former Bond girl Gemma Arterton at her aside, McWilliams was presented with the Contribution to Casting Lifetime Achievement Award from the Casting Directors Guild in the UK earlier this month. Her retirement was planned prior to the news breaking that the Broccoli family was stepping away from Bond, and handing control to Amazon.
Commenting on the changeover, McWilliams wasn’t amused by Jeff Bezos’s recent tweet, which suggested he was crowdsourcing the next 007.
“If they mess with the essence of Bond, they risk alienating a huge audience,” she said. “Choosing the actor to fill the role is a huge task and not one I would hand over to subscribers of X.”
The first Bond film that McWilliams worked on, For Your Eyes Only is available for rent on Prime Video, YouTube, and elsewhere. Her final Bond film, No Time To Die is available for rent on Apple TV+, Prime Video, and elsewhere.
Related: After 6 Decades, the James Bond Franchise Just Lost What Made It Special
