Supposing Judy Dench doesn't return…

007

...who would be a good new M?

Clarkey

Bill Nighy of course !

Number24

Tom Wilkinson or perhaps Ian MacShane.

JADE66

Patrick Stewart gets my vote. He's the right age, authoritative and has the kind of commanding presence I have always associated with the character.

Loeffelholz

I've long advocated the assassination of Dame Judi's M:

http://www.ajb007.co.uk/topic/30362/denchs-m-must-die/

...and one of the countless negative aspects of the MGM situation is that we might well be denied the opportunity to enjoy a Shakespearean death scene from this fabulous actress :v

Wilkinson, McShane or Stewart are all top-notch choices to my mind.

zaphod

JADE66 wrote:

Patrick Stewart gets my vote. He's the right age, authoritative and has the kind of commanding presence I have always associated with the character.

He would be great. However I wonder if another famous ACTOR would be a wise move (too much baggage, and possibly for the notoriously 'cheap' Eon too costly )

hegottheboot

I so hope they get rid of her as M. It has never worked.
My suggestion for a new M: Sean Connery. I think he'd get a kick out of bossing around his most famous role. And it would give us a strong M again.

youknowmyname

zaphod wrote:

JADE66 wrote:

Patrick Stewart gets my vote. He's the right age, authoritative and has the kind of commanding presence I have always associated with the character.

He would be great. However I wonder if another famous ACTOR would be a wise move (too much baggage, and possibly for the notoriously 'cheap' Eon too costly )

Dame Judi Dench was quite famous when she took up the role.

I think Stewart would be fantastic. I never would've come up with it, but what an inspired idea!

Lexi

I love the thought of Bill Nighy - but what about Hugh Laurie....?

Thunderbird 2

Normally I don't go for such rabid speculation (esp re Bond, Mr Craig has said he will wait for 23,) but this is a bit different.


I can see either Sir Pat or Ian McShane playing the role ofr one reason - both are powerful actors, but they are also familiar faces on the American side of the pond. Everyone in the audience would do a double take to see either of them oas Bond's new boss.

Alan Rickman and Michael Gambon of Harry Potter (amongst other productions!) would work in that sense too.

Of course, there is no reason why a new M would not be another woman, the dynamics between Dame Judi and Mr Brosnan and Craig have been almost too good, especially with the current absence of Moneypenny. Here are my shortlist on that basis,

Julie Walters, Imelda Staunton, Celia Imerie, possibly Helen Mirren?


Personally I can see Dame Judi continuing in the role as long as she is capable of acting. I hope that is for a long time to come . - Its clear EON love her in the role as much as the audience does, or they would have done a full reset for Casino Royale.

hegottheboot

I really miss the old school charm of Bernard Lee. The problem is that he so perfectly embodied M that anyone else in the role just seems wrong.

thesecretagent

I liked Dench as M, I thought she was good with Brosnan, and with Craig in CR. However, I found her too overbearing and mumsy with Craig in QOS. Taking off her make-up and again calling Bond back to be held accountable... Time for a stern and beligerant man as M once more I think...

bigzilcho

What's with the sudden rush to replace our M?

In the immortal words of Burt Lancaster as JJ Hunsecker in Sweet Smell Of Success:"Here's your hat. What's your hurry?"

Judi Dench is doing just fine as M, thank you very much. Quibbles aside, she's our generation's Bernard Lee, like it or not.

As far as I can remember, Bernard Lee was M for life. Discussion of replacement was just not done, old boy.

I could do with some rewrites in her character but Dame Dench's interpretation of M is spot-on. She is a world-class performer with real star presence. Eon is lucky to have her.

And Loeff...what's with this long-standing "assassination of M" wish? She call you a "misogynist dinosaur" in the past? Still teed off that she abandoned you in North Korea? I'm shocked (positively) that any Bond-fan, such as yourself, would advocate the death of an M.

Perhaps that could be a crackin' good yarn (and would certainly throw a monkey wrench in the works) but the whole notion of Bond having to DEAL with M's assassination with a Bond-in-vendetta mode is a story that I would rather avoid.

And one more thing, with her next film as M, Dench will equal or surpass Lee's tenure as the longest-serving M.


"I doubt she'll remember me."
"Remind her."

Liam

I'd like Stephen Fry, Robert or Philip Glenister as new M. All three could bring something new and intriguing to the role without claiming too big a part of the plot.

Barbel

Liam wrote:

I'd like Stephen Fry as new M.

Now that would be quite interesting.

Liam

Barbel wrote:

Liam wrote:

I'd like Stephen Fry as new M.

Now that would be quite interesting.

Exactly my thoughts. Imagine him in a briefing/debriefing. He'd give every the worst Whitehall mandarin a run for his money.

thesecretagent

Liam wrote:

I'd like Stephen Fry, Robert or Philip Glenister as new M. All three could bring something new and intriguing to the role without claiming too big a part of the plot.

I like the idea of Stephen Fry as M, never thought of him, but he can do straight as well as comedy. Philip Glenister has to be the worst suggestion yet. Sorry.

Liam

thesecretagent wrote:

Liam wrote:

I'd like Stephen Fry, Robert or Philip Glenister as new M. All three could bring something new and intriguing to the role without claiming too big a part of the plot.

I like the idea of Stephen Fry as M, never thought of him, but he can do straight as well as comedy. Philip Glenister has to be the worst suggestion yet. Sorry.

Oh, I would cast him exactly because he's so off the mark, blue collar working class typecast up to now. I suppose he could do an extremely stuffy and grim M with just the slightest hint of not-quite-belonging there. I'd like his M played straight and without any humour, only an efficient functionary of intelligence negotiating the depths of Whitehall with utter ruthlessness.