I've found a new candidate to play Moneypenny. Right now I'm watching the mini-series "Around the world in 80 days" based on Jules Verne's novel. It stars David Tennant as Philias Fogg and Leonie Benesch as Abigail Fix who wasn't in the novel. in her thirty years she's been in "The white ribbon", "Babylon Berlin", "The Crown" and much more. Especially in Babylon Berlin she commanded the screen and commanded the screen in every scene. She also .... (whisper it) .... German. Benesch lives in London and to my ears she speaks English perfectly. I don't know if it's high treason to even suggest someone from ....... that country as Britain's last line of defence. In that case I'll delete this post and swear it never existed.
Phoebe Waller-Bridge or Maisie Williams as Miss Moneypenny:
LaKeith Stanfield as Felix Leither:
I don't know who I want to play Bill Tanner yet. Bond's best friend in the service (who's named Bill) must obviously be male, but I wouldn't mind if he was of East Asian, middle eastern or Indian decent. Regardless I see him as roughly Bond's age.
Who gets cast as Bond himself will probably influence who fits the Scooby gang, but I find it fun to speculate. I think an actor like Himesh Patel could be a good Bill Tanner. He's British, but of Indian decent born in Zambia. He's 31 years old and was in Eastenders, Tenet, The Aeronauts and "Don't look up". He played the lead in Danny Boyle's "Yesterday". Himesh Patel - IMDb
I think Cleese was adequate in the Brosnan movies, but I can't imagine they'll bring him back now. We also need to remember Cleese is 82 years old and the new Q will be cast at least for the tenure of the next Bond actor. This means he'll probably be about a hundred years old by the end of it. But what I imagine is the basic idea behind your suggestion, to continue the Connery-Brosnan timeline, is a possibility.
LaKeith would be far far better suited as the next villain. I wouldn't want him to play Felix. I think himesh Patel could be a great Q. However, after seeing his brief little cameo in Wonder Woman 1984, I'd love like to see Asim Chaudhry play Q. He's v funny.
If we want a more traditional Moneypenny (at least in some ways) I think EON should consider Caitriona Balfe. Many know her from the TV series Outlander where I think she did a great job. But lately she had starred in "Le Mans '66" and the critically lauded "Belfast". She's a fine actress. At 42 she'll probably be older than the Bond actor, but the appeal of Moneypenny was never her youth. Do you agree?
Looks like a good shout! Personally, I'm hoping we'll return to a more flirtatious relationship, but I don't think that sort of innocent affection between two consenting adults is permissible anymore in our current landscape.
I'm getting more and more convinced that Sally Hawkins would be perfect as Q. Not because I see swapping the genders of characters in the Bond movies as a goal, but because she had has the inteligence, humor and quirkiness the character needs. I don't think casting a woman would be a problem in the case of Q because the characters was never defined by the gender. The problem as I see it is her fame. I don't want the Scooby Gang to be populated by high-profile actors because they're playing supporting characters. Hawkins isn't a huge movie star, but she has done some famous movies such as "Shape of water" and the Winnie the Pooh-movies.
I’d prefer they cast lower profile actors in these roles, except M maybe, simply so the writers don’t feel required to include the characters in the storylines. Keep the focus on Bond where it belongs.
I’m just thinking that Sally Hawkins, for instance, is a two time Oscar nominee. You can’t hire her and then put her on screen for three minutes. I feel like that’s what happened with Craig’s Scooby Gang: the caliber of the actors forced the writers to give them more to do, and I believe that was at the expense of Bond.
Emma Mackey for Moneypenny! Only on the basis that Moneypenny gets an extended role and his Bond's partner in the field otherwise someone else can take the role....
Whilst we are at it, make Olivia Colman either the new M or a villain......
I wouldn't mind seing Rose Leslie as Miss Moneypenny, but am I making my usual mistake of suggesting too high-profile actors for these roles? Leslie is best known for playing Gwenn in Downton Abby, Ygrette in GoT and of course her marriage to Kit Harrington. But other than a supporting role in "Death on the Nile" she hasn't done much in movies and I haven't really heard of the TV series she's been in since GoT. What do you think?
at this point in history he'd be the rogue Russian General, working alongside the western intelligence in treasonable defiance against his own government, essentially the opposite of the role he played in films like Octopussy or the Living Daylights. Making the official Russian government the real villains, which they in fact are in real life.
I'm quite sure EON would never do it, but interesting to think about. I wonder what such a story might look like?
Have we all read Horowitz's latest Bond novel, where I think for the first time the Soviet state is the direct villain rather than some western based agent in their employ?
Comments
Moneypenny:
I've found a new candidate to play Moneypenny. Right now I'm watching the mini-series "Around the world in 80 days" based on Jules Verne's novel. It stars David Tennant as Philias Fogg and Leonie Benesch as Abigail Fix who wasn't in the novel. in her thirty years she's been in "The white ribbon", "Babylon Berlin", "The Crown" and much more. Especially in Babylon Berlin she commanded the screen and commanded the screen in every scene. She also .... (whisper it) .... German. Benesch lives in London and to my ears she speaks English perfectly. I don't know if it's high treason to even suggest someone from ....... that country as Britain's last line of defence. In that case I'll delete this post and swear it never existed.
A member of the other place says Ben Whishaw has said he won't return to the Bond movies. Has anyone read this anywhere? Are there any sourses?
My favourites so far:
Hugh Laurie as M:
Sally Hawkins as Q:
Phoebe Waller-Bridge or Maisie Williams as Miss Moneypenny:
LaKeith Stanfield as Felix Leither:
I don't know who I want to play Bill Tanner yet. Bond's best friend in the service (who's named Bill) must obviously be male, but I wouldn't mind if he was of East Asian, middle eastern or Indian decent. Regardless I see him as roughly Bond's age.
Who gets cast as Bond himself will probably influence who fits the Scooby gang, but I find it fun to speculate. I think an actor like Himesh Patel could be a good Bill Tanner. He's British, but of Indian decent born in Zambia. He's 31 years old and was in Eastenders, Tenet, The Aeronauts and "Don't look up". He played the lead in Danny Boyle's "Yesterday". Himesh Patel - IMDb
If Ben Wishaw does indeed leave the Q Role then please could they bring John Cleese back as he was great in the Brosnan Films.
I think Cleese was adequate in the Brosnan movies, but I can't imagine they'll bring him back now. We also need to remember Cleese is 82 years old and the new Q will be cast at least for the tenure of the next Bond actor. This means he'll probably be about a hundred years old by the end of it. But what I imagine is the basic idea behind your suggestion, to continue the Connery-Brosnan timeline, is a possibility.
LaKeith would be far far better suited as the next villain. I wouldn't want him to play Felix. I think himesh Patel could be a great Q. However, after seeing his brief little cameo in Wonder Woman 1984, I'd love like to see Asim Chaudhry play Q. He's v funny.
Matt Smith as Q.
Perhaps Joseph Fiennes as M? ;)
If we want a more traditional Moneypenny (at least in some ways) I think EON should consider Caitriona Balfe. Many know her from the TV series Outlander where I think she did a great job. But lately she had starred in "Le Mans '66" and the critically lauded "Belfast". She's a fine actress. At 42 she'll probably be older than the Bond actor, but the appeal of Moneypenny was never her youth. Do you agree?
Looks like a good shout! Personally, I'm hoping we'll return to a more flirtatious relationship, but I don't think that sort of innocent affection between two consenting adults is permissible anymore in our current landscape.
We're still in agreement. 😀
I'm getting more and more convinced that Sally Hawkins would be perfect as Q. Not because I see swapping the genders of characters in the Bond movies as a goal, but because she had has the inteligence, humor and quirkiness the character needs. I don't think casting a woman would be a problem in the case of Q because the characters was never defined by the gender. The problem as I see it is her fame. I don't want the Scooby Gang to be populated by high-profile actors because they're playing supporting characters. Hawkins isn't a huge movie star, but she has done some famous movies such as "Shape of water" and the Winnie the Pooh-movies.
Well, I do think flirting scenes between 007 and Moneypenny can be done. It just depends on how it's done.
I’d prefer they cast lower profile actors in these roles, except M maybe, simply so the writers don’t feel required to include the characters in the storylines. Keep the focus on Bond where it belongs.
So do I, but when I try to think of suitable actors they usually turn out to be pretty well known.
I’m just thinking that Sally Hawkins, for instance, is a two time Oscar nominee. You can’t hire her and then put her on screen for three minutes. I feel like that’s what happened with Craig’s Scooby Gang: the caliber of the actors forced the writers to give them more to do, and I believe that was at the expense of Bond.
Ideally they should find some talented theatre actors and hire them. Problem is, I haven't been to a British theatre in decades.
Matt Smith would make a great Bond villain also.
Emma Mackey for Moneypenny! Only on the basis that Moneypenny gets an extended role and his Bond's partner in the field otherwise someone else can take the role....
Whilst we are at it, make Olivia Colman either the new M or a villain......
Emma Mackey, yes.
Keep Olivia Coleman a million miles away from Bond. I can't stand her. She's so one dimensional.
Agree 100
He is right. Sally Hawkins is too famous to be Q, but selfishly I wish she was less famous so she could play the role.
The Financial Times has a great article about the three women now working as three of the most senior roles in MI6.
One of them is head of technology and apparently they actually call the person in that role Q.
Hopefully this will persuade BB and MGW that it is time for a female Q.
I wouldn't mind seing Rose Leslie as Miss Moneypenny, but am I making my usual mistake of suggesting too high-profile actors for these roles? Leslie is best known for playing Gwenn in Downton Abby, Ygrette in GoT and of course her marriage to Kit Harrington. But other than a supporting role in "Death on the Nile" she hasn't done much in movies and I haven't really heard of the TV series she's been in since GoT. What do you think?
I've been watching the Netflix series, Wednesday, and couldn't help it think; if Ralph Fiennes isn't returning to play M, Gwendoline Christie?
If you've seen Wednesday, it's clear that Gwendoline could comfortably play the authoritarian supervisor to look down her nose at Bond.
M: Jared Harris
Miss Moneypenny: Rose Leslie
Q: Andy Serkis
Bill Tanner: I’m okay without a Tanner/Villiers/Robinson.
General Gogol: Stellan Skarsgard
You raise an interesting question: given the new international situation is there a need for a Russian official to work with/against?
jamesbondagent007 said:
General Gogol: Stellan Skarsgard
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interesting idea to bring back General Gogol
at this point in history he'd be the rogue Russian General, working alongside the western intelligence in treasonable defiance against his own government, essentially the opposite of the role he played in films like Octopussy or the Living Daylights. Making the official Russian government the real villains, which they in fact are in real life.
I'm quite sure EON would never do it, but interesting to think about. I wonder what such a story might look like?
Have we all read Horowitz's latest Bond novel, where I think for the first time the Soviet state is the direct villain rather than some western based agent in their employ?