Whether we'll have North African or Russian villains, only Dr No, DAD and LALD had non-Caucasian leading villains (and then with DAD that is debatable). As for henchmen and women, there is a wider variety. See below. But, still, Caucasians dominate.
Dr No - 'Blind' black assassins, Chinese.
FRWL - Russians and Turks.
Goldfinger - Korean Oddjob, Chinese physicist Mr Ling (Burt Kwouk).
Thunderball - Caucasians except for Japanese Spectre committee member.
YOLT - Blofeld's Chinese partners, Spectre member Burt Kwouk and a Samoan, The Rock's granddad.
OHMSS - Caucasians.
DAF - All Caucasian except for Trina Parks' Thumper gymnast henchwoman.
LALD - Caribbean/Africans, duplicitous African American CIA agent.
TMWTGG - Caucasians.
TSWLM - Caucasians.
Moonraker - Caucasians.
FYEO - Caucasians.
Octopussy - Indians/Russians.
AVTAK - Caucasians except for Mayday, but she helps Bond in the end
TLD - Caucasians.
LTK - Latinos/Caucasian.
Goldeneye - Caucasians
TND - Chinese and Caucasians.
TWINE - Caucasians.
DAD - Caucasians except for 'North Korean' Zao.
Casino Royale - Mostly Caucasian but there is an African warlord who is Quantum's customer.
QoS - Caucasian/Latinos.
Skyfall - Macao casino heavies and Caucasians.
Spectre - Caucasians.
(No doubt I've missed some obscure hench person somewhere in that list.)
I'd add that Russians typically are not involved with Spectre, Rosa Klebb being the odd one out. As for North Africans, perhaps they will have a role in Bond25 similar to Steven Obanno in Casino, customers of Spectre/Quantum.
And finally, apologies if anyone takes offence at the descriptive terms above, no offence is meant, I'm just using short descriptions for people of different ethnicities.
Whether we'll have North African or Russian villains, only Dr No, DAD and LALD had non-Caucasian leading villains (and then with DAD that is debatable)
And 2 of those 3 were played by caucasians. I’m trying to think - did they ever mention Dr. No being half Chinese in the movie at all? Or was that only the book?
At one point EON considered making Blofeld an African warlord for SPECTRE.
I think the posts above show us one thing: Non-white villains are clearly underrepresented in Bond movies. More non-white villains will in fact be the most PC thing to do, since not representing other ethnic groups these roles is in fact racist. )
I laugh, but it's actually true.
I disagree that non-caucasian villainous characters have been underrepresented; underrepresentation of non-caucasian actors playing those characters is a different argument.
It should be borne in mind that sometimes the casting of an actor has caused the script to be changed to accommodate the ethnicity of the actor concerned. Not a villain, but Domino in TB only became French when Claudine Auger got the part for example (Fleming's Domino was Italian). I'm pretty sure Scaramanga (Catalan in the book) only received an English mother when Christopher Lee was cast*. There are other examples. This is not in the least racist, only good sense.
* I doubt that line would have been in the script if Jack Palance had played Scaramanga.
I think there's been quite a few non-white henchmen and minor villains, but very few non-white main villains.
That is true, though it reflects on cinema in general rather than James Bond films in particular. Those have been made for almost 60 years now. Back in the day, it was more difficult to find bankable non-caucasian leading actors for prominent roles in big productions- hence Laurence Olivier playing Othello, or Alec Guinness in "Lawrence of Arabia" (not playing Lawrence, but he was top-billed). Such casting decisions wouldn't be made now- for example, in a more recent "Othello" Kenneth Branagh (our generation's equivalent of Olivier) played Iago rather than Othello*.
Nowadays there are plenty prominent and bankable non-caucasian actors who could reasonably be cast as Othello (Laurence Fishburne in this instance). This wasn't the case when Olivier made his film, and it wasn't the case when Broccoli and Saltzman were casting Dr No. They chose a competent actor who could play the part memorably while being able to pass (with a little help from make-up) as half Chinese, rather than pick from the then small pool of more ethnically correct actors. It wasn't racism then, and revisionism doesn't make it racist now.
* an argument could be made that Iago is the more interesting part to play, but that isn't the point.
I think there's been quite a few non-white henchmen and minor villains, but very few non-white main villains.
The main villain has not been white/Caucasian in only three films. They are Dr No, LALD, and LTK. Arguably Octopussy and DAD have Asian villains, but was General Orlov the main villain or was it Kamal Khan? And DAD's villain has a Caucasian appearance for most of the film.
Dr No - Half Chinese
FRWL - Russians/Caucasian dominated Spectre
Goldfinger - Said in film to be British but has German accent, go figure.
Thunderball - Caucasion Largo
YOLT - Caucasian Blofeld
OHMSS - Caucasian Blofeld
DAF - Caucasian Blofeld
LALD - Caribbean/African head of a narco state
TMWTGG - Caucasian Scaramanga
TSWLM - Caucasion Stromberg
Moonraker - Caucasian Drax
FYEO - Caucasian Kristatos
Octopussy - Corrupt Russian general/Indian businessman
AVTAK - Caucasian Zorin
TLD - Corrupt Russians, American arms dealer
LTK - Latino drug Lord
Goldeneye - Corrupt Russian general/006
TND - British media baron
TWINE - European woman
DAD - North Korean turned Caucasian Zao
Casino Royale - Caucasian Le Chiffre
QoS - Caucasian Greene
Skyfall - Caucasian Silva
Spectre - Caucasian Blofeld
Kamal Khan is the main villain of OP. Unlike Orlov he and 007 skirmish over an ostensibly trivial (though high stakes) game, they both vie for the leading lady's favour (Bond wins, naturally), and Orlov's death doesn't end the film while Kamal's does.
Goldfinger is British by naturalisation. In the book he's a Balt by birth.
Since Madeline is returning in Bond26, how many of us think Blofeld will return too?
I think he will, in some shape or form.
I think you mean Bond 25...
For that film, I think Blofeld's return is inevitable, and he's played by Mark Strong. The only question is, is he sprung from jail at all, or at the start or in the middle?
Whishaw claiming not to know if he will be in Bond 25 defuses any follow-up questions regarding other Bond 25 info.
I am guessing he will more than likely make an appearance in Bond 25.
More examples of far too much influence from the lead actor as Daniel is cited as a key Decision maker by both parties cited. I'm looking forward to him not being in the picture and to return to filmmakers choosing Directors and making casting and script decisions.
God I miss the cold war!
Of that of which we cannot speak we must pass over in silence- Ludwig Wittgenstein.
I get that articles are going out on a limb by saying M will be in the new James Bond movie, but you had posted that Fiennes himself had confirmed it, but he said nothing in regards to Bond 25. There is a difference...
Comments
Dr No - 'Blind' black assassins, Chinese.
FRWL - Russians and Turks.
Goldfinger - Korean Oddjob, Chinese physicist Mr Ling (Burt Kwouk).
Thunderball - Caucasians except for Japanese Spectre committee member.
YOLT - Blofeld's Chinese partners, Spectre member Burt Kwouk and a Samoan, The Rock's granddad.
OHMSS - Caucasians.
DAF - All Caucasian except for Trina Parks' Thumper gymnast henchwoman.
LALD - Caribbean/Africans, duplicitous African American CIA agent.
TMWTGG - Caucasians.
TSWLM - Caucasians.
Moonraker - Caucasians.
FYEO - Caucasians.
Octopussy - Indians/Russians.
AVTAK - Caucasians except for Mayday, but she helps Bond in the end
TLD - Caucasians.
LTK - Latinos/Caucasian.
Goldeneye - Caucasians
TND - Chinese and Caucasians.
TWINE - Caucasians.
DAD - Caucasians except for 'North Korean' Zao.
Casino Royale - Mostly Caucasian but there is an African warlord who is Quantum's customer.
QoS - Caucasian/Latinos.
Skyfall - Macao casino heavies and Caucasians.
Spectre - Caucasians.
(No doubt I've missed some obscure hench person somewhere in that list.)
I'd add that Russians typically are not involved with Spectre, Rosa Klebb being the odd one out. As for North Africans, perhaps they will have a role in Bond25 similar to Steven Obanno in Casino, customers of Spectre/Quantum.
And finally, apologies if anyone takes offence at the descriptive terms above, no offence is meant, I'm just using short descriptions for people of different ethnicities.
And 2 of those 3 were played by caucasians. I’m trying to think - did they ever mention Dr. No being half Chinese in the movie at all? Or was that only the book?
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I think the posts above show us one thing: Non-white villains are clearly underrepresented in Bond movies. More non-white villains will in fact be the most PC thing to do, since not representing other ethnic groups these roles is in fact racist.
I laugh, but it's actually true.
It should be borne in mind that sometimes the casting of an actor has caused the script to be changed to accommodate the ethnicity of the actor concerned. Not a villain, but Domino in TB only became French when Claudine Auger got the part for example (Fleming's Domino was Italian). I'm pretty sure Scaramanga (Catalan in the book) only received an English mother when Christopher Lee was cast*. There are other examples. This is not in the least racist, only good sense.
* I doubt that line would have been in the script if Jack Palance had played Scaramanga.
I think there's been quite a few non-white henchmen and minor villains, but very few non-white main villains.
Yes, exactly.
That is true, though it reflects on cinema in general rather than James Bond films in particular. Those have been made for almost 60 years now. Back in the day, it was more difficult to find bankable non-caucasian leading actors for prominent roles in big productions- hence Laurence Olivier playing Othello, or Alec Guinness in "Lawrence of Arabia" (not playing Lawrence, but he was top-billed). Such casting decisions wouldn't be made now- for example, in a more recent "Othello" Kenneth Branagh (our generation's equivalent of Olivier) played Iago rather than Othello*.
Nowadays there are plenty prominent and bankable non-caucasian actors who could reasonably be cast as Othello (Laurence Fishburne in this instance). This wasn't the case when Olivier made his film, and it wasn't the case when Broccoli and Saltzman were casting Dr No. They chose a competent actor who could play the part memorably while being able to pass (with a little help from make-up) as half Chinese, rather than pick from the then small pool of more ethnically correct actors. It wasn't racism then, and revisionism doesn't make it racist now.
* an argument could be made that Iago is the more interesting part to play, but that isn't the point.
Yes. Chi-Chi in OHMSS, Hai Fat & various in TMWTGG, Mr Bullion (Bull) in TWINE for example.
And Mr Kil in DAD.
The main villain has not been white/Caucasian in only three films. They are Dr No, LALD, and LTK. Arguably Octopussy and DAD have Asian villains, but was General Orlov the main villain or was it Kamal Khan? And DAD's villain has a Caucasian appearance for most of the film.
Dr No - Half Chinese
FRWL - Russians/Caucasian dominated Spectre
Goldfinger - Said in film to be British but has German accent, go figure.
Thunderball - Caucasion Largo
YOLT - Caucasian Blofeld
OHMSS - Caucasian Blofeld
DAF - Caucasian Blofeld
LALD - Caribbean/African head of a narco state
TMWTGG - Caucasian Scaramanga
TSWLM - Caucasion Stromberg
Moonraker - Caucasian Drax
FYEO - Caucasian Kristatos
Octopussy - Corrupt Russian general/Indian businessman
AVTAK - Caucasian Zorin
TLD - Corrupt Russians, American arms dealer
LTK - Latino drug Lord
Goldeneye - Corrupt Russian general/006
TND - British media baron
TWINE - European woman
DAD - North Korean turned Caucasian Zao
Casino Royale - Caucasian Le Chiffre
QoS - Caucasian Greene
Skyfall - Caucasian Silva
Spectre - Caucasian Blofeld
Goldfinger is British by naturalisation. In the book he's a Balt by birth.
I think he will, in some shape or form.
I think you mean Bond 25...
For that film, I think Blofeld's return is inevitable, and he's played by Mark Strong. The only question is, is he sprung from jail at all, or at the start or in the middle?
https://hnentertainment.co/exclusive-skyfall-avengers-infinity-war-2nd-unit-director-alexander-witt-confirmed-for-bond-25/
Ben Whishaw casts doubt on his appearance as Q in Bond25, original story is a Vanity Fair interview with Whishaw about Mary Poppins.
https://www.mirror.co.uk/film/bond-25-ben-whishaw-not-13755465
Maybe the journalist interviewed Whishaw before the Daily Mail spoke to Fukuaga?
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-6469437/Lea-Seydoux-star-James-Bond-director-Daniel-Craig-asked-come-back.html
Or maybe Fukunaga is planning a more traditional Bond film and Whishaw doesn't like appearing for 2 minutes at the start and maybe briefly at the end?
Maybe Whishaw isn't allowed to say anything and is serious about it?
Eon does the announcing for things like that. Whishaw is taking the safe route. Nothing to see here...
I am guessing he will more than likely make an appearance in Bond 25.
God I miss the cold war!
https://www.screendaily.com/news/ralph-fiennes-criticises-uks-depressing-brexit-debate-in-european-film-awards-speech/5135341.article
https://twitter.com/TheGNShow/status/1075698934549544960
Bond on the Box - Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | LetterBoxd | YouTube
I’m not seeing where Fiennes is quoted as saying anything about Bond 25 in that article...
I can't access that article now as it says I can only view one article per month.
But, this article reports the same news.
https://www.nu.nl/entertainment/5632010/ralph-fiennes-speelt-weer-m-in-nieuwe-james-bond-film.html
And this one
https://www.ad.nl/show/ralph-fiennes-keert-terug-als-m-in-nieuwe-james-bond-film~a88382fd/
My guess would be that Graham Norton asks him about Bond25 and Whisham confirms his involvement. It's a big show and a good talking point.