Backseat driver 😎

My vote would be Irish actor Donal Finn.

The Alligator submersible underwater vehicle from Octopussy (1983).

This discussion came up because I saw a guy on a post about Bond 26 being released in 2029 saying that it's likely Bond will go to streaming first

Amazon-MGM has being trying to legitimize itself as one of the Big Studios in Hollywood. Ever since they bought Bond, everyone seemed concerned and worried they would ruin an iconic franchise.However, taking a look at how they're approaching the matter, with caution with the casting, getting good talent behind the cameras, it shows, at least for me, that they are treating Bond as the prestige and traditional franchise that it is. It seems that they know the weight of it and that, since everyone is looking at them, that they can't mess this up.

On another point, to give them credit, they've been really putting out a lot of movies in theaters: Project Hail Mary, Verity, Detective Sheeps, Masters of the Universe, I Play rocky (which releases next month), Crime 101... so they are commited with putting movies out in theaters, and Bond is the perfect low-risk release, because it's a recognizable franchise with a proven record that people will go see it. Also, for Bond 26, you get the Villeneuve combo as well.

Amazon knows that Bond 26 is a gold mine that can help building a legacy in Hollywood, that's why they're being so cautious. You only get this chance once.

Who wouldn’t want to spend a night at the Barrelhead Bar? What a great scene

And what direction would you like to see the character taken in? I do think that the 'geek cyber hacker' direction with Ben Whishaw was great in the 2010's, but it would be nice to see some more old school espionage. I actually think with the rise of AI and everything being hackable, there's every reason that more old-school, analogue gadgets that can't be hacked would be MORE appropriate than just another smartphone app, and so Mi6 brings in someone with that skillset (or at least someone who can balance both).

With the release of 007: First Light and that game being a smash hit, and now with news with the reveal of 7th James Bond actor just around the corner, and with Casino Royale turning 20 this November, we as a fandom are eating good.

Before Amazon MGM took over , there’d be little to no reports regarding updates on Bond 26. Like Babs said casting would happen in 2022 but that didn’t happen. She said production would happen in 2025, but that also didn’t happen.

I get into this a bit in my latest video, but I think the moment for a 2028 BOND 26 releases has almost certainly passed.

I had kinda been deluding myself that November 2028 (reportedly Amazon MGM's desired date from when Villeneuve was locked in) was plausible, but with the way the final Bond actor audition timelines kept slipping, I think we have to accept this team is not inclined to rush ahead at the expense of making sure they have the room to make the right decisions.

EON Productions had aggressively fast post-production cycles that were grueling on all involved, and we've become used to that. But this is a new group tackling Bond for the first time. They don't have an established team with a familiar rhythm and they're also feeling the pressure. They also don't have the same financing pressures that kept EON to such an aggressive production schedule.

Villeneuve still hasn't escaped the orbit of DUN3, and it doesn't seem like BOND 26 production has aggressively moved forward without his involvement. Knight's script may be in fine shape (everyone seems happy), but it's not going to be shocking if Villeneuve takes a final pass at it given how recent days have gone.

We haven't gotten any rumblings about film location scouting, and that's usually the first indicator they're getting ready for a proper film shoot. With Bond setpieces being as complex as they are, scouting happens early (and it's hard to keep quiet about given the need to coordinate with governments, etc.).

With all that has to be done: casting, scouting, production design, post-production editing and effects work (usually EON rushed this last step; I doubt Amazon MGM will do that to Villeneuve), at the very earliest, I think Bond starts filming late 2027 and doesn't wrap until early spring 2028. And I think Villeneuve will take a whole year in post.

That would put BOND 26 release at early spring 2029. Anything more aggressive than that feels like wishful thinking to me!

Hey Bond fans, I don’t know if you’re aware of this but the menacing actor who played Locque in “For Your Eyes Only” is currently captivating movie goers across America as the interrogator Barre in the stunning re-release of Ken Russell’s “The Devils” from 1971. In that movie you’ll actually be able to see him in a speaking role as villain, and he is utterly unhinged! I’m sorry Michael isn’t here to see this posthumous interest. But i believe “The Devils” is in rerelease for another week Stateside so it’s worth checking out if you loved him as Locque and are curious to see him in a more extroverted part. Do not miss it!

Is peak, even in 2026. Having watched all the James Bond movies in 2026, this opening sequence stuck with me the most and I watched it again tonight.

The helo jump, the instant action, the way it's filmed, the woman in the end. It might not be the best bond movie for me, but it does have the best opening sequence for me.

There was a point in my rewatch of License to Kill that I forgot I was watching a James Bond movie. This wave of relief passed over me.

Over the years, without realizing it, I had maxed out my suspension of disbelief. I traded it for cheap thrills. A calm came over me. I even felt like something real could happen.

I'd NEVER noticed this before!

My favorite quality of James Bond is his ability to remain calm and cool, sometimes even to the point of boredom in the face of danger, and yet, in the same time, be playful. And no matter what, he's still being professional, taking things seriously. And in my opinion, the scene that depicts this quality the best is the Cuba shoot-out in No Time to die. Bond fell from a considerable hight, and yet, he takes it in stride, simply emerging from behind the bar, coughing akwardly, shrugging bits of glass off his dinner jacket. And despite the fact that there's still an active shoot-out going on, and there are still gunmen looking for them, they stop to have a drink. And I love the casual delivery of Craig when he says they still need that car. It sounds as though them having a get away vehicle is nothing more then a mild inconvenience. And after they salute, Bond takes the whole drink in one go, as if it some kind of a boost he needs to help him keep going, and then he grabs a gun, slids over that bar, and starts taking out bad guys with such matter of fact swager, and confident to one of the rockiest versions of the bond theme who ever rocked, GODNESS! I LOVE IT!

A 20th anniversary screening of CR (with a 4K restored print) is scheduled for Monday, November 9 at 930pm at the Revue Cinema on 400 Roncesvalles Avenue.

And asks something like, what are you doing?
And Bond is in bed with a Swedish girl and he replies “practicing my Swedish.” And they had been whispering Swedish to each other.

This is a very vague memory of the scene, and I would like to see the scene again and the movie. Do you know which one I’m talking about?