Naomie Harris Said Bond Producers Shot Down Idea for Moneypenny Sequel With Director Barry Jenkins

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British actress Naomie Harris joined the Bond cinematic universe as Eve Moneypenny, the sly private secretary to MI6 leader M, in Sam Mendes’ 007 film “Skyfall” back in 2012, followed by “Spectre” in 2015. Harris, who went on to become the 2017 Academy Award nominee for Best Supporting Actress for Barry Jenkins’ “Moonlight,” returns as Moneypenny in director Cary Joji Fukunaga’s upcoming Bond film “No Time to Die,” set for an April 8, 2020 release. Now, as revealed in a new interview on Good Morning America, Harris is looking toward the future of her iconic character, and what she might bring to the series after the 25th film bows next spring.

In the interview, embedded below, she was on camera to promote her new film “Black and Blue,” where she plays a rookie police officer implicated in crimes committed by her New Orleans colleagues while on duty. (“Black and Blue” opens October 25.)

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On GMA, she talked about how her “Moonlight” director Jenkins — who will next bring Colson Whitehead’s slavery-era novel “The Underground Railroad” to Amazon as a limited series — has always been interested in giving Miss Moneypenny her own story. But, according to Harris, the folks at James Bond production house Eon haven’t given the greenlight just yet.

“He’s wanted to do a badass, kick-ass action thing with Moneypenny, which I’m all for,” Harris said. “I got together with our producer, Barbara Broccoli, and was like ‘Let’s make this happen.’ But she wasn’t so down for it. But maybe, one day, who knows. The conversation has started at least, and we’re continuing it here.”

Harris is the sixth actress to take on the role of Eve Moneypenny in the James Bond film franchise. “No Time to Die,” directed by Fukunaga, boasts a top-drawer cast that, along with Harris, includes Craig, Jeffrey Wright, Ben Whishaw, Ralph Fiennes, Rory Kinnear, and Lea Seydoux, all reprising their previous Bond roles, alongside newcomers Rami Malek, Ana De Armas, Lashana Lynch, David Dencik, Billy Magnussen, and Dali Benssalah.

IndieWire has reached to Eon Productions and representatives for director Barry Jenkins for comment.

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