James Bond Writers: 'With People Like Trump, the Bond Villain Has Become a Reality'

Will Lerner
·Producer, Yahoo Entertainment

Neal Purvis and Robert Wade know a few things about James Bond. The pair has written or rewritten every 007 movie since 1999:

  • The World Is Not Enough (1999)

  • Die Another Day (2002)

  • Casino Royale (2006)

  • Quantum of Solace (2008)

  • Skyfall (2012)

  • Spectre (2015)

Aside from wondering if Daniel Craig will return, fans are wondering when the next Bond movie will be announced. They might have to wait a while. “The thing is, I’m just not sure how you would go about writing a James Bond film now,” Purvis told the Telegraph.

Neal Purvis, left, and Robert Wade have written or rewritten every Bond movie since 1999 (Photo: Dave M. Benett/WireImage)
Neal Purvis, left, and Robert Wade have written or rewritten every Bond movie since 1999 (Photo: Dave M. Benett/WireImage)

They feel that current events, such as Brexit, President Trump’s election victory, intelligence that points to Russian interference in Western elections, and the rise of nationalism in the U.S., U.K., and Europe, necessitate a reassessment of how to handle the famous British spy.

“Each time, you’ve got to say something about Bond’s place in the world, which is Britain’s place in the world,” Purvis said. “But things are moving so quickly now, that becomes tricky. With people like Trump, the Bond villain has become a reality. So when they do another one, it will be interesting to see how they deal with the fact that the world has become a fantasy.”

The writers of several Bond movies think that events like President Trump’s election require a reassessment of the James Bond. (Photo: Getty Images)
The writers of several Bond movies think that events like President Trump’s election require a reassessment of the James Bond. (Photo: Getty Images)

The next Bond movie might not be the concern of Purvis and Wade. They had planned to leave the franchise after Skyfall and only came onboard for Spectre when Eon Productions wanted rewrites. Will they return? “Never say never,” said Robert Wade. “But for sure, Spectre felt like it closed off a certain way of doing Bond. And I think whatever happens next will be quite different.”

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