‘Bond 25’ First Set Footage Shows Off Apparently Smooth Sailing on Reportedly Troubled Set — Watch
James Bond may be the smoothest movie character of all time, but production on his latest film has been anything but. After the massively successful “Skyfall” and the slightly less successful “Spectre,” Sam Mendes exited the franchise for good, handing the reins to Danny Boyle.
But while the British Oscar winner seemed like a natural fit for the franchise when he officially joined the production after months of speculation, creative differences caused him to exit three months before filming started. This resulted in principal photography being delayed from December 2018 to April 2019. The experience was apparently unpleasant enough for him to swear off franchises forever.
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Producers quickly settled on Cary Fukunaga as a replacement, and things seemed to be rolling again. Then Daniel Craig injured his ankle on set, requiring surgery that delayed production. Then an explosion scene ended up injuring a crew member. Then came reports that the crew was planning a mutiny due to Fukunaga’s video game habits.
As if things couldn’t get any worse, yesterday brought the news that hidden cameras were found in the women’s restroom on set. That kind of blatantly inappropriate behavior is a horrendous look for any production, but especially so for a franchise reportedly looking to improve the way it treats its female characters.
So how does one rebound from all of that? Apparently by dropping a 60-second sizzle reel set to Jamaican music.
The franchise’s official social media accounts have released a montage of video footage from the set, featuring Craig, Cary, Lashana Lynch, and Jeffrey Wright. It features no dialogue, but shows Fukunaga preparing shots and plenty of Jamaican scenery. We see James Bond approaching a window carrying a gun, and there’s plenty of helicopter, motorcycle, and nightclub footage.
Sadly, there is no sign of Rami Malek’s villain, one of the most anticipated parts of the film. While there is a snippet of a chase scene, it’s impossible to discern any plot details from the video. But when you can’t hear anything, production appears to be going smoothly.
The currently untitled “Bond 25” is scheduled to hit theaters on April 8, 2020. It also stars Léa Seydoux and Ralph Fiennes. It boasts a script by Fukunaga, Robert Wade, Scott Burns, and Phoebe Waller-Bridge. The full video can be watched below.
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