Daniel Craig has had an action-packed run a 007 since his debut in Casino Royale in 2006, but as all the Bonds before him, he cannot keep the role to himself. In the upcoming Bond 25, his final mission is said to involve genetic warfare set in motion by Rami Malek’s villain character.
Fleabag and Killing Eve writer Phoebe Waller-Bridge, who recently joined the project to work on the script’s latest draft was reportedly brought in to help make the film’s elaborate premise regarding genetic engineering be more accessible to audiences, per Daily Mail. In fact, Bond 25 producer Barbara Broccoli told the site that Daniel Craig insisted she come on board.
The British comedy writer joined Bond 25 a couple months ago by Daniel Craig’s request to bring her hilarious brand of “wit and quirkiness” to the screenplay already with Bond writers Neal Purvis and Robert Wade, Bourne Ultimatum’s Scott Z. Burns and director Cary Joji Fukunaga’s name written on it.
Along with Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s penning in her additions to the script, the plot focusing on genetic warfare apparently has Rami Malek brainstorming with genetic experts about his new role before Bond 25 soon picks up filming.
Soon after the movie began shooting in Jamaica in late April, Daniel Craig suffered an ankle injury on set which he had to undergo a minor surgery for. The actor is expected to have finished his recovery since his stated two weeks of recovery time has recently passed.
Villains turning to genetic engineering to carry out their plans are no stranger to blockbusters since franchises including Jurassic World, X-Men, Spider-Man, Blade Runner and Star Trek have all utilized the science as a plot point to formulate their most iconic characters.
It will be interesting to see how how the franchise approaches this in Bond 25, especially since 007 won’t likely deal with it the same way these sci-fi/fantasy films have in the past. Bond villains are notorious for elaborate schemes, but Craig’s Bond lives in a much more grounded and realistic world. We’ll have to wait and see how the Bohemian Rhapsody Oscar winner brings to the legacy of villains.
Now “genetic warfare” and “Phoebe Waller-Bridge” doesn’t exactly come to mind as a obvious pair, but it’s smart that Bond 25 is enlisting a tried and true writer with comedic chops to buff up the script. If the film’s story is as complicated as they make it out to be, it should benefit from fresh eyes, and in her case she can perhaps make a bit of fun of it as well.
Along with Daniel Craig’s final return, Bond 25 features an impressive cast including Ralph Fiennes as M, Naomie Harris as Eve Moneypenny, Ben Whishaw as Q, Lea Seydoux as Dr. Madeleine Swann, Rory Kinnear as Bill Tanner, Jeffrey Wright as Felix Leiter. Billy Magnussen, Lashana Lynch and Ana de Armas are also newcomers to the franchise.
Bond 25 hits theaters on April 8, 2020.
