Phoebe Waller-Bridge has opened up about her contributions to James Bond 25. The long-awaited entry in the iconic franchise is currently filming. Though, star Daniel Craig recently injured his ankle and production has had to shift some things around as he recovers from surgery. In any event, things are finally on track and we now have a little bit of insight from one of the creatives working on the new movie.
Fleabag and Killing Eve creator Phoebe Waller-Bridge came onto the project in the later stages. She joined a writing team that also consists of franchise regulars Neal Purvis and Robert Wade, as well as Scott Z. Burns. According to the actress and writer, she actually doesn’t feel it’s fair to say she’s writing the script, given her level of contribution. Here’s what she had to say about it in a recent interview.
“When I saw his Bond for the first time, there was a wryness to his performance that I really loved. So, I was really excited about writing dialogue for him. I mean, the script was there. It’s already there. I think it’s unfair to say that I’m writing the script.”
When it was first reported that Phoebe Waller-Bridge was being brought on board, it was explained as though she was being brought in to help punch-up the script that was already in place. Her comments speak to that. Speaking a bit further, Waller-Bridge explained that she wants to do her best to make this movie’s female characters feel relevant and actually have something meaty to do.
“I just want to make sure that when they get those pages through, that Lashana [Lynch], Léa [Seydoux] and Ana [de Armas] open them and go, ‘I can’t wait to do that.’ As an actress, I very rarely had that feeling early in my career. That brings me much pleasure, knowing that I’m giving that to an actress.”
For her part, Phoebe Waller-Bridge will become just the second woman ever to get a screenwriting credit on a Bond movie. Johanna Harwood was the first, who received credits on the first two entries in the series, Dr. No and From Russia With Love, when the big screen version of 007 was still in its infancy. To that point, some question whether or not Bond is even relevant in today’s climate. Waller-Bridge also weighed in on that matter.
Related: Is James Bond 25 Already in Big Trouble Just as Shooting Begins?
“There’s been a lot of talk about whether or not [the Bond franchise] is relevant now because of who he is and the way he treats women. I think that’s bollocks. I think he’s absolutely relevant now. It has just got to grow. It has just got to evolve, and the important thing is that the film treats the women properly. He doesn’t have to. He needs to be true to this character.”
Cary Fukunaga is in the director’s chair for what is being billed as Daniel Craig’s final go-around as 007. He’ll be going up against Bohemian Rhapsody star Rami Malek, who will play the main villain. James Bond 25 is currently set to hit theaters on April 8, 2020. This news was first reported by Deadline.
