James Bond, the world’s favourite spy is heading back to Jamaica. The Caribbean island will feature in Daniel Craig’s final James Bond film set to start production soon, according to the Mirror.
Jamaica was heavily showcased in the first ever Bond film in 1962, Dr No. It featured a famous scene where actress Ursula Andress emerged from the clear waters of the Caribbean island in a bikini.
The island nation was also the major setting for the 1973 film, Live and Let Die.
After many decades, the Mirror is reporting that principle filming of the new Bond film set for an April 2020 release date will take place in Jamaica and at studios in the UK.
According to Caribbean360, Jamaica’s Tourism Minister, Edmund Bartlett, and Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sports Minister Olivia “Babsy” Grange, are in final talks with James Bond producers about filming Bond 25 in Jamaica
The team will be travelling to Pinewood Studios to meet with Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson, producers of the movie. The studios have been the base for a number of productions over the years.
Jamaica’s Tourism Minister, Bartlett, believes that featuring the island once more in the yet-to-be-titled film will provide “enormous eternal marketing” for the island
Movie lovers say that Jamaica is an ideal location for Bond 25, considering that the island is actually Bond’s birthplace. According to Jamaican media, all 13 James Bond novels were written in Oracabessa, a small town in St Mary, Jamaica, while author Ian Fleming called Jamaica his home.
Production of the next instalment in the James Bond franchise is underway in Norway, with reports that scenes will be shot in Italy and Greece as well
This will be the final film with Daniel Craig in the role of 007 and his fifth in total.
Last August, talks emerged that a host of actors could play 007 once Craig retires from the role.
Since then, names such as Michael Fassbender, Tom Hardy, David Oyelowo (who voices the character in the audiobooks) and Henry Cavill have all come up, but there is only one actor almost everyone is still rooting for to be the next James Bond – Idris Elba.
Black English actor Elba as Bond has been in the news since 2014, when, according to media reports, emails released during the massive Sony hack revealed that then-studio co-chair Amy Pascal told a colleague, “Idris should be the next Bond.”
Elba has, however, for some years now maintained that he is not going to play James Bond, even suggesting that a woman should play that role.
Reports emerged recently that James Bond producers are beginning to buy into the idea of Elba taking the role.
According to news site Independent, director Antoine Fuqua revealed the details of a conversation with Bond producer Barbara Broccoli, in which she said “it is time” for a non-white actor to take on the iconic role.
“Fuqua discussed who might be next in the running with Broccoli, who’s certain the progressive move ‘will happen eventually’, with Idris Elba a reported frontrunner for the role,” the report added.
This might not have revealed a lot about his chances, but it has been received with much excitement, with the following reasons being outlined as to why Elba deserves the role:
1. He is a Brit. Elba has the kind of Britishness that comes along with playing the James Bond role, apart from being a pub lover who does not joke with his fancy gin drinks.
2. He has the stature required for the role, as James Bond is statuesque, and every actor who has so far played his role has been 6 feet or taller. Elba perfectly cuts in here. Being physical, he can easily deal with the fights expected of such Bond films.
3. Ladies can’t just do without Idris. They love him, and he can surely play the role of a ladies’ man.
Like Bond, Idris likes to drive exotic and classy cars and even breaks speed records. In fact, he is already the perfect James Bond.
