Tony Gilroy proved to the world that he was ready to take on major projects thanks to Rogue One: A Star Wars Story and Andor. But beyond his tenure in the galaxy far, far away, the filmmaker was ready to join the legacy of the James Bond franchise. During a recent podcast episode, Gilroy revealed that he had prepared a pitch for a potential Bond story that was ultimately passed on by the production company behind the famous spy. Here’s what Tony Gilroy had to say regarding the James Bond movie that never came to light:
“I think Steven tried twice to get into the Bond business. And it sounds to me very much like what they’re doing now is very much what [Steven] was suggesting a long time ago. We wanted to go back to the ’60s and do it in black and white and do Carnaby St. and do the whole thing. I thought it was a really swinging idea, like $30 million [budget], but he couldn’t get them to…they just wouldn’t give anybody control.”
The filmmaker Tony Gilroy was talking about is Steven Soderbergh. The creative mind behind titles such as Contagion and No Sudden Move was supposed to be the director of this movie, if it had been produced. Gilroy would’ve taken charge of the writing duties for the story that was supposed to take the James Bond franchise back to its origins. The project was never approved by the studio, leading to Daniel Craig‘s run as the iconic character.
Tony Gilroy moved on to work on both Rogue One and Andor. The major motion picture and the television prequel that followed it allowed Lucasfilm to explore the life and adventures of Cassian Andor (Diego Luna), the young Rebel hero who helped steal the plans for the original Death Star. Rogue One earned more than $1 billion at the global box office, while Andor was met with overwhelmingly positive reviews upon release.
The Next ‘James Bond’ Will Arrive Soon
No Time to Die marked the last time audiences saw James Bond on the big screen. The blockbuster directed by Cary Joji Fukunaga depicted the famous secret agent embarking on one last ride to save the world from the evil Lyutsifer Safin (Rami Malek). The sequel became a box office success, despite the fact that it was released shortly after the pandemic allowed for major movies to be released in theaters again.
The future of the James Bond franchise is currently being discussed. Amazon MGM Studios bought the rights to the series from the Broccoli family, the people who had been involved with the character over the course of decades. Amy Pascal and David Heyman have been recruited by the studio to produce the next installment of the series. A new James Bond is expected to be cast, with Daniel Craig moving on to work on the Knives Out franchise.
Every episode of Andor is now available for streaming on Disney+. Stay tuned to Collider for more updates.
Source: The Rogue Ones Podcast/via The Playlist