Why the delay (again) for 'Bond 25' might be a good thing

With Daniel Craig's last 007 outing 'Bond 25' being delayed again, maybe this is a chance for the franchise to save itself and allow the actor to go out on an all time high

Daniel Craig aiming high (but falling flat) in 'Spectre' (MGM/EON/SONY)

by Jack Linsdell

Last week, film nerds and 007 fans across the world received the news courtesy of every film journalist that Daniel Craig's (presumably) final outing as the British spy in 'Bond 25' had been delayed in production again. The release date was moved back to April 20th 2020 by two months, with many reporting that Scott Z. Burns had been brought in to polish the existing screenplay.

You won't find a bigger James Bond fan than myself and although I agree with many other fans that this delay is frustrating, ultimately waiting two extra months may not be a complete waste of time - also bare in mind that general audiences don't get as hooked up on all this news as we do, so to most this is mere trivia. The reason why? Well, Craig's last two outings haven't exactly been quality entries into the series. Yes, I know many adore Sam Mendes' 'Skyfall' (personally, the film looks beautiful, has an excellent theme song, stand out performance from Judy Dench and two amazing set pieces in Shanghai and a London court room), however it's quality as a film - especially narrative wise -certainly doesn't compare to 'Casino Royale'. It's gapping plot holes are larger than the fault lines in 'San Andreas' (Silva's plan is so dependent on too much luck, he's basically a god) and I think the film is held in higher regard than it's sequel 'Spectre' because it was celebrating 50 years of the franchise and was released when Britain held the Olympics, tapping into British patriotism. 

However, the reason for Craig returning for 'Bond 25' is that he is well aware that although the two films helmed by Mendes have grown the brand's commercial success, it's also diminished it critically at the same time. James Bond was once the leader of the spy/action genre. Now, it gets outdone by most other franchises. In particular, the Mission Impossible series under Christopher McQuarrie and Tom Cruise has now become artistically and critically much more acclaimed than Bond. For example, 'Spectre' had four writers and, all due respect to all involved, was shockingly terrible. One of the best action/thrillers of recent, 'Mission: Impossible - Fallout' had...yes, you guessed it. One writer. That's right, folks. One writer. One of the reasons why that film works so well is that it has taken the elements fans expect from a Mission movie (mask gags, heist sequence, crazy stunts etc.) but not let it control the film. Indeed, McQuarrie actually made a gritter, more violent film than had ever been produced in the franchise, and as a result the brand grew and it became the series' highest-grossing instalment. 

So, bringing this back to 'Bond 25'. Screenwriter Scott Z. Burns is part of a trio of true master screenwriters (with Tony Gilroy and Christopher McQuarrie) who are regularly called upon to 'fix' and rewrite screenplays of major franchise films. If anyone can make sure 'Bond 25' gives Craig and director Fukanaga the best screenplay to work from, then Scott Z. Burns can. Truly though, I wonder if the Bond producers had given screenwriting duties to a screenwriter of higher calibre than franchise vets Neal Purvis and Robert Wade (all respect to them but they have written nothing outside the Bond world) first then we may not be in a situation where four weeks before filming is set to begin and the script needs to be completely overhauled and 'saved'. If hiring Purvis and Wade was to make sure all the Bond elements get into the film, then frankly it's a weird choice. McQuarrie before 'Ghost Protocol' was a franchise newbie and still managed to include all the Mission elements whilst giving a new take on the material, but I digress.

Truly, I hope for my sake having waited five years for 'Bond 25' that Craig and all involved can deliver a quality film for which he can depart on. With Bond's American counterpart Ethan Hunt raising the bar film after film, Craig really has to step up to the mark here. But, let's hope that if Burns can give them a good screenplay to work from they'll already be halfway to meeting it. As always folks, we'll see.