Could the next James Bond baddie be made using AI? (Image: Getty)
could use AI to create the next baddie – a top film insider has revealed.
Producer Jonathan Sothcott, whose next film is spy thriller Knightfall starring ’s son Geoffrey, believes executives will jump at the chance to use AI – as it will stop actors like trying to assert more creative control.
He told Express Online: “If the much-vaunted shift to AI filmmaking arrives, we might see an AI Bond in time – executives will be delighted to cut out the endless negotiations with agents, especially after started the tail wagging the dog with the amount of creative control he exerted.
“And Bond has always been on the cutting edge of tech, bordering on sci fi – I can see AI being the next villain he faces, the series has to evolve and reflect the world it lives in.”
AI is being used in film production on multiple levels, including script development, casting, visual effects, and post-production, to automate tasks, enhance visual quality, de-age actors, create realistic soundscapes, analyze audience trends, and even generate story ideas.
Don’t miss… [ANNOUNCEMENT]
After striking the deal to gain creative control, the head of Prime Video and Amazon MGM Studios, Mike Hopkins, assured fans of the company’s commitment to the fictional spy’s legacy.
He said: “Since his theatrical introduction over 60 years ago, James Bond has been one of the most iconic characters in filmed entertainment”.
Hopkins expressed gratitude to Albert R. Broccoli and Harry Saltzman for bringing Bond to cinemas, and to Wilson and Barbara Broccoli for their “unyielding dedication” to the franchise.
He added that Amazon was “honoured to continue this treasured heritage” and looked forward to “using in the next phase” of 007.
Sothcott believes that the new Prime Video franchise will use other tools such as “digital resurrection” which has been used by other film.
He continued: “If you look at what has been done by Disney with de-aging Mark Hamill in The Mandalorian – and digitally resurrecting Peter Cushing for Rogue One, I have no doubt there’s a pathway to exploring continuations of vintage 007 stories and characters.
“Whether it’s good or tasteful is another conversation entirely but the fact remains it is something looming over .”
One of the film’s beloved characters is already getting their own spin-off show as viewers desperately wait for the new 007 to be confirmed by execs.
Florence Pugh is reportedly poised to star in The Moneypenny Diaries as the iconic titular character. The agreement grants the streaming giant full control of future productions in the series, including launching spin-off projects.
The 29-year-old actress is set to be the first of many Bond-inspired shows produced by Amazon, according to The Sun. The blonde bombshell is set to play Miss Moneypenny, the secretary of Bond’s superior, M, and his on/off love interest.
The show will “most likely” be based on the book series of the same name by Samantha Weinberg under the pseudonym Kate Westbrook.
And Sothcott says “the Bond licensing machine has been in overdrive for the last decade” adding: “There’s even a 007 bar in the Burlington Arcade that’s a magnet for tourists, and every heritage brand with so much of a passing claim to a James Bond association will be getting ready to market themselves like crazy.
“There’s a precedent for Bond spin offs – in the 90s there was a cartoon series called James Bond junior which had a big merchandising push and since that era Bond has been a mainstay of console games.”