James Bond to be more PC in new 007 novel
Author worried about offending readers in 21st Century
LOS ANGELES – Daniel Craig recently called his classic James Bond character a misogynist and a former Bond actress, Naomie Harris, has suggested the phrase “Bond girl” should be done away with. But experts say even if Bond is behind the times, any changes to the profitable franchise formula are unlikely.
Craig made headlines in an interview with The Red Bulletin when he took Bond to task. "But let’s not forget that he’s actually a misogynist,” Craig said of the iconic character. “A lot of women are drawn to him chiefly because he embodies a certain kind of danger and never sticks around for too long.”
And Harris told The Independent she was not happy with the term “Bond girl” and preferred “Bond woman.” “Monica (Bellucci) is 50 and I think it's respectable to say she's a Bond woman,” she said. “It's quite demeaning to call her a girl. So I think it's time we had a little change there.”
Variety film reporter Justin Kroll explained to FOX411 there is a financial risk for the film franchise if they change the Bond image.
“These films aren’t cheap. If you are going to change it you risk the chance of people not coming back,” he said. “I don’t know if they would want to change it because it works so well. It’s all about whether or not audiences like what they are seeing and really appreciate the character.”
In 2012, “Skyfall” brought in $304 million domestically, “Quantam of Solace” (2008) made $168 million and “Casino Royale” (2006) took in $167 million. Kroll noted the franchise has skyrocketed with these past three movies starring Craig.
Kroll speculated cautioned that altering 007’s image may not bring in the big bucks.
“It’s tough to reboot that and change it all over again,” he said. “There is a certain standard now where this film is one of the biggest films of the year. At the end of the day people would like to see some change, but it’s all about whether or not they can get the money made.”
Dr. Tiffany Sanders, a psychologist, agrees with Kroll and predicts the franchise won’t change much, despite the actors’ calls for updates.
“I think it's a great idea to diversify 007 and its Bond girl,” she explained. “However, I doubt the writers and production company will alter it too much in fear of backlash from James Bond fans and not wanting to break a financially profitable movie series.”
And another former Bond, Roger Moore, agrees that messing with the formula is a bad idea - period.
“I’ve heard people talk about how there should be a lady Bond or a gay Bond. But they wouldn’t be Bond for the simple reason that wasn’t what Ian Fleming wrote,” he said in a recent interview. "It is not about being homophobic or, for that matter, racist. It is simply about being true to the character."
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