The next James Bond film should be directed by Guy Ritchie to make the franchise humorous again, an actor who starred in The Gentlemen has said.
Harry Goodwins, who played Jack Glass in Ritchie’s hit Netflix series, said that the English director “would do a great job because Bond films have got to be a laugh”.
The actor also revealed that 007 is the “quintessential dream British role for any thirty-something actor”, adding that he has already asked his agents to land him an audition.
Goodwins, who is in his late 20s, said: “I think Guy would actually make a great Bond director to me.
“Because he has a great way of bringing out the humour within serious situations. And I think Bond has to have that little quirkiness about him, because if not, he’s just an assassin essentially.
“I think he [Ritchie] would do a great job because Bond films have got to be a laugh. There has got to be something lighter in it, right? So that everyone can get it.”
Revealing that he hopes to succeed Daniel Craig, the Manchester-born actor said: “Hopefully my agents will get to work, so I have always wanted to be Bond, so there we go. And I fit the part.
“I love Bond. And I loved watching Bond. It’s like a dream come true. So yeah, I’d love to be put in the mix for sure.”
It comes after Amazon gained creative control of the Bond film franchise, with the long-standing producers of the 007 movies stepping away under a new deal.
Eon Productions, run by Michael G Wilson and Barbara Broccoli, who have produced the franchise since the death of Albert “Cubby” Broccoli, said it will be co-owners with Amazon MGM Studios.
The official Bond film franchise has been controlled by members of the Broccoli family, either single-handedly or in partnership with others, since the first 007 movie Dr No in 1962.
There has been increasing speculation about the future of the series, with no announcement yet of the new Bond actor since Craig’s final portrayal in 2021’s No Time to Die.
After the deal was announced, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos reacted to the news by sharing a post on Instagram asking his followers: “Who’d you pick as the next Bond?”
There have been reports in The Wall Street Journal previously about disagreements between Broccoli and Amazon MGM Studios over creative control, with her reportedly saying: “Don’t have temporary people make permanent decisions.”
There have also been claims by the newspaper that Amazon MGM Studios wants to expand Bond into television and other ventures.
Goodwins was speaking at the inaugural fundraising evening of Cure Addiction Now, a non-profit dedicated to funding innovative research for substance use disorder at The Beverly Hills Hotel. Music artist Rufus Wainwright performed.
