Irish actor Pierce Brosnan has said that it is a "given" that the next James Bond should be British.
Brosnan who starred as the 007 agent between in four movies between 1995 and 2002, made these comments amid concerns that the franchise may not be British anymore, following Amazon MGM Studios' acquisition of creative control of the franchise.
This was confirmed last month, with Mike Hopkins, head of Prime Video and Amazon MGM Studios saying that they were "honoured to continue this treasured heritage", adding that they look forward to "ushering in the next phase of the legendary 007 for audiences around the world".
The company confirmed it will co-own the franchise with Michael G Wilson and Barbara Broccoli. More on this from Nova here.
"I thought it was coming for some time I guess, but I think it was the right decision for Barbara and Michael", Pierce Brosnan said. "It takes great courage for them to let go, they will still have a say in matters, I hope that (Amazon) handles the work and the character with dignity and imagination and respect".
Elsewhere, Pierce Brosnan has stated that "no one really knows" what will happen to James Bond following Amazon's takeover.
Brosnan said, "In this world that is moving so fast now, at the speed of light, (the change) does come with a certain lament".
The last James Bond movie was released in 2021 with No Time To Die, which saw Daniel Craig portray Bond for the final time. Pierce Brosnan has had his say on who should take over as Craig's successor.
"History has been passed on and I’m very proud to have been part of the history and the legacy of Bond and the movies that I made with Barbara and Michael", the actor said. "That we moved the needle, that we brought it back to life. It had been dormant (for) six years and GoldenEye was such a success that it continued and went from strength to strength … I wish them well".
Up until now, the Bond franchise had been under the stewardship of the members of the Broccoli family, either single-handedly or in partnership with others. The last nine Bond movies were produced by Broccoli and her half brother, Wilson.
Last November, it was confirmed that Pierce Brosnan would be starring in a new crime drama, which is to launch on Paramound+ this year. More on this from Nova here.
