The James Bond film franchise is currently in a state of flux, seeing that the distribution rights remain up for grabs following the release of 2015’s Spectre and there’s uncertainty surrounding Daniel Craig’s future as the suave secret agent. The actor said a few months back he’d be interested in returning (and he’s the producers’ first choice), but his infamous comments while on the Spectre press tour seemed to indicate otherwise. At this point, the only thing that seems guaranteed is a Bond 25 will eventually make its way to theaters, but it remains to be seen how all the various pieces will fall into place.
As EON Productions works on plotting a course for the future, they’re doing their due diligence in preparing so they have a game plan for when the film is finally ready to enter production. One of the biggest priorities for any movie is finding the right shooting locations, and it appears 007 will be heading to Croatia for his next mission.
According to MI6 HQ, the mayor of Dubrovnik has stated Bond 25 is in “an advanced stage of negotiations” to film in the city. There’s no telling what the timeframe would be, but if EON is currently working on a deal, they’re probably hoping for the next Bond adventure to begin principal photography in the near future. It will be interesting to see if any developments on the project are announced soon, as there are still several lingering questions. However, it’s encouraging the producers are finalizing an arrangement for a beautifully scenic location that should make for a fine addition to the long-running franchise.
This wouldn’t be the first time Dubrovnik serves as a filming site for a Hollywood blockbuster. Rian Johnson shot portions of Star Wars: The Last Jedi there last year, presumably for a new casino planet that will be featured. EON was actually first scouting Croatia as a possibility last year, and it sounds as if they liked what they saw. The country was used as the setting for a Bond-themed Heineken commercial that aired prior to the premiere of Spectre, in which Bond dealt with a nameless foe on a boat. It remains to be seen how Dubrovnik would be incorporated in Bond 25, but it certainly would be a gorgeous backdrop for one of the series’ trademark action sequences. And, it’d be a new location for the feature films to explore, giving whoever directs the picture an opportunity to inject something fresh.
While it’s exciting to imagine what sort of shenanigans Bond could get into in Croatia, EON has some pertinent issues to deal with before the ball can really get rolling. Ideally, finalizing a deal with Croatia can be the catalyst needed to push Bond 25 forward, and the principal players (actor, director, writers) can be confirmed in the coming months. Until that comes to be, fans will just have to sit tight and wait for the franchise’s 25th installment to take shape.
We’ll keep you updated on Bond 25 as more information becomes available.
Source: MI6 HQ
