Former James Bond star Pierce Brosnan wants makers to get someone British to play the spy in future 007 films. Speaking to the Sunday Telegraph, Brosnan said it was a “given” that the world’s most famous spy should be British. 

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There were rumours that the makers and the studio could be hiring an American actor for the job. Mail Online reported citing a source from Amazon that the actor “has to be British or from the Commonwealth – and he has to be male”.

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Pierce said it was the “right decision” for giving creative control of the franchise to Amazon-MGM. He said, “It takes great courage for them to let go. I hope that [Amazon] handles the work and the character with dignity and imagination and respect.”

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Pierce Brosnan is an Irish actor. He played the famous spy from 1995 to 2002 and was one of the most-loved James Bond actors. 

Brosnan said: “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. 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 … You know, everything changes, everything falls apart, and I wish them well.”

Who holds the rights to make James Bond films?

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As for rights to James Bond, the film series was sold to the streaming giant Amazon-MGM for £770 million. The deal allowed the studio to take over and the custodians of James Bond - Barbara Broccoli and Michael G Wilson - to take a step back. This agreement was met after months of reported tensions between all parties.

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The pair will continue to work as co-owners but will have no creative control.

Before the deal was struck, Barbara Broccoli had called Amazon executives “fu***ng idiots”, when they had suggested to expand the franchise with spin-offs and a TV series.

Currently, the future is still uncertain but reports suggest that the studio is keen to keep James Bond a male. There is however no script in place for the film or a director or a lead actor for the role. It’s been four years since Daniel Craig quit the franchise and announced retiring from the role after his last outing as the spy, in No Time to Die.