International Insider: Bond Casting Update

Another week, another Insider, friends. Jesse Whittock here with you as a guide through all of the biggest international TV and film news, including a BIG update on a certain 007. You’ll be shaken and stirred. Sign up for the newsletter here.

Baz’s Bond Casting Update

Mr. Bond… We’ve been expecting you: It just had to be our own man in a well-to-do suit, Baz Bamigboye, who provided the first meaningful update on the hunt for the next James Bond since Amazon MGM Studios named Denis Villeneuve as the next movie’s director. On Wednesday, Baz dropped the 411 on 007’s next identity, revealing the profile of the man that Villeneuve will seek to cast for his upcoming Bond movie. Bad news for proponents of a U.S. actor such as Timothée Chalamet, Glen Powell, Austin Butler and Jacob Elordi – it’s going to be Brit. More bad news if you were into the idea of an older Bond such as Tom Hardy, aged 47, Idris Elba (53) and Henry Cavill (42) – if Villeneuve sticks to his current plan the actor will be an “unknown” in their late 20s or early 30s. This suggests he and Bond owner Amazon MGM Studios are sticking to tradition, with a plan to make a star out of a new face over several movies. That was the case for the most recent Bonds, Daniel Craig and Pierce Brosnan, both of whom became bona fide stars during their runs as the fictional spy. Add in writer Steven Knight’s penchant for characters who, for the want of a better phrase, kick ass and take names. A source told Baz that, “Whoever it is, has to look like he could kill you with his bare hands in a trice. From the moment you see him, that has to be readily apparent.” Baz’s intelligence also stretches to the sense that Knight will go back to Bond’s beginnings as a Royal Navy Commander before he was recruited by MI6, the UK’s foreign intelligence agency, and chart how Bond attained 007 status. Word of warning, though: Nothing more meaningful is coming until Villeneuve finishes shooting Dune: Part Three, so don’t blame me or Baz if there’s no more concrete news for a while. Still, it’s an exciting time, as a key Baz source put it: “It’s a new Bond, a new start, a fresh everything.”

Gaza Cries Dominate San Sebastian

‘Genozidioa Stop’: Spain’s San Sebastian Film Festival ends Saturday, and this year’s festival has been a pretty political event, with the violence in Gaza front and centre. High-profile festival guests, both local and international, donned watermelon pins with the inscription ‘Genocide Stop’ in the local Basque spelling, ‘Genozidioa Stop,’ as they passed through the festival’s relaxed red carpet. Festival delegates alongside local activists hosted a demonstration of over 3,000 people last Saturday at the festival’s main gala venue in protest against the violence in Gaza. While accepting Spain’s National Film Award at the festival on September 20, veteran actor Eduard Fernández wore a Keffiyeh, a traditional Palestinian garb, and spoke at length about Gaza. San Sebastian has often been a politically charged festival. Ahead of this year’s event, the San Sebastian Management Committee published an open letter stating what it described as a public rejection of Benjamin Netanyahu’s government and its “genocide” of the Palestinian people. However, speaking with us ahead of the festival, San Sebastian head José Luis Rebordinos said that it is important to note that he and the festival are against any calls for “cultural boycotts” and would support Israeli films. Elsewhere, San Sebastian’s Creative Investors’ Conference was bustling with execs from companies like TF1, Fremantle, and Mediawan discussing the state of the industry. The highlight talk was perhaps with industry vet Patrick Wachsberger, who urged caution over fears surrounding the shifting industry landscape. “Stay calm. Let’s be optimistic,” Wachsberger said. “Creativity is inhibited by fear.” You can check out our full coverage of the conference here. On the film side, the standout competition title has been Dolores Fonzi’s Belén, which has been submitted as Argentina’s entry for the Best International Feature Film category at the 98th annual Academy Awards. Check back with us tomorrow to see which film takes the top prize at San Sebastian.

Oscars Selection Sparks Busan Debate

Busan a move: The 30th edition of Busan International Film Festival saw the likes of Lisa from Blackpink, who starred in Season 3 of The White Lotus; Lee Byung-hung, star of Park Chan-wook’s opening night film No Other Choice; and actress-director Sylvia Chang descend on the Korean city for a lively event, ably covered by our roving Asia editor Liz Shackleton. Also in town were Guillermo del Toro, Iranian auteur Jafar Panahi, who was awarded Asian Filmmaker of the Year, and KPop Demon Hunters creator Maggie Kang, with the smash Netflix movie unsurprisingly being among the most talked-about topics. Liz’s analysis of the event took in the hot-button topic of Oscars submission processes. Panahi called out the Academy on how it allows movies in the Best International Feature Film category to be selected, urging it to break ties with national governments, which don’t always employ the most transparent processes and often allow politics to color their judgment. All our Busan coverage, including plenty of deals from Busan’s sales event ACFM, is here.

The Wild Claims Of Marco Robinson

Many faces: Here’s a head-spinning story of a bestselling author, philanthropist, property tycoon, motivational speaker, TV star and film producer. Or a story about a man who’s none of those things. Jake this week published a long-gestating investigation into “Sir” Marco Robinson, whose wild claims about #collabs with Russell Crowe and invitations to Richard Branson’s Necker Island appear to unravel under even gentle examination. Of course, people make boastful statements of dubious merit all the time, but, as our story explains, Robinson has monetized his fantasies by selling development masterclasses to aspiring writers and offering other services for a fee. It’s a complicated and bizarre tale and you can read it here.

TikTock On The Block

TikTok on the block: The saga over TikTok’s place in the U.S. has been rumbling for months, acting as a particular bugbear among the many things that upset President Donald Trump. This week, Trump signed an(other) executive order declaring legal a 2024 order that the social media platform’s Chinese owner, ByteDance, must divest its U.S. operations to local owners. It sounds like a group featuring some familiar faces – Oracle chair Larry Ellison (and father of Paramount chief David Ellison), the Murdochs’ Fox Corp., and Dell Technologies CEO Michael Dell – will be part of a consortium that picks up the dance-crazy app. Oracle, private equity firm Silver Lake and Abu Dhabi-based investment fund MGX will be the largest shareholders. ByteDance will be allowed to keep just under 20% and current investors will account for an overall 35%. Vice President J.D. Vance has said the transaction values the U.S. part of TikTok at $14B. The whole issue hinges on whether TikTok gives ByteDance – and by extension the Chinese government – access to data on thousands, potentially millions, of American citizens. Both Republican and Democrat administrations have had cause for concern and it sounds like the issue is finally coming to an end. Ted Johnson’s report has the detail.

The Essentials

🌶️ Hot One: Caroline Aherne, the beloved British comedy star behind The Royle Family and The Mrs Merton Show, is to be the subject of a feature film from The Crown producer Andy Harries and Philomena writer Jeff Pope.

🌶️ Another One: Rose Matafeo is returning home for Sky New Zealand’s Small Town Scandal, appearing opposite British star Felicity Kendal.

🔥 A third: Veteran Philippines studio Regal Entertainment has launched the latest installment in its long-running Shake, Rattle & Roll horror anthology franchise.

🔬 Analysis: Why the UK’s Culture Secretary is increasingly exasperated by right-leaning news net GB News.

🚨 Sound the alarm: European indie producers have warned a proposed European Commission mega-funding strand AgoraEu could threaten creativity and diversity across the economic bloc.

⛺ Fest: SXSW London’s second edition was confirmed and will run between June 1-6 in the British capital.

🤝 Done deal: Canal+ closed its $2B takeover of Africa’s MultiChoice and pledged to double down on originals like Shaka iLembe.

👀 First look: At Crave’s steamy Canadian ice hockey drama Heated Rivalry.

🍿 Box Office:  Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle has become the biggest Japanese film ever globally, with an estimated $555M+ gross this past weekend.

International Insider was written by Jesse Whittock and edited by Jake Kanter. Zac Ntim contributed.