It's only natural that Helen Mirren would be asked a question about James Bond considering how her co-star in the new Guy Ritchie series, Mobland, is ex-007 Pierce Brosnan. The two play a couple that heads a dangerous crime family in the Paramount+ series which also features Tom Hardy as the couple's enforcer.
In an interview with U.K's The Standard, Mirren called Brosnan a "gorgeous" actor who is "fabulous" in MobLand, and thinks of him as "one of the nicest people you’ll ever have the pleasure to work with."
While also praising Daniel Craig as a "gracious" actor, Mirren doesn't think highly of the James Bond franchise. “The whole series of James Bond, it was not my thing. It really wasn’t. I never liked James Bond. I never liked the way women were in James Bond.”
Mirren explains that she detests the "profound sexism" in the franchise, and wishes that filmmakers explored some "real stories of extraordinary women" from the espionage world. “The whole concept of James Bond is drenched and born out of profound sexism. Women have always been a major and incredibly important part of the Secret Service, they always have been. And very brave. If you hear about what women did in the French Resistance, they’re amazingly, unbelievably courageous."
Recently, in an update that shocked everyone in the movie business and James Bond fans, longtime Bond producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson announced they're stepping away from the franchise to allow Amazon MGM Studios to take creative control. However, in a later announcement, it was revealed that Amy Pascal and David Heyman will be producing the upcoming Bond film.
Pascal is known for her involvement in critically acclaimed films such as Challengers, The Post, and the Into the Spider-verse films. Heyman has been involved primarily in the Harry Potter franchise, including the recent instalments.
