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Arriving this weekend is James Bond Day, for those who didn't know – October 5th is recognized as a global festivity focused on everything about 007, because of the fact it commemorates the day of the world premiere of the first Bond film, starring Sean Connery, in the year 1962. Imagine it similar to Star Wars Day, but with less Wookiees and Ewoks and an abundance of tuxedoed swagger.

A Muted Event This Year

But on this occasion, the advent of JBD seems somewhat anticlimactic. Not long has passed after Denis Villeneuve was confirmed to direct the upcoming 007 movie in June, and even less time when Peaky Blinders’ Steven Knight was enlisted to pen the screenplay. Yet there has been almost no indication from that point of the new 007 getting unveiled, and even less sense about the direction this iconic film series will proceed. The only information are whisperings on the wind from entertainment outlets implying that the creative team will be looking for a fairly young UK performer, who might be from a diverse background yet will not be a female actor, an established star, or somebody remotely familiar.

Letdown for Bookmakers

This is, of course unwelcome developments for the many gambling platforms who have been generating substantial revenue for some time out of trying to convince bettors that it is a race between a shortlist of actors plus the charismatic star from Saltburn who’s secretly Australian.

Revisiting the Unknown

Interestingly, the previous instance the 007 series chose an absolute newcomer was in 1969, as George Lazenby temporarily assumed the Walther PPK. Earlier, the original Bond was not famous: he performed several supporting roles and done a bit of stage and modelling work as well as working in physique competitions and dairy delivery in his hometown before landing the main character in Dr No. The film's producers intentionally rejected a well-known actor; they desired someone fresh whom audiences would believe as the real 007, as opposed to an actor playing Bond.

Repeating this trick might prove to be a clever decision, exactly as it was during the franchise's infancy.

The Villeneuve Factor

Yet hiring the director Denis Villeneuve means that there's no room for error in any way should the next 007 ends up as a stiff. Increasing the over-the-top gadgets and suggestive humor is off the table with a director like is a solemn auteur specializing in cinematic genres most famous for ponderous sci-fi epics where the loudest sound is profound unease.

A tough guy in formalwear … Craig's debut in Casino Royale.

A New Direction for James Bond

And yet, in many ways, bringing in Villeneuve tells us everything that are essential concerning the fresh post-Daniel Craig direction. There are not going to be stealth automobiles or suggestive jokes, and we probably won’t be getting the southern lawman back any time soon. All of this is, of course, perfectly acceptable assuming you enjoy your James Bond updated for today. Yet it fails to indicate how Villeneuve’s take of the elegant government hitman will be unique against earlier agents who immediately preceded him especially if the next chapter doesn’t choose to take the whole story in the initial decades.

Transforming Each Era

Craig was instantly distinctive as a new kind of elegant secret agent upon his debut in the role in Casino Royale from 2006, an aggressive figure in black tie who would never be seen in an invisible car, or exchanging suggestive lines with Denise Richards while defusing a nuclear warhead. He made Pierce Brosnan’s gadget-addled smoothie which recently was viewed by many the top 007 after Connery, seem like a karaoke Connery overheated and ruined. Not that this is anything new. Lazenby succeeded Connery temporarily, Then Brosnan took over from the overlooked Dalton, and the silly final Moore films came after the intense early Moore. Every era of 007 alters the prior, however, every version remains in their own way the iconic spy, worthy of celebration. It feels odd, during this year's the current 007 Day, that the occasion calls to honor a character who remains unidentified.