Every once in a while a casting decision is made that just makes you go “Wow! I never would have thought of that… but it’s PERFECT!”
That was the first reaction I had to the announcement a few years ago that John Cleese was taking over the role of “Q” in the James Bond franchise. It was a great choice that has paid off. The small role “Q” has had in the last couple of Bond films have been great.
Too bad the good folks over at Digital Spy are reporting that the end to this short era is now at hand:
John Cleese fans will be sad to hear that his character, Q, will most likely not feature in the next Bond movie, Casino Royale. The director, Martin Campbell, sees no part for the Python star to play in what he intends to be a grittier, more realistic affair than recent Bond movies. Campbell said: “Casino Royale will be a grittier, tougher and more realistic Bond movie. “We’ll be getting away from the huge visual effects and comic relief.”
Cleese commented sagely: “If I’m told that is there is a Q, I will be Q. “But unfortunately, I don’t believe there’s a Q in the current version of the script,” he added.
Personally I think this is a bad move. I can understand where Campbell is coming from… but I still think this is ill advised.
