Barbara Broccoli set for surprising James Bond hire as 'more comedic' film planned
Judi Dench was the first woman to play M in the James Bond movies.
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Barbara Broccoli and other James Bond producers are said to have approached an unlikely individual to take up a key role in the film series.
Daisy May Cooper has reportedly been earmarked to replace Ralph Fiennes in the legendary role of M.
The move would make her the second woman in the history of the films to play the highly coveted character.
Dame Judi Dench was the first woman to play M, debuting in 1995’s Goldeneye, with Pierce Brosnan playing James Bond.
Daniel Craig attends a special event hosted by Omega to celebrate 60 Years of James Bond at Wardens Grove, London.PA
Cooper is best known for playing Kerry in This Country, a sitcom about life in a Cotswold village.
Most recently, the 36-year-old starred and co-wrote in a comedy called “Am I Being Unreasonable?” on the BBC.
Interestingly, she is close friends with Phoebe Waller-Bridge, who is credited as a script consultant on Daniel Craig’s last move in the series, No Time To Die.
A source said Waller-Bridge had put forward the idea of having Cooper star in the next Bond movie and that it had caused excitement in the production team.
Daisy May Cooper could be the next M
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“Daisy is a close pal of Phoebe, whose involvement in Bond was such a success that it sparked an unlikely conversation," they told The Sun.
“Suddenly the production team were getting excited about the prospect of really taking ‘M’ in a different direction.
“With Daniel leaving, it seemed the time to start looking at changes across the board and the dynamic between Bond and ‘M’ is at the heart of the films.
“So this opens the door to it being a bit lighter and more comedic going forwards — and will of course impact the direction the new 007 goes in too.”
The 36-year-old starred and co-wrote in a comedy called “Am I Being Unreasonable?” on the BBC.
PA
The latest James Bond installment, No Time To Die, saw 007 killed off in the concluding stages.
But the character’s death will not be the end of the film series, with a hunt already on to find a Bond for the next generation.
Last month, it was revealed that all of the James Bond novels have been rewritten over fears Ian Fleming's language is too racist for 2023.
The books are set to be re-released in April to coincide with the 70th anniversary of Casino Royale, the first Bond novel.