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Arriving this weekend is 007 Day, if you weren't aware – 5 October has become a global festivity dedicated to all things 007, because of this being the anniversary of the world premiere of the inaugural 007 movie, with Sean Connery, back in 1962. Think of it as a bit like May the 4th, but with less furry aliens and an abundance of sophisticated style.

A Low-Key Event Now

This year however, the arrival of the 007 celebration is a bit like a damp squib. It hasn't been after Denis Villeneuve was announced to direct the future installment in June, and even less time when the screenwriter Steven Knight was hired to write the script. Yet there has been scant evidence since then about the future agent being officially announced, with minimal clarity about the direction this long-running series will proceed. What remains are whisperings on the wind through film industry sources indicating that the producers intend to cast a comparatively fresh-faced Brit, possibly non-white although not a woman, a franchise star, or a person slightly known.

Disappointment for Betting Agencies

This is, of course disappointing news for the hordes gambling platforms which have making a pretty penny for some time by attempting to persuade punters that it is a race involving a shortlist of actors plus the charismatic star from Saltburn with Australian origins.

Revisiting the Unknown

Intriguingly, the last time the 007 series chose a total unknown was in 1969, with George Lazenby temporarily assumed the iconic pistol. Earlier, the original Bond was not famous: he had taken several supporting roles and done a bit of acting and modeling gigs in addition to working in fitness and milk delivery in Scotland prior to accepting the starring part in the first film. The creative heads intentionally rejected an established star; they wanted someone fresh that viewers would see as the actual character, rather than as an actor playing Bond.

Trying this approach once more may end up as a clever decision, just as it was in the early 1960s.

The Villeneuve Factor

However, bringing in Villeneuve on board means that there are no excuses at all in case the future agent ends up as unconvincing. Amplifying the over-the-top gadgets and double entendres is not feasible under the guidance of is an artistic director of genre film-making renowned for ponderous sci-fi epics where the dominant feature is deep philosophical tension.

A bruiser in a dinner jacket … Craig's debut in Casino Royale.

A New Direction for 007

However, in many ways, bringing in Villeneuve reveals a great deal we should understand concerning the fresh post-Craig phase. It's unlikely there will be stealth automobiles or double entendres, and it's doubtful we'll see the comic sheriff back any time soon. These changes are, undoubtedly, perfectly acceptable if you like your James Bond contemporary in style. However, it leaves unclear this new version of the elegant government hitman will stand out against earlier agents who immediately preceded him particularly should the upcoming phase doesn’t choose to take the whole story in the original time period.

Transforming Every Period

Craig stood out at once as a different type of dapper super-spy when he arrived in the franchise in the 2006 film, a tough character in formal attire who would avoid at all costs in an invisible car, or using sexual wordplay with co-stars while handling explosives. He made the previous Bond's polished style that just a short time before was viewed by many the top 007 after Connery, seem like a copycat version badly reheated. This is not unprecedented. After Connery came Lazenby, Brosnan followed the underrated Timothy Dalton, and the campy later Moore came after the intense early Moore. Each Bond period alters the prior, yet they are all in their own way James Bond 007, deserving of a toast. It feels odd, as we apparently celebrate the current 007 Day, that the occasion calls to celebrate an agent who doesn’t even exist yet.