Last year a #NextBond hashtag was garnering some attention on Twitter. Suggestions abounded on who should replace Daniel Craig and carry the torch in the next installment of the Ian Fleming series. Many of the suggestions were the obvious choices, like Tom Hiddleston. But some people recommended the producers start thinking outside the box. The straight white male box that is. And actresses like Gillian Anderson indicated that they would be open to the idea of playing Bond. to which I say, “Hell, yes”. We may not ever get to see that feminist dream realized, but there is a film on the horizon may get us in the same ballpark. In Atomic Blonde, Charlize Theron (Mad Max: Fury Road) portrays Agent Lorraine Broughton, the female embodiment of the James Bond persona. She a top-level spy for MI6, with the fighting chops and body count to prove it. Apparently in addition to having a license to kill, Broughton also shares Bond’s lady killer ways.
The film is based on Antony Johnston’s graphic novel The Coldest City and is set in 1989 Berlin right before the Berlin Wall comes down. Broughton partners with British Intelligence agent Jack Daniels (James McAvoy) on her mission to locate a missing dossier of double agents. Sofia Boutella plays her love interest, Sandrine. David Leitch, who co-directed John Wick, directs the action powerhouse.
Charlize Theron is no newcomer to playing bad ass women. Her Furiosa character in Mad Max: Fury Road took no prisoners. Aeon Flux, Hancock and other films highlighted Theron’s cinematic fighting skills. Nor is she shy about playing queer ladies. Her role as Aileen, the real life lesbian serial killer, in Monster won her an Academy Award.
Check out the Atomic Blonde trailer above. The trailer is rated restricted, so in other words, it’s definitely NSFW.
We may never get to see this.
But at least we can watch this.
