Casting director Debbie McWilliams announces retirement
24-Feb-2025 • Bond News
Hot on the heels of the news that Amazon was taking creative control of the James Bond franchise, regular EON Productions casting director Debbie McWilliams announced her retirement. She had cast the last 13 James Bond films, and although claimed her retirement was already planned, was not very positive about the ownership change.
“I have now hung up my casting hat and have moved on to other film-related projects,” said McWilliams in an email to Screen.
“I am sad to see the end of this era but totally understand why it has happened. Prior to Amazon acquiring MGM, Barbara and Michael had a good working relationship with the studio and always held the final decisions. Producing a Bond film takes at least two years of their lives with little time for anything else. And with Michael retiring I think Barbara did not have the appetite to shoulder the burden alone. She has so many other interests, especially with her theatre projects."
“Looking at Amazon’s previous theatrical films does not fill me with any great enthusiasm," she added.
“If they mess with the essence of Bond, they risk alienating a huge audience. Choosing the actor to fill the role is a huge task and not one I would hand over to subscribers of X [Twitter].”
“I have worked closely with Barbara and Michael for over 40 years and had the most amazing career, travelling all over the world in search of wonderful actors, and to be on hand on the various locations. I have now hung up my casting hat and have moved on to other film-related projects. But I wish everyone the best of luck and hope the transition can be relatively painless. But it won’t be the same.”
