U.S. President Donald Trump has insisted James Bond has “nothing to worry about” despite the ongoing tariff war.
This week, the U.S. and the UK signed a trade deal and as part of the announcement, Trump said he’d consider lowering levies on UK-made films, despite imposing 100% taxes on foreign movies.
The 007 franchise is often filmed at England’s famous Pinewood Studios, but it is a globe-trotting production, with exotic locations part of the appeal of each movie.
Answering a question posed by The Times, Trump said his administration planned to have a separate discussion on tariffs on UK films, specifically, and added that he was friends with Sean Connery, who famously played James Bond from 1962 to 1983.
Here’s Trump’s quote in full:
“As you know we’re putting tariffs on that particular film set, the movie makers, and we’re going to be doing some tariffs to get that because a lot of them have left this country. They all live here, the money comes from here, everything comes from here, but they make them in other countries. So, we’re gonna do something to bring them back, maybe to a large extent.
“But James Bond has nothing to worry about, that I can tell you. And you know, Sean Connery was a friend of mine. Sean Connery was responsible for my getting zoning in Aberdeen. He said, ‘Let the bloody bloke build his golf courses.’ I was like four years into the process, and it was impossible in Aberdeen. He just stood up one day and he said that. As soon as he said that I got the approvals in about two minutes. He was a great guy, Sean Connery.”
Earlier this week, Trump told reporters at the White House that he intended to meet with film industry executives for their thoughts on his proposal for 100% tariffs on non-U.S. movies.
“I’m not looking to hurt the industry, I want to help the industry,” Trump said, according to CNBC. The President added: “I want to make sure they’re happy with it because we’re all about jobs.”
Trump’s plan to impose tariffs on films produced outside the U.S. was met with surprise and confusion from industry insiders, according to Variety and The Hollywood Reporter.
The White House has since said that no decision has been made. Trump’s Hollywood envoy, Oscar winner Jon Voight, and Voight’s producing partner Steven Paul have reportedly submitted to Trump a “comprehensive” plan to rescue the entertainment industry.
Jon Voight and Steven Paul previously teamed for Superbabies: Baby Geniuses 2 and Dracula: The Dark Prince.
As for James Bond, it was announced that Amazon had assumed full creative control over 007 earlier this year, although we’re no closer to knowing who will play the famous spy in whatever’s next. James Bond will reportedly remain a man and still be British or from the Commonwealth, however.
In February, Amazon boss Jeff Bezos asked fans who they’d pick as the next James bond, and the answer was loud and clear.
Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images.
Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at [email protected] or confidentially at [email protected].
