CULTURE

Naomie Harris and Barry Jenkins Want to Make a Moneypenny Movie Together

Fingers crossed.


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David M. Benett

If the mere thought of a Naomie Harris-starring, Barry Jenkins-directed Moneypenny movie feels too good to be true, well, that’s probably because it is. But according to Harris herself, the dream project nearly happened.

Harris was on Good Morning America recently, to promote her brand new police saga Black and Blue. When talk turned to her work as Moneypenny in the Bond franchise, Harris let slip that her Moonlight director always wanted to give 007’s scene-stealing sidekick her own movie.

“He’s wanted to do a badass, kick-ass action thing with Moneypenny, which I’m all for,” Harris said. According to Harris, it was Barbara Broccoli, who produces all of the Bond films, who nixed it. “I got together with our producer, Barbara Broccoli, and was like ‘Let’s make this happen.’” Harris explained. “But she wasn’t so down for it. But maybe, one day, who knows.”

Until that day comes, we’ll have to settle for watching Harris reprise the role in the upcoming Bond film No Time to Die, which was directed by Cary Fukunaga and once again stars Daniel Craig as the legendary spy. Craig and Harris will be joined by Jeffrey Wright, Ben Whishaw, Ralph Fiennes, Rory Kinnear, and Lea Seydoux, as well as Rami Malek, who’ll reportedly be playing the latest Bond villain.

After the frenzy of Moonlight forced Harris into a sort of self-imposed hiatus from acting, she finally appears read to assume her rightful place at the top. After Bond 25, Harris will dip her toes into the world of superheroes, when she plays a crazed villain alongside Tom Hardy and Woody Harrelson in Venom 2.

Related: Naomie Harris Is in Talks to Play the Villain in ‘Venom 2’