Hollywood star Ana de Armas recently revealed that she wants Bond girls to be written as "substantial" roles while sharing her thoughts on whether a woman needs to play the next James Bond.
In a recent interview, de Armas said, "There's no need for a female Bond." "There shouldn't be any need to steal someone else's character, you know, to take over," as per Page Six. "This is a novel, and it leads into this James Bond world and this fantasy of that universe where he's at," she added.
Instead, the 34-year-old actor believes women starring in future Bond films should play characters who are more rounded out and layered.
"What I would like is that the female roles in the Bond films, even though Bond will continue to be a man, are brought to life in a different way. "That they're given a more substantial part and recognition. That's what I think is more interesting than flipping things," de Armas shared.
De Armas famously appeared in Daniel Craig's final Bond film, "No Time to Die," in which she had a meager five minutes of screen time despite being heavily publicized as a star in the 2021 movie.
She played CIA agent Paloma, who teams up with Bond on a mission in Havana. While her cameo was quick, de Armas received acclaim for her performance, according to Page Six.
Meanwhile, Ana de Armas is in news for her former relationship with Ben Affleck.
Recently she recalled the level of public scrutiny around her former relationship with Ben Affleck and why it led her to leave Los Angeles.
While the duo dated for less than a year in 2020, they were frequently photographed by the paparazzi and everything from their afternoon strolls to their vacations made headlines.
"Going through it [myself] confirmed my thoughts about, 'This is not the place for me to be'. It became a little bit too much. There's no escape. There's no way out," said Armas.
After Affleck and Armas starred together in the movie 'Deep Water', following which they sparked romance rumours in March 2020 after they were spotted visiting Havana, Cuba, where she was born. They made their relationship Instagram official that April.
In January 2021, a source confirmed to E! News that de Armas and Affleck split. At the time, an insider close to Affleck said the duo "started having problems in the fall" and noted they were just in "different places" in life.
Affleck is now engaged to Jennifer Lopez, rekindling their romance from the early aughts, and de Armas is dating Paul Boukadakis.
Forum brings UK and Chinese film professionals together to explore collaborations.
Emerging British-Asian talent gain mentorship and international exposure.
Small-scale dramas, kids’ shows, and adapting popular formats were the projects everyone was talking about.
Telling stories that feel real to their culture, yet can connect with anyone, is what makes them work worldwide.
Meeting three times a year keeps the UK and China talking, creating opportunities that last beyond one event.
The theatre was packed for the Third Shanghai–London Screen Industry Forum. Between panels and workshops, filmmakers, producers and executives discussed ideas and business cards and it felt more than just a summit. British-Asian filmmakers were meeting and greeting the Chinese industry in an attempt to explore genuine possibilities of working in China’s film market.
UK China film collaborations take off as Third Shanghai London Forum connects British Asian filmmakers with Chinese studios Instagram/ukchinafilm
What makes the forum important for British-Asian filmmakers?
For filmmakers whose films explore identity and belonging, this is a chance to show their work on an international stage, meet Chinese directors, talk co-productions and break cultural walls that normally feel unscalable. “It’s invaluable,” Abid Khan said after a panel, “because you can’t create globally if you don’t talk globally.”
And it’s not just established names. Young filmmakers were all around, pitching ideas and learning on the go. The forum gave them a chance to get noticed with mentoring, workshops, and live pitch sessions.
Which projects are catching international attention?
Micro-dramas are trending. Roy Lu of Linmon International says vertical content for apps is “where it’s at.” They’ve done US, Canada, Australia and next stop, Europe. YouTube is back in focus too, thanks to Rosemary Reed of POW TV Studios. Short attention spans and three-minute hits, she’s ready.
Children’s and sports shows are another hotspot. Jiella Esmat of 8Lions is developing Touch Grass, a football-themed children’s show. The logic is simple: sports and kids content unite families, like global glue.
Then there’s format adaptation. Lu also talked about Nothing But 30, a Chinese series with 7 billion streams. The plan is for an english version in London. Not a straight translation, but a cultural transformation. “‘30’ in London isn’t just words,” Lu says. “It’s a new story.”
Jason Zhang of Stellar Pictures says international audiences respond when culture isn’t just a background prop. Lanterns, flowers, rituals, they’re part of the plot. Cedric Behrel from Trinity CineAsia adds: you need context. Western audiences don’t know Journey to the West, so co-production helps them understand without diluting the story.
Economic sense matters too. Roy Lu stresses: pick your market, make it financially viable. Esmat likens ideal co-productions to a marriage: “Multicultural teams naturally think about what works globally and what doesn’t.”
The UK-China Film Collab’s Future Talent Programme is taking on eight students or recent grads this year. They’re getting the backstage access to international filmmaking that few ever see, including mentorship, festival organising and hands-on experience. Alumni are landing real jobs: accredited festival journalists, Beijing producers, curators at The National Gallery.
Adrian Wootton OBE reminded everyone: “We exist through partnerships, networks, and collaboration.” Yin Xin from Shanghai Media Group noted that tri-annual gathering: London, Shanghai, Hong Kong create an “intensive concentration” of ideas.
Actor-director Zhang Luyi said it best: cultural exchange isn’t telling your story to someone, it’s creating stories together.
The Shanghai-London Screen Industry Forum is no longer just a talking shop. It’s a launchpad, a bridge. And for British-Asian filmmakers and emerging talent, it’s a chance to turn ideas into reality.
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