Jack Reacher's creator Lee Child declined the opportunity to write a James Bond novel, describing the 007 franchise as "worn out" and in need of change. The 71-year-old British author said he ultimately refused to pen the next big Bond story because he believes the series must "move on."
Declined for Financial and Personal Reasons
Child explained that writing a Bond book would have only earned him a percentage of the profits, whereas his own Reacher novels yield full returns. He also cited difficulties with the Fleming estate, saying, "The Fleming estate tried twice for me to write a Bond book. I thought, no, I'm not going to."
He added, "First of all, why would I spend a year writing a Bond for a percentage when I could write a Reacher for 100%? Second, I didn't particularly like the Fleming estate. They were silly, difficult to deal with, in my opinion."
Post-War Roots and the Need for Change
Child noted that Amazon, which now owns the Bond rights and streams the Reacher TV series, faces a challenge with the franchise. He said, "The Amazon purchase of the Bond franchise is interesting because it is, in my opinion, worn out."
Referencing Simon Winder's book The Man Who Saved Britain, Child argued that Bond's appeal stems from post-war British decline. "They turned to James Bond because even though we couldn't send a gunboat any more, we could send James Bond. It is still firmly rooted in that kind of post-war consolation. It needs to change. It needs to move on."
