Sixty Seconds With... Michael G. Wilson

MICHAEL G. WILSON, PRODUCER OF THE JAMES BOND FILMS

In 2012, Globe-Trotter created a one-off suitcase for Skyfall. Since then we have created several special-edition collections, suitcases and accessories fit for the world’s most famous spy. With the 25th installment of the franchise ‘No Time To Die’ due for release in April next year – and to celebrate James Bond Day on Saturday 5 October – we caught up with producer Michael G. Wilson.

How did you become producer of the James Bond films?

My step-father Albert R ‘Cubby’ Broccoli was producer of the James Bond films, and when I finished law school in 1972, I joined EON Productions in a legal-administrative capacity. I was assistant to the producer on The Spy Who Loved Me (1976). I then became executive producer on Moonraker (1979) and co-wrote For Your Eyes Only (1981), Octopussy (1983), A View To A Kill (1985), The Living Daylights (1987) and Licence To Kill (1989). I became producer on A View To A Kill (1985) with Cubby and continued until GoldenEye (1995), which I produced with my sister, Barbara Broccoli. We have produced every James Bond film since.

How long have you had your Globe-Trotter case?

I have had my Globe-Trotter case since 2012 when we celebrated the 50th anniversary of the James Bond franchise.

Where is the furthest you have travelled with your Globe-Trotter?

Since 2012 I have travelled to Turkey, Mexico, Italy, Morocco, Austria, India, China, all over the US and Europe.

You have travelled to many places while working on the Bond films, from Shanghai to Mexico. Which has been your favourite?

I wouldn’t say I have a favourite place – we have visited so many beautiful and exciting locations over the years.

What is your packing style?

I pack efficiently for whatever the trip requires and if I am travelling to multiple destinations I always pack in compartments so that it is easy to unpack and pack ready to leave the next day to move on to the next location.

What item can you not travel without?

I always pack my Leica camera.

What was the last trip you went on with your Globe-Trotter?

I have just returned from Matera in Italy where we have been shooting No Time To Die – the 25th James Bond film.

Finally, how do you like your martinis?

I like it with a dash of lillet blanc. Lemon peel and no olives. Similar ingredients to the vesper cocktail but not the same measures!

BEST OF BOND: Globe-Trotter’s top three 007 collections

Skyfall (2012)

Globe-Trotter built a special, one-off case for a memorable scene in Skyfall where Bond battles an assassin in a futuristic Shanghai skyscraper. The case inspired a limited-edition black aluminium 007 Skyfall Rifle Case with a special viewfinder handle and quilted lining. Just 100 cases were made, costing £5,007 each (see what we did there).

Spectre (2015)

Not content with designing one special-edition suitcase, Globe-Trotter upped its game for Bond’s most recent outing by creating a whole range of limited-edition cases and leather bags and accessories. Named after the film, the Spectre collection came in stylish shades of navy and black with brass detailing. Complementary Bond-esque accessories included a passport holder, wallet, business card holder and luggage tag.

You Only Live Twice (1967) – The Little Nellie Case (Japan exclusive)

In 2017, to mark the 50th anniversary of this classic 007 movie, Globe-Trotter released a special-edition case inspired by the crocodile suitcases that deliver the iconic Little Nellie helicopter piloted by Sean Connery’s Bond in the film. This classy black case featured a gold insignia for the film on the outside, mock-croc leather handles and corners and a plush red interior. Whether it could hold the components of a mini helicopter is yet to be determined…

No Time To Die: the inside scoop

Mystery still shrouds the 25th Bond outing – but here’s what we know so far:

• Daniel Craig’s fifth outing as Bond. The plot sees Bond has left active service and is enjoying a tranquil life in Jamaica. His peace is short-lived when his old friend Felix Leiter from the CIA turns up asking for help. The mission to rescue a kidnapped scientist turns out to be far more treacherous than expected, leading Bond onto the trail of a mysterious villain armed with dangerous new technology.
• The official announcement of the film was made at GoldenEye in Jamaica, the former home of James Bond creator Ian Fleming and where he created the character in 1952. The 1995 film, starring Pierce Brosnan as Bond, takes its name from the estate, which is now a luxury hotel resort.
• The film is directed by Cary Joji Fukunaga, the first American filmmaker to direct an official Bond film and the first Bond director of Asian heritage.
• Returning characters include Léa Seydoux as Madeleine Swann, Ben Whishaw as Q, Ralph Fiennes as M, Naomie Harris as Eve Moneypenny and Jeffrey Wright as Felix Leiter.
• Newcomers include Ana de Armas, Billy Magnussen, Lashana Lynch and Rami Malek.