Forget bigger explosions — Geoffrey Moore says Hollywood needs better stories.
The son of the late James Bond legend Roger Moore told Fox News Digital that today’s films have become too reliant on recycled comic book material and big-budget spectacle, while originality and meaningful dialogue have taken a back seat.
“I think that today, it’s too much TikTok,” the actor told Fox News Digital. “A person will have a conversation with you, and it’s the conversation that he read or heard on TikTok, as opposed to actually having read Hemingway and knows what he’s talking about.”
“I think it’s important that the art of storytelling maintains the culture,” Moore said. “There’s just too many studio executive heads deciding what’s right, as opposed to what people want to hear or people should hear and see.”
Moore stars in the British spy thriller “Knightfall,” which has its share of guns and fight scenes. However, he said the film doesn’t rely on over-the-top action to keep audiences hooked and instead leans on a strong storyline and sharp dialogue.
“I would like to see more culture in films, as opposed to the regurgitation of these comics,” Moore said.
“And everything’s so negative. Oh, my goodness. It’s like, you need to have a certain budget with helicopters flying upside down. But the storyline has to be strong. Good dialogue, good storywriting are key. You don’t have to have constant action to keep the person’s attention going. You also need action in the storyline, in the words.”
Moore also believes “Knightfall” has something else working in its favor in the social media era: It doesn’t overstay its welcome.
The actor said the film was deliberately kept short, acknowledging that today’s audiences may not have the patience to sit through a lengthy saga.
“You can’t sit through a three-hour movie,” he argued. “You can imagine today, it’s just everyone on the treadmill. You need that right amount of length before someone starts asking, ‘When is it over?’ That’s the direction I would take with today’s films.”
For Moore, “Knightfall” also marks a full-circle moment.
The actor grew up immersed in the entertainment business as the son of one of Hollywood’s most famous spies. Now, decades later, he’s stepping in front of the camera as a spy himself at roughly the same age his father was when he made his final James Bond film.
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“I have not been an actor all my life, even though I did start as a child actor,” Moore said. “My second womb was the soundstage. But just because you’re related to someone in the entertainment industry, it doesn’t make me a part of the entertainment industry or even an actor. But this time, it just felt right. It wasn’t forced. And also, it’s never too late. I mean, yes, go figure, it’s a spy film, but there’s a twist. And really, it’s never too late.”
Moore was six years old when his father filmed his 007 debut, “Live and Let Die,” which was released in 1973. The Telegraph reported that Moore was present for all of his father’s Bond films and the famous stunts that came with them. Once the director yelled “cut,” the patriarch would look at his son and ask if he wanted to get ice cream.
“Look, I’ve been on enough film sets to know how laborious it can be,” Moore said. “It’s a demanding schedule and you mustn’t break your ankle. But I’ve never had a big role where I’m doing a lot of running around. I have to say on some mornings when I wake up, if you’ve ever been horseback riding, you recognize muscles you never knew you had. I’m doing all of this running around and going, ‘Oh my goodness, I thought I was fit!'”
“I was never like, ‘I’m looking for a job in front of the camera,'” Moore continued. “It just felt right. And I was intrigued. It’s an independent British film and very few films aren’t dictated by executive heads. This isn’t a regurgitation of another franchise where they’re spending lots of money. Here, the conditions were harsh. It was physically demanding. Rewrites are happening on the day. It was back to back.”
“The food was good, considering this wasn’t a multimillion production,” he said. “And if the money is good, that’ll get your attention.”
Moore said the key to making it in the movie-making business is simple: don’t take yourself too seriously.
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“If an actor shows up on the set and doesn’t understand the importance of the production, what each person does, then they’re in the wrong business,” he said. “It’s a team effort. Everyone is as important. You’re nothing without the guy who knows how to keep you in focus. If you make something look good, it’s usually not that easy. And to be a film star, you have to be a good actor. There’s no such thing as an ignorant person who can act.”
Despite following in his father’s footsteps by playing a spy, Moore isn’t campaigning to become the next James Bond.
“I think the next James Bond should be someone who can carry the decade, a reflection of the times,” Moore said. “When it comes to who’s the next Bond, it’s really who depicts the times, who is relevant to today, whether it be a tall person, a short person, someone who doesn’t know how to tie a tie or who doesn’t know how to read because he’s on TikTok the whole time. Who knows who they’ll choose.”
“I think they know what they’ll be doing. They’re not just handing it over to Amazon, that was basically a delivery service, and now they’re in the film business. Who they ultimately choose is someone relevant to the times. And I think that’s the key to Bond.”
Amazon MGM Studios gained creative control of the James Bond franchise in 2025 after forming a joint venture with longtime Bond producers Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli. The transaction closed March 24, 2025, with Amazon MGM Studios, Wilson and Broccoli remaining co-owners of the franchise.
Several actors have been linked to the role, including Paul Mescal, Jacob Elordi, Jack O’Connell, Jack Lowden and Callum Turner.
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The next installment will be the 26th film in the official Bond series, which began with “Dr. No” in 1962. Denis Villeneuve is set to direct, with “Peaky Blinders” creator Steven Knight writing the screenplay.
As Moore looks ahead to making more films, there’s one piece of advice from his late father, who died in 2017 at age 89, that he hasn’t forgotten.
“Make sure you get paid,” he joked.
“Knightfall” is available on digital and on demand.
Original article, Hollywood’s recycled comic book movies
