MICHAEL G. WILSON

Michael G. Wilson is producer of the James Bond film series together with his sister Barbara Broccoli. Wilson joined EON Productions in 1972 and was named assistant to the producer on The Spy Who Loved Me. He became executive producer on Moonraker and producer with his step-father Albert R. Broccoli on A View To A Kill, continuing with The Living Daylights and Licence To Kill. Wilson and his sister produced the hugely successful GoldenEye, followed by the next eight Bond films including Skyfall and Spectre. No Time To Die, the 25th film in the series was released on the 30th October.

Champagne Bollinger and James Bond have been partners for over 40 years. What do you think is the secret to such a long relationship?

The Bollinger partnership came about when my step-father Cubby Broccoli was working on Moonraker. We shot the majority of the movie in France and it was there that Cubby met Christian Bizot of the Bollinger family. Since then we have worked on 14 movies together. During that time we have paid many visits to Bollinger’s team and the House in Ay and worked on some great projects together.
  
Bollinger is one of the very few remaining family-owned and independently run Champagne Houses, so there is a genuine connection there: two family owned companies with shared values.

The Bollinger brand has a well-established British link having been a Royal Warrant holder since 1884 and the character of James Bond is quintessentially British. Do you think that connection is important?

Crucially for us the choice of brand needed to feel authentic. Bond is a member of the British Secret Service and a character who enjoys the finer things in life so it makes sense that he would choose Bollinger. 

Bollinger comes from a family of wine lovers and passionate individuals; what are the shared family values needed to co-produce the Bond movies? 

Moviemaking is a collaborative process, and I am very fortunate to have worked firstly alongside my step-father Cubby and now my sister Barbara. In our role as producers, Barbara and I are the custodians of the James Bond character and it’s a role we take very seriously. Along the way we have been very lucky to have worked with some of the best actors, writers, directors and crews in the movie business.  All of whom have brought the world of 007 to life in their own individual way.

Taste and Style are two important characteristics of both 007 & Bollinger, how does Bond remain so timeless? 

With a lot of dedication and hard work! Seriously, Cubby and Harry spent a lot of time making sure they got Bond ‘just right’ 
Barbara and I are the keepers of that flame – every time we sit down to write a new movie we go back to the core characteristics of Fleming’s Bond and ask ourselves would Bond do this? How would Bond react? We have tried to stay true to that. It’s that foundation that is timeless. 

A glass of Bollinger is all about sharing an experience, after such an uncertain time over the past 2 years who do you look forward to finally being able to celebrate with?  

The cast and crew are integral to all we do on a movie, so we cannot wait to raise a glass with them at the premiere - a celebration of all their dedication, hard work and commitment to bringing the movie to life. With No Time To Die we are celebrating the release of the 25th Bond film, a milestone we are extremely proud of and one we couldn’t have reached without amazing cast and crew that have been on that journey with us. 

If you could share a glass of Bollinger with anyone throughout history, who would it be and where? 

Since 1978 I have been a dedicated collector of photographs, which is a real passion of mine. It first started when I bought a selection of 19th-century photographs from Sotheby’s. That started me off and my collection has grown enormously since. So my choice would be Nicéphore Niépce, a French inventor, known as the originator of photography in around 1825. He was a pioneer in the field, so I would love to talk about the evolution of the craft over the years. What a special moment that would be.