Vue CEO reacts to fears Donald Trump’s film tariffs will ‘kill’ James Bond as announcement leaves industry reeling
Vue Cinemas CEO Timothy Richards has moved to reassure film fans that the James Bond franchise will not be affected by Donald Trump’s proposed 100 per cent tariffs on foreign-made films.
The US President announced the controversial plan on Sunday, sparking concerns across the British film industry.
Richards dismissed fears that the iconic British spy series could be “killed” by the tariffs, insisting that the franchise has special protections in place.
The cinema boss expressed confidence that the Bond films would continue to be produced with their distinctly British character intact.
Speaking to GB News, Richards said: “I know how close James Bond is to Barbara Brocolli and I know the deal she’s done with Amazon.”
“It’s protected. We’re going to see an incredible Bond franchise relaunched with a British Bond and British story.”
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He emphasised that filming in international locations doesn’t diminish the franchise’s British identity.
“Bond films have set the bar for foreign locations. When you have Bond fighting on cable cars all the way to Caribbean islands, that doesn’t make the movie less British.”
Richards believes Trump will ultimately back down from his hardline position on film tariffs.
“I think we’re seeing already he’s backtracking,” Richards told GB News. “He’s spoken about meeting with leaders of the film industry.”
This aligns with Trump’s recent comments at the White House, where he stated: “We’re going to meet with the industry” to “make sure they’re happy with it.”
“I think it’s either going to soften or hopefully disappear,” Richards added, questioning the practicality of implementing such tariffs on an art form.
Trump initially announced his tariff plan on his Truth Social platform, claiming the American film industry was “DYING a very fast death” due to foreign competition.
He declared the situation a “National Security threat” and authorised a 100 per cent tariff on “any and all Movies coming into our Country that are produced in Foreign Lands.”
However, the White House has since indicated the plan isn’t finalised.
A spokesperson told The Hollywood Reporter: “Although no final decisions on foreign film tariffs have been made, the administration is exploring all options.”
The announcement sparked confusion about how such tariffs would be implemented and enforced.
Richards highlighted the UK’s enduring appeal to international filmmakers despite the tariff threats.
“Filmmakers want to shoot their movies in the UK. There’s a common language and there’s great schools for kids,” he said.
“Not to underestimate, the crews and the talent love shooting their movies here.”
The Vue CEO revealed the film industry had initially thought it might escape Trump’s tariff plans.
“We thought that we somehow had maybe after six weeks of tariffs that we, as an industry, had escaped it. But we realised we weren’t immune.”