The Other Fellow

The Other Fellow begins in 1952 at the Goldeneye estate in Jamaica, when British author Ian Fleming creates the character of 007 for his first novel Casino Royale and gives him the name of James Bond, which he takes from a Philadelphia ornithologist of the same name.

Seventy years later in 2022, the film follows several main characters who share the name James Bond. The characters include Gunnar James Bond Schäfer, a superfan of all things 007 with his own James Bond Museum in Sweden;[5] James Alexander Bond, a gay theater director in New York City who finds the name a hindrance; James Bond Jr., an African-American man in Indiana State Prison awaiting trial for murder;[6] and ornithologist James Bond and his wife Mary in Philadelphia, who confront Ian Fleming about the impact his use of their name has had on their lives. The film also includes an additional main character: an unnamed woman living in an unspecified location in England.

The film explores themes of identity, fandom, and the impact of the worldwide digital and cultural footprint of the James Bond franchise on the lives of people who share the name James Bond.[7][8]

The title comes from the James Bond film "On Her Majesty's Secret Service". In the film, George Lazenby replaced Sean Connery as the actor portraying James Bond, who at the time was the only actor to have played the role and was a very well-known figure. The first scene of the film features James Bond saving a woman, but instead of kissing him, she chooses to drive away. He then says "This never happened to the other fellow," referencing Sean Connery's portrayal of James Bond. Bauer told Filmink: "These are the situations that our characters face – continuously being in the shadow of this movie icon. For me, it's 007 who is 'the other fellow' – the fictional character."[8]

• Gunnar James Bond Schäfer Self - 007 Museum Curator (as Gunnar Schäfer)
• James Alexander Bond as Self-Theatre Director
• James Bond Jr. as Self-Inmate #280938
• Gregory Itzin as James Bond - Ornithologist
• Charley Palmer Rothwell as Johannes Schäfer
• Tacey Adams as Mary Wickham Bond
• Matthew Bauer as Self - Director (voice)
• James Bond as Self - Ornithologist (archive footage)
• Chae-Jamal McFarlane as James Bond
• James Bond as Self

The film's director, Matthew Bauer, decided to make the movie after contacting hundreds of men named James Bond on social media and discovering that many had unexpected and dramatic stories to share. He interviewed around a hundred James Bonds, and narrowed it down to fifteen characters that were featured in the film, five of whom were the main characters.[9]

Bauer told Variety magazine: "What interested me was not so much that these men are named James Bond, but how the name connects them to a global media phenomenon – literally, emotionally, and especially digitally. The real plot of The Other Fellow centers around the surprising ways its force pushes and pulls their lives in the most unexpected directions. And how it connects them together in ways you'd never anticipate."[8]

Filming took place between the premiere of the James Bond film Skyfall until the premiere of No Time to Die.[9] The film was shot in various countries including the United Kingdom, USA, Jamaica, Sweden, Italy, Canada, India, Thailand and Guyana.[10]

• Official website
• The Other Fellow at IMDb