Trailer for Bond film starring Henry Cavill with millions of views is not genuine
Video features clips from different movies and AI-generated material
CLAIM
A movie trailer posted to YouTube under the title “Bond 26 – First Trailer” appeared to give a first look at actors Henry Cavill and Margot Robbie starring in a new James Bond movie.
BACKGROUND
A purported trailer for James Bond 26, starring Henry Cavill and Margot Robbie, was published on YouTube on April 13, 2024. As of April 17, it had received more than 2.2 million views.
The 1 minute 32 second video begins with the Universal and Metro Goldwyn Mayer logos, followed by a series of short clips appearing to show the stars in action for the next instalment of the James Bond franchise.
The uploader, KH Studio, writes that filming is slated for 2024 but gives no release date.
The trailer came amid mounting speculation about who might be chosen to portray the British spy, with Daniel Craig leaving the role after the 2021 release No Time to Die.
METHOD
The trailer was posted by an account that frequently publishes so-called “concept trailers”, according to its About section. The production team is based in Georgia, according to YouTube’s Channel Details.
Further down in the description box accompanying the Bond trailer, the uploader wrote: “Please note that this video is a concept trailer created solely for artistic and entertainment purposes.
“I have meticulously incorporated various effects, sound design, AI technologies, movie analytics, and other elements to bring my vision to life.
“Its purpose is purely artistic, aiming to entertain and engage with the YouTube community. My goal is to showcase my creativity and storytelling skills through this trailer. Thank you for your support, and let’s dive into the world of imagination!”
The trailer itself uses a mix of real clips from other films featuring the stars, and AI-generated snapshots. For example, a reverse image search on one scene featuring Margot Robbie actually shows her in the 2018 film Terminal.
Another snapshot of “Margot Robbie” is actually the actress Elizabeth Debicki in the 2015 film The Man from U.N.C.L.E., with Margot Robbie’s head AI-generated into the scene.
A snippet featuring ‘Henry Cavill’ also features the hallmarks of an AI-generated video, with blurring seen around the edges of the figure and an airbrushed-like effect to the image.
Furthermore, despite speculation about several actors being linked to the role, there has been no official confirmation as to who will next portray James Bond.
From this analysis, we can confirm the trailer is not genuine and was created by an unaffiliated studio for entertainment purposes.
RATING
The trailer is not genuine and features clips from different movies and AI-generated material.
SOURCES
KH Studio (2024). Available at: Bond 26 – First Trailer | Henry Cavill, Margot Robbie. YouTube. [Accessed 17 Apr. 2024].
Watson, F. (2024). Available at: ‘Maybe I’m too old, maybe I’m not’: Henry Cavill says he isn’t writing off James Bond yet. [online] Yahoo News. [Accessed 17 Apr. 2024].
Female Villains fansite (2023). Available at: Victoria Vinciguerra (The Man From U.N.C.L.E). [online] The Female Villains Wiki. [Accessed 17 Apr. 2024].