Is Johnny English Reborn the second step in a long, lucrative franchise?
Rowan Atkinson raises his eyes to the ceiling and says, almost to himself, “Oh god, I hope not.”
It’s a throwaway remark, but it’s all in the delivery and, the way he does it, is properly belly-grip funny – evidence, if needed, of why Atkinson can still hitting the marks, more than 30 years after he first brought his brand of snipey mirth to the small screen with his Not The Nine O’Clock News gang.
We’re here to celebrate the release of the no-doubt lucrative follow-up to Atkinson’s first outing as the British special agent – it’s Bond meets Bean and made Atkinson an enormous amount of cash, enough to buy another set of wheels perchance? We’ll get to this.
But first, why has it taken to so long to get this sequel on the screen when it was first mooted way back in 2004?
“The problem is I liked to be involved in every part of the process,” Atkinson explains, almost apologetically (he is known for his diffident, polite manner and it is certainly on show today, although he is nothing like as awkward or unforthcoming as was expected).
“So, even if I made films back to back, that would only be one every three years or so. Throw in a bit of theatre here, taking some time off there, and suddenly four years has gone by. I just take film-making so seriously.
“I’ve always been like that. Way back when we were trying to make one of those blooper reels for Blackadder, it was impossible because,
if a doorknob came off or something, I just wouldn’t react. I find it incredibly difficult to fall about laughing. I’ve just always got my mind on other things.”
Which leads us nicely to the recent car-crash that propelled Atkinson, much to his chagrin, onto the front pages.
The star was driving his McLaren F1 supercar last month and ended up on the wrong side of a Cambridgeshire tree. “I was far more concerned about the car than I was about me,” is all he says now. This is reassuring, although the idea of this very unassuming gentleman at the helm of a 240mph oligarch-worthy chariot becomes even more incongruous when he’s there in the flesh.
Director Oliver Parker attests to Atkinson’s focus, explaining how crucial this was to provide a hub for Johnny English’s expanding universe: “We get to push him about a little bit more, there’s even some romance.”
One thing that remains consistent through both films is an appreciation of Bond-worthy gadgets, prompting the question of what device each of the cast holds dear.
Atkinson is generous with his laughter, showing his appreciation of his peers, before stealing the moment with poker-faced aplomb:
“I suppose I’d like one of those things, straight out of Goldfinger, that changes your registration from inside the car. Yes, that would be very nice.
Johnny English Reborn is in cinemas from next Friday, 7th October.