Quantcast
Channel: Screenwriter » James Bond
Viewing all articles
Browse latest Browse all 9

The new James Bond is… Daniel Craig?

0
0

Nothing crosses over more vigorously from the news pages to the film section than speculation on the next James Bond. There was a bit of this is in the first few decades of Bond’s life, but, as both Roger Moore and Pierce Brosnan had been considered for the job  before their predecessors, the gossip was a little less furious in the months leading up to their appointments. It really got going in the closing days of the Brosnan tenure. Do you remember that? We used to make fun of the speculation in the old Reel News section of The Ticket. Could Clive Owen, then perennial favourite, replicate the Brosnan/Moore strategy and take the role at a second lunge. At 51, I doubt it very much.

That Dr Who and James Bond team-up you’ve long been hoping for

We have had two globules of Bond news this week. The Sun claimed (cough, bullshit!) that it had recovered a memo, leaked from EON productions, concerning the shortlist for the job. Essentially, everybody who had been mentioned in connection with Bond in the last five years was on it. Let’s play Bond Bingo. Idris Elba? Check. Michael Fassbender? Tom Hiddleston? Check. Luke Evans? BINGO! I’m not saying that none of these people will be the next James Bond, but I don’t believe The Sun has really seen any such documentation.

The more interesting (and slightly more plausible) story concerned a rumour that EON had backed a truckload of money up to Daniel Craig’s house and offered him a shovel. Speaking less figuratively, the company was alleged to have offered him $150 million for two more films. The mathematics don’t really add up here. Spectre made about $880 million and, even in this world, that is no small sum. It is also true that EON claim a famously huge percentage of dough from their distributor (Sony in recent years). But that’s still an insane wad of cash to pay a star. There is also the fact that Spectre really looked to be attempting a tying up of loose ends in its idiotic final section. A fourth film from Craig would almost feel like the launch of a new franchise.

Here’s what I think. Nobody knows anything. I have met Barbara Broccoli, veteran producer of the films, a few times and you would struggle to imagine a more professional operator. I’m betting that, were she strapped to table by Goldfinger and put at risk of penetration by laser, she would still not say a word as to their plans.

If she asked me (and she never would) I’d suggest Chiwetel Ejiofor for the job and keep my man Will Poulter in mind for his successor. Just a thought.

Comment on Screenwriter at the author’s Twitter account: @donaldclarke63


Viewing all articles
Browse latest Browse all 9

Latest Images

Trending Articles





Latest Images