Is Daniel Craig's time as James Bond all but over? It's certainly looking that way at this point. Spectre was a major box office success, taking in $880 million worldwide, but generally, it was a critical misfire that was disliked by many fans. And during the film's press tour, Craig expressed his very strong disinterest in ever playing the role again. He later backtracked on some of those statements, but by many accounts, it seems that after a series of films that revitalized the franchise, Daniel Craig will no longer be playing 007. Which begs the question- who's next in line? The iconic series has always replaced actors without hesitation, and this time around, the hunt will be bigger than ever. Accepting Craig's departure as a given, many fans have already thrown out a barrage of names as possible replacements for the actor. Idris Elba, Tom Hardy, Henry Cavill, Dan Stevens- the list goes on and on. However, one name has really stuck, and now, reports are suggesting that this actor may already be lined up to take on the role.
According to Phil Nobile Jr. at Birth. Movies. Death., Avengers star Tom Hiddleston is in "advanced talks" to take on the role of James Bond. In the report, Nobile indicates that sources close to Hiddleston gave him the news, and that while the actor very badly wants to be the new Bond, no offer has been made by Eon or Sony. The report does hold some suspicions that Eon is using the discussions to create leverage over Craig, but the possibility of Hiddleston as 007 is very strong right now. Meanwhile, no matter who is playing the superspy in the 25th Bond installment, it appears that director Sam Mendes won't be behind the camera. At the Hay Festival in Wales, the director of Skyfall and Spectre had this to say about his future with the franchise- "It was an incredible adventure, I loved every second of it. But I think it's time for somebody else. I'm a storyteller and at the end of the day, I want to make stories with new characters."
Mendes also noted that Barbara Broccoli will be the one to decide the next Bond, which puts an interesting spin on the Birth. Movies. Death. report. I'm undoubtedly disappointed to see Mendes leave the series, but the possibility of a new voice is tremendously exciting. Collider is currently running a poll on potential Bond 25 directors, and as of now, Christopher Nolan, Edgar Wright, and Denis Villeneuve are leading the pack. Nolan has had discussions with Eon before, and once he finishes Dunkirk, I can definitely see him tackling a Bond film. As for Hiddleston, I'm still not sure about my feelings on this one. I love Hiddleston as an actor, but I just don't know if he would be my top choice for Bond. However, as shown in the past, sometimes the most unexpected choices end up being the best. I'm sure we'll be finding much more about the future of the Bond franchise very soon.
Sources: Birth Movies Death, Hollywood Reporter, Collider
Image Credits: Joblo
Comments
Post a Comment