There are only a few roles in the world more coveted than that of Bond. James Bond.
Since 2006, the face of James Bond has been synonymous with actor Daniel Craig who redefined the role for a new generation in Casino Royale. Director Martin Campbell successfully rebooted the series and most recently Sam Mendes took the franchise to billion dollar heights with Skyfall. However, in the months leading up to release of Spectre, there was a distinct change in Craig’s enthusiasm. Many different outlets reported him as cranky and it culminated in his famous quote that he’d rather “slash my wrists” then return as Bond. Ouch.
Well, it seems where there is smoke there is fire. According to the Daily Mail (via IGN), Craig has reportedly turned down the opportunity to return as James Bond.
He told studio bosses returning to the role “just wasn’t what he wanted” despite them throwing “huge amounts of money at him”, a source told the Daily Mail.
“Daniel is done – pure and simple – he told top brass at MGM after Spectre,” the source said.
He added: “He had told people after shooting that this would be his final outing, but the film company still felt he could come around after Spectre if he was offered a money deal.”
The Daily Mail details that Craig was reportedly offered a base package of $99 million dollars, in addition to producing and backend earnings, to return for the next two films. This payday would have eclipsed what the actor had made in the past four films combined. However, it seems that if the report holds up, that there is no price high enough for Craig to return to the role. The 48 year old actor suffered a serious knee injury during the filming of Spectre, that allegedly soured Craig on his future participation in the franchise. Regardless, his time in the role should be remembered fondly for adding layers of humanity to the character that weren’t seen before. As well as for leading what is regarded as one of the best installments in the franchise, with Skyfall.
If the actor has indeed filed his walking papers, the attention of the world will quickly turn to who the heir apparent will be. For years, actors like Tom Hardy, Idris Elba, and Tom Hiddleston, have thrown their hats in the ring for consideration, in case the role opens up. According to the same report, Hiddleston (High-Rise, The Avengers) indeed is the front-runner for the part of James Bond. While that is all speculation, it does point to the fact that there is a new era of 007 upon us and with it will come another redefinition of the legendary series.
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