The James Bond Franchise

[Kel Varnsen]

How would people feel about batman and bond being the same guy? Bale could pull it off (at least for one or 2 movies) both as far as acting chops and the physical requirements. Plus i don't think i have ever seen him in a role where he uses his British accent (does he even still have one?).

[ribboninthesky1]

I wouldn't care about one actor playing two iconic characters, but I imagine there would be studio conflicts? As for Bale, he's in his 40s as well.  The only film in which I've heard his Welsh accent was Reign of Fire. 

[SimoneS]

5 hours ago, Kel Varnsen said:

How would people feel about batman and bond being the same guy? Bale could pull it off (at least for one or 2 movies) both as far as acting chops and the physical requirements. Plus i don't think i have ever seen him in a role where he uses his British accent (does he even still have one?).

I love Christian Bale. He is one of my favorite actors ever, but he is way to old to play Bond now. He was barely hanging in there in the final Batman movie. 

[Athena]

On 2017-02-28 at 10:16 AM, Ohwell said:

David Oyelowo is a good actor but he doesn't have the looks to be Bond, IMO.  I agree that if they go for black Bond, then Chiwetel Ejiofor would fit the bill.

Love all these actors and I agree Elba and Ejiofor would be the ones ahead if they are looking for black British actors. I don't know if Eljiofor would commit to the physical intensity or could do it for more than a couple of movies.

My personal front runners are Rupert Friend who was amazing in Homeland, but he'd need to bulk up even more. I doubt he's on the radar. The other one would be Tom Hardy. He has the physical stamina, acting talent, and intensity to fit the role. I think his brand of menacing is a good sequel to Craig's Bond. If you follow Hardy's career, he has a very definitive screen presence which can be a soft or intense as required. See Inception when compared to "Taboo" or Mad Max Fury Road.

Or maybe they can start aging Bond down since all the current physical requirements and time commitment requires someone younger than 35.

[stealinghome]

I don't disagree with aging Bond down, but imo it's a fine line. A Bond who's still in his 20s would seem far too callow to me, and it would be hard to believe that a 20something Bond is as good and experienced in spycraft as Bond is supposed to be (I have no interest in watching a Bond who's NOT already really good at what he does). Personally, I almost feel that 35 is about the youngest I'd ever want to see Bond be.

[Ohwell]

2 hours ago, Athena said:

The other one would be Tom Hardy. He has the physical stamina, acting talent, and intensity to fit the role. I think his brand of menacing is a good sequel to Craig's Bond. If you follow Hardy's career, he has a very definitive screen presence which can be a soft or intense as required. See Inception when compared to "Taboo" or Mad Max Fury Road.

I like Tom Hardy but there's something brutish about him that's even too much for Bond, lol.  Granted, I've only seen him in The Revenant, Warriors, Locke and more recently in "Taboo," and while he certainly could carry off the physical challenge of being Bond, I don't know if he could carry off "suave ladies man."  

[Silver Raven]

12 minutes ago, Ohwell said:

I like Tom Hardy but there's something brutish about him that's even too much for Bond, lol.  Granted, I've only seen him in The Revenant, Warriors, Locke and more recently in "Taboo," and while he certainly could carry off the physical challenge of being Bond, I don't know if he could carry off "suave ladies man."  

Not exactly a ladies man, but he was Heathcliff in a Wuthering Heights miniseries.

[Ohwell]

Naw.  Not working for me.  He looks like he wants to eat her face.

[Kel Varnsen]

17 hours ago, SimoneS said:

I love Christian Bale. He is one of my favorite actors ever, but he is way to old to play Bond now. He was barely hanging in there in the final Batman movie. 

By my calculations Bale is the same age now that Craig was when they shot skyfall. So they could probabky get two or three movies out of him.

Related to that i wonder if they would ever do a bond movie with an older bond forced to come out of retirement for a mission he could do. Kind of of like a Taken or Unforgiven thing. Would get around the age issue a bit, give them a reason to have a Bond who doesn't look like Michael Phelps and if it was Craig it could close out his story. It would also get another movie out of someone new if they cast an actor in his 40's.

[ribboninthesky1]

2 hours ago, Ohwell said:

Naw.  Not working for me.  He looks like he wants to eat her face.

Hee! I like Hardy a lot, but for me, he's the same category as Fassbender in that he would make a better villain.  Plus, he's a bit of runt.  Craig wasn't particularly tall, either, but I can't see them going for someone even shorter. Before Craig, weren't the Bond actors least 6'0?

I've only seen Rupert Friend in that Hitman film.  Based on that, not sure he could pull off Bond.

I wouldn't mind seeing Cavill as Bond, but unfortunately, he's caught up in DC/WB fuckery.  So that's not gonna happen unless WB acquires the franchise.    

[Silver Raven]

John Boyega?  He's 24.

Eddie Redmayne?  He's 35.

Jack O'Connell?  He's 26.

I'd pick Taron Edgerton, but he's way too short.

[stealinghome]

Strong no to Redmayne; I'd be interested in seeing Boyega take on the role, but in about 5 years. 24 is way too young for Bond for me.

[Enigma X]

Very vehement nos to Hiddleston, Hardy, Lewis, Owen, and Redmayne. Actually, Fassbender and Elba are the only folks that I've seen mentioned here that I like for the role.

[afterbite]

He's too old for the role now, but I've always thought Colin Salmon would make an excellent Bond. 

Edited March 3, 2017 by afterbite
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[ChelseaNH]

Okay, so we get The Rock to do it.  Pretty sure he'll be able to keep in shape...

[ribboninthesky1]

2 hours ago, afterbite said:

He's too old for the role now, but I've always thought Colin Salmon would make an excellent Bond. 

Yes, this!

[Ohwell]

Yeah, too bad because I think he would have been great 10 years ago but he's 54 now.

[supposebly]

Well, if we can't have a less-actiony older Bond, maybe Salmon can be M. The One Who Must Not Be Named is not doing it for me. At All. 

I've watched for Brosnan and Judi Dench the last 10 years but I would keep watching for Salmon. He was in one or two of the Brosnan movies as one of M's underlings, so he should be up for a promotion now.

[anyanka323]

On 3/2/2017 at 10:43 PM, stealinghome said:

Strong no to Redmayne; I'd be interested in seeing Boyega take on the role, but in about 5 years. 24 is way too young for Bond for me.

The next Bond film will likely be the last for Craig, so the whole casting speculation could be restarted in about 5 years.  By that time, some of the more high profile names (Hiddleston, Fassbender, Elba) will likely be too old to take over for 4/5 films.  Boydega will be in his early 30s by then, but his Star Wars commitment could hurt him. 

Someone mentioned the lower profile/recurring Game of Thrones male cast.  Both Richard Madden and Kit Harrington would be interesting choices and in the right age range.  I would think that Harrington could be on some short lists given how the secrecy around GoT rivals Bond, how he kept up the "Jon Snow is really, really dead" party line for months when most show watchers and book readers were convinced otherwise, and the amount of attention given to him for doing a great deal of his own stunt work for Battle of the Bastards. 

[SimoneS]

6 hours ago, anyanka323 said:

Both Richard Madden and Kit Harrington would be interesting choices and in the right age range. 

Madden and Harrington would definitely be in the right age range and strong candidates. I think that Madden is the stronger actor, but Harrington is much better good looking. Tough call.

[Oreo2234]

I guess its in the eye of the beholder. I actually find Madden more attractive as well as a better actor. 

Edited March 5, 2017 by Oreo2234

[Athena]

2 hours ago, Oreo2234 said:

I guess its in the eye of the beholder. I actually find Madden more attractive as well as a better actor. 

I agree. I like Kit Harrington, but I don't think he has the whole package. Height was mentioned earlier and while it's definitely one of the lowest in terms of trait importance for me, based on sources, he seems to be shorter than Craig and Tom Hardy. That will limit future casting choices for villains and female leads.

For me, the speculation is fun and a good excuse to look at various good looking British actors.

[Silver Raven]

9 hours ago, SimoneS said:

Madden and Harrington would definitely be in the right age range and strong candidates. I think that Madden is the stronger actor, but Harrington is much better good looking. Tough call.

It may not come across on GoT, but Kit Harrington is really short.  It came across pretty obviously in the movie Pompeii.

[Enigma X]

I love both Harrington and Madden but Harrington is way too short. I also think Madden looks more like Bond material than Harrington.

[piequinn35]

Craig is 5'10, Madden is 5'9, Kit is 5'8, Their height is not that bad, between Madden and Kit, I would choose Madden.

[SimoneS]

I just saw the Cavill mention to which I reply, no, just no. He is so good looking, but has absolutely no charisma. I couldn't believe that they choose him to be Superman.

[Joimiaroxeu]

Multiple sources tell Page Six that Bond franchise producer Barbara Broccoli has “just about persuaded Daniel Craig to do one more Bond movie.”

This is perhaps the most delicious quote in the article: The source added, “Plus, Barbara Broccoli doesn’t like Tom Hiddleston, he’s a bit too smug and not tough enough to play James Bond.” Ouch. Take that, Tom.

[ribboninthesky1]

They are still negotiating?  By the time they actually start production, Craig might be in his 50s.  He's obviously fit, but on the other hand, if he's not persuaded, then perhaps they should let him be.  Let the man move on if he wants to. 

Maybe they should have spent more time vetting other actors after the Spectre production ended, as it was more than apparent that Craig was over the franchise.  I'm beginning to wonder, if Craig doesn't sign on, will there be some mad rush to cast an actor who is ill-suited?  We know who it won't be, heh.  

[Joimiaroxeu]

Quote

Maybe they should have spent more time vetting other actors after the Spectre production ended

We don't know that they didn't spend a lot time vetting. Maybe it just hasn't worked out so far. Could be the actors they've had in mind have other commitments, don't want to take on the Bond franchise, or are still too young. (And my theory still is that they've also been delaying to let certain actors age out of contention, e.g., Idris Elba.) Perhaps they want to give Craig's Bond a proper send-off as well.

[katha]

This isn't all that surprising, if it's true. For the last few months the rumblings about Craig returning were getting more and more traction. My guess is that this has been their plan A all along: Do one more movie with Craig, then move on with a different actor. I'm sure they were on the lookout for new actors as well, but their preference is doing one more with Craig. Who knows, perhaps part of the reason they want to hang on to Craig is because they're not convinced with potential alternatives and want a few years more time so other actors age into it/get discovered etc.?

All of Craig's movies made loads of money, even the two weaker ones had very healthy box office. With a new Bond you're always facing the risk that the public won't be convinced, and the franchise is IMO hugely dependent on the actor at least somewhat selling a premise that in the wrong hands would look hopelessly old-fashioned and offensive.

[ribboninthesky1]

True @Joimiaroxeu, we don't know everything that goes on behind the scenes.  I'm also making an assumption that Spectre production ended in 2014. We're now in 2017, and they're still trying to cajole Craig? It makes me feel like they haven't pursued any other real prospects, which contributes to your theory about letting certain actors age out of contention.  Personally, I'm not sure Elba ever had a real shot since he's only a few years younger than Craig. And that's beyond the race-bending element that I don't believe the execs are interested in (or ever will be unless there is a changing of the guard).   

Plus, I don't know what kind of send-off they would want to give Craig's Bond after Spectre. His arc came full-circle in my view. 

Edited April 7, 2017 by ribboninthesky1

[Joimiaroxeu]

Am watching American Gods and have now seen the guy I think I want for the next 007. His name is Ricky Whittle, he's British, tall, and only 36 so they could easily get several more Bond movies out of him. Hopefully his commitment to the series (his character is the central one) wouldn't present a problem with making the movies. It's interesting though that his acting work has been almost entirely on TV. Makes me wonder why he's never made the jump to film.

From his IMDb page:

[Athena]

30 minutes ago, Joimiaroxeu said:

Am watching American Gods and have now seen the guy I think I want for the next 007. His name is Ricky Whittle, he's British, tall, and only 36 so they could easily get several more Bond movies out of him. Hopefully his commitment to the series (his character is the central one) wouldn't present a problem with making the movies. It's interesting though that his acting work has been almost entirely on TV. Makes me wonder why he's never made the jump to film.

From his IMDb page:

Agree that Whittle should be contender in terms of physicality and the bits I've seen from his range. He's found it hard to break into film though; he was a bit of a B-list celeb in the UK having appeared for years in a TV soap. It's not like Hollywood or UK films are short on talented British actors for TV or film.  I think his background on soaps and Strictly (UK's Dancing with the Stars) has made it difficult for casting to see otherwise. American Gods is making people notice in the right way and maybe will allow for the jump in bigger things.

[Ohwell]

He's nice-looking but I just don't see James Bond in him.

[piequinn35]

^same here

He was Octavia's boyfriend in The 100. 

[SimoneS]

Unless something has changed since his Hollyoaks days, Ricky Whittle cannot act for his life. He is damn good looking and built though.

[ennui]

On 4/7/2017 at 9:37 AM, ribboninthesky1 said:

beyond the race-bending element that I don't believe the execs are interested in (or ever will be unless there is a changing of the guard).   

It's a family franchise. Barbara Broccoli is only 56.

10 hours ago, Joimiaroxeu said:

Hopefully his commitment to the series (his character is the central one) wouldn't present a problem with making the movies.

It stopped Pierce Brosnan for several years, when he couldn't get a release from Remington Steele.

I still want Aidan Turner. He's 33, so maybe they're waiting for him to age a teeny bit.

[Joimiaroxeu]

I've never seen Whittle in anything before Amercan Gods (which is only one episode in) so I'm withholding judgment on his acting ability. Right now I'm getting a Daniel Craig-ish Bond vibe because the character he's playing has a similar stoic yet hard-edged swagger.

[methodwriter85]

On 3/1/2017 at 6:31 PM, Kel Varnsen said:

How would people feel about batman and bond being the same guy? Bale could pull it off (at least for one or 2 movies) both as far as acting chops and the physical requirements. Plus i don't think i have ever seen him in a role where he uses his British accent (does he even still have one?).

If you go by his rant from 2009, it sounds like his accent is pretty slight now. Usually when people get pissed off their native accent comes in strong, but it's just barely there.

Quote

(And my theory still is that they've also been delaying to let certain actors age out of contention, e.g., Idris Elba.)

That is so cynical and pretty damn racist, and I so wouldn't put that past them.

Jamie Bell has been touted and I'd be interesting in seeing how that would work. He has such a scrappy vibe to him, though.

Maybe Nicholas Hoult in a few more years?

I just remember Spectre being touted as Daniel Craig's final Bond film so I'll laugh if he comes back for one more time.

Quote

All of Craig's movies made loads of money, even the two weaker ones had very healthy box office. With a new Bond you're always facing the risk that the public won't be convinced, and the franchise is IMO hugely dependent on the actor at least somewhat selling a premise that in the wrong hands would look hopelessly old-fashioned and offensive.

I'm reading about George Lazenby. Either he announced that he was only going to do this once because he realized this wasn't for him, or the powers that be realized they made a mistake and negotiated with him to gracefully back out of the franchise.

Edited May 4, 2017 by methodwriter85

[Joimiaroxeu]

Quote

I just remember Spectre being touted as Daniel Craig's final Bond film so I'll laugh if he comes back for one more time.

Me too and if he does I hope he makes them fork over a ton of money. Even more than the $150M (for two films) they allegedly have already offered.

[JustaPerson]

Christian Bale's accent seems to be okay to me, it was probably because he was so angry that his accent went away. I guess it's the reverse for him? 

 

13 hours ago, methodwriter85 said:

If you go by his rant from 2009, it sounds like his accent is pretty slight now. Usually when people get pissed off their native accent comes in strong, but it's just barely there.

[ennui]

18 hours ago, methodwriter85 said:

I just remember Spectre being touted as Daniel Craig's final Bond film so I'll laugh if he comes back for one more time.

"Never Say Never Again."

[Bruinsfan]

On 3/3/2017 at 11:26 AM, afterbite said:

He's too old for the role now, but I've always thought Colin Salmon would make an excellent Bond. 

He definitely has the suave charm and sophistication if they want to go in the opposite direction of Craig's rougher action hero Bond.

 

On 3/5/2017 at 11:31 AM, Oreo2234 said:

I guess its in the eye of the beholder. I actually find Madden more attractive as well as a better actor. 

Ditto here. I'm not sure Madden appears quite tough enough to believably play Bond (and have no idea about his stunt/fight choreography pedigree), but he's definitely dreamy, and can act circles around Harrington in his sleep.

I'd love to see Idris Elba in the role age issues be damned, but Henry Cavill would probably be my second choice.

[SimoneS]

Has anyone mentioned Charlie Hunnam? I always forget that he is English.

[Joimiaroxeu]

Well one smart thing I think Hunnam did was walk away from the 50 Shades mess. That role probably would've taken him out of 007 consideration. Looks like he won't have to worry about the King Arthur movie turning into a continuing series so that wouldn't be a conflict.

Colin Salmon is in his mid-50s so he's really a non-starter for Bond at this point. Plus he's already been established as another character in the Bond franchise.

Still liking Ricky Whittle. He's doing fine in American Gods.

[Enigma X]

On 5/13/2017 at 10:16 AM, SimoneS said:

Has anyone mentioned Charlie Hunnam? I always forget that he is English.

I would love to see Charlie Hunnam as Bond.

[SimoneS]

34 minutes ago, Enigma X said:

I would love to see Charlie Hunnam as Bond.

Charlie Hunnam and Orlando Bloom would be my front runners. I would choose Charlie over Bloom because he is a few years younger and is already built which means that he is accustomed to the rigorous workout he would have to do before each movie. 

[piequinn35]

How about Dan Stevens?

[SimoneS]

Roger Moore has died. RIP, Roger. He was one of my favorite Bonds, if not my favorite. I loved him in The Saint also.

https://www.theguardian.com/film/2017/may/23/roger-moore-saint-persuader-and-the-suavest-james-bond-dies-aged-89

Edited May 23, 2017 by SimoneS

[starri]

Not my favorite Bond, but by all accounts a really good dude. 

And knighted for his humanitarian work, not his acting career.