There’s excellent news for die-hard fans of Daniel Craig’s incarnation of the timeless James Bond; he’s decided to play the suave Martini-drinking – shaken, not stirred – spy at least one more time, maybe twice.
When Dave Calhoun of TimeOut London asked Craig if he could “imagine doing another Bond movie,” the current 007 was rather emphatic about the improbability of a reprise.
“Now? I’d rather break this glass and slash my wrists.”
In all fairness, at the time of the interview, Craig had only just wrapped up filming Spectre , the most recent installment of the 007 franchise. Moreover, Craig – arguably the most daring Bond of all – has suffered severe batterings during filming in the past.
He’s had his shoulder re-constructed, right and left knee surgeries, teeth knocked out, and a blow to his face so severe that a plastic surgeon was called in. The top of Craig’s finger was sliced clean off, and his ribs have been cracked and bruised. Can one blame him for hesitating at the thought of another go?
Nevertheless, despite constant speculation over who could play the next Bond, Daniel Craig seems to have decided that it will still be himself.
The New York Times recently revealed that Eon Productions and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer announced a November 2019 premiere of the next thrilling 007 adventure. James Bond veteran screenwriters, Neal Purvis and Robert Wade, have reportedly been slated to head the writing team, while a director has not been announced as yet.
The 25th installment in the 007 canon will be produced by Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli. While more details will only be released “at a later date,” Daniel Craig’s homecoming seems to be in the bag.
According to an insider close to production executives, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, the script is “nearly ready for the 25th film, provisionally titled Shatterhand and scheduled to be released in November 2019 so there is no time to waste on getting Daniel locked in.”
The 26th Bond film is said to be reminiscent of the 1969 release, On Her Majesty’s Secret Service , which saw a dapper George Lazenby as 007.
“The idea of returning to On Her Majesty’s Secret Service for the 26th movie is really exciting,” added the insider.
Meanwhile, according to ScreenRant , Idris Elba has commended Daniel on what he believes was a shrewd move to secure a higher fee for his portrayal of 007.
Elba was one of the actors widely touted as a favorite for Craig’s replacement, but in light of recent revelations, those speculations will be put to bed.
While being interviewed on Australia’s Kyle and Jackie O in the Morning , the hosts prodded Elba on the subject of playing bond . Elba opted to avoid discussing his own prospects of ever stepping into the famous spy’s shoes, choosing instead to praise Daniel Craig for what he believes was a brilliant business maneuver.
“Daniel Craig is a great Bond. I think honestly he and his business team are very clever – ‘no I won’t do it. $150 million? Yes I will do it.’”
[Featured Image by Greg Williams/Getty Images]
