New Bond Chosen

[Milanista]

The worst-kept secret in Hollywood has now been confirmed: actor Daniel Craig is the new Bond. James Bond. The 37-year-old Craig takes over the billion-dollar Bond franchise from 52-year-old Pierce Brosnan, who found himself shuffled out of the job earlier this year.
Craig was introduced to the world Friday in typically flamboyant 007 style, swept up the River Thames on a power launch to a news conference, escorted by Royal Marines boats.
Dressed in a blue suit and red tie, Craig posed for photos in the shadow of Tower Bridge, telling reporters: "I'm kind of speechless."
Sony Pictures had plans to keep the identity of their newest Bond a secret, but as The Hollywood Reporter's Michael Rechtshaffen told Canada AM, the mystery began to unravel earlier this week.
"This was supposed to be this big splashy 'Guess who we've brought in to replace Pierce Brosnan?'" he said. "But we've known about this for like, at least a week.
"His own mom, Daniel Craig's mom, was talking to a Liverpool newspaper two days ago saying, 'Oh, we're thrilled to bits about the news'."
Craig will star in next year's Casino Royale, the 21st Bond film, which begins shooting in January.
Rechtshaffen says the film's producers are looking to update the Bond franchise, bringing a bit more complexity to the character and returning him to his younger roots.
Other dashing actors who had reportedly been considered for the role included: Clive Owen, Colin Farrell, Hugh Grant, Gerard Butler, Ewan McGregor, Hugh Jackman, and Eric Bana.
"I think Craig is perfect for the direction they're planning to go now for the next Bond movie," Rechtshaffen beleives.
"He's a moodier Bond than what we've seen before. I mean, if you've seen him in Layer Cake, which was I think was the role that clinched it, he was in Sylvia opposite Gwyneth Paltrow and then played Paul Newman's son in The Road to Perdition, he's bringing this kind of darker edge. That's where they're going now."
The film will be based on Ian Fleming's first-ever Bond novel, Casino Royale, published in 1953, which featured none of the trademark Bond gadgets, nor the MI6 gadget-maker, Q.
In the novel, Bond is on a mission to neutralize a high-rolling Russian operative, Le Chiffre, by ruining him at the baccarat table and forcing his Soviet spymasters to "retire" him.
It was previously filmed as a 1967 spoof starring Peter Sellers.
But in the new, modernized film, Bond will reportedly be playing the game of choice in any casino these days -- no-limit Texas Hold 'Em poker.
There will also be a bit of a Canadian twist to the new Bond film.
Canadian-born screenwriter and director Paul Haggis, who got his start writing TV drama scripts, then was nominated for an Oscar for his adapted screenplay for Million Dollar Baby, and recently directed the successful ensemble piece, Crash, will write the new Bond screenplay.
New Zealand-born Martin Campbell is set to direct.
Campbell said the movie would be "tougher and grittier'' than previous films. "It is really the arc in which he becomes Bond,'' Campbell said. "He starts out just having earned his double-0 stripes and comes out at the end the Bond we know and love.'' "A lot of the embryonic Bond things will come out in the film: how he gets the Aston Martin, how he mixes a martini.''
Though the Bond franchise began more than 40 years ago with Dr. No, only five actors have played the British spy: Sean Connery and Roger Moore, who were the most well-loved mainstays; Brosnan, who appeared in four Bond films; George Lazenby, who appeared in just one Bond film; and Timothy Dalton, who appeared in two.

Good or bad?

 

[Wolf_Hook]

Good, Daniel Craig is a good actor. Ever seen Layer Cake?

 

[Stan]

I was asked, but i couldn't be bothered so i thought about this Craig chap...

 

[phrase]

I dont know how hollywood will help him in the looks department.He dosent have that Bond look and certainly looks weak.

 

[Revan]

Oh well, I really don't know the guy. But the I do hope the new James Blonde :mrgreen: film has better scripting.
It is based on Ian Flemming's book, so at least it's a start.

But IMO Pierce Brosnam was the best. The scripting of the bond movies he starred is what sucked. Hell the last one became silly with all those gadgets.

but one thign concerns me, is the plot adapted to this era? The book, Casino Royale was written during the Cold War. I mean will it be attractive por people now, with all this terrorism around?

 

[dsgg]

very bad imo he's ugly small and skinny hahahah should have been clive owen

 

[airjoca]

I think Owen would've been perfect for the role...

I can't see this Daniel Craig guy as Bond, he doesn't have the look, especially after Pierce...

 

[ghazi]

I thought he was perfect in layer cake and it appears they are going for a grittier, and less-refined Bond. That's fine with me. I never was much of a Bond fan cuz it was always the same damn formula. . .except for Dalton who was a pile of steaming dung with a moustache.

Gotta love that they're gonna have No Limit Texas Hold Em Poker in the movie! I might have to see this one.

 

[CW]

Posted by me back in March, never one to blow my own trumpet though

This taken from aint-it-cool-news

Quote:
Hi, everyone. "Moriarty" here with some Rumblings From The Lab...

That’s right. Two very different James Bonds are being considered at the moment. Expect the choice to come from this group of guys. It’s really down to Amy Pascal’s final choice, and as I understand it, she’s in the midst of making her mind up right now. Whoever gets picked starts work soon with Martin Campbell on CASINO ROYALE.

Does she want to go with Julian McMahon, star of TV’s NIP/TUCK and this summer’s FANTASTIC FOUR, who seems like a more movie star glamorous choice, or with Daniel Craig, star of LAYER CAKE and ROAD TO PERDITION, who seems like a hard-ass take-no-shit kind of Bond?

Either way, I think I like those choices. They show more imagination than the knee-jerk “Clive Owen” contingent, and I think there’s the potential for either of these two guys to bring something new to the series, a must if it’s going to remain relevant.

I would never had seen Julian McMahon as Bond!! Daniel Craig on the other hand would be a good choice, that guy looks like he could do some damage

 

[Mack]

I think Caig will do a good job but i cant see him being there for the long haul, I read that Pierce Brosnan wanted to carry on in the Bond role in his words he was "just getting the feel for the role". He must have been asking for big money for them to chnage...