Craig set to become longest serving James Bond?

http://www.people.co.uk/news/uk-world-news/2011/12/18/daniel-craig-set-to-become-longest-serving-james-bond-102039-23642989/

Quote :

JAMES BOND actor Daniel Craig has been offered a multi-million pound deal to become the ­longest serving 007 of all time.

It would see Craig, 43, star in EIGHT of the spy flicks – one more than Roger Moore, whose seven appearances spanned 12 years.

Legendary Bond producer Michael G Wilson said: “Daniel’s been a terrific Bond, a superb actor and a ­terrific man. The fans love him and I don’t think there’s a better actor to play the part.”

Chester-born Craig, below, is currently shooting Skyfall, his third Bond film. And in an ­exclusive interview with The People, Wilson told how he would love him to do five more.

He said: “It’s certainly something we’ll be ­discussing with him once we finish shooting Skyfall.

“Filming has gone very well so far and I’d love Daniel to surpass Roger’s record and do eight pictures. Daniel’s been an absolute pleasure to be around because he takes the role so seriously. There’s really no one more passionate about making these films work than him – he’s a film maker’s dream.

“A lot of people have said Daniel’s been their favourite Bond since Sean Connery and I can’t argue with them. He’s doing a great job.”

Debut

Although Wilson did not reveal ­financial details, it is thought that any future appearances would each earn Craig more than the £8million he is ­reportedly being paid for Skyfall.

Casino Royale, his Bond debut movie, took over £300million at the box office to become the most profitable 007 film in history. Wilson, whose stepfather Cubby Broccoli started the film franchise in 1962, said fans were in for a treat with Craig’s appearance in Skyfall – comparing it to the finest work of iconic Bond Connery who made six official Bond films.
Roger Moore and Sean Connery James Bond

Bond legends: Moore & Connery

The 69-year-old New Yorker said: “The director Sam Mendes and Daniel are taking it back to a 60s feel – more Sean. I think that’s what the fans wanted. There’s a magical Goldfinger feel ­surrounding it all. It’s all very exciting. I can’t wait for people to see the movie because I think we’re making a very special Bond.”

Wilson has been producer or executive producer on 13 Bond flicks and is now co-producer with his ­step- sister Barbara Broccoli. Speaking at last Monday’s premiere of The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo, which stars Craig as journalist Mikael Blomkvist, he said there are big plans to mark the Bond films’ 50th ­anniversary in 2012.

Several events are set to coincide with Skyfall’s release next winter, including an extravaganza featuring all the actors to have officially played the spy. They are Connery, 81, George Lazenby, 72, Moore, 84, Timothy Dalton, 65, Pierce Brosnan, 58, and Craig.

Wilson said: “We’d really like to get all six together. We’re trying to find a way for fans to celebrate with us ­because they’ve been the reason the Bond films have been the success they have.”

One plan is to open up Pinewood Studios in Buckinghamshire. Wilson said: “We’re looking at ways to show off sets from the latest film, as well as props and perhaps give movie master classes for film fans.

“At the moment these are just ideas so you’ll have to wait and see. Whatever happens it will be a special year for Bond fans.”

If they made them every other year it would take Craig until 2020. He would be about 53. Meaning he would be in the role for a span of about 14 years exceed Roger's 7 movies in 12 years.

So, reasonable goal? Or Bullshit?

I think bjmdds has just had a heart attack.

As much as I like Craig, he's not going to age as gracefully as Rog did. Being on the payroll for five more films after "Skyfall" might be a bit of a stretch.

He's already starting to resemble an overbaked cheese toastie.

Retire him after Skyfall or B24.

Nice try, People. That part about all six Bonds getting together does sound exciting, if true.

I like Craig but I think he should call it a day after B24. It's preposterous if he stays on after that just like it was with Moore who should have left after MR or FYEO.

Looking forward to all six Bonds getting together if it does indeed happen.

Craig may well do several more films, but it's ridiculous to imagine that either he or the producers would idly speculate a decade in advance.

Something about this article doesn't ring true.

Quote :

The director Sam Mendes and Daniel are taking it back to a 60s feel – more Sean. I think that’s what the fans wanted. There’s a magical Goldfinger feel ­surrounding it all.

Wasn't there some twaddle prior to the release of QOS about how it was going to be smiliar in tone and style to FRWL?

I will be world-class depressed if this happens (not that I think they'd actually gamble the farm on such a long-term move, or that the releasing entity above the producers would approve it either.)

If not for the PD, DoP and director involved with SKY, I would be seriously expecting a turd, just because all of the 'this is so incredible' type remarks, which make me think of STAR TREK INSURRECTION and how the folks were thinking they had made a SF film in a John Ford-like fashion. And of course there's Logan, who I find pretty much abyssmal.

Wilson says there's a GF vibe about SF. Well, I'll give him the benefit of the doubt there, as I have no idea what is going with SF, while he does, but it does sound like a lot of hype.

He completely loses me when he attempts to compare Craig with Connery. The only thing they have in common is that they both are believable tough guys. That's it. They don't look alike at all. Connery was much younger looking,much more polished. He played the role with a relaxed assurance.

As much as Eon and Craig want to perpetuate this B.S., that the Craig films somehow echo the early Connery films, reality gets in the way. The Craig films and the Craig-Bond persona are unlike anything that has preceded.

Its a whole new, nu-Bond era. Even MGW referenced a new path that was launched with CR, and he wasn't only talking about the re-boot angle.

I can see though why Eon might want to lock-up Craig, just because his Bond has proved to be good box-office and they genuinely like the vibe of the new films...plus it seem MGW is currently very much in thrall with SF....so he's giddy about more Craig films.

We shall see in due course if SF is worthy of the hype. In the meantime, I'm hearing just that- a lot of hype from MGW.

Quote :

Wasn't there some twaddle prior to the release of QOS about how it was going to be smiliar in tone and style to FRWL?

To quote Michael G Wilson himself 'Every Bond film we start out trying to make something like FRWL and wind up making something [that tries to be] like Thunderball"

They've said this about every post-Roger Bond. They said it about Brosnan and I'm sure they said it about Dalton at some point. And I agree that Craig at 54 will probably look like Moore at 84. Moore has some pretty good genetics on his side and had some subtle plastic surgery no doubt (less subtle after he left the role), Craig can go cosmetic but with a worse base comes less impressive results.

And if he goes too far he'll wind up looking like Shane Warne

Quote :

He completely loses me when he attempts to compare Craig with Connery. The only thing they have in common is that they both are believable tough guys. That's it. They don't look alike at all. Connery was much younger looking,much more polished. He played the role with a relaxed assurance.

I agree with this. For whatever reason I sense a lot of insecurity and compensation for it with Craig as well, whereas Connery was genuinely self-assured.

Skyfall might have a GF vibe to it, in the same way AVTAK had a Goldfinger Vibe as it was basically the same story, and we all know how well that turned out. :)

Thunderpussy wrote:

Skyfall might have a GF vibe to it, in the same way AVTAK had a Goldfinger Vibe as it was basically the same story, and we all know how well that turned out. :)

Yep, an improvement over the original.

Wilson, with that interview contradicted what he said in the November news conference, how they had started down a path on Casino Royale and they were going to stick with it.

Less than six weeks later, they're making another Goldfinger..

http://bit.ly/vEcRGZ

correct: about six weeks later, interview was published a little more than six weeks, we don't know when it actually took place.

It's best not to listen to the cast and crew until they divulge specifics.

Jack Wade wrote:

It's best not to listen to the cast and crew until they divulge specifics.

Sometimes not even then. Remember how Marc Forster said Quantum of Solace's script was just fine? now Craig says he and Forster had to rewrite it all (even though Joshual Zetumer was hired to polish it, though Craig never mentions that). They seem to be unaware it's really, really easy to check what they've said previously.

Totally. But by specifics I meant actual details on the story and such.

Anything that involves a value judgment, well, we're going to get the same ol' PR bullshit.

"The 69-year-old New Yorker said: “The director Sam Mendes and Daniel are taking it back to a 60s feel – more Sean. I think that’s what the fans wanted. There’s a magical Goldfinger feel ­surrounding it all. It’s all very exciting. I can’t wait for people to see the movie because I think we’re making a very special Bond.”

The above is possibly true. Mendes may really be trying to capture the GF tone, and Wilson is picking up on it. They may have determined in their initial discussions that they had to distance themselves from the more serious tenor of QoS. That would make sense. Surely they wouldn't be completely oblivious to unfriendly reaction to the tone of QoS, even if they have charted a new path. They might consider QoS to have gone off the path, originally plotted by CR.

What's a little confuing is that Craig seems to think they might be doing something "even better" than CR, offering up comparions to DN and FRWL but not the lighter in tone GF.

I'm guessing that Mendes is maybe working with Craig to help him find a Connery like swagger to the role, in a bid to dramatically distance themselves from the angsty origins-Bond of the last two films. We may see Craig trying to be very much like Sean but within the context of the more story/character driven "path" they have charted with re-boot, but minus the arthouse pretensions and dreary political platitudes that Forster and Haggis brought to the last film.

Mendes, who I think is very much in control, may truly be trying to do a film in the early Connery vibe, including a dash of the Goldfinger style, and Craig is rolling with it. Craig being mainly concerned with quality story and character development, thus he relates more to DN and FRWL whilst probably also realizing that nu-Bond has to find his post-origins swagger. For that there is no better model, than Sean circa DN-TB.

And so far Wilson likes what he sees.

Babs meanwhile I think is distracted trying to find a way to work the blue speedo into the story.

Napoleon Solo wrote:

Wilson, with that interview contradicted what he said in the November news conference, how they had started down a path on Casino Royale and they were going to stick with it.

I believe that comment about the "path" was in regards to the kind of talent they were seeking for Bond, not a statement about tone.

Goldfinger was light-hearted, OTT fun. I'm not sure if you can mesh that with a dark n' gritty yarn about M's past coming back to haunt her, emotional context blah blah blah.

Trailers can be deceptive, but I think the first teaser might be a good barometer of what Skyfall will be like tonally.

Tthe 43-year-old actor could become the longest serving 007 of all time after being offered a multi-million pound deal.

Bond. James Bond: Daniel Craig, seen in Quantum of Solace, could become the longest-serving 007 after being offered a multi-million pound deal. In an interview with The People, Bond producer Michael G Wilson said he would love Craig to do five more films, taking his total to eight.

That would put him ahead of current longest-running Bond Roger Moore by just one movie. It would also knock Sean Connery, who played the spy in six films, from second position.

http://www.filmnav.co.uk/2011/12/19/craig-could-be-longest-running-bond-after-multi-million-deal/

Um, well, they'd want a quicker turnaround than 4 years in future, then.

Sounds like a load of cobblers to me. At least, I hope it is.

Merged JSW's thread with this.