Sony leaks reveal wants for Idris for next Bond

Let's not forget Idris Elba is also eminently qualified to play

Little Lord Fauntleroy
King Henry VIII, and
Robin Hood

after his first gig as Bond.



MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE

lachesis wrote:

Oddly I am confident there are some excellent choices to play Bond that we haven't heard of, that both tally with the physical and the emotional descriptions Fleming employed. If they did a spy flick in the mould of Bond with Elba, I'd go see it and probably enjoy it, but when casting any role this idea that nothing actually matters in terms of the source definitions is not one I sympathise with, choice is there.....its not game breaking when they don't but I'd just prefer they made a proper effort to tick as many boxes as reasonably possible.

I don't believe that EON are being as fixated on political correctness as people think they are. If they were, Moneypenny would not be black. She would be an albino black Jewish transgendered lesbian who was born without legs, adopted by Chinese parents, practiced veganism, did not believe in personal hygiene and voted for UKIP. She would be able to run faster, jump higher, shoot straighter and be smarter than Bond, who would be her secretary and would only speak when spoken to.

CJB wrote:

Control wrote:

Wasn't Craig the first Bond to wear a leather jacket over a gray, cotton t-shirt?

Yeah, he was going for mid-life crisis chic.

The "single dad paying a lot in alimony" look.

Looked pretty dark and gritty and deep to me.

Elba will be too damn old by the time Craig's contract is up. Even if Craig is done after B24, aren't they the same age? It would be stupid.

Also, Bond isn't black. It's the equivalent of casting Tom Hardy as Marvel's Black Panther.

Dalton was kind of guilty of wearing grandpa clothing that made him look like a dork. They even had to delete a scene in LTK because of a goofy hat he wore when inspecting the Wavecrest with Sharky. I think it was mainly to make his Bond come off more casual and not always wear suits.

EDIT: Found it. 50 seconds in.



Something else reminded me: John Glen is one of the most boring people I've ever listened to, along with Rick Berman and George Lucas.

Holy shit. Who authorised that hat?

http://www.mediaite.com/online/rush-limbaugh-is-furious-over-prospect-of-a-black-james-bond/

I happened to be listening to Rush today when he did this report on Idris Elba and one thing that he was not was "furious". In fact, he was much easier on SONY than I would have been, but you can tell he's not much in to pop culture because his comparisons to real-life black people (instead of comparable black fictional characters in cinema) was sort of a misfire.

But as I said in the Mediaite thread, Bond can be considered a historical figure to a degree because he was written based on some of Fleming's wartime experiences, and to reflect Fleming's own weakness, strengths, hopes and desires. Bond was an expression of the man Fleming hoped to be (or maybe thought he was). On some level that makes Bond  a historical figure.

It's also helpful to remember that there was a huge backlash against Daniel Craig when he took over the role because he  looked nothing like what Ian Fleming wrote, and Craig iddn't have the luxury of playing the race card.

I think this story was also linked to on THE DRUDGE REPORT at one point, but I think it got bumped off.

Salomé wrote:

Gravity's Silhouette wrote:

Salomé wrote:

I thought DB was referring to the snake in Idris' trousers?

So you're automatically expecting him to have a huge calk simply because he's African-American?

Erm, no, I'm basing myself on said picture.

http://www.buzzfeed.com/hnigatu/seven-glorious-photos-of-idris-elbas-bulge#.hpqrOnVNMZ

This myth that black men have large penises, including Idris Elba, was debunked a long time ago (okay, back in August). Black men do aspire to be known for other things in their lives besides their genitalia. It's demeaning and degrading to all men across the planet to have these pictures of Elba splattered all over Bond and Beyond and a moderator should delete them (but feel free to keep Dog Bond's avatar, as that really falls under the Health and Fitness Category, and could not be construed as sexual in nature). As men, we are so much than brawn and muscle; we have minds, damnit!

This training video I came across on YouTube can show how easily a racist joke can be overheard in polite company and cause offense in the workplace. The guy in the video looks a little like Ricky Gervais, but better looking and less fat, and it illustrates how quickly a situation can get ugly when we stereotype others and then makes jokes about them that demean them based on their body or other characteristics for which they have no control:

Ho ho ho

Hilly KCMG wrote:

Must say I'm in agreement with Ms Dog.

This and I've never been mad on him as an actor. (Or Statham, come to think of it)

Best 2 Statham films I can think of are Killer Elite and The Mechanic.

Not the cartoony type action associated with his other films, but good action thrillers.

http://www.theverge.com/2014/12/27/7454521/idris-elba-addresses-james-bond-rumors-isnt-007-supposed-to-be

Quote :

Isn't 007 supposed to handsome? Glad you think I've got a shot! Happy New year people.

Control wrote:

http://www.theverge.com/2014/12/27/7454521/idris-elba-addresses-james-bond-rumors-isnt-007-supposed-to-be

Quote :

Isn't 007 supposed to handsome? Glad you think I've got a shot! Happy New year people.

Does that email from Amy Paschal about Idris being a contender for Bond offset the "racist" emails she sent to Scott Rudin prior, or will she have to find a cure for AIDS/cancer before she's "forgiven"?

As for the article at The Verge: no, not even close to "almost everyone" wants Elba to play Bond. Who did their polling data? Someone at The Huffington Post break room?

This is a media-driven story pure and simple; nothing more, nothing less. It's of interest to East Coast television, digital and print editors, but outside of that, or Hollywood, there is no organic, grass-roots movement to get Elba to play 007. It's a fiction that Elba is the leading contender to replace Craig.

It's worth remembering that Craig received an enormous backlash when he was introduced as 007; an entire website was devoted to protesting his hiring, and SONY had to move faster and sooner on promoting the film, and him, before it had planned to (so bad was the reaction to Craig). I mention this because the controversy predates Elba and shows that the internal frustration with Bond fans and the casting of 007 is more than simply a race issue, though with Elba it is certain the primary, dominant factor. If Craig was considered too extreme looking to play Bond, how on Earth does Elba fare any better?

There are degrees of artistic license one can take with the character of 007. On the continuum of actors who have played James Bond, there are varying shades of skin tone, height differentials, body types, etc..between all the actors who have played  him, but they were at least capable of being made to look closer to what Ian Fleming had in mind (if EON were of the mind) than Elba ever will. And if the first order of business when casting a well-known role is to completely screw up the easiest part, which is the look of the character, then there's little hope that what follows in terms of actual characterization will be any better.

Then there are all other sorts of side-issues with hiring a black actor to portray James Bond. The film will be dogged with controversy from both sides, as black commentators and writers will inevitably complain that the film either stereotypes black people, or it is "too white" and is not authentic in its portrayal of what a black man would encounter as a government agent. There will be pressure for SONY to hire a black writer so that the film is "authentic" rather than allowing a room full of Jewish or White writers to write a role concerning a black man from their non-black perspective. The film would be the most polarizing B*** film ever. And you'd at some point have to start making sure that at least one of the leading ladies is non-white because it would offend African-American female moviegoers (who probably aren't going to shop up anyway):

"It all goes back to this movie I did called `The Mighty Quinn' (in 1989)," recalls the actor. "The producers cut out a love scene between myself and Mimi Rogers because of the audience reaction. It was just a kissing scene, but after the test screening all these negative cards came back. It turned out that white men hated it. And black women hated it too."

Washington might have a point. At a press screening of "He Got Game," shouts of "Denzel, you promised you wouldn't!" reverberated throughout the theater. "Not to say that we're not all one, but ...," Washington says, smiling as his voice trails off. "In a certain way, I belong to these black women."" http://articles.mcall.com/1998-05-01/features/3201425_1_movie-denzel-rubin-hurricane-carter/2

But if you put two African-American actresses in the leading lady roles the film is perceived by white audiences as not for them:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1386096/White-cinema-goers-prefer-movies-cast-similar-race-says-study.html

The budget would be smaller for the film as opposed to other contemporary films (though the same was true for Brosnan and Craig's first films, with each subsequent film skyrocketing in costs) which would lead to accusations that the studio was not putting sufficient resources into the film because the actor is black.

Beside the primary reason that a black actor has no capability of looking even remotely like what Fleming described, the idea of hiring a black actor for a role that has been ingrained in the public consciousness for over 50 years is a social and financial minefield too fraught with danger to consider. SONY should keep it simple and just create an original set of films for Elba (or other actors or actresses) as a different 00 agent instead of trying to do social engineering by using James Bond as the conduit to spread a message of racial/gender diversity and inclusiveness.

Gravy, if EON wanted Elba, I think they can handle whatever controversy comes from it. Now I'm very eager to see a black actor as Bond just to see how the world handles it.

EON, have at it.

This is not an issue in the UK at all. Elba is as British as they come and highly regarded here as both an actor and a man.

To say Craig is better suited to play Bond purely because of his different pigmentation is supremacist nonsense and batshit insane. Elba better matches Bond's physical description in every other way.

Erica Ambler wrote:

To say Craig is better suited to play Bond purely because of his different pigmentation is supremacist nonsense and batshit insane.

It's also the truth.

To Elba's credit, he has said he doesn't want to be known as the Black Bond. But that's exactly how he will be known. Because it is that radical a departure from the norm.

You know Bond is a fictional character, right? Just checking.

Erica Ambler wrote:

You know Bond is a fictional character, right? Just checking.

Yeah, but I must have missed the part where he was described as being black.

Maybe you have those editions, I don't.

Come on, Dog. This fuss is as silly as when the Galacticos complained about Starbuck being made a woman, and that turned out brilliantly.

Gravity's Silhouette wrote:

There are degrees of artistic license one can take with the character of 007.

What you talking 'bout Willis?

As long as you don't support this Idris Elba nonsense you are racist.

Can't wait to see Idris Elba cast as Harry Potter, Indiana Jones and JR Ewing next.

bitchcraft wrote:

As long as you don't support this Idris Elba nonsense you are racist.

Well, what else is any of this about other than skin? I find it interesting that no one here seems to have said they don't want Elba as Bond because they don't like him. That would be fair enough, but this discussion has never got beyond his skin colour.

Elba is tall, handsome, black-haired and a good actor. Craig is one of those.

Erica Ambler wrote:

This is not an issue in the UK at all. Elba is as British as they come and highly regarded here as both an actor and a man.

To say Craig is better suited to play Bond purely because of his different pigmentation is supremacist nonsense and batshit insane. Elba better matches Bond's physical description in every other way.

To hire Elba is to creatively give up on the series. I've heard the exact same excuse you're giving about Elba applied to Craig as well. Were those of us who didn't want Craig self-hating white people?

First of all, I didn't want Craig as Bond. I hated him then, and have only come around to him being acceptable after SKYFALL came out. I didn't want Craig because he looked nothing like Ian Fleming's description of Bond, which was what I was ***ASSURED*** back at the time that EON was going for; back to the books; back to Fleming. And what was EON's first order of business after declaring they were going back to Fleming? Hiring an actor to play Bond that didn't look anything close to Bond, and an actor to play Felix Leiter who looked nothing like Fleming's Leiter. But I digress.

My viewpoints are 100% bigoted. They are not prejudiced, however, because I do not prejudge Elba as having no talent. They are bigoted because I do not wish to see a black B***. Therefore, no matter how much talent he has or may have in the future, I will not let it change my opinion that he can never be a proper Bond.

My viewpoints are not "supremacist", as I do not consider one race to be superior to another, and they're not "batshit insane" either, as I happen to be quite lucid as I type this.

Python's comment that he wants to see how the world reacts to a black B*** are at the heart of the movement by people like Amy and Barbara to get Elba into the role. It has less to do with the role itself than gauging the reaction of having a black actor in the role, which means the role and the film is reduced to little more than a social experiment, rather than attempting to entertain people. And to what end?

The true meaning of diversity is understanding and accepting that from person to person, and from group to group, we ARE different from one another; and that's okay. Where the diversity movement goes off the rails for me is trying to force change on to me that nobody is asking for and then tell me there's absolutely no difference between the new product and the old product.

But in a world where Idris Elba can be cast as a Nordic god, I've long since realized the writing is on the wall for 007. The series won't end because an actor got too old, or a villain killed off 007; it'll end because it will collapse under the sheer weight of its own political correctness, and when Elba (or someone like him) is hired, I'll do like 007 does at the end of SPECTRE and throw my fandom in the river.

Gravity's Silhouette wrote:

My viewpoints are not "supremacist", as I do not consider one race to be superior to another, and they're not "batshit insane" either, as I happen to be quite lucid as I type this.

I apologise to you and the delightful Dog, whose backside I enjoy sniffing everytime I visit here. I blame a day running on Japanese rocket fuel, a legacy from the newspaper days. Plus it's the only way to deal with a state-supremacist-batshit-insane tax return. That or the Acme lavatory flush.

I don't think Elba being hired would be symptomatic of political correctness. He's a good actor, at a time when the Bond franchise is attracting serious talent. If EON held open auditions for the role of Bond tomorrow, then I imagine that Elba would make the shortlist pretty quickly.

If Elba is the best man for the job, then he's the best man for the job. Look at Daniel Craig - he bears little physical resemblance to Fleming's Bond, but he's the most convincing actor since Sean Connery because he can be James Bond. On the other hand, Pierce Brosnan probably looks the most like Fleming's Bond, but the community opinion is that he's a weak performer.

In a perfect world, we would all like an actor who looks like Fleming's Bond and acts like Fleming's Bond. But if we were forced to choose between the two, which one would we prefer? I'm sure 99% of people would want an actor who can act like Fleming's Bond. And so long as Elba falls into that category, his physical resemblance to the character does not and should not matter.

The real resistance is going to come from American audiences, as the United States is a major market - but how many Hollywood films feature African-American or Afro-Caribbean actors in lead roles? Will Smith, Jamie Foxx and Halle Berry are the only three actors that I can think of who can regularly do it in a variety of genres (you'll get some like Tyler Perry, but he's limited to a niche genre). Even Morgan Freeman is limited to supporting roles. Bond being a British production will help, since it gives them access to actors like Elba and Chewitel Ejiofor, but it's still a major barrier.

Throw the Fleming argument out the window.

Only three or four of the films have resembled Fleming's work. Only two actors have resembled Fleming's character. I'm being generous, too.

I'd be more disturbed by Bond not being able to light up a cigarette, rather than a black man being suggested to play Bond.

Hasn't it been established that EON's Bond (Reboot Bond included) is of Scottish and Swiss-German parentage?

I mean in Skyfall we saw that Bond's family has an estate in Scotland passed down through the centuries. Is it really racist to say that William Wallace probably didn't know any Ghanians?