Since principal photography commenced on the (delayed) new Daniel Craig James Bond flick, Skyfall, the public’s attention has been focused foremost on the film’s production – and not on the matter of how many more Bond movies will feature Craig’s iteration of the iconic super-spy.
Increasingly-popular actors like Henry Cavill, Idris Elba, and Michael Fassbender have all expressed interest in picking up the Bond mantle once Craig’s run as the character is complete. However, according to a new report, franchise staple producers Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli want to keep Craig onboard for the next decade (or maybe even longer).
People.co.uk is reporting that Craig has been offered a deal to portray Mr. Bond five more times onscreen; the deal is expected to not only snag the actor an additional $60 million for his efforts, but also make his incarnation of the character the longest-running to date, besting even that of Roger Moore’s seven-movie tenure.
While Craig has his fair share of supporters who would probably be fine watching him play Mr. Bond onscreen until he reaches his early/mid-50s, there are surely several Craig supporters out there who feel iffy about the prospect of there being at least five (six, counting Skyfall) more Bond flicks that feature the actor’s harder-edged take on the suave government agent.
Those who’ve already gotten their fill of Craig as Bond are really not going to think highly of this new development, especially since it essentially reduces the chances of someone like Elba or Fassbender landing the Bond job in the future to zilch.
Director Irvin Kershner’s 1983 Bond flick, Never Say Never Again, played around with the concept of an aging version of 007 (brought to life by Sean Connery). It stands to reason that, should Craig sign on for five more movies, future installments in the franchise could likewise incorporate and work with the idea of a battle-worn Bond – an idea that would also be in keeping with the relatively “grittier and more realistic” aesthetic of the series during Craig’s run.
Craig’s being kept on could also result in a new series of Bond films that are both closer from a narrative standpoint (similar to the immediate storyline continuity between Casino Royale and Quantum of Solace), and feature a somewhat unprecedented evolving portrayal of 007, rather than the episodic approach to characterization that many previous Bond flicks have offered.
Bearing all that in mind – how do you feel about the prospect of Craig portraying James Bond for (at least) the next ten years?
Skyfall reaches theaters in the U.S. on November 9th, 2012.
