Who should be the next James Bond?

[Jackie Daytona]

Originally Posted by Mendota

Yet Connery wasn't first choice. He wasn't even 6th choice. In fact, he never would have even gotten to read for the part if any of the almost dozen actors ahead of him had taken it. Both Ian Fleming and Albert Broccoli wanted Cary Grant first. They offered the part, Cary Grant accepted the role, signed the contract, and was all set to shoot but then said he could only do one movie. He was already 58 at the time. The screen writers had already planned out the next several movies in advance and they were already adapting the storyline and script for Goldfinger, so they had to part ways with Cary.

David Niven was next but he turned down the part because he thought he was too old to play a spy. He later caved and played Bond in Casino Royale, after Ian Fleming persisted and said he would be great in a role like that where it wasn't action based.

Patrick McGoohan and Roger Moore were next, but Roger Moore's contract for The Saint was rock solid and they refused to release him to shoot, since they were also going to be shooting their first season. Besides, Albert Broccoli said he was "too pretty" and "too young."

So Fleming said let's go with Richard Todd. This was hands down Fleming's favorite, after Cary Grant. Todd was tall and handsome, and commanded the screen. He was dead set on Todd. Albert Broccoli disagreed and they couldn't come to terms, so they started searching again. This time they opened it up to the public to offer suggestions! The Daily Express wrote to them with a long list of names, and soon after the list was whittled down to 6 and the studio started doing screen tests.

Enter Sean Connery. He met with the producers the night before at a restaurant and they were so impressed, despite his disheveled and wrinkled appearance, that he didn't even have to screen test for it. They offered it to him.

Fleming wasn't a fan of Connery's previous works and called Connery an "overdeveloped stuntman." It wasn't until shooting was underway that he got to finally meet Connery in person and then totally changed his tune, to the point where he actually wrote some new backstory for Bond as also being a Scotsman, based on Connery's upbringing.

Crazy how fate works. Fleming ended up loving Connery after he saw him in the part, yet if it had been up to him he never would have given Connery the chance.

Fantastic article below that is all about Connery and the almost impossible odds that were stacked against him for getting the role.

https://www.thegentlemansjournal.com...ames-bond-007/

Fascinating stuff. Thanks for sharing.

I knew bits of it but not the full extent. I think it would be kinda neat to throw it back towards the original vision and perspective. Not many actors fill that space anymore. I feel that Cavill sort of could, but his body type is certainly a ways off.

[Blansky]

Originally Posted by AzPaul

Blansky, you got me chuckling, thinking about Peter O'Toole in My Favorite Year.

Loved that.

Some guys also become a parody of themselves like Al Pacino.

Overacting and scenery chewers.

Ok Harrison we're coming in for your close up. Give us your scowl. Good. Ok now give us your grin.

[TheVTCGuy]

Me

[Mendota]

I thought Colin Firth was awesome in The Kingsman movies. I know they would never offer him a Bond role and he's too old, like Idris Elba, but it was fun to see him comfortable in that genre. Firth would actually be a fantastic M!

One of the other Kingsman actors, Mark Strong, could be a good Bond. He has such a great presence on screen. I really enjoy his performances in everything I've seen him in.

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[airchitect]

I hope to God yet another franchise isn’t ruined by the PCification of the characters (ie making the main character a woman for no reason). Beyond tired of that. Also, I wish Connery had been brought back years ago to kill off the character and end the franchise…..but alas….


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[TK-710]

Originally Posted by Mendota

I thought Colin Firth was awesome in The Kingsman movies. I know they would never offer him a Bond role and he's too old, like Idris Elba, but it was fun to see him comfortable in that genre. Firth would actually be a fantastic M!

One of the other Kingsman actors, Mark Strong, could be a good Bond. He has such a great presence on screen. I really enjoy his performances in everything I've seen him in.

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Mark Strong is an excellent actor; one of my favorites. But at 54 I think he’s also too old to reboot the franchise.

[Mendota]

Here's a good article about the references in No Time to Die to On Her Majesty's Secret Service. That was one of the director's (Cary Joji Fukunaga) favorite Bond films, so he had his opening and closing scenes mirror those in the original film with Bond driving the Aston Martin through winding European roads. He also used the line that Bond said to his wife, Tracy, as he held her when she died: "We have all the time in the world." He even used the same opening title track and the Louis Armstrong song "We have all the time in the world" in the closing credits.

Apparently it's also one of Christopher Nolan's favorites and he has said previously that he wants to be considered to direct a film.
https://www.cbr.com/no-time-to-die-h...ecret-service/

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[Blansky]

So much navel gazing.

Just give it to Terrance Stamp and have Anthony Hopkins as the villain and be done with it.

Change it to 0007.

[Sperry]

I'm surprised no one has mentioned it yet . . .

[Blansky]

Originally Posted by Sperry

I'm surprised no one has mentioned it yet . . .

Jason Bourne.

[Mendota]

Originally Posted by Blansky

So much navel gazing.

Just give it to Terrance Stamp and have Anthony Hopkins as the villain and be done with it.

Change it to 0007.

I love Terrance Stamp! In all seriousness, he would make a great villain.

[904VT]

Originally Posted by samson66

Who do you WANT to be the next Bond and who do you THINK will be the next Bond?

If I had my choice the new James Bond would be Henry Cavill. This guy just looks perfect for the role. Physically he looks like he was born for the role. He can handle the action and stunts. He would capture the humorous side of Bond as well.

But I think the next Bond will wind up being Idris Elba. I like this actor a lot and he would probably be my second choice overall to play Bond. I think there is immense pressure for them to pick a POC Bond and if they go that route Idris is clearly the best actor for the role in my opinion. He's another guy you could just easily see slipping into that role. I would not be upset if he gets it.

My third choice would be Tom Hardy. Love this actor but he has one thing really holding him back vs the other two and that's his height. I realize Daniel Craig is not much taller but compared to Elba and Cavill, Hardy has a more stocky compact look to him and I just think the other two (both over 6') fit the mold a little better. Again though would not be at all upset to see Tom as the new Bond

What are your thoughts?

Idris Elba I think would be a great choice.

Dark Horse candidate would be Charlie Hunnam

[logo]

Here's a vote for John Cena lol

[Mendota]

Originally Posted by logo

Here's a vote for John Cena lol

Ha ha, that's awesome!

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[austinp]

My wife votes for Chris Hemsworth.


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[Blansky]

Originally Posted by austinp

My wife votes for Chris Hemsworth.


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Not a bad choice, but he'd have to slide that accent over to Brit-speak.

[GB-man]

Someone British and slick as hell.

[whattimeyougot]

Originally Posted by GB-man

Someone British and slick as hell.

Jeremy Clarkson


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[GB-man]

Originally Posted by whattimeyougot

Jeremy Clarkson


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Yes him or Ricky Gervais

[DLRIDES]

There hasn’t been a “James Bond” in 2-3 decades, my care factor = 0.

My guess would be someone with a “man bun” that regularly marches in some kind of protest while carrying a yard stick with a poster board on top.

IDK.

[Sperry]

Originally Posted by GB-man

Someone British and slick as hell.

Dianna Rigg ...

[Blansky]

Originally Posted by Sperry

Dianna Rigg ...

I think they're actually looking for someone who is still alive.

Much easier to film that way.

They're not trying for Weekend at Bernie's.

[Speedbird-1]

Originally Posted by Blansky

I think they're actually looking for someone who is still alive.

Much easier to film that way.

Timothy Dalton..........he was, ALIVE ! ?

(sorry Tim, justkidding)

[AK797]

Originally Posted by Mendota

I thought Colin Firth was awesome in The Kingsman movies. I know they would never offer him a Bond role and he's too old, like Idris Elba, but it was fun to see him comfortable in that genre. Firth would actually be a fantastic M!

One of the other Kingsman actors, Mark Strong, could be a good Bond. He has such a great presence on screen. I really enjoy his performances in everything I've seen him in.

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I can't have either since they did Fever Pitch, and there are not enough Arsenal fans in the world to make their films successful.

Taron Egerton is coming up sharply and might make a good Bond in a few years.

[RyanJ]

Originally Posted by airchitect

I hope to God yet another franchise isn’t ruined by the PCification of the characters (ie making the main character a woman for no reason). Beyond tired of that. Also, I wish Connery had been brought back years ago to kill off the character and end the franchise…..but alas….


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I would actually love to see a female lead. Supposedly, in the real world some of the best spies are actually female.

[michaelodonnell123]

Originally Posted by Sprezzatura!,

So you don’t think Whoopi Goldberg would be a good fit then?

[ltmgeller]

Originally Posted by Mendota

No, this is very important and for non-comic book readers it is confusing as hell. James Bond the character did not die. Only Daniel Craig's version of James Bond died. Daniel Craig's Bond takes place in a different universe and timeline than Connery et al, and Casino Royale was the first film in this 5-part franchise reboot. The Daniel Craig Bond universe has nothing to do with any of the previous Bond films in timeline and has nothing to do with future Bond films. This was a self-contained 5 film reboot, starting with Casino Royale and ending with No Time to Die. The story line closed with the death of this universe's Bond, and then future films will start off fresh. This is EXACTLY how Christopher Nolan's 3 film Batman trilogy was handled, as well. Think of James Bond in the same way that you think of Batman. Different story lines over the decades, actors, comics, books, writers, directors, etc. and while the character is the same in name, these are multiverses so the new films will always be fresh and new.

The other films from the past loosely contained threads and nuggets from previous films and story lines, as they worked their way through Ian Fleming's novels, but only loosely. They were mainly self contained stories. The notion of Tracy getting killed at the end of On Her Majesty's Secret Service was never really addressed in any of the other films, and there were several carryovers from other films using SPECTRE and Blofeld, but that was about it. It was designed that way so that audiences could see a new actor in a different era and it was never an issue.

That's a good way to look at it.

[77T]

Originally Posted by airchitect

I hope to God yet another franchise isn’t ruined by the PCification of the characters (ie making the main character a woman for no reason). Beyond tired of that. Also, I wish Connery had been brought back years ago to kill off the character and end the franchise…..but alas….

Originally Posted by RyanJ

I would actually love to see a female lead. Supposedly, in the real world some of the best spies are actually female.

There is room for both options methinks. A 007 movie that doesn’t ruin the franchise, and a woman in the 007 role.

Frankly, the continuation series of scripts by various author/screenwriters, plus the revolving actors in the role, has stretched the entire premise to disbelief in nearly parody-like fashion.

Why not delve into Casino Royale for unresolved prequel anachronisms? Use Flemings first novel to inform the plot…and focus upon female characters that affected him from earlier years…

The treatment…
Act 1: What woman raised young James? Which one emotionally lashed him so thoroughly that he became a cold-hearted borderline nuke of a spy. Mix in some Freudian slop.

Around Act 2, enter the original 007…a woman who duped Nazi’s in prewar Europe. She dallied with the Prince of Wales, then meets up with a trainee named Bond.

Later in Act 3, a joint training exercise turns real-world in Portugal. Then she dies from Bond’s poor skills/judgement/planning/execution in a midnight mission. Bond buckles down a bit to become an expert spy and asks for Lili’s number to be reissued to him…007 - yeah “Lili” - as in: Lili Marleen…look it up.

So the actor portraying Bond becomes a supporting character rather than headliner. Now you can have Whoopi, Nicole, or any female lead you want…

After all, if you like the franchise, somehow we need to understand the making of 007 in pre-WWII Flemingesque fashion.

BTW - did you know Fleming saw Hoagy Carmichael as half of Bond’s idiosyncrasies and trademarks, blended with his own vision of cold ruthless spycraft?

Can you “see” that?





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[Kowaco]

They need to let it die and come up with some new material.

[Djalexander32]

I was thinking Jason Stathom, but he might be getting too old at this point.


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