44 replies to this topic

[Icephoenix]

Welsh actor and oft-tipped potential 007 Ioan Gruffudd has talked about how he would approach the role of James Bond.

"...And I'd treat my Bond girls with lots of respect."

Am I the only one bothered with this?

[Lancaster]

He has always been my first choice. I don't have a problem with the age, espically if we are having 3 year gaps between films, and I think he has the right look. Also the fact he is not a top name works in his favour, IMO.

[Lady Rose]

I have been giving this some consideration because I am amongst the many,who would like thier Bond to be 40ish.However,there is not one single candidate who is an obvious choice.Many who you think 'He'd be okay',or ,'I would have to see him on screen' but no Pierce Brosnan.

However,when all this talk started about 'younger' Bond I immediatly thought of Gruffudd.Apart from the age,he has all the credentials for Bond.Maybe Babs and Mickey think so too and thats whats inspired them for this early Bond thing (if the rumours are true obviously).They would certainly get their monies worth.They can reinvent the series with Gruffudd and then gradually get back to
middle age Bond.

If we have to do this 'back to the beginning' thing,then Gruffudd is my choice.

Though if I were a betting girl,I would put my money on a too old Pierce Brosnan returning,holding in his gut and running around with a 25yrs old gorgeous sidekick !!

[Turn]

Welsh actor and oft-tipped potential 007 Ioan Gruffudd has talked about how he would approach the role of James Bond.

"...And I'd treat my Bond girls with lots of respect."

Am I the only one bothered with this?

Why wouldn't he want to treat his fellow actresses with respect?

I hope this doesn't mean Michael Apted is returning.

[Agent Provocateur]

By all means, if there's a really terrific guy out there in his late 20s, then of course he should be considered; but why not look at people in their late 30s or even early 40s, too? Are Sony and Eon worried that if they were to hire, say, Hugh Jackman, audiences would be hooting at the screen and complaining "He's far too old"?

Simply put, yes.

Why do you think Harrison Ford was replaced by Ben Affleck as Jack Ryan?

As I understand it, Ford was offered THE SUM OF ALL FEARS but passed. He was not dropped from the Ryan role.

Where's the evidence that audiences would consider someone like Jackman too old for Bond? When did we last have a Bond actor in the 28-32 range? 1969, wasn't it? And is ON HER MAJESTY'S SECRET SERVICE considered one of the biggest financial successes of the series? If anything, surely there's evidence that viewers don't want a very young Bond.

Moore was over 40 when he first donned the tux. Some of his films did pretty well, didn't they? And I didn't hear any complaints about Brosnan's age during his reign as Bond.

I actually agree with you on this one, Loomis. When I brought up Ben Affleck taking over the Jack Ryan role, I was trying to say in a very roundabout way that the entertainment industry (whether it be music, movies or television) obviously targets younger people as their main demographic. How else better to do that than by hiring someone much younger, so that the audience can relate more easily to the peformer? I don't condone this type of action. In fact, I find it quite sad. I feel that an actor in his mid 30s to early 40s would be more appropriate for Bond.

[KPDQ]

I guess my problem with Gruffudd is he just doesn't look like a Bond to me.

Not that Bond has to be as pretty as Pierce Brosnan or as salted as Sean Connery, but he should have a certain attractive charisma that I just find lacking in Gruffudd.

He's a good actor, but he's just doesn't radiate any kind of charisma or appeal.

I felt he was horribly miscast as Lancelot in King Arthur for that same reason - he doesn't emote a sense of a fire burning within, no intensity.

I think that's the reason he reads cinematically as small, not because of height but because he carries himself small.

[Seannery]

According to Pierce-B AJB007 insider who has had a track record of giving good info in the past while not being infallible or always correct says that as of now that Eon has not spoken to Ioan Gruffudd--that he hasn't been there.

Just throwing this out to everyone since there is a possibility he may know, but then again who knows. Hard to say who is really in the know though he gave facts no one knew about DAD so perhaps he knows certain things. Then again at this point Pierce-B hasn't given any specific tidbits about Bond 21 yet. But it is still early. I'm still agnostic about the whole thing. Just thought i'd pass along his assertion.

[SeanValen00V]

By all means, if there's a really terrific guy out there in his late 20s, then of course he should be considered; but why not look at people in their late 30s or even early 40s, too? Are Sony and Eon worried that if they were to hire, say, Hugh Jackman, audiences would be hooting at the screen and complaining "He's far too old"?

Simply put, yes.

Why do you think Harrison Ford was replaced by Ben Affleck as Jack Ryan?

As I understand it, Ford was offered THE SUM OF ALL FEARS but passed. He was not dropped from the Ryan role.

Where's the evidence that audiences would consider someone like Jackman too old for Bond? When did we last have a Bond actor in the 28-32 range? 1969, wasn't it? And is ON HER MAJESTY'S SECRET SERVICE considered one of the biggest financial successes of the series? If anything, surely there's evidence that viewers don't want a very young Bond.

Moore was over 40 when he first donned the tux. Some of his films did pretty well, didn't they? And I didn't hear any complaints about Brosnan's age during his reign as Bond.

I actually agree with you on this one, Loomis. When I brought up Ben Affleck taking over the Jack Ryan role, I was trying to say in a very roundabout way that the entertainment industry (whether it be music, movies or television) obviously targets younger people as their main demographic. How else better to do that than by hiring someone much younger, so that the audience can relate more easily to the peformer? I don't condone this type of action. In fact, I find it quite sad. I feel that an actor in his mid 30s to early 40s would be more appropriate for Bond.

Do you know after The Sum of all Fears, Ben Affleck was meant to do Red Rabbit, the next Ryan film, but he's had alot of dud films since, he says he doesn't want to do action films no more, but just before he said that, he said he would do daredevil 2 if it was more darker etc but some weeks later, he changed his tune, you know why, the studio doesn't think he's really the star many thought he was, so currently he's not returning to Jack Ryan or Daredevil. If anything his friend Matt Damonn is on a roll with his Bourne films.

[KB 007]

[Prav_007]

Thats Bondish right their... nice suit.

[hrabb04]

I think that's 001 1/2, actually. We need a man as Bond, not a boy.

[Prav_007]

He's got plenty time, let him age.

[Adrian Carlisle]

By all means, if there's a really terrific guy out there in his late 20s, then of course he should be considered; but why not look at people in their late 30s or even early 40s, too? Are Sony and Eon worried that if they were to hire, say, Hugh Jackman, audiences would be hooting at the screen and complaining "He's far too old"?

Simply put, yes.

Why do you think Harrison Ford was replaced by Ben Affleck as Jack Ryan?

As I understand it, Ford was offered THE SUM OF ALL FEARS but passed. He was not dropped from the Ryan role.

Where's the evidence that audiences would consider someone like Jackman too old for Bond? When did we last have a Bond actor in the 28-32 range? 1969, wasn't it? And is ON HER MAJESTY'S SECRET SERVICE considered one of the biggest financial successes of the series? If anything, surely there's evidence that viewers don't want a very young Bond.

Moore was over 40 when he first donned the tux. Some of his films did pretty well, didn't they? And I didn't hear any complaints about Brosnan's age during his reign as Bond.

Right. Ford said that he was too old to play Jack Ryan, since the character isn't even close to 60 in SOAF. He turned it down, but they did go to him first.

Gruffudd: If they're going young, give him the role! To me there's no one else his age that's even close. He's perfect. There's no reason they should turn him down in favor of someone like Retch-lando Bloom! And if he's not Bond #6, he should be Bond #7.

[Adrian Carlisle]

I think that's 001 1/2, actually.  We need a man as Bond, not a boy.

Yes, but IF they're going young...why not?

[sevenil]

Ioan Friffud is indeed a fine actor but as with Jackman (Most peoples fave) and the man who surely should be Bond , Christian Bale he will fall victim to the identifiable franchise.

Fantastic Four is one of the Jewels in the crown of marvel comics and as such this is why they waited so long before investing serious cash to bring this to the big screen.

This was the one they all wanted to get off the ground pre X-Men and Spiderman.

Spiderman was moted by James cameron and the technological restrictions of the late 80s stopped this getting off the ground and this is definitely the case with FF .

Ioan Griffud will be seen to millions as Reed Richards and will undoubtedly have a 3 film option(Marvel really do feel that this will run and run )
which will tie him to 3 major blockbusters over 7 years.

Bond actors can take on other parts but the high profile iconic ones are not
the way forward and do cause people to identify heavily with the more glabally successful characters( I know Bond is massive worldwide but the FF movie will be seriously big investment with Mcdonalds and Burger King having his face on everything).

Jackman falls into this category with X-Men as does Bale with the Batman franchise(He really would be the perfect choice for Bond)

The best option is Dougray Scott a long time serious contender for this role, he is dark haired and has similar Connery and Daltonesque characteristics and is joint bookies favourite.

Ewan Mcgregor is a fine actor but again Obi wan Kenobi ????????