58 replies to this topic

[Seannery]

The more I think about this the more I still see Jackman as a good possibility of being picked for Bond--he would love to do it and Sony and Eon could see him as the safest bet for good box office.


But if they don't go for Jackman I would say Eon will go to their usual pattern and pick an relatively obscure actor and keep Bond the star not the actor--an actor that will probably suprise most of us who would of thought they wouldn't have been seriously considered.

[Qwerty]

Regarding Purefoy:

Purefoy lands Vendetta lead James Purefoy - one of the many chaps just said to be under consideration for the role of the next 007 - has snagged the male lead in the film version of Alan Moore's "V for Vendetta", according to The Hollywood Reporter. Set in an alternate future in which Great Britain is a fascist state, a freedom fighter known as V (Purefoy) uses terrorist tactics to fight the oppressive society. He rescues a young woman (Natalie Portman) from the secret police, and she becomes his unlikely ally. "Matrix" moneymakers Andy and Larry Wachowski wrote the screenplay, which is based on the 10-issue comic book by Moore and illustrator David Lloyd. James McTeigue, who was the first assistant director on the Wachowskis' "Matrix" trilogy, is directing. "V" kicks off in Berlin next month.

Source: MovieHole

[Daltonfan]

According to empireonline "V" will be hidden by a porcelaine mask. So it's a first Hollywood leading role without the advanatge of getting his face known to the public. Do you think this improves his Bond chances?

[Bond Bug]

Hi! After many travels and my 4 month gap since I was last here, I have to say that I now believe that Orlando Bloom is the best actor to fit the bill.

I'm afraid that Owen is too old looking (consider they want a new Bond for at least a decade) and not fitting with the strategy of attracting more younger viewers and grossing Spiderman type figures.

[Qwerty]

According to empireonline "V" will be hidden by a porcelaine mask. So it's a first Hollywood leading role without the advanatge of getting his face known to the public. Do you think this improves his Bond chances?

Can't say it seems to tell us a whole lot yet.

[MarJil]

My gut tells me that Clive will fall through somehow and they'll go elsewhere. I think the contenders are down to Dougray, West, Clive, Butler, and maybe Purefoy. I think EON has probably eliminated anyone who is already involved in a franchise (knocking out Jackman and Gruffudd and Christian Bale) and they will go with an up and comer. Clive will probably take himself out of the running and West will be eliminated because he doesn't quite have the right look while Purefoys commitment with HBO's Rome series will knock him out, and then it will come down to Dougray and Butler. Of those two I don't know which way they would go, but my gut says Butler and my head says Dougray. I'd be fine with either one.

[Lady Rose]

Ioan Gruffudd, Gerard Butler, Eric Bana, Jeremy Northam, and James Purefoy are likely dark-horse picks (and they're all perfectly acceptable as far as I'm concerned).

I agree with all the above apart from Bana.I especially like Northam and Butler.Out of the two Eon should go for the much younger Butler.Dougray Scott is just too unattractive.

[Agent 76]

here you got your new 007 :


just kiding!

[Stephenson]

Good morning!
I've been checking out a couple of sites for the last few months and finally decided to jump in. From everything I've read so far, it really does seem that Clive Owen has the part, but just for the sake of argument, what about Julian McMahon? De Niro as the villian?

[Qwerty]

Welcome to the CBn Forums canoe2! I personally favor names like Law, Jackman, and Owen over McMahon.

[Seannery]

The more I see of Julian McMahon the less I see him as a Bond--he lacks a Bond presence despite adequate looks and his voice an important aspect of Bond is flat and blah. I'll take A. Paul ,H. Jackman ,G. Butler, I. Gruffudd, J. Northem and many others over him.

[Seannery]

The story about Liam Neeson rejecting Bond pre-Goldeneye leads me to even further support that Clive Owen would do the same-- he is in the same postion a decade later in that he is a serious actor with a lot of opportunies ahead of him who doesn't need Bond. In fact its stereotyping would only hurt his serious aspirations. Jackman in oppostion has welcome Bond and franchise opportunities. So would a bunch of obscure candidates who some here look down on despite them fitting perfectly in Eon's successful pattern of picking non-hot future Bonds. Making Bond the star not the actor.

[spynovelfan]

Seannery, you talk about a policy of taking obscure actors so that Bond will be the star in one breath, and in the next (or the one before) tip Hugh Jackman - a bona-fide A-list movie star who, to boot, has just signed a mutli-million-dollar, mult-picture deal with Disney. You seem to want it both ways - EON are simultaenously looking for an obscure actor... and one of the most famous in the world? Doesn't seem likely to me.

[RITZ]

Since reading some articles "claiming" that Barbara Broccoli favours West, I'm going to go with him. I have some gut feeling about this.


I look forward to the mass-media frenzy and publicity campaigns when they announce the new 007. Photoshoots galore....

PS: I think Jean Reno should be Le Chiffre. Just picture him drinking coffee in his villa whilst he "interrogates" Bond.

[Seannery]

Seannery, you talk about a policy of taking obscure actors so that Bond will be the star in one breath, and in the next (or the one before) tip Hugh Jackman - a bona-fide A-list movie star who, to boot, has just signed a mutli-million-dollar, mult-picture deal with Disney. You seem to want it both ways - EON are simultaenously looking for an obscure actor... and one of the most famous in the world? Doesn't seem likely to me.

Spynovelfan I think the exception to taking the non-hot relatively obscure actors would be if Eon finds a big name who would be well cast and is enthusiastic for the role--the only actor even remotely like that is Jackman. If Eon doesn't break their tradition with Jackman I see them going back to the more obscure actors. I see the change in their normal routine and going for Jackman as possible--the only big name who would love the role and be cast well. That is the only big or semi-big name I see as possible because of being the only one fitting the above criteria. If in the end they don't pick him then I see them going the relatively unknown route.

[Bon-san]

Since reading some articles "claiming" that Barbara Broccoli favours West...

I really hope those articles are incorrect! I like Dominic West, but not for Bond.

If it's not going to be Jackman, Bale, or Owen, I'm quite hoping it's Gerard Butler. I thought his work in Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life was a great audition for Bond. I realize the film was widely panned, but I thought Butler was great in it. His accent is quite thick, but I'd bet he could tone it down a bit.

I've also taken a bit of a shine to Gruffudd. I thought he was terrific in King Arthur.

Edited by Bon-san, 21 February 2005 - 07:52 PM.

[ComplimentsOfSharky]

PS: I think Jean Reno should be Le Chiffre. Just picture him drinking coffee in his villa whilst he "interrogates" Bond.

Jean Reno would be really good. At first glance though I thought that said Janet Reno....imagine her as a Bond villian!

[Daltonfan]

The actor who plays Bond doesn't need to be an established star but he needs star potential. But if you're looking at actors in their late thirties there needs to be a pretty good reason why he's yet to get his big break.

The best hunting grounds are probably british theatre and the quality british tv dramas. I'm struggling to think of any who are of the right age but it's easier if you go younger. Think Ioan Gruffudd in Hornblower, Hugh Dancy in Daniel Deronda, maybe Richard Armitage in North and South.

[spynovelfan]

Oh, another Dancy mention! I think he's still a little young, but could carry it off if he bulked up a little. He doesn't always need to look like he does in the current Burberry ads (with Kate Moss, the lucky man): he had the DAD 14-month-beard look down pat in KING ARTHUR. He needs some ex-SAS guy to put him through a fitness regime, but he looks a lot like a younger Jackman - he'd cost less, is British, upper class, and his star is rising.

[whitesox]

Owen has just been awarded by a Golden Globe and is about to have (who knows?) an Oscar... So we can be sure he won't be Bond.

[Stephenson]

Gotta say, with all the talk about age, these postings about "V for Vendetta" and "The Posiden Adventure", the skepticism following McMahon's "press release", I really have to start going with Gerard Butler. Sorry, just had to edit this: I just checked on IMBd and they're saying that he'll be tied up this spring with "Burns", which is in pre-production. Would he (or can he) drop out of that production if he was offered Bond? Or does it seem like Eon is letting all the best choices (or lest, best known) slip through their fingers?

Edited by canoe2, 28 February 2005 - 03:06 PM.

[Seannery]

Well it possible that production on that may be delayed--that does happen from time to time. Or it may be possible Butler could get out of it if he got Bond--that has been done before also.

[lorna99]

Gerald Bulter is on the Tonight show with Jay Leno on wednesday (2nd March)

[Stephenson]

Can't imagine what for. "Phantom" is out, and, as far as I've heard, was pretty much a non-entity at the Oscars. I don't recall hearing about any projects coming up (that football movie, although I don't know how prominent he is in it, and Beowulf, although I thought that was coming out later in the year). Could the publicity machine be starting to roll?

[Frankie]

HUGH JACKMAN.

Anybody else is wrong on so many levels.

[Bond_Bishop]

Dominic West, f I can't pick any of the unlikables.

[Harmsway]

My bet is going on Gerard Butler. He fits the profile, is a decent actor (see "Dear Frankie" for reference - and even in Phantom, though overshadowed by Schumacher's mediocre direction, he gives a solid performance), and I think could pull off the part. I'd prefer him to all of the second-class Bond peoples (people below Jackman and Owen).

[Seannery]

The big question with this thread is are they really going for a younger Bond or not. I guess you would have to lean towards they are going for a younger Bond going by Martin Campbell. BUT how young? Or could they still decide to go for the regular 40 something? I still think we know too little to know what they will do definitively. If they go young it could go to Gruffudd or Davenport.

[Stephenson]

I think the big question is, "How young is "young"?" because the answer to that will change everything. There is a very big difference between "a less experienced government operative on this first mission with a License to Kill"

Edited by canoe2, 08 March 2005 - 07:57 PM.