310 replies to this topic

[Forever007]

With all do respect, Craig is still very average looking and has bad skin. He's probably the best actor of all the contenders but he's not James Bond.

[Forever007]

I hope Gerard Butler ends up with the role. I would think he would be a safe choice as far as fan reaction. They could get at least 5 films of him.

[WC]

Maybe it's actually a cryptic reference. Maybe "The list is down to four" might refer to someone from the Fantastic Four as opposed to a Final Four. So perhaps it's either Ioan Gruffyed or Julian McMahon?

[1q2w3e4r]

Who knows hey!

All I care about is the guy they pick IS James Bond.

[a_crook]

I'm trying to keep optimistic about this. I'm still holding out hope that Owen in involved somehow. I just went back and watched all the BMW Films and I'm certain there is no one better to play Bond, esp. the way that EON seems to be heading. I mean, why else would Owen do the BMW films if not to create a prepackaged screen test/resume for Bond. I think he wanted to take on the tux, but what has happened since then is anyone's guess.

Butler would be okay, Craig would turn a lot of people off, Julian McMahon might be a toss up. I do think there is a high chance that at least 2 of the reported final four are unknown.

I hope this turns out well, because I really think this movie has the chance to be great and bring Bond back to respectablity.

[Seannery]

Not sure I buy this as fact BUT i'll play:



Gerald Butler



Adrian Paul



James Purefoy



Jonathon Cake(my below the radar candidate)

[H.M.Servant]

I don't believe that there are four candidates and there isn't one clear favourite? typical....

It probably depends on what route they want to take the next Bond film. so I'm guessing (well everybody is guessing so why shouldn't I) that it is something like;

Ioan Gruffudd
Jack Davenport
Gerard Butler
Daniel Craig

[Loomis]

Adrian Paul

Is this your "wishful thinking" list rather than your list of people you genuinely believe to be on the, erm, list?

MY WISHFUL THINKING FOUR:

Daniel Craig
Jack Davenport
Clive Owen
Goran Visnjic

MY "REALISTIC" FOUR:

Hugh Dancy
Julian McMahon
Goran Visnjic
Dominic West

And I wouldn't be surprised if Brosnan were still knocking about somewhere.

[Seannery]

Adrian Paul

Is this your "wishful thinking" list rather than your list of people you genuinely believe to be on the, erm, list?

MY WISHFUL THINKING FOUR:

Daniel Craig
Jack Davenport
Clive Owen
Goran Visnjic

MY "REALISTIC" FOUR:

Hugh Dancy
Julian McMahon
Goran Visnjic
Dominic West

And I wouldn't be surprised if Brosnan were still knocking about somewhere.

Both Loomis. My working theory is Eon/Sony will go back to a modestly famed name in late 30's to 40 something after a flirtation with a youngish Bond hence my final four. Just an educated guess--all we got is guesses right now with our lack of overall information. My biggest bet as I posted before would be on Purefoy but it could easily be someone else of course.

[SecretAgentFan]

If there really is another screen test, then we can definitely rule out Brosnan, of course. Also, why would Gruffud (tied up with "The fantastic four"-sequel, anyway) state that he is at least 10 years too young? He and EON would look pretty stupid if he were still in the race then. Dominic West ruled himself out. James Purefoy never said that he was contacted. Adrian Paul is doing another Highlander. Clive Owen does not want to be Bond and is tied up in project after project. Jack Davenport is tied up in the Pirates-Sequels and probably never was approached.


Realistic are these guys:

Goran Visnjic

Julian McMahon (although currently shooting Nip/Tuck Season 3, his shooting schedule could have been arranged so that he can make the screen test, and he also could leave Nip/Tuck after Season 3)

Daniel Craig (although currently shooting the new Spielberg, his shooting schedule could also have been arranged so that he can take part in a final screen test)

Who is the fourth one... I guess and HOPE someone we never thought about and who will emerge as the top choice.

[Pussfeller]

I'm pleased to see that Butler has not ruled himself out in any way. If this final four thing is correct, I bet Gerry is among them.

[Marketto007]

Who knows hey! 

All I care about is the guy they pick IS James Bond.

I AGREE WITH HIM

xxx

[Rogue Agent]

The fourth unknown should be Clive Robertson. He has strong Bond looks. If Goran is in with a shout at Bond, Clive should.

Then again, I hear Moomoo's job as a toilet attendant ends at the end of December, perhaps he is the other name?

[callmejames]

How about instead of the young Bond idea they go the other direction? Early in the movie David Niven will play James Bond in retirement, while Peter Sellers will play him at the casino?

[k13oharts]

These days with better make-up techniques you could use the same actor.
You can make them look older though...

[Lady Rose]

Not sure I buy this as fact BUT i'll play:



Gerald Butler



Adrian Paul



James Purefoy



Jonathon Cake(my below the radar candidate)

Jonathan Cake ... there's a name I haven't heard for a while.I used to think he would be quite good till I saw him in a TV drama and he was pretty wooden.Perhaps I was unfair to dismiss him as I have seen him act very well.


Some interesting choices here and it is a case of a 'wish' list and a list we think Eon will realistically go for.

My wish list would include Butler, Isaacs and Northam but my Eon list is...

Butler
Purefoy
Scott
Davenport

[JCH]

Sorry, I haven't posted in awhile. But I was trying to wait until there was some actual news rather than the continuous stream of rumors we've had for several months.

I hope this is true. It will be great to see some actual news coming out as to the identity of the new Bond. I'm looking forward to it very much. Once the new man is named, then we can move on to the speculation about the movie and then on to the other details. Either way, it will be nice to move towards the new movie.

Having said that, I thought I would weigh in on my choices for the next Bond. For a long time, I have been pushing for Gerard Butler to get it. I think as far as looks go, he is the best man for the job. He definitely has the rough and weathered look that fits perfectly. Plus, it would be nice to go back to a Scotsman. He definitely has the gravitas too. Anyone who can pull off the Phantom of the Opera has to be considered qualified. He is also the perfect age for being a long-term fit. He is, I think, 36. That means he could be Bond for the next 15 years.

If the direction is to go with a much younger Bond - after all Casino Royale is supposed to be the introduction of Bond - I would really like to see Ioan Gruffud get the role. I could easily see him grabbing the part and making it his own. He doesn't have the gravitas yet. But a lot of times, this is developed through leading roles. The Fantastic 4 is really his first shot at a leading role in a major motion picture. I think he would be a great addition to the Bond family. But, I tend to agree with him that he might be a bit too young. Even though he is only 4 years younger than Butler, he looks a lot younger. Gruffud has a certain fresh-face characteristic to him.

I would love to see Clive Owen get it, but I think he is too old for a long run. He is already in his 40s (I think he's 41). If Sony puts the Bond series on a every 3 year release schedule, Owen would be 50 when the 3rd one comes out. Isn't that the problem we ran into with Brosnan? Maybe Owen could do three and then they transition it to Gruffud? That would work, but I think they would prefer to find someone who could be a fixture in the role for the next decade or so.

Anyway, that's my take on the matter...for what it's worth.

[trumanlodge89]

Sorry, I haven't posted in awhile.  But I was trying to wait until there was some actual news rather than the continuous stream of rumors we've had for several months. 

I hope this is true.  It will be great to see some actual news coming out as to the identity of the new Bond.  I'm looking forward to it very much.  Once the new man is named, then we can move on to the speculation about the movie and then on to the other details.  Either way, it will be nice to move towards the new movie. 

Having said that, I thought I would weigh in on my choices for the next Bond.  For a long time, I have been pushing for Gerard Butler to get it.  I think as far as looks go, he is the best man for the job.  He definitely has the rough and weathered look that fits perfectly.  Plus, it would be nice to go back to a Scotsman.  He definitely has the gravitas too.  Anyone who can pull off the Phantom of the Opera has to be considered qualified.  He is also the perfect age for being a long-term fit.  He is, I think, 36.  That means he could be Bond for the next 15 years. 

If the direction is to go with a much younger Bond - after all Casino Royale is supposed to be the introduction of Bond - I would really like to see Ioan Gruffud get the role.  I could easily see him grabbing the part and making it his own.  He doesn't have the gravitas yet.  But a lot of times, this is developed through leading roles.  The Fantastic 4 is really his first shot at a leading role in a major motion picture.  I think he would be a great addition to the Bond family.  But, I tend to agree with him that he might be a bit too young.  Even though he is only 4 years younger than Butler, he looks a lot younger.  Gruffud has a certain fresh-face characteristic to him. 

I would love to see Clive Owen get it, but I think he is too old for a long run.  He is already in his 40s (I think he's 41).  If Sony puts the Bond series on a every 3 year release schedule, Owen would be 50 when the 3rd one comes out.  Isn't that the problem we ran into with Brosnan?  Maybe Owen could do three and then they transition it to Gruffud?  That would work, but I think they would prefer to find someone who could be a fixture in the role for the next decade or so. 

Anyway, that's my take on the matter...for what it's worth.

very well said JCH. as far as how long someone stays on as bond, it is all up to how they age. RM was 46 when he started but looked younger than 41 year old connery. (connery, of course, was making a bond film on a yearly basis back then, and that obviously took a toll on him.) as far as longevity is concerned, its really a difficult area to speculate in.

[Bondesque]

Purefoy is also in his early 40s (43 I think) and could only be Bond for a short time. It would really be nice to get back on the new Bond every two year track. These larger gaps are bad for the series. The argument that the extra time is needed to produce a better film has proven absolutely false. The quality has gone down in the films with a three year span.

EON, please sign an actor who WANTS to be Bond and then get back to making a film every other year!

[The_Mole]

Either way, I hope they show his regeneration this time.

[License To Kill]

I think they should have this unknown actor named Pierce Brosnan. He seems Bondish enough...

[Xenia_Onatopp]

I hope Gerard Butler ends up with the role. I would think he would be a safe choice as far as fan reaction. They could get at least 5 films of him.

Yeah, baybay!

My final 4: (the Fantastic 4?)

Gerard Butler
Clive Owen
Christian Bale
Goran Visnjic

Darn, lucky gals who get to audition with them in the sack. Where was I? Well, I know the Butler looks damn good in sex(y) scenes(Tomb Raider II, Dracula 2000)

[Pussycat]

I hope Gerard Butler ends up with the role. I would think he would be a safe choice as far as fan reaction. They could get at least 5 films of him.

Yeah, baybay!

My final 4: (the Fantastic 4?)

Gerard Butler
Clive Owen
Christian Bale
Goran Visnjic

Darn, lucky gals who get to audition with them in the sack. Where was I? Well, I know the Butler looks damn good in sex(y) scenes(Tomb Raider II, Dracula 2000)

I've got to say that when it comes to love scenes, Adrian Paul has done more of them than all of those other actors combined. His "action" title was never limited to just the martial arts and swordplay.

[bryonalston]

My final 4: (the Fantastic 4?)

Gerard Butler
Clive Owen
Christian Bale
Goran Visnjic

I agree with your list. I don't think it's fair that everyone has ruled out Visnjic just because of his accent/ethnic background. He does a convincing accent on 'ER' and on that show, his character is Bond-esque already. He has no family, he sleeps with every woman he comes into contact with, and he has the tall, dark and handsome, yet mysterious thing going that a Bond actor needs. The only other actor who has the same qualities is Clive Owen. Christian Bale would be an ideal choice if he wasn't Batman, and Butler is just kind of left over. Here are my top 5 in order:

1. CLIVE OWEN- PERFECT!

2. CHRISTIAN BALE- PERFECT!

3. GORAN VISNJIC- GREAT! Who cares if he isn't British, Irish, Scottish, Welsh or Australian? He IS and ACTOR, so he should be given the opportunity to ACT like Bond. If he is cast, and there is a younger version of him needed for segments of the film, I think that Orlando Bloom would be a good candidate to play him, since they both have high cheekbones etc...

4. GERARD BUTLER- Acting-wise, he's a good choice, but when I see pictures of him, they just don't scream BOND to me like the ones of Clive Owen or Christian Bale.

5. JULIAN MCMAHON- Would be a good replacement if we needed a Brosnan-esque Bond, but fortunately, we don't, so he can just stick to Nip/Tuck or whatever...

[Felix Leiter77]

Although he's signed to do X-Men 3 and a Wolverine stand-alone film, I still think Hugh Jackman would be the best. He's 35-ish, so he's younger than Owen and would be able to do at least 5 films. He wins most of the online polls I've come across, so you know the general public would accept him. Plus, he has shown the ability to be charming and stylish while not losing the dark side essential to Bond.

That being said, my gut reaction is EON's going to blow us all away with a complete unknown.

[cvheady007]

At this point...does it really all matter? Are we hallucinating all of this mayhem? Is this what it was like to replace Connery?




Anyway, I'm over it...fine, don't cast Brosnan for the movie he pined for. That's fine. But at least give me Owen or McGregor. Please?!?!? Pretty please??? Or Jackman? I could even handle McMahon...just not that hideous creature Daniel Craig....


Oh, who am I kidding...in a year and a half, no matter what, I will be watching Casino Royale in theaters...I just hope it makes me feel the way Goldeneye did....

[zencat]

Oh, who am I kidding...in a year and a half, no matter what, I will be watching Casino Royale in theaters...I just hope it makes me feel the way Goldeneye did....

Well said, cvheady007. That is what think and what I hope for as well. GoldenEye brought me back from 007 despair. With letting go of Brosnan prematurely (IMO) and creating another "gap" by wasting a year on Jinx (their fault) and a year on the studio sale (not their fault), I am once again in somewhat a state of doubt and despair about the cinematic James Bond. I need another GE and another Pierce to pull me out and give me hope. They could pull off another GE...but another Pierce (when the actual Pierce still looks pretty darn good to me)...this is where it could go very wrong.

[Rogue Agent]

Well said, cvheady007. That is what think and what I hope for as well. GoldenEye brought me back from 007 despair. With letting go of Brosnan prematurely (IMO) and creating another "gap" by wasting a year on Jinx (their fault) and a year on the studio sale (not their fault), I am once again in somewhat a state of doubt and despair about the cinematic James Bond. I need another GE and another Pierce to pull me out and give me hope. They could pull off another GE...but another Pierce (when the actual Pierce still looks pretty darn good to me)...this is where it could go very wrong.

I sort of agree with you, Zencat, but I didn't feel despair prior to Goldeneye. I enjoyed Timothy Dalton's Bond films and felt they added a new dimension to the character. But in other respects I do feel similar to you. I feel little unenthused by the current candidates. Although I will accept whoever Eon chooses, I'm not that excited by the names we keep hearing about. I wish there were a Brosnan type actor out there that most fans would support. It seems harder to get genuinely excited by Casino Royale when you can't get genuinely excited by any of the candidates. But I could be in the minority when I express that sentiment.

[Rogue Agent]

With all the names mentioned, I do find them lacking compared to, say, Sean Connery. Perhaps this is why I am not that excited. The candidates should be compared to Connery, Moore, or whoever is your favourite Bond. I look at Goran Visnjic, go turn on Goldfinger and watch it and then laugh at the idea of Visnjic as Bond. Seems totally inappropriate. The fact people are disucussing his accent, and whether he could pull off a British accent or not, would seem the perfect reason why he's so wrong for the role. Seems some Bond fans have a short memory when it comes to who's played Bond and how they think the new candidates are right for the part. But just my opinion.

Edited by Rogue Agent, 22 July 2005 - 08:48 AM.

[lorna99]

There is a interview with Julian McMahon in this week Now magazine and someone asked him a question if he will be the next James Bond and he said "who knows"

Edited by lorna99, 22 July 2005 - 09:10 AM.