4014 replies to this topic

[Marcin]

If Hiddleston indeed shot screen-tests a month ago and we all remember articles about him eating dinner with Barbara Broccoli and Sam Mendes around this time is it possible that Mendes actually helped Eon with these tests? Directed it?

Edited by Marcin, 19 June 2016 - 05:08 PM.

[Tiin007]

Very exciting news. Hiddleston has been my personal top choice for months (in the absence of Craig returning, that is).

 

I'm still hoping that, even with the onset of a new era, EON elects to retain the MI6 crew (Tanner included) from Craig's era. They are all phenomenal in their roles, and I think a little bit of consistency in that department can go a long way. 

[Dustin]

Regardless of how this plays out, I still would not expect an kind of official announcement of a new Bond prior to news from MGM's struggles...

However...

It is possible that the 007 assignment now does interfere with Craig's future jobs. In this case it would perhaps make sense to 'officially' step down, if such a move is really necessary.

As for Hiddleston, there was a short interview with him in one of Germany's TV magazines, coverage of his upcoming HIGH RISE film. Naturally he was nudged about Bond. His answer was something like 'too soon to talk about.' That's a far cry from 'sorry to disappoint you'...

[SecretAgentFan]

If the offer has indeed been made there will have to be an answer forthcoming.

 

Then it would be a question of timing as to when to officially announce Craig´s departure and Hiddleston´s taking over.

 

In times like these it will be highly difficult to keep it under wraps - so an announcement might come sooner than we thought.  Maybe even sooner than the distribution deal can be sorted out.

[univex]

YES!

 

Good news.

And most people/fans seem to want it to happen.

Good.

[Agent 76]

It is indeed good news,for me at least. I support Hiddleston as James Bond,he can do great with the role i think.

[Dustin]

One thing seems for sure, with this news out there an announcement would be imminent now. Most fans know Graham Rye as a very professional and reliable source. It's hardly conceivable he'd put his mouth there if he didn't have much more to support it. Naturally the major new outlets will want to run with this soonest.

[univex]

True, in Graham we trust. But will the news surge have any effect in the announcement date? And could Hiddleston be part of some studio package deal? And, if not, who chooses him? Babs and Babs alone? Stuff for the books, I´d say. History in the making and all of that. And us in the dark, safe for some rumors and the odd newsflash. Good show Mr. Rye, we needed some sort of solid news. Cheers.

[wdj89]

The Book Bond also reporting that Craig is out - though with different reasoning than anyone has come up with before:

"What I've heard is Eon and Barbara Broccoli are the ones who are done with Craig, who wanted more control as a "producer." Recall that he was give a producer credit on SPECTRE, which was a first for any Bond actor. So Craig has become a pain and Barbara is over him and ready to move on. Also, with no studio yet in place to distribute the next film, the promise of an entirely clean slate has its own appeal."

[univex]

The Book Bond also reporting that Craig is out - though with different reasoning than anyone has come up with before:

"What I've heard is Eon and Barbara Broccoli are the ones who are done with Craig, who wanted more control as a "producer." Recall that he was give a producer credit on SPECTRE, which was a first for any Bond actor. So Craig has become a pain and Barbara is over him and ready to move on. Also, with no studio yet in place to distribute the next film, the promise of an entirely clean slate has its own appeal."

 

Well, if John says it, I believe it. Period. 

But its sad to see his interest in the films fading away. Really, really makes me sad. 

[KB 007]

I guess I'm the only one here that thinks Hiddleston does not look like Bond at all.

[S K Y F A L L]

I guess I'm the only one here that thinks Hiddleston does not look like Bond at all.

I agree with you.

[Tiin007]

I guess I'm the only one here that thinks Hiddleston does not look like Bond at all.

 

Truth is, when Craig was first cast, I didn't think he had anything even remotely resembling a Bond look. Not because of his blondness or height (neither of those ever mattered to me), but his hairstyle (particularly at that press conference when he was announced on the Thames) just looked off. But by Casino Royale's release, they had remedied that, and I thought he looked perfect for the part. I think the same could be said of Hiddleston, especially as I think Hiddleston's current look feels more Bondian to me than Craig's did in '05 (again, probably because of the hair). 

[SecretAgentFan]

I thought we were over that "does not look like the Bond I imagine"-feeling.

 

The really interesting thing is: 

 

"What I've heard is Eon and Barbara Broccoli are the ones who are done with Craig, who wanted more control as a "producer." Recall that he was give a producer credit on SPECTRE, which was a first for any Bond actor. So Craig has become a pain and Barbara is over him and ready to move on."

 

Thank you, BB.  If actors get drunk on their importance it´s best to move on.

[sharpshooter]

To me, Hiddleston looks like Bond a great deal. He is attractive with a piercing glare. I believe he could be a cold hearted assassin and a playboy enjoying the finer things in life.

[SecretAgentFan]

Same here.  In general, Hiddleston is able to bring a lighter side to Bond - something which Craig seemed to fight most of the time although it is an important part of the character´s appeal.

[Surrie]

Hating not understanding hate, then.

Right. That´s the thing nowadays.

 

Someone hating something someone likes. No news there. Don´t fret about it.

 

Example: I´d like Hiddleston as Bond, Surrie doesn´t. I like Surrie to have an opinion. I like Surrie´s opinion. It´s just not the same as mine. We agree on many other things I suppose. That´s the nature of the forums you know so well.

 

As for Nolan, sometimes I like him, sometimes I don´t. He´d be fine with that

 

Personally, I think a Nolan Bond would be a bit too gloomy and dark for my current taste. But I can´t wait to see what he does to Dunkirk.

 

I'm sure we'd agree on many other things! Looks like the rumour mill will have me not getting my own way, never mind...

I guess I'm the only one here that thinks Hiddleston does not look like Bond at all.

 

Not the only one!

[Harmsway]

To me, Hiddleston looks like Bond a great deal. He is attractive with a piercing glare. I believe he could be a cold hearted assassin and a playboy enjoying the finer things in life.

He seems in line with the FlemingBond look.

Anyway, those are interesting suggestions about the reasons for Craig's departure. I thought Broccoli was infatuated with Craig. I guess the honeymoon ended a while back.

Between the Rye and Cox reports, we can pretty much declare the Craig era done.

[Surrie]

If it is so, at least he had the best ending of all Bonds... IMO that is. 

[Odd Jobbies]

 

I guess I'm the only one here that thinks Hiddleston does not look like Bond at all.

I agree with you.

 

Me too - far too fey, or perhaps genteel is the word...or even 'girly' (no misogyny intended)

[Odd Jobbies]

...at least he had the best ending of all Bonds... IMO that is. 

 

Perhaps the happiest ending, but for me Lazenby had the best in terms of story telling etc

[SecretAgentFan]

Please don´t express your dissatisfaction by ridiculing an actor´s name - that is childish schoolyard behaviour only done by bullies.

 

Apart from that, the generation grown up on Craig might believe that Bond must be a brute - but in fact, he can be so much more.  Did Lazenby look like a brute?  Sir Roger?  Dalton?  Brosnan?

 

I think it´s exactly the right decision to give us another type of Bond now, not a Craig carbon copy.

[sharpshooter]

Between the Rye and Cox reports, we can pretty much declare the Craig era done.

Like a dinner. Tom landing the role doesn't give me cause for concern. Even though Craig is loved and won over a lot of people, I think it would be a comfortable transition to be honest.

[Surrie]

 

...at least he had the best ending of all Bonds... IMO that is. 

 

Perhaps the happiest ending, but for me Lazenby had the best in terms of story telling etc

 

 

Happiest ending by far. Quite the contrast to Lazenby's... but somehow I think that was purposeful. 

[Odd Jobbies]

Same here.  In general, Hiddleston is able to bring a lighter side to Bond - something which Craig seemed to fight most of the time although it is an important part of the character´s appeal.

You're right, he's a good actor and will move easily from dark to light and back again. But there's a vital visceral ingredient to Bond that Connery and Craig posses, but Hiddleston does not IMO. The work of his that i've seen is technically astute, but mannered and lacking in any gritty realism - perfect for the camp of Avengers and Crimson Peak, or the highly software family friendly banality of The Night Manager, and indeed the family friendly Bond of Moore and Brosnan.

 

But the adrenalin fuelled realism of Craig will probably be a non-starter for Hiddleston. For me that's a crying shame and if it's the case we may have to wave goodbye to the cues of top tear writers and directors.

 

Perhaps it's fair to say that many of those now happy to see Craig go are also happy to see Hiddlestone arrive as it will inevitably move the films away from the harsh grit and back to the mannered pastiche.

[Tiin007]

I actually like the idea of Craig's era ending purposefully with his choice on the bridge. Which is why I would have just ended it there, with Bond and Madeline walking off as the screen fades to darkness. Would have been a much better ending to the Craig era, in my opinion, than the needless shoehorning in of the DB5 once more.

 

Maybe with Hiddleston in the role we can finally abandon the incessant homages fetish. 

[sharpshooter]

Looking forward to a new Bond isn't a rejection of what Craig achieved. But an acceptance that he's very likely gone, and thus the franchise will continue as it always has done. To doubt Tom, or anyone else, would be to repeat the same mistakes the Craig Not Bond brigade made.

[Odd Jobbies]

Please don´t express your dissatisfaction by ridiculing an actor´s name - that is childish schoolyard behaviour only done by bullies.

 

Apart from that, the generation grown up on Craig might believe that Bond must be a brute - but in fact, he can be so much more.  Did Lazenby look like a brute?  Sir Roger?  Dalton?  Brosnan?

 

I think it´s exactly the right decision to give us another type of Bond now, not a Craig carbon copy.

Absolutely right, bit of mid morning fun - it's hard not to have fun with a word like Hiddleston! I believe it was already deleted as you posted.

 

Sad to say that i've been around long enough to have done some growing up with all of the Bonds bar Lazenby and it's Connery's bra snatching brute that paved the way for my personal image of Bond.

 

Later, reading Fleming i saw this was not too far from his ruthless image of the character - a blunt instrument. Sure, since then the movies have played to the box office when necessary by turning Bond into a farce, but Craig has proven that there's plenty of box office in this brutish, Fleming-esque Bond.

 

Between the Rye and Cox reports, we can pretty much declare the Craig era done.

Like a dinner. Tom landing the role doesn't give me cause for concern. Even though Craig is loved and won over a lot of people, I think it would be a comfortable transition to be honest.

 

A very comfortable transition. But i'd rather be challenged than comfortable - there lies the thrills, whereas comfort too often leads to laziness (or is that just me?).

Looking forward to a new Bond isn't a rejection of what Craig achieved. But an acceptance that he's very likely gone, and thus the franchise will continue as it always has done. To doubt Tom, or anyone else, would be to repeat the same mistakes the Craig Not Bond brigade made.

Because i don't fancy Hiuddleston for the role doesn't equate with the Craig Not Bond  brigade. After all, i was in the the Craig Is Bond  brigade in the 90's.

[SecretAgentFan]

 

Same here.  In general, Hiddleston is able to bring a lighter side to Bond - something which Craig seemed to fight most of the time although it is an important part of the character´s appeal.

You're right, he's a good actor and will move easily from dark to light and back again. But there's a vital visceral ingredient to Bond that Connery and Craig posses, but Hiddleston does not IMO. The work of his that i've seen is technically astute, but mannered and lacking in any gritty realism - perfect for the camp of Avengers and Crimson Peak, or the highly software family friendly banality of The Night Manager, and indeed the family friendly Bond of Moore and Brosnan.

 

But the adrenalin fuelled realism of Craig will probably be a non-starter for Hiddleston. For me that's a crying shame and if it's the case we may have to wave goodbye to the cues of top tear writers and directors.

 

Perhaps it's fair to say that many of those now happy to see Craig go are also happy to see Hiddlestone arrive as it will inevitably move the films away from the harsh grit and back to the mannered pastiche.

 

 

I find it interesting that you associate Craig with "adrenalin fuelled realism" and "harsh grit" while you accuse other films as "mannered pastiche".

 

I love what Craig has done.  But all his films had lots of "mannered pastiche"-elements - one might argue that this is what Bond films are about, having amassed a history that has become one of its main ingredients and therefore has to be alluded to.

 

As for "adrenalin fuelled realism" and "harsh grit" - I´m not so sure whether I would characterize Craig´s portrayal with that either.

 

CASINO ROYALE:  Maybe the scene in the bathroom when Bond is tending to his wounds.  Apart from that, Bond behaves like a super hero (the first half), like an impatient rookie (the card game) and like a sentimental fool (in the last part).  Adrenalin fuelled realism?  Not in this film.  That applies more to Dalton´s Bond, IMO.

 

QUANTUM OF SOLACE: Again, it´s more of superhero Bond for most of the film, with the death of Mathis and the moment with Camille ("Make it count") and the ending in Russia fitting with the description of "harsh grit".

 

SKYFALL: "Harsh grit", maybe with Bond finding the dead agent at the beginning, Bond breaking down during his evaluation.  Everything else is classic fantasy-Bond.

 

SPECTRE: "Harsh grit", maybe in Mr. White´s suicide-scene, but apart from that pure fantasy-Bond.

 

 

If I had to describe Craig´s portrayal in general, I would choose "quietly brooding, introverted and sardonic".  As I said before: very well done.  But there´s not one film in his era which is as close to a realistic Bond as Dalton´s LTK or Connery´s FRWL.  Or Lazenby´s OHMSS, for that matter.

[Toxteth_OGrady]

Anyone know how reliable the James Bond Radio guys are?  This is from their Facebook page:

 

 

 

James Bond Radio

56 mins · 

Some of you may have seen the Tom Hiddleston rumours heating up on various Facebook pages over the last few days.

Apparently, the word on the street is that Tom filmed a screen test for Bond around a month ago and that Barbara has offered him the job. He's apparently "thinking about it."

With all that said, we have it on very good authority that none of this is actually true. We obviously can't reveal our sources but from what we've been told AND what we've actually seen, we're confident it's all BS and Hiddleston isn't actually in the frame.