Daniel Craig: James Bond Role Is ‘Best Job In The World’
It looks like Daniel Craig is once again raising the hopes of James Bond fans everywhere after calling his work on the Bond films the “best job in the world.” The quote comes via an interview conducted with Craig at the New Yorker Festival last Friday, where he was questioned about his future involvement in the next Bond installment. Previously the actor has stated that he would rather “slit his wrists” than play Bond again, but he’s apparently had a change of heart. The full quote, which comes via Cinema Blend, can be read below.
“As far as I’m concerned, I’ve got the best job in the world. I’ll keep doing it as long as I still get a kick out of it. If I were to stop doing it, I would miss it terribly.”
Though it’s entirely possible that this is genuine, given his past comments about only doing another Bond film for money, it’s more likely this is his response to the recent rumors of being offered $150 million dollars to reprise the role for two more films (according to IndieWire). Though others – like Vanity Fair – believe this “figure’s baloney” it’s hard to imagine any other reason for Craig to return to the role other than a large lump sum of cash.
For months after Craig’s aforementioned controversial interview, it was assumed that a new actor (or actress) would be assuming the duties of the character, as is the custom with the fifty plus year franchise. Rumors ranging from Thor‘s Tom Hiddleston to The X-Files Gillian Anderson to The Dark Tower‘s Idris Elba have circulated around the internet. Does Craig’s most recent statement hint at him returning to the character for at least one more outing? Or is this just the latest verbal flip-flop for the 48-year-old actor?
Craig found critical acclaim in Casino Royale, his first outing as the titular 007, which is James Bond’s secret spy code. That film served as a reboot for the franchise, taking place chronologically before any of the previous installments. The result was what many critics called an emotionally intriguing and unstable character, far removed from the cocky and sure-fire killer he would later become. While future Craig installments – other than Skyfall, which was praised for its nostalgic value and performances as well as becoming the first Bond film to break a billion dollars worldwide at the box office – weren’t as well received, the actor has proven to be very popular amongst fans.
Craig has completed four James Bond films so far, and was originally contracted for five total films, so it seems likely that he’ll at least return for Bond 25 (the film’s working title). Anything after that would likely depend on Bond 25‘s success. Sam Mendes, director of the last two Bond films Spectre and Skyfall, has already confirmed that he won’t return for Bond 25 (via Deadline), so who will helm the next film remains currently unclear. Christoph Waltz, who made his debut as the infamous Bond villain Blofield, is contracted for two more films, but his involvement is apparently dependent on whether Craig returns or not. John Logan will return for script writing duties.
How do you feel about Craig returning to the iconic James Bond role? Should the actor go out on a high note after the middling reviews for Spectre, or is he better off passing the 007 mantle on to the next generation? Will Waltz’s Blofield return and prove to be the most formidable Bond villain in Craig’s filmography?
Bond 25 has no release date as of this writing, but assuming production begins relatively soon, the film is expected to release in 2018 or 2019. Craig’s actual involvement in the film is also unknown, but hopefully Eon Productions will have a definitive answer for fans soon.
[Featured Image by Mark Schiefelbein/AP Images]
