Spectre was to be Daniel Craig’s last turn as James Bond, according to the actor himself, who publicly spoke about his desire to be free from the demands placed upon him via the role, but it may be that Craig spoke too soon. As his co-star, Naomie Harris, suggests, Daniel may be softening to the idea of returning as James Bond once again. If he can be humble enough to eat his words of harsh criticism, upon the conclusion of his previous contract, there may still be time for Daniel to play 007 in future films. Even as numerous Hollywood A-listers throw their names into the pot to be considered for the next 007, Craig still remains the favored contender.
Bond Girl Naomie Harris Predicts Daniel Craig’s Return
Naomie Harris was recently at Buckingham Palace to receive an OBE award, bestowed upon her by the queen, and BBC reports that, while there, she spoke about the possibility that Daniel Craig might yet return as Agent 007. The Skyfall actress says the powers-that-be are largely dedicated to bringing Daniel back, which may mean the actor could set his own terms for returning.
“I think there’s a very good chance that Daniel will come back,” said Harris. “I think it’s way too early to be thinking about other people at this stage.”
As Naomie points out, the two newest James Bond films, Spectre and Skyfall , have been the highest grossing Bond films of all time, proving that Craig has become a favorite in the 007 role. Having that big of a draw among fans serves as an incentive for the studio to exhaust all possibilities of signing Craig back on for more Bond films, before considering a new actor.
“And I don’t think Daniel is immune to that… I think he’s very aware, so I think that adds an extra level of pressure,” says Harris. “But he has to ultimately do what feels right to him.”
The Skyfall actress also added that the cast has enjoyed working with Daniel Craig and would welcome the opportunity to work with him again as James Bond.
James Bond Moves To Croatia
Whether or not Daniel Craig returns and pursues the title of longest running James Bond actor, the franchise will go on, and as Movie Web reports, plans may already be underway to begin producing the next installment, tentatively titled James Bond 25 . In fact, if recent statements are to be believed, the studio has already determined a shooting location for the next film.
The mayor of Dubrovnik, Croatia, recently spoke publicly about Robin Hood: Origins , which is currently filming in the city, and during the statement, he veered off topic to speak about the possibility of James Bond 25 also shooting scenes in the area. He boasted that the studio was in “an advanced stage of negotiations” to secure permission to film in the Dubrovnik area.
The fact that the studio is scouting out locations would indicate that James Bond 25 is further along in the pre-production phases than most realize. That would also indicate that Daniel Craig may have to make up his mind one way or the other sooner than expected. His determination that he would sooner slash his wrists rather than do another stint as 007 was countermanded some months later, so Craig may still be open to a return.
“They say that sh** sticks, and that definitely stuck. It was the day after filming [stopped on Spectre ]. I’d been away from home for a year. Boo-hoo. It’s a good gig. I enjoy it,” Craig said of playing James Bond. “Everyone’s a bit tired. 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.”
[Featured Image by Carlos Alvarez/Getty Images]