Bond-ing Trouble for 007 Producers Now that Pierce Brosnan's license to kill has been officially revoked, finding a replacement 007 is proving to be a difficult task.
Production on Casino Royale, the latest film in the James Bond franchise, is scheduled to begin in January with a target of a fall 2006 release date, but a new contender to play the martini-swilling spy has yet to be nailed down. Numerous actors have been suggested and even screen-tested for the role, but to date, MGM and Eon Productions have not settled on an appropriate candidate to take the reins as the next Bond. Hugh Jackman, Ewan McGregor, Jude Law, Heath Ledger, Clive Owen and Orlando Bloom are among the names that have been floated so far as possible replacements for Brosnan. Last August, Hulk star Eric Bana was rumored to be stepping into 007's shoes; by January, one British oddsmaker had stopped taking bets on Mission: Impossible 2 bad guy Dougray Scott after wagers on the actor increased disproportionately. Some of the leading men offered up for the role simply haven't met the qualifications sought by the higher-ups behind the film; others simply haven't wanted to commit to a Bond contract. For example, when Clive Owen, 41, was approached by Casino Royale helmer Martin Campbell about stepping in the shoes left vacant by Brosnan, he turned the opportunity down flat. "He already had so many interesting, varied offers on the table that he wanted to keep his options open," the actor's spokesman told the Hollywood Reporter. Other thesps rumored to be under consideration to play Bond claim they would jump at the chance to fill the role, but that they have not been approached about it. "Who wouldn't want the chance of being the world's greatest super-spy agent?" Jonathan Rhys Meyers asked the Hollywood Reporter. "It's not reality for me at the moment." So far, five actors have tackled the legendary role: Sean Connery, George Lazenby, Roger Moore, Timothy Dalton and most recently, Brosnan. In Casino Royale, the first Bond novel by author Ian Fleming, the famous spy is a mere 28, meaning that Brosnan, at 52, would have been too old for the role, were the producers to try and stay true to the story. (The script is currently being tweaked by Crash mastermind Paul Haggis.) Brosnan, who was associated with the role for four films and the better part of 10 years, did not sound overly wistful at leaving it behind. "It never felt real to me," he told Entertainment Weekly earlier this month. "I never felt I had complete ownership over Bond. Because you'd have these stupid one-liners--which I loathed--and I always felt phony doing them." The search is on for a leading man who can deliver an order for a martini, "shaken, not stirred," and feel good about himself while doing it. __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com Visit the MoPo Mailing List Web Site at www.filmfan.com ___________________________________________________________________ How to UNSUBSCRIBE from the MoPo Mailing List Send a message addressed to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] In the BODY of your message type: SIGNOFF MOPO-L The author of this message is solely responsible for its content.
