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Quite right old chap, but there's very limited range and okay-good acting. Craig for example is a good actor, while Cavill can't even stand in his shadow. Just my 2 cents.
Why so sure Cavill won’t be getting the part @ClarkDevlin
He’s too well known, @Benny. That might’ve worked with Moore and Brosnan for different reasons, but in this day and age, popular choices and high profile celebrities never get cast in the roles people fancy them for. Today’s marketing campaigns are strongly against typecasting. And besides, Cavill doesn’t seem to be Barbara’s type of actor at all.
Personally I don't find Pierce wooden, he shows a lot of range in Goldeneye for example. Tons of charisma, too. A great smile does a lot already. Pierce wasn't very lucky story/direction/style wise, after GE that is. Pierce deserved much better!
Times change, and even as late as 2005 Eon were able to take a chance with Daniel Craig. Yes, he was a leading man in small budget films, but he was definitely a risk.
In 2020, it may be different. Turner is a TV star, but would he be a bankable big screen star? We really don't know.
Tall, dark and handsome actors are ten a penny. But tall, dark and handsome actors with bags of big screen charisma? A lot thinner on the ground.
In terms of exposition Turner is more bankable than Craig back in the day, Layer Cake gave him the nod. However with a small budget of 6.5 mil and a return of only double it was hardly a success. I.e. Craig wasn't bankable back then. He was what EoN (Babs) wanted, a bit of a relatively unknown/obscure-ish actor.
Turner stars, for example, in Poldark. One of the biggest BBC shows and has been sold to many foreign countries. As many experts claim TV isn't a dirty word anymore, just look at Netflix and HBO alone. Poldark can actually be seen on Netflix. Turner in this day and age is on the verge of breaking through, given what he's done so far and his (praised by critics) talent. Bond would be the perfect breakthrough part, just like it was for Craig.
I agree..i thought he had a good range in all his films tbh.
Well, I went to great pains to point out that Craig wasn't a bankable star back in 2005 in order to avoid this kind of lecture. But, as you will.
Craig had broken into films as a leading man in British films, and an acclaimed actor in bigger budget Hollywood films. And yes he wasn't obvious Bond fodder. And no, he wasn't bankable.
My point still stands though. This is 2019, and times change.
Yes TV is a much bigger medium now, but Poldark isn't Breaking Bad. It's cosy Sunday night eye candy, and maybe we need to see more to give Barbara Broccoli the feeling that he could do it.
They can't take risks this time around. The stakes are up, the competition is immense.
So, it won't be picking a bankable actor that moves things forward. It's playing with the archetype again, like they did in 1995 - with a "Were you expecting someone else" kind of thing.
Not a lecture, merely addressing some points. I didn't like Craig for Bond back in the day, apart from the fact CR is a great Bond film. My opinion about him hasn't changed all that much retrospectively. To me he still looks and acts like a brute, say a Russian spy, a great adversary for Bond if you will. To each his own, eh?
Comparing Poldark to BB is a moot point, the latter being a cult hit. Comparing any show to it would be difficult. Point being, Poldark is a huge show, worldwide. He is incredibly popular with women and the show itself is watchable for men, too. Have you ever seen Poldark or And Then There Were None? He's shown enough, imo. But sure, one film hit would be great too.
I'm not the fanboy kind, blindly clinging to stars, it's just there is something special about this one Aidan Turner. He's being handed to Babs on a silver platter. It would be daft to ignore it.
Excellent post @Univex You've described my feelings to a tee.
Yes, of course. But even if I hadn't it makes no difference, because I'm not talking about my preference, or who I think should be Bond. I'm not even talking about how good Turner looks in and out of clothes. (He looks great, of course).
I'm talking about whether Turner has the clout to maintain Bond's popularity in the eyes of the Eon producers. They can't afford to take a risk, and as much as you suggest Turner is nailed on to be successful, it simply isn't a good enough guarantee.
I support no one, but when I suggested that Richard Madden's star had risen thanks to his Golden Globe win, thus bringing him to the attention of the American public (an important thing to consider) it was taken as me suggesting Madden should be Bond. I was not saying that, I was merely looking at the facts. A Golden Globe does no harm to anyone.
So, with Marvel and MI cleaning up at the box office, can Broccoli afford to take any risks? I'd say not.
Oh, and talking of moot points. Craig has had his time and was enormously successful as Bond, so whether he looks like a Russian thug is also moot. Craig is Bond, and has done it well. Nothing to prove there.
There, made my case :)
Thanks for the sober observations, @NicNac ... You’re very intuitive and your words and comments are eloquently and intelligently shared. I have to agree with your perspective.
Turner has the clout, a 100% and EoN probably already knows this. Turner has all the ingredients, more than Craig did anyway. Also, it's always a risk to cast a new actor. Just look at Dalton, the majority of critics/people found him too dark/serious, in comparison to Moore. How 'wrong' were those people, looking back. He was ahead of his time. Turner just needs to prove himself and he can only do that by 'being' Bond. He needs to be given the chance, simple as that.
Your stance on Madden is a little strange. Just because he won a GG he should be Bond. What? No, he's an actor who won a GG and that's that really. Is he Bond material is the true question. I assure you he is not, at least not compared to the competition you speak of.
Craig Bond? That's subjective as can be. Just like with Dalton who wasn't liked very much at all back in the day, yet now is, especially among Bond adepts. So with that logic he wasn't Bond back then, yet now is. To myself and many others Craig isn't Bond. Indeed he played Bond, but he doesn't have the Bond DNA, imo. Subtle difference.
No nice words for me then ColonelSun? I mean Peter ;)
Thank you @peter. You're my new best friend. ;)
bff's ;)
Thank you @peter. You're my new best friend. ;)
@JeremyBondon . I would love to see where I said Richard Madden should be Bond.
We are at a different time now. The reboot craze is over, and films seem to be trending towards a more lighter note, as @Mendes4Lyfe has astutely observed and stated several times on these boards. Films like Thor Ragnarok, the recent Aquaman, and many disaster type flicks are cleaning up. Even Venom had its share of humour, and was an outsize hit. This could be a result of increasing Gen Y (milennial) or for other reasons. It could be a function of changing moods. It could be the increasing clout of the fast growing Asian market and what humour clicks there. Or it could even be just the fact that every era results in a noticeably different era after it.
Are there more risks with recasting this time around? Perhaps. B25 will determine that. If the tone and approach they take is successful, then they are likely to cast an actor that can continue that on (similar to how Moore continued what Connery began with DAF). If it doesn't work, then they may shift gears and try something different for B26 (like how Connery went for a new gambit with DAF after OHMSS). So time will tell what they do and who they pick.
Presumably they won't be telling another reboot story next time out...presumably they will be going straight into a mid stream Bond on a mission type venture, similar to DN, LALD, TLD or GE. If so, then they need someone who can be instantly credible as James Bond. Someone who fits into those suits and embodies the essence of this character without needing a backstory. They will also need someone with subtle acting skills, because without the benefit of full backstory and emotional weight (the Vesper and Tracey stories have already been told), he will have to show finessed depth in other ways. Can Turner do this? I don't know. Perhaps. Can Cavill? Again, I'm not sure. I do know that if either is cast, they will step up and give it their all. So again, the actor isn't such an issue for me. They've all delivered. I'm more concerned about writing and direction. That's what they must get right going forward. The rest will all fall into place, as it always has done. When they 'invest' in the actor and the film, they get results, because the Bond brand is bulletproof.
Your wish is my command, commander
Thanks for your thoughts and views @bondjames Very sensible, per usual
Maybe Turner can. And if he gets the gig I hope to God he does.
But, the fact remains, would BB want to risk it?
Dear NicNac, which of the previous Bonds were totally proven before their casting of Bond? Also, why would they go against their preference of casting a relatively unknown actor? The brand Bond makes the actor. Chicken > egg type of thing. It's just that EoN wants the best possible Bond there is, albeit a relatively unknown one. If you haven't seen Poldark/ And Then There Were None please do so, as it might change your opinion from not knowing to 'the man is suitable'.
I haven't seen Poldark, but from what I can tell, Turner's profile is just as high as Craig's was prior to CR. I get the impression they are pretty much on par, even if not on a perceived acting level. Mainly tv with a few smaller and less recognized films here and there.
Madden's profile seems much higher at the moment, and of course he was already known and a bit of a heart throb on account of the first few seasons of GoT. Like Turner he has a female fanbase, which may have even helped the success of Bodyguard.
I suppose all Turner needs to do is star in another limited run BBC thriller and his profile will also be raised similarly?
It's possible that they will have slightly different considerations next time out, because the viewing market is a bit broader now than it was in 2005, and includes such a large foreign component. They will probably ensure that whoever they pick can click with that audience as well as the local and North American ones. There is a school of thought that these markets prefer a more humorous take and also an actor who is less obviously masculine. I'm not sure of that, but I've read such comments. Cruise certainly fits that bill, and he cleans up over there.
Already told you I have seen them. But it proves you don't actually read my replies. And I can't keep repeating the same points if you don't read them.
I have been talking about, and continue to talk about Barbara Broccoli's opinion, not mine. OK?
Actually I have read your replies, but to remember everyone's reply is a bit of a stretch.
However, you have advocated somewhat for Madden, that I do remember:
Talking about Babs her opinion though? We can only speculate, it's pointless at the end of the day. The only thing we know for a fact is that EoN prefers high Bond material, yet relatively unknown.
/my last reply regarding the back and forth. Points have been made.
Got me with my pants down.
In my defence your reply before was to my comment about Madden in this recent discussion, aluding to his chances in the eyes of Eon. Digging up an old post where I was offering my own opinion? Well that's dirty tactics, and can only means one thing.
I like you, you rascal!
I'm a spy, what can I say :) I like you as well.