Who should/could be a Bond actor?

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  • Posts: 6,727
    Is he handsome enough for Bond? I'd be interested to here a woman's opinion, but I think he's a bit on the ugly side, at least for Bond.

    matt-smith-t.jpg

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    Ah lads, yer 'avin a laugh?!?!?
  • DoctorKaufmannDoctorKaufmann Can shoot you from Stuttgart and still make it look like suicide.
    Posts: 1,261
    Ludovico wrote: »
    I don't think the change between Connery and Moore was that radical, not at the beginning anyway. Connery had considerably lightened up with DAF, he had "missed" the darker Bond movie that was OHMSS, etc. When Moore took over he was still finding his feet in the role and had some darker moments. Maybe that's what we will have: a crypto Craig that will find his own voice as movies are released.

    Connery was interviewd in the 1970's and was asked about Moore, and he said, that indeed the Moore Bonds were more humouros and funny, but he added, that this change actually began with DAF. And DAF sometimes is called the "Roger Moore Bond movie withou Moore, but with Sean Connery instead."
  • Posts: 14,799
    Ludovico wrote: »
    I don't think the change between Connery and Moore was that radical, not at the beginning anyway. Connery had considerably lightened up with DAF, he had "missed" the darker Bond movie that was OHMSS, etc. When Moore took over he was still finding his feet in the role and had some darker moments. Maybe that's what we will have: a crypto Craig that will find his own voice as movies are released.

    Connery was interviewd in the 1970's and was asked about Moore, and he said, that indeed the Moore Bonds were more humouros and funny, but he added, that this change actually began with DAF. And DAF sometimes is called the "Roger Moore Bond movie withou Moore, but with Sean Connery instead."

    That said, I don't think anyone would have been accepted in DAF except Sean Connery.
  • Posts: 372
    Well they can churn out John Wick films so quickly because they don't have to worry about things like plot, story, character development because the Wick films don't have any of that, just endless repetitive tedious action scenes. Bond requires a bit more thought than that
  • MSL49MSL49 Finland
    Posts: 395
    There is no clear number one candidate.
  • peterpeter Toronto
    Posts: 8,250
    MSL49 wrote: »
    There is no clear number one candidate.

    By far…. This can be a good or bad thing. Right now they just don’t know the direction they’re going to go.

    EoN is in hiatus and they’re letting the dust settle.

    Why the rush anyways? The sale to Amazon won’t be solved for months and months and months (lawyers have a way of prolonging sales like this; then again it’s their job to make sure the letter of the law, in a sale of this magnitude, is air tight).

    Once the sale is solidified, then the search for a new Bond will certainly heat up.
  • Posts: 526
    cooperman2 wrote: »
    Well they can churn out John Wick films so quickly because they don't have to worry about things like plot, story, character development because the Wick films don't have any of that, just endless repetitive tedious action scenes. Bond requires a bit more thought than that

    I wouldn’t mind a Bond film like the Wick series, tbh. It would be fresh, and reinvigorate the series. Make it an edgy pg 13. Got as close to R as possible (think CR). Arguably, the plot threads in the last 2 Bonds, and many in general, can be quite convoluted. You can still do all the locals, and so on. But for it to be more action based, O have no problem with that. And the Wick action style is pretty amazing.
  • sandbagger1sandbagger1 Sussex
    Posts: 686
    Tighter writing, tighter fight choreography, less big-things-exploding style of bloat, imo. That's the way I'd like to see the franchise move forward. It would be nice for a Bond film to have a scene or two which could match 'the basement' scene in Inglorious Basterds, that kind of suspense which comes from strong writing rather than a big budget.

    As for Matt Smith, I love him but... he's almost 40. Dan Stevens is the same age, and I'd rather have him that Matt if we were going for someone that age.
  • talos7talos7 New Orleans
    Posts: 7,889
    I would love to be a fly on the wall at EON to observe the entire casting process.
  • Posts: 14,799
    MSL49 wrote: »
    There is no clear number one candidate.

    I don't think we'll ever have a clear number one candidate, like Brosnan or Moore, who were pretty much plebiscited. Unless the franchise gets in a serious crisis and even then, the situation would be different. Only Moore could have succeeded Connery, given his notoriety and personal popularity. Pretty much everybody wanted Brosnan and casting him was a no brainer, at least on a commercial and advertisement standpoint.
  • AceHoleAceHole Belgium, via Britain
    edited November 2021 Posts: 1,727
    Tighter writing, tighter fight choreography, less big-things-exploding style of bloat, imo. That's the way I'd like to see the franchise move forward. It would be nice for a Bond film to have a scene or two which could match 'the basement' scene in Inglorious Basterds, that kind of suspense which comes from strong writing rather than a big budget.

    As for Matt Smith, I love him but... he's almost 40. Dan Stevens is the same age, and I'd rather have him that Matt if we were going for someone that age.

    +1

    But the kind of slow-burn you reference, a-la Tarantino, just isn't going to happen.

    Nevertheless - having 007 performing some actual spy-craft, a return to the snooping around from Connery & Moore's days would be very welcome. Allowing the location & plot to breathe, with Bond the actual protagonist, rather than a bystander. CR got this balance right imo

    Perhaps Bond snooping around during a large fundraiser in a luxurious hotel on top of the Alps (Gstaad)... smth along those lines.
    alpina-gstaad-3.jpg
  • BennyBenny In the shadowsAdministrator, Moderator
    Posts: 14,811
    talos7 wrote: »
    I would love to be a fly on the wall at EON to observe the entire casting process.

    I'd love to see who each of the final candidates are, and how they whittle them down. Then how they pick the winner as it were.
    cooperman2 wrote: »
    Well they can churn out John Wick films so quickly because they don't have to worry about things like plot, story, character development because the Wick films don't have any of that, just endless repetitive tedious action scenes. Bond requires a bit more thought than that

    I wouldn’t mind a Bond film like the Wick series, tbh. It would be fresh, and reinvigorate the series. Make it an edgy pg 13. Got as close to R as possible (think CR). Arguably, the plot threads in the last 2 Bonds, and many in general, can be quite convoluted. You can still do all the locals, and so on. But for it to be more action based, O have no problem with that. And the Wick action style is pretty amazing.

    Personally I don't want Bond to copy anyone. The reason Bond has lasted for 60 years is because he's unique, and doesn't copy other styles. Yes, James Bond has in the past gone with popular styles, LALD, TMWTGG and MR in particular went with popular styles at the time.
    However for the most part, Bond has remained a unique character. The class, the charm, the snobbery, the love of fine food and wine. He's a hero unlike any other.
    And I for one, hope he remains that way.
  • mtmmtm United Kingdom
    Posts: 14,861
    Benny wrote: »
    talos7 wrote: »
    I would love to be a fly on the wall at EON to observe the entire casting process.

    I'd love to see who each of the final candidates are, and how they whittle them down. Then how they pick the winner as it were.

    Yeah it was quite frustrating how we thought we'd see a clip from Craig's audition in that Being documentary, but we didn't really: we just got behind-the-scenes clips and nothing from the actual audition clip itself.
    Not that they have to show us any of that stuff; it'd just be fascinating, as you say.
  • BennyBenny In the shadowsAdministrator, Moderator
    Posts: 14,811
    Even if it was from a Bond of the past. See Pierce’s audition, and who was in line for the role. Or Timothy Dalton. Now that they’re both previous Bonds it wouldn’t be embarrassing for them, and shouldn’t be an issue for EON.
    It would be fascinating for any Bond fan though.
  • MSL49MSL49 Finland
    Posts: 395
    Next bond is born in the 80s.
  • AceHoleAceHole Belgium, via Britain
    Posts: 1,727
    MSL49 wrote: »
    Next bond is born in the 80s.

    Indeed. It's a milestone for people of my age - the first time a Bond actor will be younger than I .... that just feels... wrong :(
  • edited November 2021 Posts: 12,837
    Ludovico wrote: »
    I don't think the change between Connery and Moore was that radical, not at the beginning anyway. Connery had considerably lightened up with DAF, he had "missed" the darker Bond movie that was OHMSS, etc. When Moore took over he was still finding his feet in the role and had some darker moments. Maybe that's what we will have: a crypto Craig that will find his own voice as movies are released.

    That’s a good point to be fair, DAF completely slipped my mind. And yeah, I think it usually takes a film or two for the actor to settle in. Connery and Craig are probably the exceptions. Even Dalton, as much as I love him, had to deal with a couple of Moore hangovers in TLD. He was still brilliant, and you could tell straight away what his vision for the role was. But I think LTK was a film that felt more tailored to him.
    Tighter writing, tighter fight choreography, less big-things-exploding style of bloat, imo. That's the way I'd like to see the franchise move forward. It would be nice for a Bond film to have a scene or two which could match 'the basement' scene in Inglorious Basterds, that kind of suspense which comes from strong writing rather than a big budget.

    As for Matt Smith, I love him but... he's almost 40. Dan Stevens is the same age, and I'd rather have him that Matt if we were going for someone that age.

    Yeah, I’m expecting the budget to be scaled down pretty dramatically, and I don’t think that’s a bad thing. What sets Bond apart from other blockbusters is its strengths in dialogue, suspense, characterisation and all that. Despite being one of the founders of the genre, Bond has always been more than just a Rambo/Wick esque action film. So, I wouldn’t mind seeing things scaled down a bit going forward. I think NTTD would probably be hard to top in terms of epic stakes anyway, with it being Craig’s finale.

    And it’s not like you need a massive budget for a great action film either. The best of the last decade were me were probably the Raid films (please can we have Gareth Evans direct a Bond?), which were made for next to nothing. I would like Bond to start competing with MI’s stunts a bit more, but one or two big action scenes per film would probably be enough.
  • AceHoleAceHole Belgium, via Britain
    edited November 2021 Posts: 1,727
    Tighter writing, tighter fight choreography, less big-things-exploding style of bloat, imo. That's the way I'd like to see the franchise move forward. It would be nice for a Bond film to have a scene or two which could match 'the basement' scene in Inglorious Basterds, that kind of suspense which comes from strong writing rather than a big budget.

    As for Matt Smith, I love him but... he's almost 40. Dan Stevens is the same age, and I'd rather have him that Matt if we were going for someone that age.

    Yeah, I’m expecting the budget to be scaled down pretty dramatically, and I don’t think that’s a bad thing. What sets Bond apart from other blockbusters is its strengths in dialogue, suspense, characterisation and all that. Despite being one of the founders of the genre, Bond has always been more than just a Rambo/Wick esque action film. So, I wouldn’t mind seeing things scaled down a bit going forward. I think NTTD would probably be hard to top in terms of epic stakes anyway, with it being Craig’s finale.

    And it’s not like you need a massive budget for a great action film either. The best of the last decade were me were probably the Raid films (please can we have Gareth Evans direct a Bond?), which were made for next to nothing. I would like Bond to start competing with MI’s stunts a bit more, but one or two big action scenes per film would probably be enough.

    Director Nicolas Meyer was given a mere £pittance£ to do Star Trek II compared to it's predecessor - and he said himself that the more restrained budget actually made him, the co-writers and the crew think more creatively and come up with a better film in the end.

    Sometimes you produce your best work when you are aware that the pot of money is not bottomless... (without a floor, not without a backside :> )
  • mtmmtm United Kingdom
    Posts: 14,861
    I would like Bond to start competing with MI’s stunts a bit more, but one or two big action scenes per film would probably be enough.

    Yeah I'd like that. One of my big complaints with NTTD is that after the opening titles had rolled we didn't really get anything in the way on inventive action set pieces or big stunts.
  • Yeah, I’m expecting the budget to be scaled down pretty dramatically, and I don’t think that’s a bad thing. What sets Bond apart from other blockbusters is its strengths in dialogue, suspense, characterisation and all that. Despite being one of the founders of the genre, Bond has always been more than just a Rambo/Wick esque action film. So, I wouldn’t mind seeing things scaled down a bit going forward.
    Definitely agree. Especially since, despite its good box-office returns, NTTD hasn't yet gross enough money in order to break-even: according to Variety, the movie needs at least $800 million at the global box office to make money in its theatrical window, it's crazy. So it would be natural for Eon to give a reduced budget to B26.
  • talos7talos7 New Orleans
    Posts: 7,889
    My Holt Grail of Bond are screentest, of the actors who were cast and those who were not.

    Did Dalton screentest? I seem to remember reading that he did not? That could be a false memory.
  • talos7 wrote: »
    Did Dalton screentest? I seem to remember reading that he did not? That could be a false memory.
    He did!
    E7ZUeNKXIAMRd0u.jpg
  • Jordo007Jordo007 Merseyside
    Posts: 2,482
    talos7 wrote: »
    My Holt Grail of Bond are screentest, of the actors who were cast and those who were not.

    Did Dalton screentest? I seem to remember reading that he did not? That could be a false memory.

    Brosnan didn't do a second one in 1994 they reused his original one from 1986. That's what you could be getting confused with mate
  • talos7talos7 New Orleans
    Posts: 7,889
    Thanks, over the years so much becomes a blur.
  • Jordo007Jordo007 Merseyside
    Posts: 2,482
    talos7 wrote: »
    Thanks, over the years so much becomes a blur.

    No worries mate

    I was glad to see a snippet of Craig's screentest but I was disappointed we didn't get more, especially given that Being James Bond was the perfect opportunity
  • mtmmtm United Kingdom
    Posts: 14,861
    Benny wrote: »
    Even if it was from a Bond of the past. See Pierce’s audition, and who was in line for the role. Or Timothy Dalton. Now that they’re both previous Bonds it wouldn’t be embarrassing for them, and shouldn’t be an issue for EON.
    It would be fascinating for any Bond fan though.

    Yes, although we didn't really see any of Craig's it's still the most of any successful audition we've ever seen- which is odd because you'd think those who failed would be more annoyed about theirs being shown. But maybe they don't like their not-quite-fully-formed versions out there? Or maybe it's even some complicated contractual thing and their later signed contracts would mean they have to be paid for it or something?
  • MSL49MSL49 Finland
    Posts: 395
    Dalton too was shoe in replacement in 86.
  • talos7talos7 New Orleans
    Posts: 7,889
    How did Brolin’s and Neil’s make it out of the vault?

    What makes those difference from the others?
  • DavidWebbDavidWebb Somewhere
    Posts: 20
    Luke Evans... he's been on a few lists that talked about possible candidates (at least from what I've seen) and he seems like he could make a good Bond from the looks of him alone. That being said, I haven't seen any of his work so I can't be too sure.

    Another front runner that is again and again brought up is Mr. Idris Elba. Surely he's been brought up in this thread previously, but I seriously think he could be a great Bond. The only (small) problem I have with it is his age, he may be too old for more than 3-or-so movies. It's a shame, but its true.
  • mtmmtm United Kingdom
    Posts: 14,861
    talos7 wrote: »
    How did Brolin’s and Neil’s make it out of the vault?

    What makes those difference from the others?

    At least one of the DAF guys too.
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