Barbara Broccoli says the search for the next James Bond will start next year!!! PART TWO

Previous thread filled. Please attach link to Part One. TIA

“James Norton” just sounds like a James Bond.

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Jeez. Imagine if it's Harry Styles.

It will probably be an unknown or an up-and-comer or someone who's done steady work but has never had a big breakout role, and under 40. No, that hasn't always been the case in the past (Pierce Brosnan is an outlier in that and many other respects) but it probably will be now.

I like Oliver Jackson-Cohen or Sam Reid as suggestions. I wouldn't be mad if it was Henry Golding, though.

I know they won't pick an openly gay Bond but I think Luke Evans could do a good job

I love Luke, but he's too old, and looks it. It would be great to have an openly gay Bond, though, even if it's just behind the scenes.

I like Jack O'Connell, too, but he's too rough and working class looking for the part. Bond is supposed to be a working class lad who can mostly comfortably walk among the richies and I can't see him pulling that off. Rege Jean Page is hot too but he looks really young and boyish to me - that's the problem with Henry G too. James Bond has to be a chameleon you can't quite pigeonhole.

Leather face Luke Evans can play the upholstery on Bond’s Aston Martin.

R8, savage but not inaccurate.

I don't think O'Connell's looks are an issue. His teeth, maybe.

A lot of the guys mentioned in this thread have very janky teeth. But that's an easy fix and probably won't factor into the decision.

LOL at the people who think Luke Evans is "leathery" but Daniel Craig isn't....

What sort of name is Barbara Brocoli?

Did anyone say Daniel Craig isn’t?

The point is that Daniel Craig wasn't ruled out and he probably came out of the womb leathery.

Daniel Craig is leathery now in his mid 50s, but though he did look older than his late 30s in Casino Royale, I still wouldn't describe him as leathery.

I'm having a hard time picturing Madden as Bond. I had a hard time with him as Prince Charming in Cinderella too. Who is this dismal "Insider"? Is this "Insider" inside a box with no windows?

O’Connell is not UC, darling.

Asked if he’s been considered for Bond-type film: “In my experience, it kind of gets political in the process of booking them roles. That’s not an area I consider myself well enough versed in to be able to comment. I haven’t booked them roles. I don’t have experience of working on them kind of movies. I wouldn’t be closed minded to it.”

The Bodyguard was Madden's James Bond audition and regardless of what you think of him, his looks, his twinks, and anything else, it went over pretty well. He's been at the top of a lot of lists for a long time along with Cavill and Hardy.

This is Craig's actual skin, hon.

Madden was screwed over by his styling in "Cinderella."

Sam Reid has a beautiful smile.

He's also family. He doesn't need the scrutiny that would come with Bond. Ditto OJC.

I haven't heard anything about Jeremy Irons' son in years. Has he been consigned to Hallmark movies, like Julian Morris?

Sam Reid has a pretty serious overbite but I agree it's cute.

Luke Evans is 5 years younger than DC was in R20 and still looks like this.

R20 If I can't get past the bad rug how can I see a face?

Please. According to the rumor mill, OJC has been chasing after Marvel and Star Wars roles for a couple of years. If he can handle the scrutiny of that, he can handle the scrutiny and accompanying paycheck of Bond. Wonder if he's still living with Tom Austen?

R26 holy shit now that you've pointed it out it's all I can look at.

Brandon Thwaites maybe. Thirty two, nice biceps, Aussie.

[quote] What sort of name is Barbara Brocoli?

The sort that’s spelled Broccoli. It’s Italian.

R28 it was the FIRST thing I saw!

Bond is show stranger to bad rugs.

*no stranger

Who is OJC?

Ooooh, Brenton Thwaites is a really good suggestion.

No actor who plays Robin will play Bond.

I wonder if Sam Heughan is still hoping it's going to be his. Silly boy.

I re-watched Goldfinger recently and Connery's rug was VERY noticeable

Well, Heughan would sell his Grandpa Shatner to get and keep the role.

Sam Heughan's ever growing face mole is probably large enough to tackle the role on its own by now.

R34: OJC = Oliver Jackson-Cohen

At r29 I wrote Brandon, but obviously it’s Brenton.

Bond cannot be Jewish. How ridiculous!

Yeah, it's ridiculous for him to be Jewish....but not for him to have a mouthful of veneers (like Fleming ever intended that) or to have a gym body and be super pumped (Bond is described as being slender, not muscular)

Oh please, r44.

Relax. OJC is only a demi-Jew.

[Quote] According to the rumor mill, OJC has been chasing after Marvel and Star Wars roles for a couple of years. If he can handle the scrutiny of that, he can handle the scrutiny and accompanying paycheck of Bond

The scrutiny of being in the mix is nothing compared to what happens after landing the project.

I will give ol' leatherface a rim job all day, any day.

He’s an Egyptian Jew - look at his wiki.

^Cut or uncut?

[quote]The scrutiny of being in the mix is nothing compared to what happens after landing the project.

OJC's buddy Richard Madden seems to have handled it fine so far.

Sam Reid had dark hair in Belle and he looked good, better than with his natural blond hair so he should dye his hair dark to stand out. He is getting a little podgy along the jaw line though.

Sam isn't just a blond - he's naturally a *strawberry* blond, aka a stealth ginger. So's Jack O'Connell. Forget a black or Jewish or female Bond - he'll NEVER be a ginger!

Whatever. Sam Reid is perfection.

Relax, R54, I've been the other person all up and down this thread saying he'd be great. If they don't like his hair he can just dye it like he usually does.

Barbara Broccoli's assistant, Tammy Turnip, is leaning towards Lizzo for the role of James Bond.

[Quote] OJC's buddy Richard Madden seems to have handled it fine so far.

While in an ensemble picture. Bond would be an entirely different kettle of fish.

[quote] Leather face Luke Evans can play the upholstery on Bond’s Aston Martin.

Oh that’s a good one, mean for sure, but funny.

[quote] What sort of name is Barbara Brocoli?

The cousin of Rosemary Romaine

Jack Lowden.

This guy can act and add lightheartedness to the role. He needs to get out of the shadow of his famous girlfriend.

Tom Hopper cannot act.

LOL! No, not at all, R61. He is eye candy and that's all.

Jack Lowden would be great. A lot of great names have been brought up in this and the previous thread. They have an unprecedented wealth of young up and coming real British talent to pick from.

Which is why it's probably going to go to a talentless hack like Harry Styles.

Sam Claflin

Have you seen Sam Claflin lately? He looks like hell.

And what does Carol Cauliflower say?

Jack Lowden has a portrait of Elizabeth Taylor in his Instagram.

What does that mean?

You must post a warning with such photos, R48; an unsuspecting eldergay (or not-so) could faint straightaway, breaking a hip in the fall to the floor.

Sam Reid's voice alone should make him the frontrunner for Bond.

[quote] No actor who plays Robin will play Bond.

I’m a Brenton fan, but he lacks the mien to be Bond.

[quote] Sam Claflin

He can act and I could see him pulling off Bond. His height might not serve in his favor though.

[quote] OJC is only a demi-Jew.

Does he enjoy the demi-gas?

Jack Lowden plays bisexual poet Siegfried Sassoon in Terence Davies' upcoming biopic Benediction, co-starring Jeremy Irvine as gay singer-songwriter and actor Ivor Novello.

You people.

I occasionally check in to see what ridiculous predictions you all come up with as to the next Bond.

I told you it will be Richard Madden. That hasn't changed.

Barbara was determined that it would be him. It's a done deal.

Publicity wise, it best to portray the search as active & current rather than admitting the decision was made long ago.

Nevertheless, we have been informed it will be announced in March of 22.

Near the month it was to be announced prior to the pandemic in 20.

I look forward to the grovelling apologies from the doubters.

If it's Richard Madden, I feel sory for him. His personal relationship will be all the way fucked.

R72 is the queen who bought the Madden barbie doll.

Just for shits and giggles, tell Taylor Lautner he’s up for the role.

May we pre-grovel, R72?

What makes anyone here think that the new Bond will not be black?

[quote] What sort of name is Barbara Brocoli? The cousin of Rosemary Romaine

And the god daughter of Carolyn Corn

[Quote] What makes anyone here think that the new Bond will not be black?

China.

Some of you are going to lose your mind when you learn of Babs' father.

[quote] And the god daughter of Carolyn Corn

Corn? Now when did she eat corn?

"China."

Then cast Henry Golding. He's British.

[quote]What makes anyone here think that the new Bond will not be black? China.

I say "fuck China and the cowardly, greedy Brits who would appease them."

Pick me! Look, I'm even in a high-profile relationship with whatsherface

After NTTD, how can there be another James Bond?

There could be another 007 (and there already has been, in NTTD itself). But short of simply scratching the last five films altogether and doing a complete reboot, it's difficult to see how one could have another James Bond, given what happened at the end of NTTD (perhaps better punctuated, 'No! Time To Die!).

They just did a complete reboot. Why not another?

They should reboot to a young Bond. Another one pushing 40 would work less well.

[quote]They just did a complete reboot. Why not another?

When, R86?

Changing the actors who play James Bond is not the same thing. This is different. Perhaps you haven't seen NTTD yet, and don't know what's happened to the character. They cannot just pick up with another actor.

Moneypenny changed race.

This Bond never married Tracy, never met Goldfinger or Rosa Kleb. He’s a reboot, not just a recasting.

[quote]Moneypenny changed race.

Not within the Daniel Craig set of five films, R89.

And Tracy, the late Mrs. Bond?

[quote]And Tracy, the late Mrs. Bond?

A character from 'On Her Majesty's Secret Service' (1969), R92, and to my knowledge, never again mentioned or acknowledged in any subsequent 'Bond' film.

That's the thing about earlier Bond films; each was standalone, with little or nothing tying them together in a narrative arc. There hadn't been a narrative arc until the Daniel Craig films.

The new Bond will not be a straight white man.

Not happening.

R94, So... ?

Why is that a bad thing?

Right? I mean, he will, but it'd be great if he wasn't.

Then that would be a different series, with a different character...

[quote] And Tracy, the late Mrs. Bond?

[quote] A character from 'On Her Majesty's Secret Service' (1969), [R92], and to my knowledge, never again mentioned or acknowledged in any subsequent 'Bond' film.

Incorrect:

Sean Connery's James Bond is explicitly seeking vengeance for her death in Diamonds Are Forever (1971).

Anya Amasova mentions the death of his wife to James (Roger Moore) in The Spy Who Loved Me (1977).

James (Moore again) is seen at Tracy's grave in the pre-credits sequence of For Your Eyes Only (1981).

Felix mentions to his bride that James (Timothy Dalton) was once married in License to Kill (1989).

So all of those James Bonds are the same person. Tracy is not mentioned in any of Pierce Brosnan's Bonds, so he could be seen as a "reboot", just as Craig's tenure apparently starts fresh again, right from James' first two kills.

When Pierce Brosnan's Bond failed to acknowledge Tracy, did it send you into fits, R98?

*** 𝐒𝐏𝐎𝐈𝐋𝐄𝐑 𝐀𝐋𝐄𝐑𝐓 ***

Any subsequent 007 character to Daniel Craig will have to be a different character, because Craig's James Bond 𝑑𝑖𝑒𝑑, something none of the other Bonds have done. And there's no takebacks; it's extremely final.

The character doesn't have to die if they reboot to an earlier point in time.

[quote] I say "fuck China and the cowardly, greedy Brits who would appease them."

The Bond franchise is a business, dearie, not a fundraiser for racial correctness in motion pictures.

The problem is Craig’s reboot started with his becoming a double-0. A younger reboot would have to be about Bond before he became 007.

They could just pull a fake-out. We never saw the body.

Or just treat it like they treat Spider-Man — just recast and get on with it, although I guess they are going explicitly “multiverse” in the new one.

Craig’s Bond does have a weakness for 1964 Aston Martin DB5, though it is given a new origin story. It was won in a poker game and later modified by Q Branch.

Didn't we see Honey Ryder's... holster? Hunting knife?... in one of the later Bond movies? I think it may have been a Daniel Craig one.

OHMSS, R104. To show that George Lazenby is the same character.

How about Josh Hawley aka the World's Most Masculine Man?

Reginald Vel Johnson.

'James Bond' is like a position. A job title if you will.

He can die in every film, but someone new will assume the mantle of "James Bond" in the next one.

That's not really true. It's a franchise and the actors age out. Nothing more complicated than that.

I'm the new Bond, hunty.

Well, M and Q are code names. They could use “James Bond” as the code name for whoever is designated 007. That would be discreet.

James Bond is the characters' real name per the novels; they'd have to change that in the movies to make it a kind of callsign.

If you don't see the body, the character isn't dead.

This is like Spiderman, it's a multi-verse. Different timelines, different Bonds.

R72, "You people"?

"You people", Really?

Insider, you are far too wonderful and worldly for our most humble dump known as The Data Lounge.

Please leave immediately. Take your poodle with you.

I'm not convinced that Agnes Asparagus is not gonna majorly fuck up this franchise.

R73 Yeah. If Madden were to get the Bond gig, I get the feeling he might break someone's heart, as he seems the type to put career first and "play the game", so to speak.

But Madden took up with Froy when he had ETERNALS on the slate. I think he's pretty determined to date as he pleases. But would he be allowed that space if he were to become Bond? Somehow I doubt it.

R116–She and her brother have been running the franchise for 26 years. They know what they’re doing.

Who will take over from them?

Richard Madden is ugly. Please don't let it be him.

He's more handsome than Craig.

He also looks older than Craig, and he's only 35.

R118 Madden took up with Froy at the start of a pandemic, between major projects, while shooting one, and Froy is nowhere to be seen while Madden promotes the Marvel movie (of which he's part of a massive ensemble, and certain other cast members are getting far more press attention than him on that one). Bond, and headlining such, would make him an immediate household name, globally. That's a whole other beast. Not only by what he'll have to do for promotion, but a whole other level of attention it's going to bring to his life. And Broccoli, the studio, and the parent company will be watching.

The Bond Girl will be trans.

r72 Madden is currently 33/1, so, if THE INSIDER is indeed correct, then he makes for a good bet right now.

Theo James was always my pick. Rugged, handsome, sensitive.

James Norton looks the most obviously Bond-ish of the front runners to me.

R125 will be a moron.

[quote] They should reboot to a young Bond. Another one pushing 40 would work less well.

Yes, could we get Harry Styles or Timothee Chalamet.

[quote]Madden is currently 33/1, so, if THE INSIDER is indeed correct, then he makes for a good bet right now.

Oddschecker is what's wrong with the system. We're sick to death of watching the same motley crew marketed and pimped out to us. How about taking a risk on someone who isn't a Brand? Babs needs to surprise us again, like she did with Craig.

Most of the Bonds haven't been "brands." Only Roger Moore really was.

Here's the new Bond, bitches.

I think Pierce "Remington Steele" Brosnan was a bit of a brand...

Not by 1994, he wasn't. He was doing direct-to-video movies by that time.

The only Bonds considered are either British or Australian.

With Australia having such a close history and cultural tie to Britain, a candidate considered exceptional but Australian was OK with Barbara and the family in general.

For the most part Bond will always be a British actor but an Australian was always a possibility.

There is a rule of thumb that no other nationality would ever be considered. That rules out U.S. & Canadian actors etc.

Kevin Hart.

Great suggestion r125. They should make Bond trans too? If they don’t it’s literal murder - every second of every day a person of transonification is brutally slain.

The T obsessives are unamusing.

R139, I agree

I really like the Jack Lowden suggestion the more I think about it. He's a bit young, but he's Scottish so... he doesn't look it.

R141, Lowden is 31. With the way they churn out Bond films, he may be close to 35- 40 when the next film come out. The time between Spectre and No Time To Die is 6 years.

The physical demand for the role is better for a younger man.

Ok, then cast Austin Mahone.

In the books, Bond is in his 30s. I think Jack Lowden is a good age

Max Irons would be perfect to play James Bond. He has just finished Condor season 2(it is awesome). He has the body-very sexy man.

George MacKay looks quite good in a tuxedo.

To me he looks like someone's dorky kid brother

[quote] What sort of name is Barbara Brocoli?

It's Norwegian, Rose.

Not that anyone asked, but I've thought for a long time that character Moneypenny should be a gay guy, which would add a new dimension to the playfulness between them.

[quote]THE INSIDER

Presumably the same insider that peeped NTTD wouldn't turn a profit.

Babs isn't hiring a luvvie, Rose.

Luvvie?

Google it bitch.

Interesting footage of Craig's introduction.

Another vid with more on the background behind choosing Craig. How incredible that Julian McMahon was one of those in the running. Clive Owen of course too.

But James Bond character is a straight white man.

sorry, but there are some classic characters who should not be the subject of alternative casting. Bond is one of them. He should be British and white. It's a ridiculous as having a black Annie just for the woke crowd.

Gabourey Sidibe.

Jack Lowden is training for something.

Clive Owen would have been a fantastic Bond. I wonder why he didn't get it?

I'm a Daniel Craig fan but Clive Owen would have been great, too

Too bad that model David Gandy isn’t an actor. Physically, he’s ideal for James Bond.

I told you peoples already.... Max Irons is the next James Bond!!

You can't possibly look more pedestrian than Max Irons.

You peoples!?

Sam Heughan, because he's a normal heterosexual dude and not one of those queers!

[quote] Jack Lowden is training for something.

He's starring in a spy series for AppleTv.

Please desist from using my phrase "You people".

By all means continue these ridiculous Bond suggestions.

They are sometimes quite humorous, if not fruitless..

Whomever they choose needs to be young if they're to get a string of films from them: certainly no older than 33.

Here's Clive Owen now. He's only 57, but looks like he's ready for slippers.

Heughan has legs like a polio victim.

Edward Holcroft

Switch it up and make things interesting for a slightly tired franchise. A gay James Bond, a female Jane Bond, a Black or Asian Bond..

Just STFU and go back to your pre-adolescent life.

"The longtime producer of the 'James Bond' franchise says the next 007 will be a British man: 'I don't think a woman should play James Bond'

Jason Guerrasio Dec 8, 2021, 5:21 PM

Producer Barbara Broccoli, the longtime overseer of the "James Bond" franchise, still doesn't know who is going to fill Daniel Craig's shoes following his exit as 007 in this year's "No Time to Die."

"But she knows the next Bond will be British — and a man."

And James Bond is not always the same person, correct? In the novel or the film franchise?

Not true. The spoof Bond movie, Casino Royale, from 1967 had numerous James Bonds but that was a farce.

r174, in the Ian Fleming novels, it's the same James Bond in every one.

The film series is not so clear; my theory is that the James Bond played by Connery, Lazenby, Moore, and Dalton are the same person, then Brosnan is a different one, and Craig is another different one.

The search is apparently over...

It might be a clever move to go with the standard Bond: white, British, male, publically heterosexual. While the woke Twitter crowd is very vocal, there is a big portion of the audience who wants James Bond to remain the same type he's always been.

R178, I guess the DL right wing brigade needs something to bitch about. Your comment makes no sense anyway, since the actors who have played James Bond are all different from each other

You know what? I haven’t seen any Bond films since Casino Royale. So, let the motherfucker stay white. The franchise has been on fumes for years now. Weak plots held together with ridiculous gimmicks.

But they are always white, male, publically heterosexual, and British, R179.

As they should be. Resist the woke.

I hope they bring back the tail-chasing, debonair Bond with a killer instinct who's not afraid to put a bullet in a lover if she deserves it.

Publicly heterosexual? So it's cool if Bond is a big queen in private

Why is everybody looking at me?

Well yeah, R184. Is this your first fucking day at DL?

Don’t resist the woke, r182, but focus on something else. More worthwhile than so,e cheesy franchise past it’s sell-by date.

some, not so,e, obviously

[quote] I hope they bring back the tail-chasing, debonair Bond with a killer instinct who's not afraid to put a bullet in a lover if she deserves it.

He’s never done that.

Who's OJC?

Isn't it going to be that guy from Bridgerton?

r189, you could argue that he kills Fiona in Thunderball.

Self-defense.

^^ Fiona Volpe in Thunderball. Electra King in TWINE.

And then there are those girls he unceremoniously flipped around and let them take a bullet or a knock for him: Bonita in Goldfinger, Felicca in TSWLM, and a bunch of others he "sacrificed" for England.

R182, I'd rather resist Republican trolls like yourself. Weird that some people want to side with the people who hate them

Those are villains trying to kill him.

Of course women who sleep with Bond get killed by the villains they work for. That’s a Bond motif. Not the same thing as Bond shooting them because they “deserve it.”

One assumes that when Bond kills somebody -- male or female -- they deserved it because they ARE the villains.

My favorite Bond assassination is when he blows up Fatima Blush in the off-brand Bond film Never Say Never Again. She was also a delightfully crazy onscreen presence.

^non-canon

It's strange that in the Pierce Brosnan movies the villains were British - Sean Bean, Jonathan Pryce, Robert Carlyle, Toby Stephens - whereas in the Daniel Craig movies up to No Time To Die they were Europeans- Mads Mikkelsen, Mathieu Amalric, Javier Bardem, Christoph Waltz.

Did James Bond cause Brexit?

When was the last time we had an American Bond villain?

Are we forgetting that Sophie Marceau was a villain?

r201, the main villain of The World is Not Enough is Elektra King -- played by French actress Sophie Marceau. King is written as English of Azerbaijani descent, and I believe her mother was Greek. Robert Carlyle plays her lover and primary henchman, Renard (né Victor Zokas), the son of a Russian mother and Bosnian father.

[quote]Are we forgetting that Sophie Marceau was a villain?

Sophie Marceau played a VILLAINESS. As was Rosamund Pike.

Looking at the cast members I totally forgot Halle Berry was in a Bond movie.

r202, the last American actor to play a Bond villain was Robert Davi as Sanchez in License to Kill (1989).

The last American character to be a villain was Brad Whitaker (Joe Don Baker) in The Living Daylights (1987).

I take that back -- Rami Malek is an American actor, but like Davi, he's playing a non-American character.

A Trumpesque character who gets taken down by Bond would be satisfying.

Bond should take down a Russian bot factory

Max Irons. Henry Golding. James Norton. Richard Madden. I love Luke Evans, and he'd make a really good Bond villain.

[quote]Who's OJC?

Oliver Jackson-Cohen, who realistically isn't getting anywhere near this franchise. There's up and coming, and there's "has never been the lead in a major motion picture."

What major moton picture had Daniel Craig led?

[Quote] Sophie Marceau played a VILLAINESS. As was Rosamund Pike.

Disagree. Marceau was the main villian. Pike, Famke Janssen, Lucianna Paluzzi etc. were all subordinate to the main villain.

R212. He'd been in a few. I don't mean hits. I mean *any*. Oliver Jackson-Cohen hasn't carried a single theatrical release as the lead yet. Don't misunderstand; I think he's great and would do great in the part and should be a much bigger star than he currently is, but there is just no way the studios will take a gamble on a totally unproven actor to carry a billion-dollar franchise.

Craig had been in several. He was the killer in Infamous. The killer in Road to Perdition. He was the killer in Layer Cake. Hey, wait a minute . . .

Henry Cavill is slimming back down to his Tudors size in order to secure the role.

I wouldn't be surprised if they gave the role to Harry Styles.

He's too young, but it wouldn't surprise me either.

'What major moton picture had Daniel Craig led?'

Sylvia starring himself as Ted Hughes and Gywneth Paltrow as Sylvia Plath. 24 Hour Party People in which he starred as Ian Curtis of Joy Division.

It will never be Harry Styles

And "Sylvia" was an art film, not a big mainstream hit

Styles is too young now but he would be in his 30s by the time they started filming and he's super athletic. He'd find the fights etc pretty easy and he has the charisma and light eyes/dark hair.

Would Styles write the theme tune and sing the them tune?

Super athletic? If you say so

No one's talking big mainstream hits. We're saying that OJC hasn't lead any theatrical release film, at all, art or otherwise.

Yep R223. Swims for hours in the cold water of Hampstead Men's pond. Runs, cycles, boxes. Is on the move for every second of his 90 minute shows and never breaks a sweat. He's way fitter than some of the Bonds, who smoked and had to go on fitness binges before each film.

Neither had Craig. He was a supporting actor. Even that movie with Anne Reid. It was her film.

Cavill is losing weight to distance himself from the Superman role. Bond has to be slim and muscular NOT a huge muscle mary.

[quote] Are we forgetting that Sophie Marceau was a villain?

No, and she was also Bond's lover, as were Fiona and Fatima in a sense.

They have a history of dealing with tattoos back to Connery, but Styles is covered head to toe. They don’t go for tattoos at Eton and Cambridge.

Joe Alwyn. He'll be 33-34 by the time they shoot. He's tall, has a charming accent, and he looks good in a tux. Oh, he's also a pretty good actor. And don't forget Nicholas Hoult. He is definitely a contender.

They don't want an emaciated , tattooed rat who wears a dress to be Bond.

Joe Alwyn is a good actor but he looks 17.

R230, Joe is too much of a milksop. He doesn't have the steel and fire of a Bond. Those limpid blue eyes don't inspire fear. He's Taylor Swift's lap dog.

Styles has one arm of tatts and a few on his chest. These were all covered up for My Policeman and Don't Worry Darling.

[QUOTE] They don’t go for tattoos at Eton and Cambridge.

Cambridge has plenty of tattooed students these days.

I saw the movie about Eichmann because Oscar Isaac is in it and I have a crush on him. Love him. Joe Alwyn was in it as a Neo Nazi bastard, and he was menacing and evil, but he had a certain dimension to the character. He didn't play the guy as a one dimensional villain. I think the movie is called Finale and Sir Ben Kingsley played Eichmann.

They’re gonna jig it up, aren’t they?

I always like me nazis to be multi-dimensional.

I remember Bond purists being appalled at the choice of gnarly nerd Daniel Craig, but he muscled up, had procedures to smooth his face, and suddenly everyone was fine.

Well Sean Connery wasn't exactly Mr. Smooth. He had a very rugged exterior, but he was sexy in that "I beat my wife" kinda way.

R238 Procedures to smooth his face?

Craig wasn't considered a nerd.

"The search will start!"

Such hooey. She knows perfectly well who it'll be.

Honestly, I'd love a return to the suave, debonair Bond that's a bit more tongue-in-cheek and doesn't need to be overly serious. Also a younger Bond would be refreshing.

I also would like a younger Bond. Not a tween but I'm not sure why people are so sold on guys in the 40-50 age range like Idris Elba and Tom Hardy

That is not the face of a Bond.

Maybe not, R245. But Hoult can alter his appearance. I had no idea he was in the Mad Max with Charlize until I saw the credits. He can disappear. Now you want to see a 'face of Bond?" check this out Alwyn has sex appeal, and can do menace vey convincingly. Looks good in a tux too.

He looks like a villain.

[QUOTE] also would like a younger Bond. Not a tween but I'm not sure why people are so sold on guys in the 40-50 age range like Idris Elba and Tom Hardy

Bond is 40 in Ian Fleming's novels so the next actor should be 35-40 ideally. 50s is much too old.

Alwyn is only 29 years old and looks even younger.

Alwyn will be about 33-34 by the time the next Bond movie comes out.

"Bond is 40 in Ian Fleming's novels so the next actor should be 35-40 ideally."

No, he's in his thirties:

In Fleming's stories, James Bond is in his mid-to-late thirties, but does not age.[31] In Moonraker, he admits to being eight years shy of mandatory retirement age from the 00 section—45—which would mean he was 37 at the time.[32] Fleming did not provide Bond's date of birth, but John Pearson's fictional biography of Bond, James Bond: The Authorized Biography of 007, gives him a birth date of 11 November 1920,[33] while a study by Bond scholar John Griswold puts the date at 11 November 1921.[34] According to Griswold, the Fleming novels take place between around May 1951,[35] to February 1964, by which time Bond was aged 42.

If Fleming had lived another 3 years, I wonder if he would have written a Bond retires novel?

On another topic, I think Nick Hoult is handsome and sufficiently butch to play Bond. What might work against Hoult is that he's a little too well-known.

Love Nick Hoult. Alwyn is also very handsome.

I wish Roose Bolton were younger. He’d make a perfect Bond.

[quote]Procedures to smooth his face

Typed the trizzy Clarins queen. Craig didn't have anything done. A decade before he scored the Bond role he looked exactly the same. Some men are just – surprise – born handsome.

You think male stars never have plastic surgery? Oh, honey.

That's a real nice photo spread and video of Alwyn. Taylor Swift won't be able to handle him much longer, once he hits big, and he will.

He's been pushed as the next big thing for years now, but he's still best known as Taylor Swift's better half

This may have already been mentioned and fuck if I know cause I don't have time to reread all of the earlier posts. But, in No Time To Die, I thought it was interesting that music and a line "We have all the time in the world' was used twice in obvious reference to the late 60s-On Her Majesty's Secret Service. A nice subtle reference to an earlier film with a similar tragic theme for Bond and a lover.

'Craig didn't have anything done. A decade before he scored the Bond role he looked exactly the same. Some men are just – surprise – born handsome.'

He was gnarly as fuck pre Bond and had Botox and fillers to make his face look more like 40 than 50. He was never particularly handsome and looked more like a Bond villain than Bond.

'Taylor Swift won't be able to handle him much longer, once he hits big, and he will.'

People have been saying that he's going ot hit big for the last ten years, but he never does. Taylor's ex Harry Styles has actually hit big and got two lead roles on his second and third movies.

Harry Styles spends more time in a dress than trousers. Maybe lobby for him to be a Bond Girl instead.

Sullivan Stapleton. He’s about the right age too.

44 is not the right age.

No. Just no.

Dude, it’s just a matter of hair, styling and getting his 300 bod back.

A 44 year old will be pushing 50 by the time his first Bond will be released.

^ which is why I don't think they should pick a guy who is 40 +

They won't. The next Bond will be mid-30s at most.

Why is everyone assuming it's going to take 5+ years to get the next Bond movie out? It sounds like they're poised to cast him this year and probably already have a writer in mind. We could see another Bond in as little as 2 years.

It's not just about the first movie. It's about 5 movies with 3 years in-between. They need a Bond who can play the character for the next 15 years. Cast a man of 35, and he retires from the role at just about the right age.

Remember, in the original books, Bond notes that the mandatory retirement age for 00 spies is 45. After that, they get kicked upstairs or leave the service.

r270, I imagine the script is being written right now. If they get their new Bond next spring, a new movie could conceivably be out by fall of 2023 or spring of 2024. They used to be able to deliver Bond movies every two years, I don't know why they can't do that anymore.

Well, with Craig I suspect it was in his contact that he had to be allowed to do other films?

Pierce Brosnan played Bond from 1995 to 2002; during that time, he also appeared in The Mirror Has Two Faces (1996), Mars Attacks! (1996), Dante's Peak (1997), The Thomas Crown Affair (1999), and The Tailor of Panama (2001), and that's just the best remembered films -- there are others that are completely forgotten, like Grey Owl (1999) and Evelyn (2002). So, it can be done.

Pierce Brosnan is no Daniel Craig.

Jack Lowden is in his early 30s. Perfect age.

Lowden has such a beta face, though. He almost looks like he could be a brother of Scott from the JJ Abrams Stark Trek.

*Scotty

Jack looks better with a beard. I doubt Barbara Broccoli will let Bond have facial hair.

That guy Lowden, looks too much like a comedian...a slapstick, googly eyed comedian perfect for broad comedy. Not classy or subtle or menacing enough for Bond.

He'd be great as the rookie cop in a British Detective procedural...the one who gets killed during a traffic stop.

R274: Adding 1999's "The Nephew," starring Hill Harper, to your list.

WHET Hill Harper?

You flatter Simon Pegg, R277.

Not really. There is a resemblance.

Aaron Taylor Johnson?

I've doubt you've seen Aaron's johnson, but have you heard him speak?

What's wrong with his voice? It's not like he's shrieky helium-voiced Stephen Amell.

Yeah, that contralto doesn't say, "license to kill," it says, "I can't be away from mommy-wife for more than two days!"

Presented Without Comment.

LOL R289 he's not THAT bad and that can probably be fixed with a little voice training. He's a great actor, good looking and the right age. I wouldn't be mad if they cast him though I still think Jack Lowden and Sam Reid would be much better choices.

Aaron Taylor-Johnson is physically the closest that any of these guys come to the public's idea of Bond and he's the perfect age as well.

He's over a decade into his career. The voice is not going to get any better. Maybe Inspector Wexford could dub him.

I thought Brosnan was a great Bond.

Bond. James Bond.

The first two Brosnan films are among my favorite Bond flicks. The later ones . . . not so much. I did think he pulled off the humor, brutality, and sexiness necessary for the part.

That's why Hoult is my favorite for the new Bond. His performance in The Great shows he can do all of those things.

I think Brosnan pulled off the humor and the sexiness....I didn't find him to be very brutal or threatening

If it wasn't for Denise Richards, The World Is Not Enough might've been one of the best films in the series: solid, intricate plot; fantastic villains; great action.

R294 needs a trigger warning.

Will the Bond producers care about the pics of Richard Madden on vacation with his "friend"?

James Bond is a man of the world and has sampled its many pleasures.

[Quote] Will the Bond producers care about the pics of Richard Madden on vacation with his "friend"?

Link?

Aaron, with that old wife of his, doesn’t present himself as a James Bond type.

[Quote] Aaron, with that old wife of his, doesn’t present himself as a James Bond type.

Agreed.

Probably too old now, but I think Matthew Macfadyen would have made a great Bond. Handsome, British, and can act.

[quote]Will the Bond producers care about the pics of Richard Madden on vacation with his "friend"?

I hope they don't.

Rowan Atkinson would being a new approach to Bond.

R301 Here -

Even Twitter did not show the pics. There seems to be a ban on showing his bf. If he becomes Bond, there will absolutely be people trying to out him. Madden had too many pics and articles out there compared to someone like Cruise. He's not in Cruise's level, why not avoid the headache and pick another guy?

What headache?

R308 Really, the link I posted didn't show up? Weird. Shows just fine for me.

What headache? Richard Madden isn't falling asleep in hotel rooms with Russian prostitutes...

The link showed up but the pics were hidden unless you clicked on a box.

Bond is a very international property. They are not going with a homosexualist.

Why would Twitter hide the pics and say clicking on this box will show "sensitive content". All I see are 3 men talking.

what a strange topic of conversation. The search doesn't exist. It's too specific. The only thing they will decide is how old Bond needs to be at the start of the new franchise. They probably know already. There are probably 5 names the producers will accept if the agencies don't get too greedy in negotiations in terms of time and money.

The only big question is if they'd be willing to work with a Tarantino on the next one. My guess is no. The producers are old school and generally hire directors who they can control.

Also for anyone who doesn't know, the producers can be discussed here in a way that virtually no other producers can. Contractually they run the movie. The studio has very little say in anything--other than to advise. if the studio didn't like what the bond producers were doing, the Broccoli's could find another studio. There's no other producers who have that level of control, maybe other than George Lucas before he sold Lucasfilm.

Harvey?

[quote]Even Twitter did not show the pics.

Girl what are you going on about? A Twitter search for "Richard froy" brings up hundreds of posts showing the photos.

I still think they should use an Australian actor. They have that swagger.

R318 Along with a nasty accent. Nope.

They’ve already had an Aussie.

I love an Aussie accent. Remember r319, we have Australians that post here. That was pretty thoughtless of you.

We love Aussies, except one playing Bond.

R322, who’s WE?

Too bad Hugh is too old.

And too gay.

Rege Jean Page from Bridgerton is top of the betting again in the UK>

RJP is really hot and the right age - I could see it. But I could also see Richard Madden. Not to sound too cynical, but I don't think the fact that he's in a relationship with a man will be anything but a point in his favor in 2022: it'll let them keep a white guy in the role if he's some kind of diversity hire behind the scenes.

RJP pings so heavily, though. He'd have to change himself up too much, even to do interviews...

[Quote] Not to sound too cynical, but I don't think the fact that he's in a relationship with a man will be anything but a point in his favor in 2022: it'll let them keep a white guy in the role if he's some kind of diversity hire behind the scenes.

I wouldn't say that sounds cynical, more "bizarro logic."

r316 Harvey Weinstein was in a category by himself because he was often a producer, financier, and distributor. And since he's nearly dead and buried let's remember, this man was a maniac who was kept afloat by the hundreds of millions in profits created by Tarantino movies (which were more lucrative than any website with box office numbers can tell you because most happened in the era of DVD's and people ate up Tarantino DVD's).

A good chunk of the movies Harvey distributed and got awards for he had nothing to do with the production of. He purchased literally hundreds of movies at Miramax that he never bothered releasing and Disney had to write off. He produced dozens of horrific movies and then would routinely interfere with the post production process/editing and fuck them up even more. For every SCREAM there were 20 complete shitshows.

My favorite anecdote about his craziness and interference is where he decided for some animated movie that it cost too much to pay Kevin Bacon $50k for one day of work. But they had already paid Kevin $25k as a downpayment on that. So they just lost the $25k instead of spending $25k more to get it done and then they had to recast the role with someone they probably ended up paying $50k anyway.

I'll be putting my hand up.

"My name is Bond, James Bond. Got it faggot!"

There’s an interview on YouTube (No Time To Die Premiere, 2nd last interview) with Nina Gold, who cast the Bond film. She says that her brief with regard to the villain was someone different, and “they wanted to go younger”. So that definitely indicates they’re looking — as they need to — at the demographics of the box office. Now Rami Malek was only 39 when he was cast in the film, so that should clue you in that they’re NOT going to cast for Bond anyone in their 40s. FORGET IT. And precedent has nothing to do with it: everything has changed! The new Bond will be early 30s at best — possibly even late 20s. So you need to be thinking in that sector. Got it?

They would also be wanting to shake things up. This will be a reinvention for a new generation — not a continuation.

Harry Styles is very much a possibility. Dresses or not.

[Quote] The new Bond will be early 30s at best — possibly even late 20s. So you need to be thinking in that sector. Got it?

This thread has shown me that DLers have a blackspot for actors who aren't twinks (teens to early/mid 20s) or over 40. There have been so few suggestions in the right age range. DL doesn't see it for late 20s, early 30s actors, I guess.

Syles is quite dour in interviews. I could see that working for Bond.

The notion of Harry Styles as an action hero is a stretch, to say the least.

So was the idea of Roger Moore as an action hero, but his Bond movies leaned into comedy.

R338 True, but the modern-day Bond franchise is an entirely different animal, is very stunt-heavy and has to compete with Marvel etc. I like Styles a lot, but he has more of a chilled/stoner vibe.

Marc Ruffalo has a chilled stoner vibe but he was still cast as The Incredbile Hulk. Harry Styles is very marketable.

James Bond is not covered in tats. One or two is acceptable. Connery had one. They covered it with makeup.

R327, that must be why so many out gays are cast in lead roles! Oh, wait, they aren't. Btw, most movies have white leads

No one cares about Harry Styles but tween girls

I haven’t watched a James Bond movie in years. If they cast Styles as James Bond, I know that I would never, ever again watch it. And out of spite, stop watching the older Bond films as well.

The producers must worry a lot about the feelings of people who boast of not having seen a Bond film in years.

In his prime, Josh Duhamel would have been good—even if he wasn’t a Brit.

If the new Bond is going to be in his 20s, he better not have a baby face and offer some gravitas to the role.

Greetings, you people.

Here's a tip.

Whilst Madden's presumed homosexuality is not considered problematic, there is some disquiet about his preference for these very young men.

He has been warned about this but the latest pics would seem to indicate he doesn't take the advice seriously.

Other names are now coming into the mix. Not officially, but plan B's are under consideration in the backroom.

And to re-iterate, Bond will be a white Caucasian male from the United Kingdom.

People need to stop putting American sensibilities and causes on British culture which is historically different.

So some BBC cripple?

r338, since Roger Moore played a globe-trotting adventurer solving crimes and righting wrongs in 118 episodes of The Saint and a similar character in 24 episodes of The Persuaders!, I don't think the Bond producers found it much of a stretch to consider him an action hero.

What about Sam Fender? He's 25 now. His music is apparently a Springsteen tribute act, which would tally with the het Bond demographic. I'm not sure how extensive his acting resume is but he acted in his teens, at least.

He was a fop, though r349.

It will be Nick Hoult if they can agree on the money aspect. He's a perfect fit in every way.

This is not a Bond.

Perfect fit? No way. Too much of a twink, doesn't look like he could beat up anyone

Candid pictures don't mean anything. A lot of actors look goofy in real life. Nick Hoult has the height, the name, the looks, the comic timing, and the heterosexual cred. He's a prime contender.

If his hairline is like that now...

[Quote] the heterosexual cred.

Tread lightly.

He's already had plugs. They've gotten good enough now that they can keep his hairline like that forever. He wouldn't be the first balding Bond.

What, R357? It's no secret that the producers would prefer a Bond who could point to a female partner and/or children to show that he likes pussy. There's the Asian market to think about. What he does in private doesn't matter, but he must seem believably straight to the general public. Rumor has it that Hoult is bi, but he's not open about liking dick like Madden is. That makes all the difference.

Connery had the benefit of no HD.

Connery didn't have the benefit of modern hair plugs, either.

Aren't there pics of Hoult with Bryan Singer?

Oh, rumor has it that Hoult is fiercely ambitious and will fuck anyone to get ahead. That doesn't matter. What matters is he reads straight to general audiences thanks to how he has managed his personal life. Madden hasn't been so careful.

R347 Interesting. So Madden really is at the front of the line? But by the time they start filming, and with how many films they want to do, wouldn't they have to start right away given his age? By the time they film and release his first one, he would be like, what, 38/39 almost 40. How soon are we supposed to get another Bond flick?

Also, if he does get Bond, I have a feeling that's going to send the Froy relationship so far into the closet they'll be in Narnia. If that. Possibly forcing them to break it off? Or is Madden the type to willingly give in? I said it before, but if he does get Bond, either that "glass closet" is going to become solid mahogany, or Froy may just get his heart broken.

To R357...Thank You for your post, I was just gonna go there!!! "Dating" Jen-Ho is not something Hoult wants to remind people. To R363, that's not a rumor...It's a fact!

If Madden truly cared about Bond, he wouldn't have gone public with either of his twinks. His career seems to suggest that long running projects is not his thing. Wasn't he in GOT for only two or three seasons?

Hoult is too tall for Singer. He was probably Hugh's present.

Singer likes shorties.

Lucky for James McAvoy that he worked with Singer in his thirties instead of earlier. A young Jimmy Mac would have been precisely Singer's type.

Hoult wasn't my first choice but I have to say, he has the right amount of talent as this is a guy who almost got Batman, a guy just as masculine as Bond. I've seen The Great and he is wonderful playing the dumb violence-prone Emperor and makes an unlikeable character endearing. Elle Fanning said he's constantly doing his own stunts so there's that and Hoult mentioned he hates drama and prefers action and comedy. As far as being tough, there is one scene where he takes a knife to his advisor and he is cold as ice and quite scary. He can instantly turn from goofy to darkly serious He used to be too pretty to be Bond but he's grown into his looks. I must say, he has startling blue eyes.

The one drawback is he's still attached to The Great. How would that work playing Bond?

The Great only does10 episodes a year. He could probably do both. The Great has already gone 2 seasons, and Peter is supposed to die young anyway (if they go by the actual history at all). He could probably do both until they write him out of The Great.

The Bond producers won't want their Bond tied into a lowly TV series.

Like Remington Steele?

I doubt they would write Peter off as the show primarily works because of the chemistry between Hoult and Fanning. Hoult is now one of the producers of the show. If they kill him off, it would only last one more season.

They haven't renewed Season 3 so they must be negotiating things. Season 2 was renewed once Hoult got a bigger part of the pie.

Streaming shows usually only go 3-5 seasons, and those are short seasons. Hoult could do both: Daniel Craig did other projects while playing Bond.

Ha! The "Insider" is back! The same guy who was telling us to forget about speculating because Madden WAS BOND. Now he tells us they're concerned about the public outings with his bfs and looking elsewhere. Didn't we tell you? Bond is not going to play well in international markets like Africa, MidEast or Asia or even in the USA with a gay actor (there's a lot of homophobia among straight frat boys). Even Cavil doesn't walk around with a pretty twink. The Daily Mail cut out Troy out of the beach pics so they must have been told to by the Bond people. Madden only pretended to play straight when he first started out (before GOT). Now that he has pretty good standing in the acting community, he seems to want to be himself. Good for him but it's harder to go back in the closet when he was publicly seen with his pretty bfs and all the articles written about them. Madden is Luke Evans 2.0.

[Quote] Like Remington Steele?

Remington Steele was cancelled when they tried to get Brosnan.

I don't know that it's harder to go back in the closet. Luke Evans got his Hollywood career in his thirties... Fangirls will look the other way to maintain their idol dreams.

TV was really different back then: A TV show went 24-26 episodes and ate up most of your time. A 10-episode streaming series is not the same commitment.

Max Irons is in the top 5 for the next James Bond (and he's a real str8 man). James Norton would be a great Bond too.

Isn't Max Irons doing Hallmark/Lifetime projects?

Nobody would bat an eye at a straight guy Madden’s age dating a woman Froy’s age.

Madden looks older than his age, though. Plenty cluck about DiCaprio and the under 25s.

But it’s never hurt his career.

Madden's career is hurting?

I think the general public may perceive young 20-something female models (that play into a certain kind of persona) a bit differently than an early 20s guy who still passes for playing teens on tv.

Maybe that's why Froy let his facial hair grow out.

R345, maybe they should.

[post redacted because linking to dailymail.co.uk clearly indicates that the poster is either a troll or an idiot (probably both, honestly.) Our advice is that you just ignore this poster but whatever you do, don't click on any link to this putrid rag.]

I say yes…

Brendan Tate has already put himself out of the running by playing Robin (of Batman fame).

R376

I did not say Madden had lost the role. He still is Barbara's pick.

I said he has been told to reign in his private life with these young men.

Those discussions come from lower levels rather than from Barbara.

She wants him, but the hard heads know their are obstacles to, lets say, control rather than overcome.

Alternatives are only being considered at those lower levels to bring to Barbara if things go south with Madden.

Such as blatantly sunning on a beach with one of those young men.

Do expect to see less of those paparazzi pics from now on.

The recent pics with Froy weren't picked up by the DM, were they?

R392 Hmmm, will we really see less though? He seems kind of 'oh fuck it' at this point. Even the walk with Froy in London a while back, and the one where they were first spotted in LA, don't come off as spontaneous. Those seem like set-up "pap walks". The only one that seems truly candid is the one where they're leaving to get into the car, with Froy and the infamous trash bag.

Also, "those young men" is rumored to be a possible husband at this point. How's that going to work?

All these pap pics are set ups.

r392, rein not reign

[quote]THE INSIDER

Gotta love wankers who pretend they're industry illuminati for ego strokes.

Luvvie: you're about as inside of Babs Broccolli as the vibrator of her secretary's fifth cousin's masseuse that got lost in the trash.

[quote]wouldn't they have to start right away given his age? By the time they film and release his first one, he would be like, what, 38/39 almost 40.

Please. There will be a new Bond film no later than 2 years from now. Why do so many people act like it's going to take 5-7 years for a new film to happen? I know he looks 47 but Richard Madden is only 35, a year younger than Daniel Craig was when he filmed his first Bond film.

It doesn't matter if Madden starts to reign in his behavior now. There are already past articles and photos of Madden with Brandon and Frey. Maybe that's why he dropped Brandon because he wasn't willing to stay in the closet. Plus Brandon has that awful picture where he's tonguing Sam Smith. If he's hailed as the new Bond, there will be things popping up on social media about Madden's private life. They can't control it, it's already out there.

Rein

Barbara—Would Cubby have hired a fanook?

Luke Evans had a big coming out article. He was ever mentioned as gay in one of Boy George's autobiography. That didn't matter. The media is controlled. He got some big movies becaus he kept his mouth shut in the press after getting the nod from Hollywood.

I would think if Madden really was the front runner for Bond right now he'd be a hell of a lot more careful with his personal life with Froy in the past couple years, let alone right now on this beach vacation...

He's done nothing indiscreet, though.

Is Bond not an international man of mystery?

R404 I guess so. I'd just think if he was really gunning for that role, he'd be playing it as close to the vest as possible. No 'glass closet', but a hardcore one.

Well... didn't The Sun do an article about his love life not so long ago? No mention of boyfriends... And his team have a realtionsip with The Sun... That could continue if he gets the Bond gig.

*relationship

Interesting....

[quote]The DM didn't post the recent Madden pics with Froy, only the ones with Ma Madden. He's being protected.

[quote]Well... didn't The Sun do an article about his love life not so long ago? No mention of boyfriends... And his team have a realtionsip with The Sun... That could continue if he gets the Bond gig.

Here's a recent article from Cosmopolitan (Nov 2021) about Madden's dating life. Scrubbing the boyfriends and adding some fake gfs:

'The notion of Harry Styles as an action hero is a stretch, to say the least.'

He's super fit and did all his own stunts in Dunkirk. But he's just been cast as a Marvel superhero so perhaps he should wait ten years. He'll be 28 next month.

I've heard a rumour that it's going to be Robert Pattinson. He's shaken off the Twilight stigma now and he's the right age and look. Plenty of practice as an action hero in Batman.

'What about Sam Fender? He's 25 now. His music is apparently a Springsteen tribute act, which would tally with the het Bond demographic. I'm not sure how extensive his acting resume is but he acted in his teens, at least.'

Lol you might as well suggest Louis Tomlinson. If you see him in his music videos he has one expression. Dour. Bond needs to be charming, charismatic and playful, like Styles. Styles also has those striking green eyes.

Who cares if spazzy Froy gets his heart broken? Styles and Madden were flirting it up a storm on the set of Eternals.

I wish it could be someone older like Nikolaj Coster-Waldau. I think he would’ve been a perfect Bond—ruthless, charming and suave.

I didn't know he "dated" Suki Waterhouse. She also "dated" Bradley Cooper

Who is doing the scrubbing? Richard's team or Barbara's? Fans have already posted pics of he and his bfs on their sites. Can they scrub that too?

Just a straight dude hugging a dudebro friend. No homo!

R399 Exactly. Madden kind of walks both lines. His team is obviously putting out those hetero-love-life articles, and then he personally does this glass closet thing (and even setups a pap walk or two). I guess Bond and company could have it all scrubbed if they wanted, but with the way internet is now, all that stuff is out there, and saved by fans. Those images, articles and rumors aren't going anywhere, ever.

Richard Madden isn't being "protected" as much as news sources are protecting their access to celebrities. You can print gossip, but you can't out famous people in the press - especially people with Disney/Marvel ties - without risking getting blacklisted for any future scoops and interviews. A friend of mine used to work for E! news and had to be very very careful what she printed about closeted celebrities, drug use and a few other topics or risk getting totally cut off to insider information.

Madden is not attractive enough to be Bond. Agree with Max Irons, they've set their bar very low.

But Daniel Craig was? LOL.

Max Irons was being faux self-deprecating. He made no reference to Madden, who is better looking than Craig.

Jamie Dornan is my personal favorite. He is conventionally handsome and fairly young. Tom Hardy is a close runner up for me. I would love for a gay actor to play Bond, so of course I support Madden. Though I do wonder if Madden is too short. Also, I've heard the person in charge of picking the new actor is conservative, so I highly doubt a gay actor will get the part, whether or not gay actor is out.

R413 Huh? Did Styles have a part in Eternals? I'm very confused.

Jamie Dornan lacks charisma.

Both Madden and Craig are 5'10" but I guess Madden looks smaller because he's not as husky. He's come across as having a slight frame.

I never thought of Max Irons until this thread. He actually would be ideal. He's a good actor, in his 30s, very handsome and over 6 feet tall.. He's also in a spy series called Condor, although I've never seen it. He seems less troublesome, not prone to having gossip since he's happily married. Interesting that his name rarely came up in those Bookie threads. IMO, he's a better actor than James Norton.

Less troublesome? He was known for being a primadonna in drama school.

Outside British actors, they are/were open to Australian actors as they are part of the Commonwealth and their close ties to Britain were sufficient for them to be considered.

Canadian actors were not considered as they are more closely perceived to be more 'American' if you will. Their ties to Britain much less obvious.

Any Bond will be primarily from the United Kingdom or an Australian if they have the sufficient charisma that puts them above all else.

Madden is definitely NOT 5'10.

Styles was introduced as Starfox in one of the Eternals post credit scenes.

There's no way the Bradden photos - thousands of them - can be 'scrubbed' from the interner. There were dozens of articles featuring their strolls with Brandon's tiny dog. Even if Just Jared and the Mail could be persuaded to delete their articles, Bradden update accounts on Twitter and IG exist.

They won't be scrubbed. But they are "walking pics." Nothing to see here...

Craig is definitely not 5’10” either.

To R426...You are obviously a DL'er with wonderful taste in men. I watched both seasons of Condor...LOVE SPY NOVELS& SERIES!! Max Irons is really good in the series& The White Queen too(love Royal Historical series) Also, Richard Madden in Bodyguard was really good.

Thanks, R434. I watched The White Queen too just loved that series (as well as The White Princess). Irons was devastatingly handsome and definitely has that swagger needed for Bond. I prefer him over Madden. I can’t figure out why his name is never mentioned for Bond.

His name is never mentioned because he sucks as an actor

Lifetime! He's a Lifetime actor!

Bond needs to have blue or green eyes

Bond needs to have eyes!

Didn't Bond die at the end of the last movie?

What, do they need someone to lie in a casket for the next film?

Eh... isn't that the beginning of "You Only Live Twice"?

It’s “next year!”

Even with lifts, Richard Madden is barely taller than 5'8" Gemma Chan in "The Eternals."

[quote]Jamie Dornan lacks charisma.

And acting ability, and the ability to inflect, at all. He's hot as hell and not too distracting in ensembles, but there's no way they're casting a guy who can't act to carry a billion dollar franchise.

Daniel Craig is short.

Daniel Craig is taller than Tom Hardy who is around 5'8, so I would put Craig at 5'9 or 5'10. But I remember people bitching at how short he was until they saw him in the blue trunks in Casino Royale.

No. Craig's reported height is not accurate.

From the Celebrity Peen thread:

[Quote] Daniel Craig looks beautiful when he is properly lit and photographed. But in person he is not a big deal. I saw him in person years ago he's only about five foot nine or five foot ten with pasty white skin. You could walk past him on the street and not give him a second look.

True. I had a front row seat for Othello and he stood just feet away from me for part of the play. I’d say he’s shorter than 5’ 9”

It's all about lighting up the screen. Being photogenic. Not everyone is. Even those with conventional good looks.

Shorter Bonds are actually good for camera framing with their leading ladies as they tend to be on the short side.

Article discussing the potential candidates

If height doesn’t matter, then I nominate Kit Harington. There is something about him I just like.

Harris Dickinson would be good

Henry Golding. Richard Madden. Joe Alwyn. I think Henry Cavill is a long shot. Max Irons, James Norton, Nicholas Hoult. That's my personal list.

Theo James would be good.

Theo James is an asshole. He's very conservative, overbearing with women, obnoxious on talk shows, huge ego, and slightly homophobic, at least it seems really important for him to make sure you know he is 100% straight. In another era he'd be a male chauvinist pig.. He is definitely true to his immigrant roots. His family is very old school Greek but living in England. In fact I think he was born in the UK but retained his old country perspective.

I think Tom Hady is a bad idea. I like him. I think he's a brilliant actor. But he is totally unsuited to Bond. So is Harry Styles for different reasons. And right now thee seems to be an almost frantic attempt to re imagine Styles as an actor. Sorry. Not enough lead time to reshape his public image.

Tom Hopper is a top contender according to that BBC article. His "acting" makes Jamie Dornan look like the second coming of Laurence Olivier.

R456, I don't know about the rest, but James was born in England. Greek grandfather escaped Greece when the Nazis arrived and emigrated to New Zealand where James' father was born and grew up. James' father moved to England. James' mother is Scottish. But I suspect he has a very traditional family background

Jack Lowden. He was nominated for a Bafta Rising star award and won other acting awards so that means he can act. He's also 6'1" and he's Scottish. He's currently starring in a spy drama with Gary Oldman which hasn't been released yet.

Just an aside but didn't Theo James know Huge Boss designed the SS Uniforms when he took that Hugo Boss gig? I mean his grandpa had to flee the nazis so wtf was he thinking?

I think you mean Hugo Boss, r461.

WTF does stuff that happened over 70 years ago matter unless you're a Wokey who holds everyone to account for actions going back to the Stone Age? How many Jewish moguls wear Hugo Boss? A shitload of them.

Is Christian Cooke a never was?

[quote] I think you mean Hugo Boss, [R461].

LOL! Yes I did.

[quote] WTF does stuff that happened over 70 years ago matter unless you're a Wokey who holds everyone to account for actions going back to the Stone Age? How many Jewish moguls wear Hugo Boss?

You think 70 years is a long time? if I were his father, I'd kick his ass to be shilling for that company. You think one generation removed is enough to remove that stain? He's not just wearing them, he was their fucking spokesperson. So he was paid to ignore what they did to his grandfather. Hmmm. Ooookay.

I mean seriously the fucking SS uniforms. SMDH.

Most of the major corporations based in Germany are linked to Nazis.

He designed the fucking SS uniforms. That's a legacy that ain't going away. That's pretty in your face and now this mook is shilling for their clothes line? That's awfully close to the line there - actually I'd say it's over the line. Does he hate his family down deep and can't show it? Maybe some need to show his daddy who's Boss - no pun intended? A self-perceived impotence that channels its way into subversive behavior and abusive roles?

Thank you. Thank you. My performance as Freud will be her all week.

[quote]Most of the major corporations based in Germany are linked to Nazis.

Absolutely. My brother had to do some high level business there, and he was taken up to the boardroom level of one company, and there lovely framed photos of Himmler visiting office etc etc. Happy old times. Same with the major Japanese firms. Are you going to trash your Jap electronics R467 Luv?

[quote] He designed the fucking SS uniforms.

OK. But you have to admit, they were fabulous.

R463 probably calls Jane Fonda "Hanoi Jane" for stuff that happened 50 years ago. The GOP losers who complain about "woke" people are silly

R470, how the hell is that the same?

It's the same because you're obsessing over shit that happened decades ago

Didn't Co Co Chanel collaborate with the Nazis?

R473, yes

I really like Jack Lowden as a Bond choice but I'm afraid he's got Oliver Jackson-Cohen disease for this: would be great in the role but is way too obscure and irrelevant. He's getting more work but he's not in that on-the-rise leading man sweet spot at all.

Was Daniel Craig really on the rise in the movies?

To R468, Years ago, I was on a business trip to Berlin with my new boss (International firm-Jewish owned, not the "R"). around 1995. Into the boardroom (Krupps). Pictures all over the "private boardroom" inside the reg boardroom. Goring, Ribbentrop, Hitler, Duke& Duchess of Windsor. I was the money guy; he was the big boss. I asked him" You know who they are, correct?" At the end of the mtg, I was told to "release the hounds of Hell". They had their mtg. in that boardroom just to set him off. My Boss was like...we hired you for that reason...to be the Ugly American!

Huh?

I insulted a bunch of German industrialists and Swiss Bankers in Berlin ...in German. That was the end of the story, we got the contract BTW!! FYI...back to the Broccoli post-Max Irons for James Bond.

I like Max. But his eyes are too close together and he looks beady-eyed.

Is Aidan Turner still in the running?

R481 was he ever, outside of DL?

New article

We might get an announcement in the next couple months

The betting is either Tom Hardy or Fassbender. I hope it's neither.

^ Agreed. They're both too old

Way too old and in Fassbender's case too reptilian.

The Madden fans seem to really think the world is ready for a gay actor to play Bond... 😏

R488, we've already had a couple Bonds who weren't Kinsey 0s. I'll let you guess which ones

Madden, Hoult or Alwyn are my choices. Long shot would be Henry Golding or Luke Evans.

Why not ME?

Of all the names bandied about, who in all this bunch is where Craig was career wise when he was chosen? He was known in the UK for sure. He was respected. Damned good actor. But not widely known worldwide.. If he were younger, there was a moment that has since passed, when I would have chosen Clive Owen as the perfect Bond. But alas. So now Hardy and Fassbender sort of fit that profile, but I still feel they're too old. I have to wonder if Christian Bale would ever have been considered. Chris and Liam Hemsworth would kill to be considered.

I agree with you R492. Daniel Craig was a proven up and comer who had headlined a few movies, some of which had had some box office (if not necessarily critical) success. None of the nobodies named here can say that, and the rest are too fucking old.

George MacKay

He's a decent actor but I find McKay to be really homely

Craig is homely, too.

Diaz. Che Diaz.

I find Craig to be sexy despite being homely....to be McKay has zero sex appeal

Oops that should be "to me"

MacKay is the definition of generic.

Apparently, they want to go younger, which would rule out Hardy, Elba, Fassbender and a lot of the bigger names

A "Bond expert" throws out the following names: "The names I would shake into the vodka Martini of contenders would be Oliver Jackson-Cohen (The Invisible Man), Harris Dickinson (The King's Man), George MacKay (1917), Matt Smith (Last Night in Soho), Paul Mescal (Normal People) and Nicholas Hoult (The Great).”

Told ya. George MacKay.

I feel like it's time to go a bit younger.

I would also like to see a return to the sex appeal and the debonair quality, but that probably won't happen.

Matt Smith is too short. Go with Hoult...

You can call me a troll if you like but I think Hoult and Joe Alwyn are the best of the bunch. Mc Kay will be a successful character actor, he has that everyman thing going for him, like Tom Hanks, but he is no Bond. Matt Smith is in the Game of Thrones sequel that will be coming soon. He's a Targaryen. James Norton is really the perfect guy for Bond. Truly.

Is Miss Madden still in the running?

Sam Heughan really wants to be Bond!

But what does his humongous ever-growing facial mole want?

New article. He'll have to do more than just look good in a suit!

Pat of Bond's allure is that he seemed like a loner. He held himself apart. He appeared suave and cool...until he exploded. That's what they need to look for. Who can carry that off. Who has that unpredictable, aloof thing.

When are they gonna announce it?

R510, that leaves Nicholas Hoult out. And Madden. And Henry Golding.

R508, Sammie's massive Manny mole (I've christened Mr. Mole as 'Manny') has stated that he is leaving it up to Mr. Moe (I've christened his receding hairline 'Moe'), but Moe insists Jack is in charge (I've christened his famous golden dirk 'Jack'). Unfortunately, we are left with Manny, Moe & Jack fighting over something that will never happen anyway.