Ages ago Bond producers were so pleased with Daniel Craig’s performance as James Bond, that they were trying to get him to sign an ambitious contract that would have locked him in for 8 films total. That might have been a bit much, but word is today that as Skyfall promotion ramps up, Craig has been confirmed as the franchise’s special agent for at least another two films, taking him through Bond 25. This will apparently merely be fulfilling his established contract, but there is precedent for Bond stars to ditch contracts mid-way through.
The other news is that there may be the smallest of disagreements between Sony and EON, the studios behind Bond. It’s not at this point an actual rift, so much as different signals coming from the two, as Sony has suggested they want a two-year cycle for Bond that would get another production rolling relatively soon. EON however, seems keener on taking their time, refining the script, etc. Craig too seems to be looking for a break, signaled by his refusal to schedule new projects until the end of the year and his Skyfall promotional duties.
We’re not far off from seeing the new Bond flick in November. It looks great, but contemplating the long-term future of the franchise seems like a task for after we’ve seen Skyfall, no? I’m pleased that the excellent Daniel Craig will stick with it, but how eager we’ll all be for them to churn another one out is still very much a variable…
Source | MI6 (via Film Stage)