RUMOR: Is Sony About To Throw $150 Million At Daniel Craig To Play James Bond Again?

Daniel Craig seems to be my kinda dude. 

He signed on to the James Bond franchise around a decade ago, and while he’s definitely served his time fairly well, it’s no secret that he’s been emotionally checked out of the character since Skyfall.

During the promotional circuit for the latest Bond film, Spectre, the British actor was famously quoted the Red Bulletin that viewers could learn nothing from Bond, and went on to call him a mysoginist. Prior to that, Time Out also quoted him, saying he would rather “break this glass and slash my wrists” than do another James Bond film. He clarified to state that that was how he felt in that burnt-out moment, but either way, it was very clear that another 007 film wasn’t too high on his priority list.

Craig then took it one step further and said, “if I did another Bond movie, it would only be for the money.” 

Well, it sounds like Craig is currently facing the option to reprise his role for the money — a whole lotta money.

According to a report from Radar, it sounds like Sony is ready to offer him the ridiculously high sum of $150 million to reprise his role as James Bond in two more James Bond films. A source from the outlet told them the following:

“The studio is desperate to secure the actor’s services while they phase in a younger long-term successor.

[…]

“[Craig] has played a genius hadn. Everyone knows how much executives adore him, and the idea of losing him at sucha  crucial time in the franchise isn’t an option as far as all the studio honchos are concerned. Daniel’s the key for a seamless, safe transition as far as Sony and Bond bosses are concerned, and they’re prepared to pay a king’s ransom to make it happen.”

So if Craig were to sign on for more films, here’s what the source claims will be the next course of action:

“Then they will shoot two more films, which will be made virtually back-to-back, preferably featuring Daniel as 007 before he passes the figurative baton to someone else for a third movie that will mark the start of the new era.”

While it’s understandable why the studio wants to keep Craig on boardfor the next two films, this feels like a very un-Bond-like move for them to make. Bond is a character who is famous for being played by a boatload of actors over generations, and with the exception of Craig’s films, each one has largely stood alone from the others.

Effectively, it sounds like Sony is falling victim to Shared Universe-itis. The latest Ghostbusters film didn’t catch on as they wanted, and now they’re looking for their next big payday. Sure, no matter what, a Bond film would likely do well, but if they bring Craig back and then pass the baton, they could potentially bank even more cash by getting audiences invested more in the characters. As great as Bond is in its current form, Sony may think that audiences are more drawn to longform storytelling than ever.

While this may be true, it certainly seems to go against everything Bond stands for. It’s a move that reeks of desperation, and I, for one, hope this is nothing but a bad rumor.

What are your thoughts? Would you want Craig to come back to the Bond franchise, and do you think a passing of the baton is the best way to push this series forward? Let us know your thoughts down below!

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SOURCES: Radar (hat tip to Screen Rant), The Red BulletinTime Out



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