Bond 25: Is The Daniel Craig Era Coming To An End?

Following the impressive debut of Spectre, the latest James Bond film, franchise producer Michael G. Wilson is inspiring hope among fans that the leading man will return for at least one more Bond flick, despite his previous statements that he was leaving the series.

“I think we’ve got Daniel Craig,” Wilson told The Hollywood Reporter, dismissing Craig’s protestations that he would not play the role again. Wilson drew a comparison to what happened a few years ago with director Sam Mendes, who said he was through with Bond after Skyfall, but then returned for Spectre. “[Mendes] said they were never going to make the picture again, and he told the press that.”

Wilson confirmed that Craig does not currently have a contract, but it seems unlikely that he would tell the media that the star was on board unless he was fairly certain.

With the second highest domestic opening in the history of the James Bond film franchise, Spectre made an impressive $70.4 million during its first days in the U.S., and it broke records when it premiered overseas, giving the UK box office its biggest opening of all time. However, expectations for this movie, which co-stars Oscar winner Christoph Waltz as the villain, were so high that ticket sales fell a little short of what had been predicted, but the movie is still a huge success by anyone’s standards.

The next movie has already been announced and is in preproduction. Details are sketchy for what is being called Bond 25, but we do know that John Logan, who wrote Skyfall and Spectre, will write the screenplay, and Sam Mendes may return to direct.

Craig, whose first 007 film, Casino Royale, premiered in 2006, has been extremely popular as Ian Fleming’s iconic spy, a role originally played by Sean Connery in 1962’s Dr. No.

Source(s): The Hollywood Reporter