Bond Hunt Pause?
February 19, 2005
Speculation in the UK’s media over who will play the new Bond has continued apace over the last week. While EON are keeping tight-lipped about the hunt, some sources are now claiming that an actor has already been chosen. EON’s response, however, indicates the need for patience. Steven Woodbridge takes a look at the latest round of rumours.
A number of British newspapers have filled yet more space over the seemingly endless rumours over Bond 21. Following on from a speculative story in the London ‘Evening Standard’ newspaper, for example, where actor Dominic West was identified as a possible candidate, the city-based paper returned to Bond just a week later with a short piece entitled ‘The Mask of Bond’ (17th February). After covering the recent revelations that Pierce Brosnan probably priced himself out of the role of Bond by asking for £23 million, the Standard then noted that the official line from EON is that there will now be no news for three months.
Bond’s production company was quoted by the newspaper’s ‘Londoner’s Diary’ page as stating: “The Director Martin Campbell will be in London once he has finished filming The Mask of Zorro 2 and no casting can be done without him”.
However, the anonymous author of Londoner’s Diary then claimed: “Intriguing, then, to hear from a source the decision has been made. ‘I know who Bond is’, I’m told. ‘I’m not going to say but it’s not Clive Owen…’. Owen’s agent declines to comment”. Unfortunately, the Standard did not go into further detail.
Meanwhile, other newspapers and media outlets in the UK seem convinced that Owen is the one, despite evidence to the contrary. The ‘Sunday Express’ ran an item on the actor’s purchase of an expensive new house and hinted that this was down to Owen’s confidence that he has the 007 role in the bag. The organisers of the BAFTA Awards ceremony also appeared to be stoking the speculation on 12th February when they seated Owen just a few seats behind former Bond Pierce Brosnan during the ceremony. When Bond composer John Barry received his special BAFTA Academy Fellowship towards the close of the evening’s ceremony in London’s Leicester Square, the BBC cameras suddenly panned round to catch the reactions of both Brosnan and Owen.
But Owen refused to play the speculation game afterwards, and appears increasingly bemused at the continuing rumours. According the ‘The Observer’ newspaper (13th February), the 40-year old actor said after the main ceremony that he was now flooded with job offers after his role in Closer – although the role of James Bond is not among them: “Owen said he had never been approached to play 007, despite being one of the bookmakers’ favourites to take over the role from Pierce Brosnan”.
Supporters of Hugh Jackman for the role, however, seem to be fighting a rearguard action for their man. A sprinkling of internet sites have floated Jackman’s candidature again. A number of other websites over the last week have also returned to trying to fathom out whether Jackman, if chosen, could fit the role in with his other movie commitments. Jackman has also seen some film-world ‘big guns’ firing in his favour in recent months. The British film critic Barry Norman, for example, penned an article in the BBC’s Radio Times magazine in January in which he explored the Australian actor’s career. Norman wrote that Jackman is very good at what he does, including the X-Men films: “But unless he is to wander continually in comic-book limbo, it’s high time he made his mark in something more substantial, which is probably why he seems keen on the James Bond idea”. Norman added: “Whether he would be the best choice remains to be seen but he has the looks and the physical stature and is about the right age”.
Meanwhile, some other British sources have linked in speculation about a new actor for the role with claims that Pierce Brosnan is somehow out for ‘revenge’ for the way he was treated by EON/MGM, despite Pierce’s strong denials that he would never adopt such behaviour. The ‘Mail on Sunday’ newspaper (13th February) claimed that Brosnan will get “his own back for being unceremoniously dumped as James Bond by playing the antithesis of 007 in The Matador, one of the surprise hits of last month’s Sundance Film Festival”. The Mail also noted that the sequel to Brosnan’s hit movie The Thomas Crown Affair, which will be based upon the 1964 jewel heist comedy Topkapi, has been penned by writer-director Richard Shepard. The Mail added: “Brosnan will be reprising his role as Thomas Crown at about the same time either Dougray Scott or Clive Owen will be trying on Bond’s tuxedo”.
Did DAD Die?
Another dimension to the loss of Brosnan as Bond was developed by British Science Fiction magazine ‘Starburst’ in its recent issues. In its February edition it carried a big splash entitled ‘Pierce Brosnan on where Bond went wrong’. This so-called ‘Exclusive’ was presented as an interview with the former Bond actor in the light of his licence being revoked. But it appeared to be merely a rehash of old quotes in which, at one point, Brosnan defended ‘Die Another Day’ and speculated on the possibility of doing ‘Casino Royale’ (a good clue to the age of the quotes). Brosnan said it was “the template for Bond, the way Ian Fleming created him. Just the name on the marquee would say it all: Casino Royale”.
In the following issue of ‘Starburst’ (March), the seeming interview brought forth an angry letter from one reader who complained, in particular, that Brosnan’s defence of ‘Die Another Day’ beggared belief and “forfeits a lot of sympathy” built up after his sacking by EON/MGM: “The film is total pants”. The letter also attacked Brosnan for wanting to do ‘Casino Royale’.
But one can’t help but feel a bit sorry for Pierce. He revitalised the franchise with ‘Goldeneye’. He tried to give new life to Bond, but was often boxed in by the limitations of the scripts and the emphasis upon special effects. It must be remembered that he was not entirely happy with the direction DAD took. He also originally wanted a return to stronger characterisation and plot-line in the films. In addition, he was keen to do a film version of ‘Casino Royale’ and perhaps to work with Martin Campbell once again. It seems pretty ironic that all those things appear to be happening, but without him having a last stab at 007.
Gambling on Casino
Finally, given the renewed speculation over Bond no.21, the British press have carried a number of reports on the novel ‘Casino Royale’, as a rare first edition is coming up for auction. A first edition of the first Fleming Bond novel, with an inscription from Fleming to Percy Muir, will be auctioned in London in late February. In particular, the ‘Sunday Times’, a newspaper Fleming once worked for, carried a large article on 12th February by Andrew Lycett, the author of a biography of Ian Fleming. The article explored in considerable detail the rare collection of first edition books that Fleming built up during his lifetime.
Fleming’s love affair with rare books was set out, and the article pointed out that the Bond author amassed a truly unique collection of some of the greatest works in science and literature in the 19th and 20th centuries, which were stored in 50 black buckram boxes. Fleming, it seems, identified book-collecting as a major field way before the enormous interest we see today.
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