Please, oh please give us more Daniel Craig. While Spectre has the possibility of being Craig’s last time playing 007, one of the producer’s isn’t going to let him get away so easy.
In a recent interview with 20 Minuten, Bond producer Barbara Broccoli stated her plans in moving the franchise forward, specifically regarding the actor who will be playing James Bond:
In spring, we start again. I hope we can continue with Daniel [Craig]. I love him, obviously not just me but also the audience. I will try my best to keep him on.
Ms. Broccoli is not messing around. While Daniel Craig has made a few statements stating his apparent exhaustion from leading the last few James Bond movies, it seems that the verdict is still rather up in the air. And, with Broccoli clearly understanding the fan’s reactions to Craig as Bond, she will surely do whatever it takes to continue making the Bond films so successful.
Barbara Broccoli is truly a staple of the Bond franchise, so her pull regarding casting is significant. Broccoli has produced every James Bond movie since Pierce Brosnan took the role of the titular agent. Additionally, she Associate Produced two earlier films in the franchise, and Assistant Directed two of the Roger Moore titles.
Producing a James Bond title is essentially a full-time job from development to release. With large casts, giant action sequences, and the need to film in new and exotic locations around the world, it takes quite the workload to produce each movie.
Broccoli no doubt learned how to work with so many puzzle pieces from her father, Albert R. Broccoli. Albert can be credited with adapting James Bond, based off of Ian Fleming’s novels of the same name, to the big screen. He served as a co-producer for the original Bond movie, Dr. No in 1962 which was a modest success. Broccoli continued to produce the first sequel, From Russia With Love (and a mass of additional Bond films) to massive acclaim and served to create the film series that has been a staple of cinema ever since.
Despite the Broccoli family legacy, and Barbara’s goal of keeping Daniel Craig in the franchise, it will ultimately come down to Daniel Craig’s decision. Considering in October Craig told Time Out Britain he’d rather "slit his wrists" than film another Bond movie, she certainly has her work cut out for her.
Personally, I’ve loved Craig’s turn as 007. I think he’s brought a rawness and sense that Bond is a real person that was lacking in the final few Brosnan films. Skyfall in particular seems like Craig’s legacy-apparent, as the interpersonal relationship between M and Bond took center stage and brought stakes which the audience could actually relate to. Rather than going into space and shooting lasers from his watch, Craig’s Bond fights his personal demons as much as he fights the bad guys. Plus, he’s such a physical specimen that you really believe he could kill a man with his bare hands.
Here’s to hoping Barbara Broccoli succeeds in keeping Daniel Craig around for another Bond film. I guess my mom was always right - Broccoli really is good for you.
