British actor Daniel Craig broke through to American audiences when he secured the iconic role of James Bond for the 2006’s “Casino Royale”, which re-vamped the decades-old franchise. Two years later he returned for “Quantum of Solace”, which diehard 007 fans regard as cool visually but dull in the story department.
Then one word changed everything: “Skyfall”. Craig’s third go-around as Bond, released in 2012, was instantly and completely embraced by both critics and fans. The action/thriller co-starring Javier Bardem and Judi Dench (she deserved a Best Supporting Actress Oscar nomination) showcased an older Bond, less in control and no longer in his prime. “Skyfall” won two Oscars, including one for Adele’s hit title song and made more than $1.1 billion worldwide.
Craig could’ve ended his run as Bond with “Skyfall”, and that would’ve actually made some sense within the overall storyline. But, instead, Craig returns in November for the 24th chapter in the Bond catqlog – “Spectre”. It features Christoph Waltz as the villain and reportedly will (somehow) take us back to Bond’s origins.
Craig didn’t make any movies between “Skyfall” and “Spectre”, though he did star with wife Rachel Weisz in Broadway’s “Betrayal” in 2013. But when you’re James Bond you really don’t have to do much else. He earned more than $16 million for “Skyfall” and his payday for “Spectre” will be bigger. And, just for holding a Sony smart phone at one point during the movie, he gets another $5-$6 million.
Speculation has been swirling for a while (it seems like years) as to who will be “the next” James Bond. Earlier this year, an entire round of “Jeopardy!” was devoted to 007 and even featured clues about those in contention, including “Luther” and “Mandela” star Idris Elba. But Craig has now officially put those rumors to rest, making it quite clear that he is contracted to star in “Bond 25”, likely scheduled for 2017 or 2018. And it’s probable Craig won’t make many (or any) movies in between his Bond productions. And, as long as “Spectre” delivers, that decision shouldn’t shake or stir his fans one bit.