Posted on 12/02/2004 6:32:50 PM PST by aculeus
A leading black actor, 6ft 4in Colin Salmon, emerged last night as a front-runner to replace Pierce Brosnan as James Bond in the next 007 adventure.
Noted for a deep, commanding voice, the 41-year-old actor already has a recurring role in the Bond series as Charles Robinson, M's suave chief-of-staff.
The chance to promote him, while startling, would not be unexpected. The Broccoli family, who are casting the film, the 21st in the series, are said to fear that the films have become anachronistic.
They told Brosnan they wanted to "go in a new direction".
Initially, this was taken to mean that they were turning away from the special effects and high-tech gadgetry to update Casino Royale, Ian Fleming's first Bond book.
The feeling is that despite the vast profits from the last movie, Barbara Broccoli, whose father Cubby made the early Bonds, and Michael Wilson, her step-brother and partner at Eon Productions, are anxious to make a more hard-boiled thriller.
Speculation about Salmon, who was born in Luton, stems from a sudden rush of unusually large bets on him. Warren Lush, a spokesman for Ladbrokes, said yesterday: "They have come out of nowhere, with sums like £500 apiece. These are huge bets for what is really a novelty wager.
"The suspicion is they may be being placed by people, or spies out there, in the know. So we have temporarily closed the book on the next Bond, as we don't want to get out fingers burned."
Until now, the favourite was Dougray Scott, whose play, Becket, closes in London's West End in a fortnight. Ewan McGregor was also a runner until he accepted his latest stage role.
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By the way I would believe EXACTLY the same about SHAFT suddenly becoming a white guy.
I love it! Next film's working title:
Thank you, Die Again!
Very good take on Timoth Dalton's Bond. I knew there was a reason I like him. :)
If they can make a movie about a woman "G.I" Navy Seal, I guess a black James Bond isn't all that farfetched in comparison.
I think Sean Connery was well past 59 in "Entrapment" and still a lady's man.
"Bond. Walt Bond."
well...he was brown...to be sure...not black or white....
Personally I'd like to see Sean Bean as James Bond. He's one of the best actors out there, and if any of you have seen his 14-movie Richard Sharpe series (from England) you know he can play rugged, sexey, dynamic, etc! Maybe that's the "new direction" that contrived cartoon character should go. Originally it wasn't such a fantasy anyway.
LOL!!!
Anthony Hopkins was so good in "Zorro". Some men are just get better with age.
Oh, puh-LEEZE.
The Bond closest to the actual Bond, was one nobody likes, Lazenby. And he was also closest to the physical description. But he was wooden as a 2x4.
Moore was an effete dork.
Brosnan and Dalton were tiny little girlymen who couldn't have beaten up an egg. I loved watching them being "tough." I bet Brosnan cries when he gets a hangnail. Neither of the two did any more than 'play' at being Bond, so maybe you are correct about Dalton there.
Anyone who's seen the Bond film in which Connery flies the autogyro has to understand that there are some limits to even Connery's talent or taste in scripts.
The series has generally gone downhill since Goldfinger.
I agree. Who said Bond has to be a white guy?
Many women could play a great female "Jamie Bond" such as Jennifer Garner (youthful energy), Jennifer Connelly (more intellectual type), or Angelina Jolie (raw sexuality).
Leni
Sean Bean....hubba, hubba!!! Sex on rugged legs!!!
PHWAOOOOR!
Love him.
Top actor.
PHWAOOOR!
No, you aren't. You, me and Hillary's Lovely Legs are in agreement. We'll just have to stick together. :) I'm glad to see others feel the same way I do.
Bond temporarily became "Japanese" in You Only Live Twice. He could become "black" by going through some hi-tech genetic engineering process and then decides it suits him.
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