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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Would you believe... that Mel has already been down that road, sort of? He and Buck Henry thought up Get Smart.
ping
A female Jenny Bond? Possibly -- can they match the character's ethos? Yes, but GArner's the closest yet doesn't quite come across as a hard-nosed killer type. Maybe Brigitte Fonda?
Never Say Never again IS a remake of Thunderball. It was the only book that wasn't 'owned' by Broccoli.
A distinguished black man with an english accent doesn't bother me and don't think it's out of the ordinary. BTW, it's a shame that Apu is the most popular Indian in America but oh well his character is great. Two out of three ain't bad.
Bond movies have sucked since the 60's anyway, so what the hell.
I agree. I never saw the Bond films when I was young. I was being a good spouse and watched "Thunderball" with my husband. Whoa, that Sean Connery is mega-sexy. Of course, I had already gathered that from "Highlander" and some other films, but with the Bond persona he just smolders.
Who?
They already had one of those. They called him "Dirty Harry."
The man looks like he just ate Jim Kirk's lunch.
I'd like to take a look when I'm up there next
I seem to remember that Flemming was appalled that a Scott (Sean Connery) was going to play Bond
his views on other ethnicities and religions were expressed rather completely
This Black Bond would have put him over the top
.
I hear they'll offer the job to Kim Jong-Il if he gives up North Korea's nuclear program.
And Miss Moneypenny will be played by Suha Arafat.
Don't know if he's in a wheelchair just yet. But they could bring HIM back as Bond, Jim Bond, and have another actor work as his lackey falling off bridges and free falling without a parachute - and stuff.
James Bond not as secret agent, but now Bilderberger mastermind. Maybe Bond should get a lap-cat, too.
Funny movie, worth renting....
Well there's always Julian Bond, fwiw.
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