Actor Daniel Craig has been offered $150 million to reprise his iconic British secret service agent role. Reportedly, Sony Pictures has offered the actor the whopping amount to play James Bond and continue the franchise for new films. According to some reports, the studio is desperate to secure the actor’s services while they phase in a younger long-term successor.
However, the 48-year-old actor has been very overt about his reluctance to reprise the role. In an interview to Time Out Magazine in 2015, the actor dismissed speculations about him playing the role again. He said he would ‘rather slash his wrist than do another James Bond film’. He added, “I’m over it at the moment. We’re done. All I want to do is move on.”
Craig also clarified his statements saying he would be holding this view only for “a year or two.” On a rather prophetic note, he also added that if he did decide to do another James Bond movie, it would only be for the money.
Meanwhile, it was reported earlier in May that the actor had turned down a 68 million pounds deal to return as James Bond for two more films. The studio has now resorted to tempt the British actor with increasingly larger sums. A source which spoke to Radar said, “Everyone knows how much executives adore him, and the idea of losing him at such a crucial time in the franchise isn’t an option as far as all the studio honchos are concerned.”
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The actor took on the titular role in 2005, taking over from Pierce Brosnan. While this decision was received with skepticism, he won the critics over with his James Bond debut, Casino Royale, earning him a BAFTA award nomination. The movie also went on to become one of the highest grossing in the series at the time. Two years later followed Quantum of Solace in 2008 and then Skyfall in 2012. Skyfall is the highest grossing movie in the series. Craig’s fourth and last Bond film was Spectre in 2015.
Meanwhile there are other contenders who are being considered to take on the mantle. Some of the oft-heard names are Tom Hiddleston, Chris Hemsworth, Idris Elba among others.
Feature image courtesy: mi6-hq.com