It seems that Dainel Craig could be set to play 007 one more time, especially if the film franchise's producer Barbara Broccoli has her way. According to pagesix.com's Emily Smith, multiple sources are reporting that Broccoli has “just about persuaded Daniel Craig to do one more Bond movie.”
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Craig made headlines when he signaled that "Spectre" might be his last film as James Bond. However, the actor later softened his stance, explaining in October 2016 that, “If I were to stop doing it, I would miss it terribly.”
What is it that might be changing the actor's mind? Well, apart from the reported offer of a potential $150M payday, it seems what the actor really wanted was to recharge his batteries with some real stage acting.
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His recent off-Broadway production of “Othello,” which starred David Oyelowo in the title role and cast Craig as the villainous Iago, was produced by Broccoli. According to one of Smith's Hollywood sources, “Daniel was very pleased with how ‘Othello’ went and the great reviews. Now [his] talks with Barbara are going in the right direction. They have a script — screenwriting duo Neal Purvis and Robert Wade [who’ve penned several 'Bond' movies] are writing and they’ll go into production as soon as Daniel is ready to commit.”
If Craig does decide to return, "Bond 25" would only mark the actor's fifth outing in the role. That's one more than Pierce Brosnan managed, but still significantly behind series stalwarts Roger Moore and Sean Connery, who starred in seven films apiece -- if you include Connery's unofficial "Thunderball" remake, "Never Say Never Again."
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And even if the actor does decide to call time on his career as the suave British super spy, that might still not bode well for at least one actor who has already been touted as a possible replacement. According to Smith's source, “Barbara Broccoli doesn’t like Tom Hiddleston, he’s a bit too smug and not tough enough to play James Bond.”