We know it’s not Hugh Grant (too foppish) and it won’t be Ewan McGregor (too employed), but even the man behind the camera for 007’s next mission hasn’t got a clue who’s going to fill the tux. “Believe it or not, there are no frontrunners at the moment,” director Martin Campbell says. “We’ve tested people and will look at those tests and see if there is anybody. It’s difficult to find the man that every woman wants to go to bed with and every man wants to be.”
Campbell, who revived the wheezing Bond franchise 10 years ago with GoldenEye, also revealed that “it’s almost impossible to persuade an actor who already has a successful film career to sign on the dotted line. The contract is for three films in a row.”
Although he refuses to confirm or deny any of the names being bandied about, four contenders are reputedly tickling the fancy of Bond-makers Eon Productions. Layer Cake bad boy Daniel Craig and ER’s Croatian lifesaver Goran Visnjic have been yakked about for months, while two newbies seem to back up the speculation that Eon plan to go younger for Casino Royale. Jersey Island native Henry Cavill (I Capture The Castle) is all of 22, while Aussie Sam Worthington (Hart’s War) is just pushing 30.
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Currently promoting sword-swishing action sequel The Legend Of Zorro, Campbell went on to dispel rumours surrounding the spy-flick’s supporting cast. The internet rumour mill had installed Bollywood star Gulshan Grover as Royale’s chief bad guy, but that, says Campbell, is a load of cobblers. The Kiwi helmer also denied rumours that Sienna Miller will be slinking around the superspy as Bond girl Vesper Lynd.
Whoever straps on the Walther, Eon are no doubt rolling about in all this free publicity like pigs in slurry. Cynical? Us? How very dare you.
