Despite some shaky reporting (followed by blind regurgitation) last week that Daniel Craig was done with James Bond, the truth was less cut and dried. While it's still open whether he comes back, Deadline confirms what was already known, that Craig is going to wait a while longer to make a decision. At the very least he'll wait until a script is finished and a director sought. All of that said, there are some developments surrounding the 007 role and Craig's next major project.
First up, rumors have been going around that Jamie Bell (Fantastic Four) is talking with longtime Bond producer Barbara Broccoli about taking over the coveted 007 role. Deadline has confirmed these discussions, but that's all the information out there right now. It would mark a significant youth movement for the franchise if Bell was the choice, and a clear split from everything Craig did before.
As for Craig, he and Katherine Heigl are joining Steven Soderbergh's Logan Lucky, an ensemble comedy that includes Channing Tatum, Riley Keough, Adam Driver and Seth MacFarlane. The story centers on a major heist at a NASCAR event pulled off by two brothers. NASCAR is throwing their weight behind this one, too, so expect a huge media blitz when filming begins this fall. Pre-production gets out off the starting line at this weekend's NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Coca-Cola 600.
Craig also has the 20-episode TV series Purity coming up, which should last two seasons and take up the bulk of his time. So it could be a while before he's ready to start talking about Bond. And if you want to see Bell and Craig in action together, maybe to do a little comparison, check them out in the 2008 WWII thriller, Defiance.
