Orlando Bloom (Legolas) positioned to be next James Bond -- Good idea or bad?

[astro]

007 to Bloom? (http://www.joblo.com/index.php?id=3852)

Good idea or crime against nature?

[Lobsang]

Initially: Unsure.

I'd like to see Ewan Mcgreggor as 007

[sjc]

I'm wondering the same thing. For the life of me I can't decide.

I'm a little wary of the line "They want to move away from the traditional image of James Bond - the older, suave gentleman - and believe a younger, trendier actor will attract friends. I don't think that it makes any sense to play up his young-ness and that is my main qualm to begin with. I think Bloom would work despite being young, not because of it. I don't know though, it could be horrendous however they played it.

But I'm not really a Bond fan, so I probably shouldn't talk.

I also think that perhaps Orlando Bloom shouldn't be squandered on Bond flicks. I don't think he's that good of an actor, but he's interesting enough. I'd prefer he not be associated with James Bond for the rest of his life.

[screech-owl]

Good. Grief. NO!!!

Suspension of disbelief and all that, maybe in about 10 years or so, but at this point I cannot accept a guy who looks like he's fresh out of high school to be 007.

screech-"bond fan" owl

[Eutychus]

Only if Q is going to give him specially tipped arrows.

[Fionn]

I think it's a horrible idea. I couldn't buy anyone who wasn't an older, suave gentleman as James Bond.

[Silentgoldfish]

The last I heard Pierce Brosnan was going to be Bond at least one more time.

[Lute Skywatcher]

Doesn't matter who they cast if they don't start getting better scripts first.

[RTA]

Worst concept I've heard all day; he's just a kid. Who will play the Bond girl, the Olsen twins? Hillary Duff?

But on second thought, the Bond franchise has slid into video-game depravity since Cubby croaked, and they're making more money from the video games anyway, so why not? Cast Bloom. Help the Bond franchise into its grave and pile dirt on it. End our suffering.

[asterion]

Doesn't matter who they cast if they don't start getting better scripts first.

You mean you haven't heard the basic script for the next Bond movie? Well, then, I'll tell you:

This crazy, really old guy wants to rule the world. Like all good villains, he uses a specific object in his plans to take over the world. Some using nuclear weapons, some use nuclear weapons in satellites, some use nuclear weapons in drills, some use newspapers and stealth boats (both of which are probably nuclear-powered), and so on. Well, this guy's object is a certain ring. A ring of power, one might say. One might even call it the One Ring.

Following the opening credits with the music done by a strange combination of Howard Shore and Britney Spears we get a sequence where the villain uses most of his power but can't fulfill his plan without the One Ring. It is then up to 007 to find the ring before he does and destroy it before it can be used. Along the way, he will have sex several times with hot chicks, some of whom might not speak Westron, ride a horse bareback (complete with Stinger missiles that shoot out the nostrils, a GPS system built into the neck, and a remote control device), show off his extreme sports skills, and be caught at least once and imprisoned in a tall tower with an overly-complicated killing device involving sharks, lasers, a spine-stretching machine, several dozen orcs, and having to listen to Liz Tyler trying to speak Elvish. He will show off his marksmanship with his Walther PPK bow and drinks his martinis shaken, not stirred. The movie will end in a long, elaborate sequence where 007 faces down the villain and destroys the Ring before taking on the villain himself. He will then be airlifted out (with yet another hot chick) thanks to the military and special agent of a closely-allied country and it is implied that he manages to have sex with this hot chick as well before we get to the closing credits.

Dude, this movie is going to kick so much ass. I can't wait until it is released. :cool:

[drm]

I dunno, there's just something that doesn't seem quite right but you never know, he could surprise me. The one I'm worried about is Mel (the other mentioned in the article). He's all wrong.

The one that always seemed like a logical choice was Jude Law.

[carnivorousplant]

He looks nothing like Hoagie Carmichael.

[pepperlandgirl]

I think Alexis Denisof (Wesley on AtS) should be the next Bond, therefore, Orlando is a horrible idea.

[Revtim]

Sounds bad to me, but he might surprise me. It wouldn't be the first time an actor sounded wrong for the role but ended up doing a good job.

[Necro Romancer]

Boy, it must be tough competing with Agent Cody Banks.

[Tuckerfan]

Boy, it must be tough competing with Agent Cody Banks.
::::::slams on brakes::::::::
Oh, dear god, no. Don't tell me that they're going after that audience (a long with the Spykids franchise). Ian Fleming must be spinning in his grave at just under lightspeed at this point.


(The only good news is that the guys writing the current script seem to be having a lot of trouble with it. This could perhaps delay Blooms entrance into the role until such time as his testicles descend.)

[O Desfibrador]

Arrrrgh!!!!! Run away!!!!

Of course, with the horrible scripts of the last movies it wouldn't really matter. But Orlando Bloom? I mean, he has the style of a... I don't know... an androginous elf?

[screech-owl]

He looks nothing like Hoagie Carmichael.

???!!!???

M'kay, I like Hoagie Carmichael's music, but did I seriously miss a memo here?

[SanguineSpider]

I hope Bloom doesn't take the job. I don't want to see him typecast as "Bond" and do nothing else for the rest of his life (maybe it wouldn't happen, who knows). I think he's a decent actor that needs to find a better project. The Bond movies have been dying a slow death these last 5-10 years anyway. Then again, I've always been a Moore fan myself. Yes... I know Connery was the "real" Bond for some but not to me.


Legolas, just say, "NO!".

[carnivorousplant]

M'kay, I like Hoagie Carmichael's music, but did I seriously miss a memo here?

Fleming says Bond looks like him in Casino Royale, I believe.

[screech-owl]

carnivorousplant - Ah. Danke tres mucho. Only ever seen Hoagie Carmichael (sort of) on an episode of The Flintstones back in the 1960s.

[Syntropy]

SanguineSpider I apologize in advance, I am not picking on you, but... something in your post struck me as hilarious....

I hope Bloom doesn't take the job. I don't want to see him typecast as "Bond" and do nothing else for the rest of his life (maybe it wouldn't happen, who knows). .............
Legolas, just say, "NO!".
heheheeheheheheheee :D

Okay. Back to the OP: Ohpleaseohpleaseohpleaseohplease, nononononono!!!!! He's a very pretty young man, but.....Bond? James Bond? No. I'll just be over here, keeping my fingers crossed for Rupert Everett

[SPOOFE]

They should REALLY buck the trend and cast a golden retriever as Bond.

"What is it, 007? Timmy fell in a well? And the well is a secret entrance to Blofeld's lair?"

[Guinastasia]

Yeah, I thought it was Ewan McGregor who was rumored to be the next Bond?

Am I the only one who thinks that James Bond would actually be a terrible spy? I mean, he's flashy, attractive, gets a lot of attention. Wouldn't it be better to have some plain, nondescript little guy who just fades into the woodwork?

[Tuckerfan]

Yeah, I thought it was Ewan McGregor who was rumored to be the next Bond?

Am I the only one who thinks that James Bond would actually be a terrible spy? I mean, he's flashy, attractive, gets a lot of attention. Wouldn't it be better to have some plain, nondescript little guy who just fades into the woodwork?Well, the Bond of the films is different than the Bond of the books, but even he was still a flashy kind of fellow. Ian Fleming modeled much of Bond after himself (including his incredible luck with women), and it's said that the only Bond Fleming felt was a close match was Roger Moore's Bond. (Frankly, I find that a bit hard to believe, being a Connory fan.)

I know that Leem Neeson was supposed to play Bond (with Connory set to play the villian) in a remake of Thunderball which was entitled Warhead 2000 (Warhead being the original title of Thunderball), but that got squashed by MGM's lawyers. I've heard that Matt LeBlanc was bandied about as a possible Bond (yech!) in the past.

It is a very hard role to fill, and perhaps it would be best if it were just allowed to lie fallow for awhile.

[Ranchoth]

Well, I can't see Orlando as being worse than Roger Moore.

But I am glad to see that I'm not the only guy who thinks Ewan McGregor would be a good 007. We should petition MGM, once Pierce retires.

[dotchan]

Hey, I liked Roger Moore. His Bond came across as being able to balance both work and pleasure. Or at least my impression was that his philosophy goes something like: "Save the World, and the Hot Chicks Will Come Running". :D

And I know that Ian Fleming said there was only one Bond, but come on, it's been 20 years. Can't we make "James Bond" some sort of title for the secret agent that saves the world, gets cool gadgets, and scores with hot chicks while somehow remaining STD free? :D

(And darn it, I say they should make a movie with all the Bond actors together before any more of them croak! ;p)

[carnivorousplant]

Can't we make "James Bond" some sort of title

No.
He works for Her Majesty's Secret Service, not the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen.
:)

[carnivorousplant]

Wouldn't it be better to have some plain, nondescript little guy who just fades into the woodwork?

He frequently uses the "Matt-Helm-Book-Not-Movie" approach, which is to be captured by the bad guy and have the snot beaten out of you so that you can get close enough to kill him.

[Bryan Ekers]

He looks nothing like Hoagie Carmichael.

Well, eye am only a Scottish peasant.

[SanguineSpider]

Sorry but I just think the whole Bond thing is over with. I really don't care who "they" get to play Bond, I just hope Bloom doesn't do it. I'm not saying he's a great actor but he'd be killing any shot of getting good roles if he accepted, IMHO. I'd like to see what Bloom can do without resorting to a cliché character.

That's only my two cents, can I get change?

[carnivorousplant]

Well, eye am only a Scottish peasant.

Bond and Connery are both Scots, aren't they?

[Tuckerfan]

Bond and Connery are both Scots, aren't they?
Dunno, but Brosnan's Irish. He claims that the first movie he ever saw in a theater, and the one that made him want to be an actor, was Thunderball.

[asterion]

And I know that Ian Fleming said there was only one Bond, but come on, it's been 20 years. Can't we make "James Bond" some sort of title for the secret agent that saves the world, gets cool gadgets, and scores with hot chicks while somehow remaining STD free? :D


Wasn't that part of the plot of Casino Royale?

[II Gyan II]

I heard a rumour about Clive Owen as the next Bond.

[RealTronic]

Umm... Why do rumours like these spread so darn fast???

According to a more reliable source, and a later date, Pierce Brosnan has, indeed, been offered the role of James Bond again.


Hollywood bosses were forced to offer Pierce Brosnan the chance to play James Bond for a fifth time - after fans threatened to boycott the films if they replaced him. Brosnan, who last played 007 in 2002's Die Another Day, was only optioned to reprise his role as the secret agent - and producers were considering recruiting fellow Irishman Colin Farrell. According to British newspaper The Daily Star Sunday, bosses deliberately leaked plans to gauge the response from the movie-going public - and were inundated with appeals not to ditch Brosnan. An un-named MGM executive tells the newspaper, "We didn't realize what an army of supporters Pierce has. We got the message Pierce stays."

Cite: http://us.imdb.com/news/wenn/2004-03-22

[Evil Captor]

I don't think you can credibly have a young Bond. he's not young, he never was young. Part of the central Bond mythos is that Bond knows an incredible amount of different things, far more than you could reasonably expect a single human being to. Having someone very young with all those abilities and all that knowledge gets you into Buckaroo Banzai territory (Banzai was, in addition to being a crime fighter, a rock star, a brain surgeon and a rocket scientist). Next thing you know, Bond will be shooting laser beams from his eyes and teleporting from one location to another.

[Green Eyed Stranger]

I think Orlando Bloom would be good in a Bond : Year One sort of way. Young fresh faced Royal Navy Lieutenant (or what ever is the lowest ranking officer is in the Royal Navy) is recuited by MI6, and we watch the transformation from idealist to killer. Charming killer, but killer none the less.

I always thought that Sean Connery and Pierce Brosnan had the perfect combination of charmer and killer to play Bond. Roger Moore was too much charmer, and Timothy Dalton was too much killer (although I always liked him as Bond). I don't remember George Lazenby. Am I missing anyone?

...
Am I the only one who thinks that James Bond would actually be a terrible spy? I mean, he's flashy, attractive, gets a lot of attention. Wouldn't it be better to have some plain, nondescript little guy who just fades into the woodwork?


Funny you should say that (http://www.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/europe/03/06/offbeat.britain.spy.reut/)

Take care

GES

[SanguineSpider]

Hmmmm? A Wild Card* Bond, Evil Captor? Interesting... very interesting. :D


* An obscure reference that only "cool" people will understand, heh heh... ok, I'm just kidding. But it IS a reference to a cool series of books. Check them out.

[Intent]

If Orlando Bloom is going to play Bond, I want to be a Bond girl. Ooooh, Orlando...

[Call me Frank]

Ideally I'd have Brosnan stay on as Bond. But IMHO, Bloom would be considerably better than Colin Farrel. I've seen The Recruit and snippets of American Outlaws and I was generally unimpressed with his talents...

But, that's just my humble opinion...

[El Elvis Rojo]

Yeah, I'm another one that thinks this would be an insanely bad idea. I've always had friends growing up in a wide variety of ages that loved James Bond movies, so I don't see where this "Trying to reach a younger audience" shit comes from. Plus, although he's come off pretty good on camera, if you actually pay attention to his acting, you realize that Bloom is really quite bad. Not much range and kinda stiff. He's cute, but Bond's not supposed to be cute...he's Scottish, for chrissakes!

Keep Brosnan, and when he's done, get another guy in his 40s to pick up the part...stay away from anyone younger (unless you really just hate the franchise, then make him into Inspector Gadget for all I care).

[Neurotik]

I can think of nothing worse.

Frankly, I hate Brosnan as Bond. If you read the books, Bond exudes toughness and machismo. Brosnan comes across as a smooth sissy.

The two best choices out of known actors right now are Ewan McGregor or Russell Crowe. I don't think you'll get the latter to do it, though. Too bad since he'd be perfect.

Hugh Jackman is an interesting choice, though.

[asterion]

The two best choices out of known actors right now are Ewan McGregor or Russell Crowe. I don't think you'll get the latter to do it, though. Too bad since he'd be perfect.


"Makin' movies, makin' music, and spying round the world."

[Dangerosa]

James Bond needs to be someone who can pull off Cary Grant. Because we all know that Cary Grant (North by Northwest, Notorious) was the pre-Bond.

Maybe Bloom will be able to pull off Cary Grant when he is 40. McGregor might be able to pull it off now. Jackman certainly could.

[Jonathan Chance]

To all of you saying 'he's too young' the guy is twenty-seven years old (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0089217/.).

He's just played young (or incredibly old while looking young in the case of the elf.

Maybe he could do it and maybe he couldn't. But don't say it's because of his age.

[the Lady]

Well - now that is a surprise.

Although Orlando is defintely eye-candy, and if he were Bond I'd certainly go see the movie - I would agree that he's a bit young for the part.

I think Ewan McGregor would work well - he's the few years older to make the whole thing believable.

[Evil Captor]

Before I see a young Bond, I want to see a black Bond. I think Denzel Washington could fill the bill.

[BizarroRonJeremy]

My vote would be with Jude Law.

[Lamia]

Nothing against Bloom, but I don't think he'd be menacing enough to play Bond. Sure, Bond's one of the "good guys", but he's a morally ambiguous character and certainly not capital-G "Good". I have a hard time picturing Bloom in such a role, and even if he could do it I think it would alienate much of his fan base. It always seemed to me that a big part of his appeal was that he seemed...nice. Bond is not nice.

[Doomtrain]

Bloom?! Blofeld would kick Bloom's ass. Hell, Christopher Walken from that terrible Bond movie would kick his ass.

Bloom's not rugged enough. Bond needs to be able to take a punch--and I hope they don't continue the "Bond Gets His Ass Kicked Through Half The Movie" trend, or he'll HAVE to.

[gigi]

I heard a rumour about Clive Owen as the next Bond.
That would be my choice, or maybe Dominic West.

I adore Ewan McGregor but he's not classically handsome enough.

[Airblairxxx]

If you wanted a rugged Bond, perhaps Guy Ritchie's movies might be a good resource. Someone like Jason Statham (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0005458/), perhaps (he'd need a toupee, but just ask Sean Connory if that would be a hindrance).

(And thanks in advance to all who refrain from suggesting Mrs Guy Ritchie; I said "rugged", not "ragged".)

Some other suggestions:

He's worked in MI5, why not MI6? Matthew McFadyen (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0532193/)

If the world can accept a redheaded Bond, I submit Damian Lewis (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0507073/).

[KidCharlemagne]

I'd rather see Carrot Top than Pierce Brosnan. Hate that fricking guy. I'd like to see Clive Owen play Bond with a tinge of melancholy and a little more dimension.

[Dr. Rieux]

Dunno, but Brosnan's Irish. He claims that the first movie he ever saw in a theater, and the one that made him want to be an actor, was Thunderball.
Close--it was Goldfinger.

[Bryan Ekers]

Bloom's too young. It'd be all, like, "My name is Bond, James Bond, but my friends call me 'Bubbles'."

[elfkin477]

So... is this proposed movie supposed to be a prequel or a wacky reverse-aging plot?

If neither, my vote goes to Charlton Heston, for age appropriateness. Maybe Rue McLanahan could play the Bond Girl.

[JRDelirious]

Nothing against Bloom, but I don't think he'd be menacing enough to play Bond. Sure, Bond's one of the "good guys", but he's a morally ambiguous character and certainly not capital-G "Good". I have a hard time picturing Bloom in such a role, and even if he could do it I think it would alienate much of his fan base. It always seemed to me that a big part of his appeal was that he seemed...nice. Bond is not nice.

Right. As mentioned a few times in Johnny L.A.'s excellent series of Bond-movie threads, many Bond fans dig seeing a 007 with a dark side, one that you believe would kill someone in cold blood if that's what the mission takes.

As to whether young or old... as said earlier, Bond is not just knbowledgeable, he's worldly. He is up to date on all the technical journals AND can tell if his drink is prepared perfectly. You name it, he has been there, done that. Not only that but IIRC, part of the idea is that Bond worked his way up from relatively low social strata (might have been a common enlisted entrant in the RN, worked in special boat sqn. ops as a rating, then spotted for bigger, better things, given an education and a commission and moved to high-stakes espionage and covert ops) so it took a bit for him to acquire such worldliness.

[N. Sane]

I'd like to see Denzel Washington as Bond. Yummmmm

[Guinastasia]

If you're going for a Cary Grant type, what about George Clooney?

Or better yet, go for a Slavic Bond and get Goran Visnjic...mmmm!

[Morbo]

I don't think Orlando Bloom's speficic *age* would be that big of a hindrance - Sean Connery was only 32 when he was in Dr. No after all - but I do think that he just looks too...modern. He just doesn't have the classic, rugged, refined look of a worldly spy.

"I'll have a Vodka...and Red Bull. Shaken, not stirred."

[yosemite]

Orlando Bloom? I'm just not seeing it. Not only does he seem too young, but he's not all that attractive to me either. He has a pleasant-looking face but that's all. I don't think he's that remarkable and can't figure out what all the fuss over him is about. I had been figuring that perhaps he only appealed to the teenaged/20-something set.

My mom, however, immediately commented on how "handsome" Bloom was in the Pirates movie. My mom's other heartthrobs include Burt Lancaster and John Garfield, (I think they're cool too) so apparently Bloom's appeal isn't a generational thing. Or perhaps, at least in our family, his appeal skipped a generation. 'Cause I'm just not seeing it.

My personal vote goes for Clive Owen, who has that dreamy, brooding, attractive thing going, but would be excellent at the "morally ambiguous good guy" thing as well. (Besides, my mom thinks he's a heartthrob too. ;) )

[UncaStuart]

I'm a "me too" on Clive Owen, to get a Bond closer to the earlier books, if nothing else. Morally ambiguous, as mentioned, and just two hairs away from being burnt out by the job. Hell, give him back his blower Bentley while we're at it.

[carnivorousplant]

not all that attractive to me either. ...dreamy, brooding, attractive thing going,

Bond is supposed to be attractive? In the movies this is the guy who sends his opponent through a snowplow and observes, "He had a lot of guts."

[Enola Straight]

Lesse...
British character portrayed by non-British actors...

Connery-Scot
Lazenby-Kiwi

Hey, lets just replace Mr. Remington Steele with ANOTHER Mick...

DANIEL DAY LEWIS...Oscar Winner.

[WILLASS]

Lesse...
British character portrayed by non-British actors...

Connery-Scot
Lazenby-Kiwi

Hey, lets just replace Mr. Remington Steele with ANOTHER Mick...

DANIEL DAY LEWIS...Oscar Winner.

As you just pointed out Connery is/ British, Scotland is part of Britain......

[Enola Straight]

I meant "as opposed to England", like Scotland, or Wales.

Is either Moore or Dalton Welsh?

[yosemite]

Bond is supposed to be attractive?
Yes, "attractive" as in "nice to look at." Not pretty-boy or beautiful, which seems to describe Bloom a little better. I don't think that, for instance, Clive Owen is even that handsome (unlike Sean Connery, Roger Moore or Pierce Brosnan). But Clive Owen is—oh my word—very attractive.

[yosemite]

Well, it's official. My mom was consulted on this issue and she gave a very emphatic "thumbs up" to Clive Owen. She has a great deal of good sense on such topics so as far as I'm concerned the matter is settled. Clive Owen it is! ;)

[Lamia]

I could be wrong about this since I've never read the books myself, but I think the Bond of the novels is actually supposed to be Scottish and not English.

[don't ask]

I heard the next Bond is going to be Joe Pesci - "Bond, James fucking Bond"

[Alessan]

Another vote for the guy from Privateer 2: The Darkening.

[Lamia]

Orlando Bloom? I'm just not seeing it. Not only does he seem too young, but he's not all that attractive to me either. He has a pleasant-looking face but that's all. I don't think he's that remarkable and can't figure out what all the fuss over him is about. I had been figuring that perhaps he only appealed to the teenaged/20-something set.

My mom, however, immediately commented on how "handsome" Bloom was in the Pirates movie. My mom's other heartthrobs include Burt Lancaster and John Garfield, (I think they're cool too) so apparently Bloom's appeal isn't a generational thing. Or perhaps, at least in our family, his appeal skipped a generation. 'Cause I'm just not seeing it.


Eh, you're not the only one who doesn't get it. This isn't very nice, but I have privately referred to him as "Orlando Bland". Nothing against the guy, but I can't see getting excited over him. However, I guess being pleasant-looking while seeming nice and non-threatening is nothing to sneeze at. Among my students I've got both high school students and housewives who are crazy for young Mr. Bloom, so his appeal isn't just limited to youngsters.

[carnivorousplant]

My mom was consulted on this issue... Clive Owen it is! ;)

Who am I to contradict the teachings of childhood?

[JRDelirious]

Re: Owen as Bond

Some fan is already getting ahead of it (http://www.hmss.com/owenbond.gif) :D (I was particularly amused by the casting of "KanaBun" [a popular Japanese porn star] in the picture)

[Michael Ellis]

Orlando Bloom?? Gah! Why not just cast Justin Timberlake or the crown prince of sissies himself: Leonardo DiCaprio. :rolleyes: :rolleyes:

God, it'd be worse than Madonna's title song.

[Guinastasia]

I heard the next Bond is going to be Joe Pesci - "Bond, James fucking Bond"


That would also work if you cast Ewan McGregor-guy's got a serious potty mouth!

[Charlie Tan]

<snipZ>it's said that the only Bond Fleming felt was a close match was Roger Moore's Bond. (Frankly, I find that a bit hard to believe, being a Connory fan.)
Me too, considering Flemings death in '64 and Moore's first outing as Bond in '73...

I think the best bond since 'You only live twice' (and chosing not to remember Connery trying to look Japanese) was Brosnan, but not in a Bond flick but as Andy Osnard in 'Tailor of Panama.' For me, Bond has always been that sexist ruthless bastard that Brosnan portrays so well in that movie. I only EON productions had the guts to let him play Bond in the same manner.

[Miss Purl McKnittington]

. . . I've heard that Matt LeBlanc was bandied about as a possible Bond (yech!) in the past.

It is a very hard role to fill, and perhaps it would be best if it were just allowed to lie fallow for awhile.

Matt LeBlanc? JOEY?!? Oh my god, I can see it now:

Bond: That's it, Blofeld! You sit in my chair. You take my underwear. Now I'm gonna do the exact opposite to you!
Blofeld: The exact opposite? Wha--? Are you going to give me my underwear?
Bond: EXACT OPPOSITE!
Bond disappears into Blofeld's room and emerges shortly.
Bond: I'm wearing every single piece of clothing you own. And I'm goin' commando! It would be a shame if I started doing lunges!
Blofeld: NO!
Octopussy enters.
Octopussy: Dr. No didn't have any dresses that fit me, but he did have this little Christmas ribbon that covered up the hummus. Do you like it?

No thank you!

OP: As much as I adore Orlando Bloom and as many times as he's represented on my Wall o' Hotness, I don't think James Bond is the role for him. He needs a few more years behind him. Ewan McGregor on the other hand . . .

Lamia, I read "John Garfield" as "James Garfield" and I was trying to figure out exactly how old your mother was that she would have him on her list of hotties. Or even why he'd be on there.

[Little Plastic Ninja]

Hugh Jackman.

God yes.

I'm going to close my eyes and muse on that image. :D

Only problem is, I don't want to see him put into the Bond typecast, though. But I think he could rise above it.

[Lamia]

Lamia, I read "John Garfield" as "James Garfield" and I was trying to figure out exactly how old your mother was that she would have him on her list of hotties. Or even why he'd be on there.

Just to clarify, that was yosemitebabe's mom, not mine.

My mother is more of a Rutherford B. Hayes woman. ;)

[jsgoddess]

Jeremy Northam!

Jeremy Northam!

Jeremy Northam!

Oh, I suppose that Jackman fellow is worth watching, too. :D

[bordelond]

I think Alexis Denisof (Wesley on AtS) should be the next Bond, therefore, Orlando is a horrible idea.

Denisof is an inspired choice ... I can go along with that. He's about the right age (38) to pick up the role after Brosnan's run ends. Also, Denisof has capably demonstrated on Angel that he's capable of portraying the hard edge many here like to see in their James Bond.

Clive Owen ... I'm sure he'd be acceptable. He just screams "villain" to me. Then again, he's getting a turn as King Authur (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0349683/) later this year, so that will be a good chance to re-evaluate Owen's screen presence.

As for Bloom, I could see him picking up the Bond role in 15-20 years. He'll need extra time to age as he looks so boyish. The choice of Bloom isn't as bad as some here are suggesting -- it's just not his time yet.

[Lute Skywatcher]

I think Orlando Bloom would be good in a Bond : Year One sort of way. Young fresh faced Royal Navy Lieutenant (or what ever is the lowest ranking officer is in the Royal Navy) is recuited by MI6, and we watch the transformation from idealist to killer. Charming killer, but killer none the less.Looks like you're onto something there. BBC News (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/film/3618627.stm)
Bond to return - as a schoolboy

James Bond, the nation's most famous fictional spy, is to return next year for a new mission - as a teenager.

Set in the 1930s, the books will tell the story of the future 007 and his schoolboy adventures at Eton.

Actor and novelist Charlie Higson - best known for his work on TV's The Fast Show - has been commissioned by Penguin Books to write the prequels.

The first book will see the schoolboy Bond travel to a Scottish castle, where, according to Penguin, a wealthy American has been conducting "some very disturbing experiments".

It will also describe his struggle to come to terms with the deaths of his parents in a skiiing accident - an event often alluded to in Fleming's books.

[Eats_Crayons]

I heard a rumour about Clive Owen as the next Bond.

Me too... But the more I think about it, the more I'm thinking I read it more as a flippant remark by a reviewer who was reviewing Beyond Borders.

[SciFiSam]

Orlando Bloom, Ewan McGregor, Jude Law - all good actors, but all too feminine in appearnace and behaviour to be a convincing Bond. Bond is as macho as they come. But the 'macho' actors that have ben suggested, like Colin Farrel, are just too rough - could you imagine Colin Farrel looking at home in a tux at an Ambassador's reception? Without him ending up drunk face down in the souflle? All of them are too young, too.

I can't think of anyone else though, and haven't seen anyone suggest anyone appealing so far yet. It can't be an American actor, because Bond is just supposed to be damn British, doncha know. An actor from the, ahem, colonies could pull it off, especially if they changed their accent. He has to be over 35 (and look it), rough-hewn and debonair (the diamond and the rough), dark-haired, good-looking and charismatic. Who fits that description?

Good thing Brosnan's staying on an extra year.