MGM/UA apparently has fired Brosnan from the James Bond franchise.
http://www.ianfleming.org/mt_content/000233.html
I find it endlessly amusing that the guy behind the whole James Bond film franchise is named Al Broccoli. When you think of James Bond, the world’s smoovest super secret agent, broccoli just doesn’t come to mind.
Anyway, I thought Pierce had announced a while ago that he was officially retiring his license to kill.
A few months after this came out (check the date of the OP’s link - October 2004 - almost a year ago), Hugh Jackman was being considered for the role. However, it was reported today that he has turned it down. See http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/0,2106,3380607a1870,00.html
Now they’re considering Ewan McGregor or Clive Owen.
Another thing that is amusing - the woman who has played Moneypenny in the Brosnan films was named Bond, Samantha Bond 
Nope.
It’s Orlando Bloom to play 007…sort of.
http://www.femalefirst.co.uk/celebrity/3472004.htm
I personally don’t think that he has the required charisma - on screen at least.
Pierce had been throwing public hissy fits for some time now…saying he was tired of the role yadayadayada and basically holding out for more money. They called his bluff.
I figure it is no big deal Have been plenty of Bonds over the years, and most did a decent job. Sean and Roger were quite good.
The Bond franchise is a formula. They really only need a pretty face that fits in a tux and the rest is gadgets, gals, guns, cars, chases, explosions and of course, “shaken but not stirred.” Actually, the only difficult casting is to get a good villain.
Yeah, I don’t know that calling is a “firing” is quite accurate. As all things in Hollywood, there’s a lot of ego on both sides. Seems reasonable to assume that both sides had their issues and it’s time for a fresh start. I find it kind of disappointing since I liked the Brosnan Bond, and would have enjoyed seeing him grow into the role. However, it seems that the films aren’t coming quite fast enough these days to really entrench a actor into the role.
Orlando Bloom will submarine the character. The guy has no gravitas. He can’t play the witty smarmy womanizer and he isn’t likely to play the defiant hero kicking bad guy ass.
Without a sword or a bow the guy looks very pedestrian.
What about Jude Law? Or was he even considered?
How can Orlando Bloom play Bond?
Aside from the last film, I don’t think Bond ever gets to use a sword.
I think that Alexis Denisof (Wesley from Buffy and Angel) would make a good Bond.
I thought there was a policy that whoever plays Bond would always be British. That would bar an American like Denisof.
Cal Meacham:
He did in Moonraker, though I won’t blame you if you prefer to forget that that film existed.
acsenray:
George Lazenby was Australian.
The “policy” is probably unofficial. Or maybe it was put in place post-Lazenby, though I don’t think there was anything wrong with his performance, and certainly not in the accent of his voice.
The character is upper-class English, sure - but the only Englishman ever to play him was Roger Moore.
Acutally, the character is half Scots and half Swiss.
Brosnan is Irish. As in from Ireland. That is, he isn’t English 
Lady Chance just threw out the name of Denzel Washington for Bond.
I admit, that’s inspired. He could explode that character and MAN does he has screen presence.
But he moved to England as a child and has spent most of his life there. I read in an interview that he cannot recreate his “real” Irish accent. So I’ll count him as an Irish-born Englishman.
Connery isn’t English, either-he’s Scottish. He’s British, but not English.