23 Sep – It looks like the role of James Bond may not go to Idris Elba after all, after producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson stated that they need an actor who can commit for a decade or more. Speaking to Variety recently, the two producers admitted that they love Elba, but that the role needs a 10 to 12-year commitment, and not just a couple of months of filming. Said Broccoli, "So he's probably thinking, 'Do I really want that thing? Not everybody wants to do that. It was hard enough getting [Daniel Craig to do it]." "And he was in his early 30s at the time!" Wilson interjected.
The two producers also stated that a lot of actors think they want to do Bond but do not fully fathom the commitment that comes from it. "That's why, when people go, 'Oh, who are you going to get?' it's not just about casting an actor for a film. It's about a reinvention, and 'Where are we taking it? What do we want to do with the character? And then, once we figure that out, who's the right person for that particular reinvention?" said Broccoli. In a previous interview, Elba stated that people know him more for James Bond, a character he never played than his actual roles. "I'm not going to lie, every corner of the world I go - and I'm talking about different cultures - they always go: 'Bond!' It is not a goal for my career. I don't think that, you know, playing Bond will satisfy some of my personal goals."