Next 007 shrouded in secrecy

Could Daniel Craig be the first blond Bond? Other possible 007s include Karl Urban, Clive Owen, Jude Law and Hugh Jackman. Picture / Reuters

A favourite to take over from Pierce Brosnan as the next James Bond emerged on Tuesday, yet aptly enough for the world's most famous fictitious spy, the true identity of the next 007 remained a mystery.

Just days ahead of an expected official announcement, Englishman Daniel Craig was named as the first "blond Bond" in an unsourced newspaper report, while British bookmaker William Hill closed betting on Bond after punters rushed to back him.

Hill has taken bets on no less than 39 pretenders for the part, several "winners" have been named in recent months and media and dedicated Bond websites have been awash with gossip.

With shooting of the 21st Bond film, Casino Royale, scheduled to begin in January, speculation has intensified.

The delay in announcing the casting has been portrayed as a crisis that could cause costly production delays.

Only five actors have donned 007's tuxedo since Sean Connery took on Dr No more than 40 years ago.

Dozens of others have been mentioned as possible successors to Brosnan, including Englishmen Clive Owen and Jude Law, Australia's Hugh Jackman, Croatia's Goran Visnjic, and New Zealand's Karl Urban.

Craig's London agent declined to comment, and the next film's Hollywood backers, Sony Pictures Entertainment and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc, and Bond production company EON have remained silent on who will take over as the super-spy.

"The decision hasn't been made yet. They are casting and that takes however long it takes," was the reply from an EON spokeswoman clearly tiring of fielding the same question.

For the film-makers more is at stake than how to prepare a martini (shaken, not stirred).

Bond is a national institution in Britain, and one of history's most profitable film franchises. It has netted nearly US$4 billion ($5.8 billion) in ticket sales.

Hollywood producers and directors familiar with casting an iconic action hero like Bond say a relative unknown is most likely to take over.

Avi Arad, who runs Marvel Studios with its Spider-Man and X-Men movies, said the main criterion for his heroes was an ability to act, and that big stars were unnecessary for such a strong brand name as Marvel.

The same could be said of Bond or Batman. "It's such an iconic franchise and such a huge part of American culture," John Papsidera, casting director for Batman Begins, said of the caped crusader.

"Inherently, [the film-makers] felt the audience would be there as long as we didn't screw it up."

In the end, Christian Bale, who honed his acting skills in independent films such as The Machinist and American Psycho, was chosen and proved a critical and commercial hit as Batman.

Brosnan has said he would be willing to play Bond for a fifth time, and experts believe that Sony, mindful of the Irishman's box office clout, would welcome him back.

But websites devoted to all things Bond say producer Barbara Broccoli wants fresh blood, with Casino Royale returning to the start of the spy's career on Her Majesty's secret service.

James Page, director of the Bond Web site (www.mi6.co.uk) agreed Brosnan was likely to be replaced with a lesser-known actor.

"If it's not Daniel Craig, it will be someone the public doesn't know," he said. "They did this with Sean Connery originally. Roger Moore was the only [Bond] actor who came in with any stature in the film industry."

When asked who his choice would be, Arad named Australia's Julian McMahon, who played the villain in the Marvel movie Fantastic Four.

- REUTERS