As we’re sure you know, there has been A LOT of talk about who the next James Bond is going to be, especially after Daniel Craig made somewhat disparaging comments about playing the super spy again.
Well after signing on to star in a new TV show, and hearing Mark Strong‘s comments about Craig playing Bond, Daily Mail reports that the actor has actually turned down ├é┬ú68 million — or just under $100 million — from MGM studios to return as Bond for two more flicks!
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This extremely HUGE deal would have included endorsements, profit shares as well as a co-producing role.
As for why the Craig turned down the offer, one L.A. film source dished:
“Daniel is done ├óΓé¼ΓÇ£ pure and simple ├óΓé¼ΓÇ£ he told top brass at MGM after Spectre. They threw huge amounts of money at him, but it just wasn’t what he wanted.”
The insider went on to say:
“He had told people after shooting that this would be his final outing, but the film company still felt he could come around after Spectre if he was offered a money deal.”
We guess it makes sense that the Brit would want out seeing as how he’s played 007 since 2005! Another source also revealed executives at the studio were so tired of the actor’s criticism of the franchise that they finally agreed to stop pursuing him.
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There’s already quite a commotion about who could play the next Bond, with many fans of both Idris Elba and more recently Tom Hiddleston after he threw his hat in the ring.
Good news for Hiddleston fans: The Guardian reports bookmakers have suspended betting that the actor will be cast due to overwhelming popularity of the bet!
Earlier this month, The Night Manager actor was the 2-1 favorite to take Daniel’s place, especially after Tom was seen meeting with Bond director Sam Mendes as well as producer Barbara Broccoli in London. Since those meetings though, more bets have come in and since so many people are throwing down, Hiddleston’s odds have changed to a 1-2 payout — a low-paying bet offered for a sure thing!
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This caused Coral — a popular sports betting site — to halt any further bets on the actor. A Coral spokesperson addressed the decision, saying:
“There’s no smoke without fire, and following the big gamble on Tom Hiddleston in the last 24 hours, we’ve had no choice but to pull the plug on the market.”
They went on to say:
“Earlier in the year there was a gamble on Idris Elba and Damian Lewis, but nothing has come close to the recent gamble on Hiddleston.”
Earlier in the year, Elba and Homeland star Damian Lewis were the frontrunners for the role, but Hiddleston has taken a huge lead in recent weeks. Before the betting company suspended their pool, Idris was priced at 9-1 and Lewis was 14-1. Aidan Turner was also in the running at 3-1 and Tom Hardy sat at 4-1.
Would you be happy with Hiddles taking over as 007?!
[Image via Gisele Tellier/Future Image/WENN.]
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