Movies

EW Presents...

Continued

He's Bond. He's Blond. Get Used to It!

Previous Page 2 of 2

FIRE AWAY Craig takes aim as the new Bond

Casino Royale: Jay Maidment

Of course, you can't blame the media — or fans — for being curious about the new chap in Bond's tux. For one thing, Craig isn't merely the latest successor to the role, he's also part of the most ambitious makeover of the franchise since it started in 1962. Casino Royale will attempt to reboot the entire series by telling the story of Bond's maiden mission as a double-0 agent, ignoring his previous 20 big-screen adventures and introducing the character as if he were a brand-new creation. (''But it's not a prequel or a period piece or anything like that — it's set today, right now,'' explains Broccoli.) That's a heavy load for any actor to carry, let alone one most moviegoers have never heard of before.

Indeed, even those who have seen Craig in films like Munich and Layer Cake still know next to nothing about him as a personality — except maybe that he once dated Kate Moss and reportedly helped Sienna Miller get even with Jude Law — which may explain a lot of the Craig bashing. So far, he's kept his distance from reporters, appearing only for large press conferences and group interviews.

It's understandable, but the lack of close-up media contact has left Craig largely a blank page to the public and set the tabs free to doodle in details on their own. ''He's an incredibly funny, charming, sexy guy,'' promises Broccoli. ''Fans are going to love him — they just don't know him yet.''

Eventually, even the Bondophiles who object to his hair color may decide he makes a first-class 007. That uprising over Batman's casting didn't hurt Michael Keaton any; his turn as the Caped Crusader ultimately came to be regarded as the best to date. And here on the Casino Royale set, watching Craig dash by with a Walther PPK clutched in his fist, one has to wonder if his detractors might be underestimating him. That, of course, would be a very foolish mistake — one Mr. Bond's enemies have regretted making before.

Posted Mar 23, 2006 | Order Article Reprints

Previous Page 2 of 2