So this is it. After four outings as the world¡¯s best-dressed sociopath, Daniel Craig has announced that he¡¯s done playing 007. In a recent interview with London¡¯s Time Out, the 47-year-old actor declared with typically British understatement that he¡¯d rather ¡°slash my wrists¡± than sign on for another James Bond movie. If he returned to the role, he said, ¡°it would only be for the money.¡±
It¡¯s hard to discuss ¡°Spectre¡± without mentioning cash. The film cost a reported $250 million to make, plus another $100 million for marketing, and is larded with subtle product placements.
Fittingly, even the movie¡¯s villain came with a hefty price tag attached. Ernst Stavro Blofeld, the cat-loving criminal mastermind who was Bond¡¯s most durable antagonist during the Sean Connery era, had to delay his comeback because of a long-standing copyright dispute with the estate of ¡°Thunderball¡± producer and professional gadfly Kevin McClory.
With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories. However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name in the Profile section of your subscriber account page.