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The final selection of James Bond #6 has been narrowed
to a shortlist of four actors according to the latest
sources...
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James Bond #6 Candidates Shortlisted
20th July 2005
The search for the next James Bond has been whittled
down to a shortlist of four contenders, according to the
latest rumours in the British Press.
The Daily
Telegraph today claimed that, "The list has been
whittled down to four. The auditions have reached their
most important stage: how the actors fare in the sack. So
stand-in Bond girls have been hired to act out select love
scenes from past Bond films with the final four actors."
MI6 confirmed last month that screentests were taking place,
and it will be no surprise to long-standing Bond fans that
the scene likely to be used is the bedroom sequence from
"From Russia With Love" - when Tatiana is waiting
for 007 in his hotel room. This scene was used as recently
as "The World Is Not Enough" and "Die Another
Day" when Colin
Salmon stood in as 007 to screentest potential Bond
girls. The scene has been used to test dozens of candidate
007s over the years, including the likes of Sam Neil, Michael
Billington, Finlay Light, as well as successful applicants
Timothy Dalton and Pierce Brosnan. |
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So who are the four contenders? Speculation varies depending
on the news outlet. The tabloid press are punting Clive
Owen, Daniel
Craig, Julian
McMahon and... Pierce
Brosnan. Despite the repeated statements from 007 #5 that
he will definitely not be returning, the rumours persist.
Above: Goran Visnjic - confirmed as
a front runner for the 007 role. |
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Little known actor Gary
Stretch had his name added to the list by the tabloids
back in May, and Australian actor Alex
O'Lachlan was thrown in to the mix as recently as last
week. Late last year, Luke
Mably and Matthew
Goode were leaked as potentials. The most unlikely candidate
though, as far as public perception goes, is Welshman soap-opera
actor Geraint
Owen who got a call from his agent saying that he was
wanted for a screentest.
Favourite of director Michael Campbell is understood to
be Croatian actor Goran
Visnjic, who MI6 exclusively linked to the role back
in April when it was revealed the Croatian actor had been
meeting the "Casino Royale" helmer in Los Angeles.
Visnjic recently confirmed his screentest had gone well
and is now awaiting the call.
James
Purefoy, who had screentested for the role back in 1994
for "GoldenEye" before Pierce Brosnan got the
job, is also hotly tipped to be in the final four - especially
as his production schedule is now clear following his withdrawal
from "V For Vendetta".
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Other contenders have ruled themselves out of the running. Ioan
Gruffudd says he is 10 years too young to play James Bond,
despite receiving the nod from rival candidate Julian McMahon,
and British actor Dominic
West has also ruled himself out of the 007 role despite an
audition.
"Casino Royale", the 21st James Bond film, will
be directed by Martin Campbell and shooting is scheduled to commence
on January 17th 2006 in Prague and South Africa. No casting decisions
have been made officially. The release is planned fro October
19th 2006. Stay tuned to MI6 for the latest and most accurate
coverage of Casino
Royale
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