James Bond Producers Are Looking For Actor To Sign Up For 12 Years As New 007

The search for the next James Bond is still in its “early days.”

In an interview with Variety, producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson talked about finding the right actor for the role and the long commitment they’re looking for.

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One of the names most frequently suggested for the new Bond has been Idris Elba, though the producers don’t seem to think that will happen.

“He’s great,” Wilson said.

“We love Idris,” Broccoli said. “The thing is, it’s going to be a couple of years off,” she notes. “And when we cast Bond, it’s a 10-, 12-year commitment. So he’s probably thinking, ‘Do I really want that thing? Not everybody wants to do that. It was hard enough getting [Daniel Craig to do it].”

Wilson added, “And he was in his early 30s at the time!”

Elba, for his part, is already 50.

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Talking about young actors who have expressed an interest in the iconic role, Broccoli explained that it is a much bigger commitment than many realize.

“A lot of people think, ‘Oh yeah, it’d be fun to do one,” she laughed. “Well. That ain’t gonna work.”

Wilson added, “It’s a big investment for us, too, to bring out a new Bond.”

“That’s why, when people go, ‘Oh, who are you going to get?’ it’s not just about casting an actor for a film. It’s about a reinvention, and ‘Where are we taking it? What do we want to do with the character?’” Broccoli said. “And then, once we figure that out, who’s the right person for that particular reinvention?”

According to The Daily Mail, oddsmakers have Henry Cavill, Regé-Jean Page, Tom Hardy and Chiwetel Ejiofor as the most likely candidates to succeed Daniel Craig as Bond.