‘Bond 25’ Cast, Updates: Daniel Craig Set to Return as James Bond for 2 More Films? Actor Reportedly Offered $150 Million by Sony Pictures

‘Bond 25’ may feature the return of Daniel Craig as the titular spy. It was reported that the actor was offered $150 million by Sony Pictures to appear in two more films in the franchise.

According to Radar, Sony Pictures allegedly offered Craig $150 million to appear in two more films in the highly popular and long-running spy franchise as the titular James Bond. Craig previously hinted that he may not be returning to play the iconic spy as he would prefer to move on to newer roles.

A source revealed, “[He] has played a genius hand. Everyone knows how much executives adore him, and the idea of losing him at such a crucial time in the franchise isn’t an option as far as all the studio honchos are concerned.”

It was previously reported that Sony’s distribution deal for the franchise ended with Mendes’ ‘Spectre’ but the studio was working on renewing the rights with Eon Productions for more planned films. It was also reported that Sony was working on finalizing Craig’s deal to reprise his role for a possible 25th installment based on the character created by Sir Ian Fleming for his series of novels.

Craig was first introduced as the new agent 007 in Martin Campbell’s ‘Casino Royale’, released last November 2006. The film followed James Bond in his early years as an M16 agent. The film received positive reviews and became the highest-grossing film in the franchise at that time until the release of Sam Mendes’ ‘Skyfall’ in 2012.

According to Box Office Mojo, Campbell’s film earned $599.05 million worldwide on a production budget of $150 million. Although Craig’s casting as James Bond following Pierce Brosnan’s lengthy term was subjected to strong debate, Craig’s reinvention of the character earned him praise and acclaim from critics and fans of the franchise.

Craig went on to star in subsequent follow-ups, namely Marc Forster’s ‘Quantum of Solace’, Sam Mendes’ ‘Skyfall’, and Medes’ ‘Spectre’. According to Metro, other actors have already been rumored to take Craig’s place in the franchise should he decide not to renew his contract with Sony. These include Aidan Turner, James Norton, Jack Huston, Idris Elba, and Tom Hiddleston.

‘Bond 25’ is a yet untitled planned installment in the long-running British spy cinematic franchise based on Sir Ian Fleming’s character James Bond. It is set to follow Sam Mendes’ 2015 release ‘Spectre’, which starred Daniel Craig in the title role.