A new commercial directed by Taika Waititi features Daniel Craig dancing, and it's amazing to watch. Although Craig's career began on stage, the English actor rose to global fame when he took on the role of James Bond in Casino Royale in 2006. After fifteen years as the iconic superspy, Craig made his last appearance in the franchise in 2021's No Time to Die and finished his run as Bond with an unprecedented conclusion for 007. Craig's next onscreen role will be in Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery, which is set to be released in theaters on November 23 ahead of a global Netflix release.
Although Glass Onion will be Craig's first film appearance since No Time to Die was released, he has also taken on other projects outside of his biggest franchises, including a delightfully surprising commercial for Belvedere Vodka. Directed by Waititi, the commercial stars Craig "as he has never been seen before." The James Bond actor breaks away from his suave and restrained on-screen persona and dances his way through a hotel to a soundtrack performed by Rita Ora and Giggs, creating a spirited and amusing watch. Check out the full commercial below:
How Daniel Craig Continues to Break Away From James Bond
While Craig's portrayal of James Bond has been critically acclaimed, the actor tried to leave the franchise after his fourth film Spectre in 2015. Of course, Eon producers Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli convinced Craig to stick it out for one final film, No Time to Die, stretching his run as 007 to fifteen years. Naturally, after embodying a single character for so long, an actor has a tendency to become tied to his role and the character's personality. Still, even while he held the title, Craig seemingly made a concerted effort to demonstrate his capabilities beyond portraying James Bond.
One of Craig's most notable roles outside the Bond franchise was Benoit Blanc from Rian Johnson's 2019 mystery Knives Out. As a personable and somewhat eccentric private detective, Benoit Blanc contrasted Bond in many ways, and Knives Out's more humorous tone allowed Craig to throw off Bond's straight-cut and serious persona to explore more of his range as an actor. Waititi's new commercial grants Craig a similar opportunity. Viewers can see Craig literally transform from the tightly pulled-together Bond into a more wild and fun-loving version of "himself".
Now that Craig has officially left James Bond behind, it will be interesting to see what kind of roles the actor takes on in the future. He may avoid anything reminiscent of 007, or he could pursue characters that he's already had success with. Of course, Craig will be returning as Benoit Blanc in Glass Onion: A Knives Out Story, and the actor is expected to return at least once more in the role for the in-development Knives Out 3. Still, after seeing him collaborate with Waititi, perhaps Craig could push himself further and embody more wild, quirky roles.
Source: Belvedere Vodka