King Richard director Reinaldo Marcus Green has said that he would love the opportunity to make a new James Bond movie starring Idris Elba. King Richard's Oscar-winning night was overshadowed at this year's 94th Academy Awards telecast when the film's star, Best Actor winner Will Smith, infamously slapped Chris Rock. Still, the film, which follows Richard Willams as he helps shape his daughters Serena and Venus' futures as tennis stars, was nominated for 6 Oscars total, including Best Picture, Best Original Screenplay, and Best Supporting Actress for Aunjanue Ellis.
Green's career as a feature director began relatively recently, with the 2018 drama Monsters and Men, which featured future Tenet star John David Washington and future In the Heights lead Anthony Ramos. He followed that up with the 2019 Mark Wahlberg film Joe Bell, working his way up to 2021's King Richard. He is currently working on an untitled Bob Marley biopic, which is due in 2024 and will star The OA and High Fidelity's Kingsley Ben-Adir.
Green sat down with THR to discuss the new HBO series We Own This City, which he directs. During the interview, the topic turned to a previous comment the director had made about wanting to emulate Cary Fukunaga with his career trajectory. He was asked if he'd like to make a James Bond film and he said that he absolutely would "if it has somebody that looks like me in front of it," hinting that he may be able to reach out to Idris Elba and see if they can make it happen. Read the full quote below:
Yeah, if it has somebody that looks like me in front of it, I’m definitely open to it. I want to go into that direction and I want to be able to add value to a new Bond. I grew up watching popcorn movies, so if I could add a little something to it, that would be cool. Let’s see if Idris wants to do it.
With 2021's No Time to Die ending Daniel Craig's 15-year tenure in the Bond role, there has been much speculation about who will be next to fill out the iconic superspy's tuxedo. While details are scarce, it has been confirmed that there will be a 26th Bond picture coming, so producers will soon be feeling the pressure to show results from their casting search. The Wire star Elba has been a fan favorite potential Bond replacement for quite some time, so they would be making many audience members very happy if they finally signed him on.
If Green could actually get in conversation with Elba and make a partnership happen, the two might just be able to get the project on its feet. The James Bond franchise has already set a precedent for prestige directors stepping into the fold, with Oscar-winner Sam Mendes helping Craig redefine the character in Skyfall and Spectre. The time may indeed be right for the casting that people have been clamoring for.
Source: THR