Tom Holland Failed to Pitch Young James Bond Movie: ‘I Don’t Think 007 Estate Was Interested’
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The search for the next James Bond following Daniel Craig’s exit after “No Time to Die” will begin later this year, but it turns out “Spider-Man” actor Tom Holland already tried to pitch where 007 should go next. Speaking to Total Film magazine ahead of the release of Sony’s video game adaptation “Uncharted,” Holland revealed he pitched the studio on a James Bond origin story movie in which the world’s most famous spy would be a young man just starting out in the world of high-stakes espionage.
“I had a meeting, after or during ‘Spider-Man 2’ [‘Spider Man: Far From Home’], with Sony to pitch this idea of a young Bond film that I’d come up with,” Holland said. “It was the origin story of James Bond. It didn’t really make sense. It didn’t work. It was the dream of a young kid, and I don’t think the Bond estate [was] particularly interested.”
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Holland’s failed James Bond pitch did not entirely bomb. According to the actor, his interest in doing an origin story for a popular franchise character is part of what nudged Sony in the direction of adapting the blockbuster video game series “Uncharted.”
As Holland explained, “The idea of a young Bond film sparked this idea, in turn, that you could do a Nathan Drake story as an origin story, rather than as an addition to the games. And that opened a conversation.
Holland stars as Nathan Drake opposite Mark Wahlberg as Victor “Sully” Sullivan in “Uncharted,” directed by Ruben Fleischer. The film also stars Sophia Ali, Tati Gabrielle, and Antonio Banderas. With its February 18 release date in the U.S., the film marks Sony’s first tentpole of the new year and a reunion with Holland after the record-breaking box office success of “Spider Man: No Way Home.”
As for the Bond franchise, it’s anyone’s guess as to what will happen to 007 now that Craig has departed the series. Predictions for who will replace Craig include Idris Elba, Henry Cavill, and “Bridgerton” favorite Regé-Jean Page.
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