Hanks Says Elba Is 007
The search for the next James Bond seems never ending. Speculation around who would take on the role of Agent 007 next has been swirling for years, but actor Tom Hanks said that he knows the perfect man for the gig.
"Understand this, James Bond has a license to kill. I would issue that license to Idris Elba just based on the work that I've seen him do," Hanks said in an interview with BBC News.
The calls for Elba to take over started even before Daniel Craig exited the franchise in No Time to Die, the 25th installment. Hanks is just one of the most recent. But earlier this year, Elba finally addressed the issue and seemingly quashed the dreams of many who see him as the classic British spy.
"You know, a lot of people talk about another character that begins with 'J' and ends with 'B,' but I'm not going to be that guy. I'm going to be John Luther. That's who I am," Elba said at the World Government Summit in February.
However, things might change, and perhaps he will have a change of heart if the Bond filmmakers are onboard with the idea.
Movie Trailers, Shows Revived & Canceled
The WGA writers strike has Tinseltown at a standstill at the moment, and it could last months if a previous work stoppage in 2007 was any indication. But there are still a few major announcements for things on the horizon from studios and networks that fans might appreciate.
A new TV spot for Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, slated for a June 2 release, just pumped some excitement into fans with a minute-long trailer that shows Miles Morales swinging through Brooklyn and running into a multiverse of other Spider-People. There's even a call back to Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, which Marvel fans will love.
Meanwhile, CBS is shaking up its prime time TV slots with a few cancellations and major revival. First there is some sad news for fans of two of the network's police procedural shows, East New York and True Lies, after both are getting shelved after just one season. Apparently the cancellations were initiated because of budgetary issues and an unwillingness to increase the pay of actors on set. However, the comedy Bob Hearts Abishola was extended after the cast agreed to pay cuts.
On the other hand, the network's decision to cancel the hit show S.W.A.T just days ago was reversed.
"We have listened to our viewers and their outpouring of passion for S.W.A.T and we have reached an agreement to renew it for a final season of 13 episodes to air during 2023-2024 broadcast year," Amy Reisenbach, the president of CBS Entertainment, and Katherine Pope, president of Sony Pictures, said in a statement according to Deadline.
John Wick 5?
John Wick 4 and the rest of the franchise has been wildly successful, so why stop at just there? That's what director Chad Stahelski told The Direct about extending the Wick-verse.
"When you have something successful, yeah, of course you want to keep doing it. But it's very easy to be repetitive. The trick is how you be repetitive with individuality," he said.
Meanwhile, a John Wick-related streaming series has already been ordered at Peacock, and a spinoff film starring Ana de Armas is slated for a 2024 release. Yet, despite fans wanting more, and being open to doing more, Stahelski said that the franchise seems to be done.
"We feel we put everything we had into John Wick 4 and we feel we completed the cycle. We feel like we ended it. So, we feel like, you know, that was a great way to wrap up the previous three films and the fourth and deliver something satisfying and fun," he explained.
