Idris Elba and Taraji P. Henson in surprise hit Screen Gems

London, August 11, 2018 (AltAfrica)-The James Bond series focuses on a fictional British Secret Service agent created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels and two short-story collections.

Since Fleming’s death in 1964, eight other authors have written authorised Bond novels or novelizations: Kingsley Amis, Christopher Wood, John Gardner, Raymond Benson, Sebastian Faulks, Jeffery Deaver, William Boydand Anthony Horowitz. The latest novel is Trigger Mortis by Anthony Horowitz, published in September 2015. Additionally Charlie Higson wrote a series on a young James Bond, and Kate Westbrook wrote three novels based on the diaries of a recurring series character, Moneypenny.

The character has also been adapted for television, radio, comic strip, video games and film.

The films are the longest continually running film series of all time and have grossed over $7.040 billion in total, making it the fourth-highest-grossing film series to date, which started in 1962 with Dr. No, starring Sean Connery as Bond.

James Bond hopeful….Idris Elba – whatculture.com

As of 2018, there have been twenty-four films in the Eon Productions series. The most recent Bond film, Spectre (2015), stars Daniel Craig in his fourth portrayal of Bond; he is the sixth actor to play Bond in the Eon series.

There have also been two independent productions of Bond films: Casino Royale (a 1967 spoof) and Never Say Never Again (a 1983 remake of an earlier Eon-produced film, Thunderball).

In 2015 the series was estimated to be worth $19.9 billion,^[1] making James Bond one of the highest-grossing media franchises of all time.

But in spite of it’s global success and appeal, one thing is missing, a non white James Bond. But why does it matter to have a black/Asian James Bond? Britain is a multi-cultural society, widely celebrated and regarded the world over for its culture of inclusiveness.Diversity is regarded as Britain’s greatest strength

According to the Office for National Statistics, there were approximately 64.6 million people living in the UK in mid-2014. Of these, 56.2 million (87.2 per cent) were White British. The most recent Census in 2011 highlights that in England and Wales, 80 per cent of the population were white British, making the balance of 20 percent, other ethics groups notably the Asians and the Blacks

New reports emerging now indicate that James Bond producers are beginning to buy into the idea of Elba taking the role.

Aside Elba, a host of actors could play 007 once Daniel Craig retires from the role.

Names such as Michael Fassbender, Tom Hardy, David Oyelowo (who voices the character in the audiobooks) and Henry Cavill have all come up, but there is only one actor almost everyone is still rooting for to be the next James Bond – Idris Elba.

Black English actor Elba as Bond has been in the news since 2014, when, according to media reports, emails released during the massive Sony hack revealed that then-studio co-chair Amy Pascal told a colleague, “Idris should be the next Bond.”

Elba has, however, for some years now maintained that he is not going to play James Bond, even suggesting that a woman should play that role.

According to news site Independent, director Antoine Fuqua revealed the details of a conversation with Bond producer Barbara Broccoli, in which she said “it is time” for a non-white actor to take on the iconic role.

“Fuqua discussed who might be next in the running with Broccoli, who’s certain the progressive move ‘will happen eventually’, with Idris Elba a reported frontrunner for the role,” the report added.

This might not have revealed a lot about his chances, but it has been received with much excitement, with the following reasons being outlined as to why Elba deserves the role:

1. He is a Brit. Elba has the kind of Britishness that comes along with playing the James Bond role, apart from being a pub lover who does not joke with his fancy gin drinks.

2. He has the stature required for the role, as James Bond is statuesque, and every actor who has so far played his role has been 6 feet or taller. Elba perfectly cuts in here. Being physical, he can easily deal with the fights expected of such Bond films.

3. Ladies can’t just do without Idris. They love him, and he can surely play the role of a ladies’ man.
Like Bond, Idris likes to drive exotic and classy cars and even breaks speed records. In fact, he is already the perfect James Bond.

It would be nice to hear what you think of Idris Elba as next James Bond. Drop your view below the story or @info@alternativeafrica.com

Background info@Wikipedia