Only 1 Bond Movie Grossed $1B & Daniel Craig Didn't Want to Make It
Skyfall became the highest-grossing Bond movie ever, but there was one reason why Daniel Craig wanted to quit it. Here's what the actor himself said.
The producers' decision to reboot the James Bond franchise with Casino Royale was highly controversial. However, when the film was released, it blew both critics and viewers away.
It was quickly hailed as one of the best Bond movies ever, and everyone was eager to see Daniel Craig's second film. Quantum of Solace grossed a respectable $591 million at the box office but received rather low scores: 63% from critics and 58% from viewers on Rotten Tomatoes.
Daniel Craig Wanted to Quit 'Skyfall' After the 'Quantum of Solace' Flop
Following the failure of Quantum of Solace, Bond was in dire need of a comeback, but Daniel Craig was no longer interested.
Following the mediocre reception of Quantum of Solace, Craig abruptly changed his attitude toward the franchise. During the promotional campaign for Skyfall, the actor even voiced his desire to quit the role of Bond:
“I've been trying to get out of this from the very moment I got into it. But they won't let me go, and I've agreed to do a couple more, but let's see how this one does, because business is business.”
Ultimately, Sam Mendes' Skyfall became the highest-grossing Bond movie in the franchise history, earning an impressive $1.1 billion.
After finishing work on Spectre, another film with Mendes, Craig made his famous statement that he would rather "slash his wrists" than star in another Bond film.
The Director of 'Skyfall' Thought That Craig Was a 'Terrible' Choice for the Role of Bond
Although Skyfall director Sam Mendes thought highly of Daniel Craig as an actor, he initially thought casting Craig as Bond was a very bad idea. The director revealed:
“I said 'Terrible idea – he shouldn't do it.' Because for me at the time I thought Bond had become the opposite of what Daniel is. [...] But of course the franchise adapted to work with Daniel and when I saw it at the cinema I thought it was a fantastic piece of casting.”
What Did Critics & Viewers Think of 'Skyfall'?
Roger Ebert gave Skyfall four out of four stars, saying:
“Just as Christopher Nolan gave rebirth to the Batman movies in The Dark Knight, here is James Bond lifted up, dusted off, set back on his feet and ready for another 50 years.”
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Skyfall has 92% from critics and 86% from viewers on Rotten Tomatoes.
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On IMDb, Skyfall has a score of 7.8/10.
Where to Watch Skyfall?
You can stream Skyfall on Netflix or rent/buy it on Amazon Prime Video.
