Huge Irish star tipped for major role in new Bond movie
An Irish Hollywood superstar is said to be the bookies' choice for the next James Bond movie.
Although there have been no official announcements about the cast as yet, or even a date set to begin filming, producers are said to be keen to hurry things along to get the action underway.
Its been too long since the last Bond Movie hit cinema screens, bringing with it mixed emotions as Daniel Craig bowed out in his role as Bond in the 2021 movie No Time To Die, leaving fans emotional as he says farewell to the character. Pic: MGM/Eon/Danjaq/UPI/Kobal/REX/Shutterstock
But attention has now turned to the famous villains of the Bond franchise, and things are hotting up in bookies circles with a huge Irish star tipped to play the next Bond nasty.
Peaky Blinders star Cillian Murphy is topping the list to play Bond's next nemesis, according to the Online Betting Guide list, with strong odds of 9/2.
The Irish actor – best known for playing Thomas Shelby in Peaky Blinders, had previously been touted for the actual role of James Bond, but he quashed rumours, telling Deadline: 'I think I'm a bit old for that.' Cillian Murphy. Pic: Lodovico Colli di Felizzano/WWD via Getty Images
While no official confirmations about star castings have been made to date, speculation about who will be the next James Bond has been heating up in recent weeks.
British actors Aaron-Taylor Johnson and Henry Cavill have been linked to the role, but nothing has been set in stone as yet.
Also in the running for the part of Bond villain, are American actor Paul Giamatti at odds of 11/2, as well as Boogeyman star David Dastmalchian 13/2, and a very unusual choice in movie circles, an unlikely contender for the role, actress Zendaya at odds of 7/1.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Irish Post
40 minutes ago
- Irish Post
From Disco Pigs to adapting Sing Street for the stage, Enda Walsh tells all
ENDA WALSH is an Irish writer, playwright and screenwriter. He cast Cillian Murphy in his first play Disco Pigs and recently worked with him on the film Small Things Like These. In his latest project, Enda takes us back to the 80s with an adaptation of his book, Sing Street at the Lyric Hammersmith Theatre, West London. He chatted to CLAUDIA REDMOND about the show, being mistaken for a Corkonian, and what it was like being taught by Roddy Doyle. Enda Walsh has adapted his book Sing Street for the stage So what are you up to? We are here today at a rehearsal showing of Sing Street. I think it is pretty joyful: it is set in 1984-1985 in Ireland. A group of school kids put a band together, they go from their school uniforms to dressing up like Duran Duran. It is pretty chaotic but they end up finding their voices. It is a story about friendship and community. It's a beautiful film that John Carney made. It's a beautiful story and a real honour to put it on stage. It is bitter sweet at times, it's all the Irish stuff, it's quite chaotic, funny, a little bit sad: that sort of vibe. What was your look back in 1985? The thing about the 1980s was every sort of three months there seemed to be like a different style of dress. I went through the early electronic sort of stuff, Duran Duran, Gary Numan all that sort of thing, and Human League. But by 1985 I was probably into The Smiths, so there were a lot of cardigans. Roddy Doyle was one of your teachers at school. What was he like and was he strict? He was an extraordinary teacher. Roddy got us all into English, I turned out a writer but there were other people in my class who were probably better writers: I just stuck with it. It seemed like we did the curriculum and then he opened up this cabinet at the end of the room, and it was full of these books. A lot of American literature. He introduced us to a whole range of different writers, and it was true we used to sort of bum cigarettes off one another in the yard and talk about Charles Bukowski or whoever it was. What is your favourite Roddy Doyle book? When I read Paddy Clarke Ha Ha Ha he talks about the estate Kilbarrack being built that was just behind my house. So I know that terrain really well as a very young boy. It's a beautiful book: the story of a relationship breaking down, a divorce, but through a kid's point of view. What are your Irish roots? I am a Dubliner but a lot of people in Ireland think that I'm from Cork because I started making work in Cork. I had a play called Disco Pigs when I was a younger man, and a Dublin man moving to Cork was a bit of a strange move. They gave us a civic reception, and when the Cork people found out that I was a Dublin man they almost took it away from me. There was a bit of 'What!? You're actually a Dub! Jesus!' But I loved that city. Cork is an amazing City, it's always been great, the scale of it is fantastic. The shape of it is like an amphitheatre, so to me as a Dubliner moving down there it was always very theatrical. Cork people themselves because it is the second city they've got a lot to prove, so I've always loved their attitude. Cork star Cillian Murphy You're well known for giving a famous Cork man, Cillian Murphy, his start. How did that come about? Cillian was in a band not unlike the Sing Street guys. He was 18 at the time and in a band called The Sons of Mr Green Genes. They were like kids just like these fellas here, a fantastic band and they were just about to be signed to an Acid-Jazz label and I had a play called Disco Pigs that we were casting. I wrote it for Eileen Walsh this great Cork actor, and she was very young at the time, she was 18, but I had seen her in a play and thought she was extraordinary. Then we were looking for this guy and we were all obsessed with Cillian in this band. He just had this magnetism and it just turned out that he could act, so I auditioned him, gave him the role. We've made a ton of work since: he's just got something. What is the next project you have in mind to work on together? We always want to work with one another. We made a movie last year: 'Small Things Like These.' When you work with friends the shorthand is there, it's quite joyful and fun and I'm sure we will work again together. The cast of Sing Sing (Pic: Richard Southgate) What is your favourite theatre in Ireland? It's just about to be pulled down, and it's barely a theatre. I love Galway a lot, and I've premiered a lot of my own shows in the Black Box in Galway, which is in a car park. I remember bringing producers from around the world, they would come to see my shows and they would walk through this car park asking, 'what are you doing here?' But the venue itself has an amazing atmosphere and that is my favourite place. I have made a ton of shows in there and now they are pulling it down which is super sad. How do you think theatre is doing in Ireland at the moment? I don't live there, but I go back. We've always had incredibly strong actors but I think now we've got really great directors, so I think the work has become really quite dangerous and expressive and unusual, and I'm really proud of that. It's changed a lot in the last 15 years, a lot of young companies. But it's hard work. It's hard to keep it going I think for all of them. But it's always been like that. Even when I was a boy in my twenties it was always a difficult profession to be in and to stay in. I am excited though when I go back and see these really quite arresting productions. The Irish are taking over London at the moment, with Conor McPherson having back to back productions at the Old Vic with The Brightening Air and Girl from the North Country and yourself of course. Are you surprised? Yes and Mark O'Rowe at the Kiln Theatre with Reunion. When I play in America and they say 'Why are there so many Irish writers?' I think it has to do with our geography. I think it has to do with the fact that we're on the edge of Europe so a lot of the work is to do with identity and self-analysis, about who we are. Who we are in relation to Britain used to be the old plays, or who we are in relation to America, a whole load of plays about that. Back in the day in the 1700s, back in the villages you had the Seanchaí in the town who would stand up and proclaim who we were at the time and talk out these stories. It's all about where we are, who we are, what we're doing, what we want to do, and that's a very island mentality. Irish people have always been like that. That is why there are a ton of writers, poets, and musicians. What is your favourite memory as a child back in Ireland? I grew up in Dublin and on a Sunday we would go on a walk around Howth: it's very beautiful. If anyone is in Dublin they should take the DART out there, get off at the harbour and there is a great chipper at the end of the harbour. I have had so many conversations with my mother walking up there, and she used to take all of us. I still do it with my brother or friends, it is a ritual thing. What advice would you give to aspiring writers? It is tricky, but when I was in Dublin in my twenties and starting out, I worked with friends at the back of pubs, or the centre of pubs. In Cork we were given the Triskel Arts Centre to do shows and it was just trying out material. Over the course of three years we got our Arts Council funding and we took it very seriously. Young people just need to persevere and have a go at it. A lot of it is luck, most of it is luck. I have been incredibly fortunate. You have to be ready for the luck so you have to show up a little bit. What's your next project? I'm doing a lot of film at the moment. I am working for MGM on Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, a new version of it, which is really fun, so I'm writing that at the moment, so my head is in that incredibly weird, dark, funny world. Sing Street runs from the July 8 to August 23 at the Lyric Hammersmith. Click here for tickets. See More: Cillian Murphy, Disco Pics, Enda Walsh, Sing Street
Irish Independent
an hour ago
- Irish Independent
Meet the young busker bringing Italian music to the streets of Galway – ‘Some have left me flowers, and once even a mini vodka'
Despite having no busking experience and very little English, this 20-year-old musician packed his bags and left Italy for Ireland to follow his dreams It is no secret that Galway City is a cosmopolitan, multi-cultural space, fizzing with artistic flavours from all walks of life. Buskers play an important role in the city's identity, and this summer's line-up of street entertainers includes a continental twist in the form of Luca Brunello. A native of Rovigo, in northern Italy, Luca (20) moved to Ireland in February of this year following months of pondering about his future. It is a decision that continues to amaze him – despite having no busking experience whatsoever, Luca has totally immersed himself in the Irish scene, finding a niche performing staple Italian tunes to the delight of his Irish audiences.
RTÉ News
an hour ago
- RTÉ News
Kneecap to perform at Glastonbury amid calls for them to be banned
Irish rap trio Kneecap are to perform at Glastonbury Festival on Saturday after a number of politicians called for them to be banned from the event. It comes after one of the band's members, Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh, 27, was charged with allegedly displaying a flag in support of proscribed terrorist organisation Hezbollah, while saying "up Hamas, up Hezbollah" at a gig in November last year. Last week the rapper, who performs under the stage name Mo Chara, was cheered by hundreds of supporters as he arrived with bandmates Naoise Ó Cairealláin and JJ Ó Dochartaigh at London's Westminster Magistrates' Court in Free Mo Chara T-shirts. He was released on unconditional bail until the next hearing at the same court on 20 August. Last week UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer said it would not be "appropriate" for them to perform in the slot, which is due to go ahead on the Somerset festival's West Holts Stage at 4pm today. Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch also said the BBC "should not be showing" the trio's set in a post on social media last week. Badenoch said in an X post, which was accompanied by an article from The Times which said the BBC had not banned the group, "The BBC should not be showing Kneecap propaganda. "One Kneecap band member is currently on bail, charged under the Terrorism Act. "As a publicly funded platform, the BBC should not be rewarding extremism." Kneecap are not listed as one of the acts being shown live by the broadcaster. Ahead of the group's set, an Avon and Somerset Police spokesperson told the PA news agency: "Ticket-holders can once again expect to see uniformed officers on site at Glastonbury Festival 24/7 throughout the festival as part of our extensive policing operation ensuring it is safe for everyone attending, as well as those who live nearby." Neil Young, best known for songs such as Rockin' In The Free World, Like A Hurricane and Cinnamon Girl, will headline the festival's Pyramid Stage on Saturday night with his band the Chrome Hearts. The BBC confirmed on Thursday that Young's set will not be broadcast live "at the artist's request". Another act expected to draw a big crowd is Brat star Charli XCX, who will headline the Other Stage around the same time Young and Grammy Award-winning rapper Doechii will also perform. The 1975 headlined the festival's Pyramid Stage on Friday night, with the performance seeing singer Matty Healy joke he was his generation's "best songwriter". After performing Part Of The Band, he sat on a stool while smoking and sipping his drink, Healy said: "What this moment is making me realise is that I probably am the best songwriter of my generation. "The best what they say, a poet, ladies and gentlemen, is what I am. "Generational words and I just wanted to remind you, over the next couple of minutes, these lyrics are poetry, I believe." The band then launched into Chocolate from their 2013 self-titled debut, before Healy remarked "I was only joking about being a poet" at its conclusion. Made up of four school friends, which also features bassist Ross MacDonald, guitarist Adam Hann and drummer George Daniel ,were headlining the festival for the first time. Friday also saw a performance from Scottish music star Lewis Capaldi who told the Glastonbury crowds "I'm back baby" as he played a surprise set, two years after a performance at the festival during which he struggled to manage his Tourette syndrome symptoms. The musician, who announced a break from touring shortly after his performance at the festival in 2023, has just released a new song called Survive. He told fans: "It's so good to be back. I'm not going to say much up here today, because if I do, I think I will probably start crying." He ended his performance with Somebody You Loved, the track that Glastonbury crowds helped him to sing when he struggled with the condition which can cause physical and verbal tics in 2023. Irish singer CMAT chanted "Free Palestine" and waded into the Pyramid Stage crowd, who were dancing in the midday heat, during her Glastonbury Festival set on Friday. CMAT, real name Ciara Mary-Alice Thompson, played songs from her back catalogue as well as new singles, including Take a Sexy Picture of Me, from her forthcoming third studio album, Euro-Country. Earlier on Friday, alternative pop star Lorde surprised fans with a secret set at Worthy Farm, performing her latest album Virgin, which was released on Friday, in full. Scottish indie rockers Franz Ferdinand brought out former Doctor Who actor Peter Capaldi during their Other Stage set while they were playing Take Me Out, one of their best-known songs. Celebrities who have been spotted at the festival include singer Harry Styles, Oscar-winning actor Eddie Redmayne and Stranger Things star Joseph Quinn. Friday saw hot dry weather which hardened the Worthy Farm surface after rain in the early hours of the morning, with festival goers expected to see temperatures in the mid-20s on Saturday. The UK Met Office's Grahame Madge said: "We anticipate highs of 26C on Saturday, with high levels of humidity. By Monday temperatures can be anticipated to be over 30C. "There is always the chance of a light shower, but there is nothing in the forecast that suggests anything heavier for Saturday for Somerset." Avon and Somerset Police said there had been 38 crimes reported at the festival and 14 arrests made. Performing in the coveted Sunday legends slot this year is Rod Stewart, who previously said he will be joined by his former Faces band member Ronnie Wood, as well as other guests. Stewart's performance will come after he postponed a string of concerts in the US, due to take place this month, while he recovered from flu. The BBC is providing livestreams of the five main stages: Pyramid, Other, West Holts, Woodsies and The Park.
