A word of caution about any inferences drawn in my previous post about the future of the James Bond films:

The LA Times article that prompted my previous post does not state unequivocally that the next Bond film will be based on Casino Royale, which was Ian Fileming's first Bond novel. Claudia Eller, the article's author, did not speak to Bond producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson, so she could not get a definitive confirmation. Instead, she writes that "sources identified...Fleming's novel" as the basis for the next film.

This obviously leaves some wriggle room, depending on whether the anonymous sources turn out to be accurate It's possible they were simply repeating rumors started by writer-director Quentin Tarantino, who has been lobbying to write and direct the next Bond film. Tarantino has said that he would like his film to be an adaptation of Casino Royale. (You can read his comments in an article in the Guardian  here.)

The irony of course is that Tarantino proposed this option as a way to make a more character-driven 007 film that would appeal to actor Pierce Brosnan, who wanted the films to move away from the rote repetition of car chases and explosions, in favor of a more dramatic approach. It would be odd indeed if franchise stewards Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson took Tarantino's idea and used it as an excuse to create a vehicle to create a new James Bond played by a younger actor.

Related article: Producer Michael G. Wilson Interview, Bond Begins Again?, Pierce Brosnan Interview