Daniel Craig's licence to kill won't be expiring anytime soon - not if a James Bond producer has his way.
According to Sunday newspaper The People, Bond producer Michael G Wilson wants Craig, currently shooting the latest outing, Skyfall, to star in a further five Bond movies.
Craig, 43, has previously starred as the superspy in 2006's franchise reinvigorating Casino Royale, and 2008's Quantum of Solace.
According to the newspaper, Wilson will be discussing a "multi-million pound deal to become the longest serving 007 of all time" with Craig once filming wraps on Skyfall.
Roger Moore is currently the actor who has starred in the most Bond films - he played 007 in seven installments between 1973 and 1985. Sean Connery has also played Bond seven times, but Thunderball remake Never Say Never Again was made by an independent production company, not by Bond backers Eon Productions.
"Daniel's been a terrific Bond, a superb actor and a terrific man. The fans love him and I don't think there's a better actor to play the part," Wilson, who co-produces the franchise with stepsister Barbara Broccoli, told the paper.
"Filming has gone very well so far and I'd love Daniel to surpass Roger's record and do eight pictures," he said.
"Daniel's been an absolute pleasure to be around because he takes the role so seriously. There's really no one more passionate about making these films work than him - he's a filmmaker's dream."
He added: "A lot of people have said Daniel's been their favourite Bond since Sean Connery and I can't argue with them. He's doing a great job."
Wilson also dished that the next Bond outing will hark back to the Connery era.
He said: "The director Sam Mendes and Daniel are taking it back to a 60s feel - more Sean.
"I think that's what the fans wanted," he added.
"There's a magical Goldfinger feel surrounding it all. It's all very exciting. I can't wait for people to see the movie because I think we're making a very special Bond."
The paper also speculated that "big plans" are afoot to mark the Bond films' 50th anniversary in 2012, including "an extravaganza" featuring former Bonds: Connery, George Lazenby, Moore, Timothy Dalton, Pierce Brosnan and Craig.
Wilson added: "We'd really like to get all six together. We're trying to find a way for fans to celebrate with us because they've been the reason the Bond films have been the success they have."
Craig recently revealed to Britain's Time Out magazine that he was directly involved in getting Mendes on board as director.
"He's English, he's Cambridge-educated, he's smart," Craig told the magazine. "He's lived with Bond all his life, he grew up with Bond the way I did."
He added: "I said to him, 'We have to do this together, we have exactly the same reference points, we both like the same Bond movies and we both like the same bits in the same Bond movies we like'."
Craig concluded: "We sat down and we just rabbited for hours about Live and Let Die or From Russia with Love, and talked about little scenes that we knew from them.
"That's how we started talking about it. That's what we tried to instil in the script. He's been working his arse off to tie all these things together so they make sense - in a Bond way."
Skyfall is due for release in late 2012.
Watch Daniel Craig in the trailer for The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo:
Have your say, readers: Would you like to see Daniel Craig starring in another five Bond movies? And, let's hear it, who's your favourite Bond?
- Blogger Bites Back