Critics' Choice

Film

Andrew O'Hagan

quote Precious is a new-style weepie but one that is much more bracing than depressing quote

Henry Hitchings

quote Ian McKellen is captivating throughout. He delights in the play’s gallows humour, yet is also maudlin and poignant quote

Waiting for Godot Theatre

Fiona Mountford

quote Slight quibbles notwithstanding, this will set the West End’s stock riding high quote

Enron

Reader reviews

Film

Simon, London

quote Utterly, utterly brilliant. You really are in for a treat quote

A Prophet Theatre

Ella, London

quote Though 'Trilogy' has won rave reviews, I personally found myself exasperated after about an hour quote

Trilogy Restaurants

Dave A, London

quote We went on a quiet sunday evening and the food was excellent, but the experience let down by the service and ambiance quote

Mansons

The man with the golden touch (or how Daniel Craig will earn Ł30m as Bond)

Last updated at 20:52pm on 30.10.07

Add your view

Four more films: Daniel Craig as Bond

Daniel Craig has signed a record-breaking deal to play James Bond for a further four films.

Hollywood studio MGM has tied the 39-year-old actor into a deal which could make him Ł30million over the next decade.

The contract will incorporate a sliding salary based on how much each consecutive film makes at the box office and, importantly, in merchandising.

His first film as 007, Casino Royale, made more than any other Bond movie when it was released in November.

The level of MGM's commitment to Craig represents its confidence that he will reinvigorate the franchise and become a global star.

The deal far eclipses those signed by any previous Bond actor, including most recently Pierce Brosnan, who parted company with the filmmaker in an argument over his financial worth.

Craig's tenure at the helm of the most profitable film franchise in history is estimated to make MGM hundreds of millions of pounds.

Scroll down for more ...

Ł30m deal: The contract for 007 puts Craig in the starring role for the next decade

It was already known that Craig would play Bond for a second time for the 22nd film, due out on November 7 next year, but his further plans had been unclear.

Now his future at MI6 seems assured.

According to movie industry bible the Hollywood Reporter, MGM's chief executive and chairman Harry Sloan "signed Daniel Craig to do four more James Bond films" because franchises are "the bases of any studio".

Craig's performance in Casino Royale was applauded by many critics who had previously written him off for not being good-looking enough for the role, and even for having blond hair.

The film made Ł13million in Britain on its opening weekend, smashing the Ł9.1million record set by Die Another Day, Pierce Brosnan's last film as Bond, in November 2002.

A further four films are likely to tie up Craig for the best part of a decade. It will mean that by the time he comes to the end of the contract, the actor will be pushing 50.