Craig Gears Up For 'Bond 22'

With The Golden Compass soon to hit cinemas the world over, James Bond actor Daniel Craig will be back in the media spotlight. And with production on the next 007 film on the horizon, expect Ian Fleming’s famous spy to be a hot topic of conversation.

Daniel Craig at the premiere of Casino Royale.

In an interview with The Times, Craig revealed he’s now in training for Bond 22, but won’t be bulking up as much as he did for Casino Royale. “I was big for the last one, and it wasn’t a mistake, it was a definite statement. This guy, when he takes his shirt off, should look like he could kill someone.”

“After it finished, I stopped training,” Craig continued. “I got drunk for three months! No, I didn’t, but certainly relaxed for three months and ate what I wanted, and then it’s hell because as soon as you get back in the gym, you have to work all that off, and it takes much longer than it does to put it on. Last time I did a lot of weights to bulk up because I had to do it quickly. This time I’m going to do more boxing and more running. I need to be physically strong for Bond and, as much as I looked in great shape, I got a lot of injuries, probably due to the fact that I wasn’t doing enough running and jumping, which is what I needed to do in the film. I won’t look physically much different, but I won’t be as ‘no neck’ as I was last time.”

With Bond 22 fast approaching, Craig appears eager to match the success of Casino Royale. “It was surreal,” Craig said of the box office figures for his debut 007 film. “Just surreal. The numbers kept going up and up and up and it was like, ‘That’s it! We’ve done it.'”

Daniel Craig as James Bond

“If we are going to do this, we have to create something that is going to last, that we are going to look at and say, ‘They were different’. It’s a risk, but the last one was a risk just because it was me getting involved, and we seem to have ridden that one out. So now we have to go to the next stage. I want to make sure the next two, three, four, whatever films I manage to do before they chuck me out, or before it goes tits up, sit nicely within this era.”

The actor recently signed for four more James Bond films.

Meanwhile, in an appearance on BBC One’s Friday Night With Jonathan Ross, the actor revealed he is currently rehearsing stunts for Bond 22 in preparation for January start to filming. He also hinted the movie’s title may be locked in.

Keep watching CBn for the most up-to-date Bond 22 coverage on the web.