Sony execs may think Denzel Washington doesn’t have broad international appeal. They also may think President Obama’s taste in movies is something to snidely speculate about (along racial lines). But Sony isn’t primarily driven by racial issues anymore than it’s driven by altruism or art. Sony is driven by money. And Sony co-chairman Amy Pascal apparently thinks Idris Elba is a moneymaker. We know from the Sony hack that as recently as January 2014, Pascal thought Elba would be the ideal actor to embody one of Sony’s most valuable franchises, James Bond 007. One of her leaked emails simply says: “Idris should be the next bond.” (It’s probably the email she’d like everybody to focus on!)
Current Bond man Daniel Craig has just one more film left on his deal to save the free world as 007. Elba would bring some menace that Bond could use in our increasingly menacing world. Maybe Idris Elba as James Bond could foil some hackers!
