Quantum Of Solace

James Bond actor Daniel Craig has confirmed that he will not return as 007 for the next movie in the long running series.

No Time To Die is set for release next April with Craig as the main character but in a recent interview with German site Express he seems to have enough of playing the role and this will be his last.

The film has reportedly has a troubled production with injuries happening to Craig and other people involved in the making, and there has apparently been friction between Craig and director Cary Joji Fukunaga.

In the same interview the actor also dismissed any notion of returning as a director for the franchise.

Daniel Craig has appeared as James Bond since 2006 in Casino Royale and has been the character in Quantum Of Solace, Skyfall and Spectre.

With the film now is 78 countries, and in particular America, Bonds latest film Spectre increases its lead on the global box office, more than doubling last weeks gross.

A second weekend world gross of $190 million brings its total world gross to just why of $300 million, it has now been in cinemas for 14 days.

It still has a way to go to beat Skyfall's $1.1 billion gross but it is on tract to do so but may struggle, it is well on track to beat Quantum of Solace $570 million.

Box office wise Daniel Craig has been far and away the most successful Bond and his 4 outings will have out grossed all other Bonds, even taking inflation into consideration, by the end of Spectres run.

Also doing well this week is Snoopy and Charlie Brown The Peanuts Movie which is the highest new film of the week at 2, from 12 countries it grosses just shy of $50 million.

Highest total grossing film across the world this week is The Martian which after 6 weeks has now grossed $458 million.

Here is the top 10 world gross gin this week

1. Spectre - $190,800,000
2. Snoopy and Charlie Brown The Peanuts Movie - $49,600,000
3. Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials - $21,900,000
4. The Martian - $18,600,000 $9,300,000
5. Hotel Transylvania 2 - $18,600,000
6. Ex Files 2: The Back Up Strikes Back - $17,000,000
7. The Last Witch Hunter - $13,350,000
8. Everest - $13,346,375
9. The Priests - $11,500,000
10. Goosebumps - $10,800,000

This weekend the latest Bond film, Skyfall, achieved the biggest mission of Bond's 50-year movie history when it became the biggest grossing film ever in the UK.

The 4-year gap since the last film, Quantum of Solace, looks to have made people more hungry for Bond than ever. Couple that with a great story, a title song from cart-topper Adele, Oscar-winning director Sam Mendes, not forgetting Daniel Craig, who gives one of the best performances ever as Bond, and you have a winning combination.

Released in the UK on 25th October it has taken Skyfall 5 weeks to become the top film. The previous top film, Avatar, took the crown from Titanic (which had held the honour for 10 years since 2008). Its release in 3D meant it had the advantage of the extra charge for 3D glasses. Bond takes the title with no such surcharge.

With average cinema ticket prices in the UK being around the £5.40 mark this amounts to about 17.4 million people seeing the film so far. Skyfall is currently topping the UK box office (as of 30th November 2012) and has plenty of momentum left. So much so that it could be the first film in the UK to gross £100 million in box office receipts. We should know by Christmas.

Worldwide, Skyfall is also doing well for itself. It has grossed $868,585,083 globally and is currently the 28th highest grossing film ever. The Americans' love for Bond film has undoubtedly contributed, with the 50th anniversary film taking $245,585,083 in the US alone.

Sony Pictures have agreed to distribute the next as yet unnamed Bond film that is in development, as it did with the last two films, Casino Royale and Quantum of Solace. The film, which will again star Daniel Craig as Bond, is to be directed by Sam Mendes.

The film has had a difficult production to date, the film studio MGM, who own the franchise copyright, went into administration (its since been bought and rescued) and the production all but collapsing within the legal wranglings that followed, it looks like things are on track now.

MGM will retain distribution in the US and some other place with Sony not only distributing here but also co-funding the film (expect the usual array of product placement in the film).

It's looking like the film should have a smooth production now, with rumors that a script is near on complete, the title will be announced in due time (as with all Bond films) and the November 9th 2012 release date will be met.

The Bond series is no stranger to difficulties during film production and now the 23rd and latest film in the series has started to have it's own difficulties with a halt on proceedings called due to fears of the studio, MGM, being hit with a possibility of bankruptcy.

The film is due for a 2011/12 release and will star current Bond actor Daniel Craig and is slated to be directed by Sam Mendes (American Beauty), which to me gives the film very interesting possibilities so lets hope the halt does not stop Mandes or that or screenwrite Peter Morgan's involvement in the productions.

In a statement actor Danie Craig seemed confident in producers Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli's ability to get the film back on track so it seems Bond will continue.

As a British institution, and the last 2 films being such high grosser at the box office I cant see things going too long without something stepping in to save the franchise, we will see Bond again on the big screen, lets just hope it carries on in the same trend set by Casino Royale and Quantum of Solace.