- guardian.co.uk,
- Tuesday July 24 2007 11:03 BST
Money maker... Daniel Craig in Casino Royale
Daniel Craig has become the highest paid actor in the UK after signing a £13m contract to reprise his role as 007, according to media reports.
The Sunday Express reports that the 39 year old is to receive £5m for the as-yet-unnamed 22rd Bond film, which is expected to begin shooting in December. He will then reportedly receive £8m from Bond production company Eon to don the black tuxedo a third time.
Leon Forde of movie magazine Screen International, told the weekly paper: "The fact is that he's become integral to the success of the Bond franchise and I'm not surprised that he's been given a new contract. Eon are obviously doing everything they can to keep him on board."
Aside from his escapades on Her Majesty's secret service, Craig has been busy working on several other celluloid outings. He will play opposite Nicole Kidman twice, in the sci-fi thriller The Invasion and in the adaptation of Philip Pullman's Northern Lights, the Golden Compass. He is currently filming the low-budget drama Flashbacks of a Fool, about a faded Hollywood star who looks back on his glory days.
Craig will also star in the second world war drama Defiance and play the devil trying to become a sinless human in the comedy I, Lucifer, opposite Ewan McGregor. After that, he will begin shooting the next Bond episode.
