September 1, 2005 – The Bodog Sportsbook has listed a betting line on who next will speak one of the most famous movie lines in Hollywood history.
The 21st James Bond film, Casino Royale, is slated to hit the big screen in 2006, and the odds are out on which actor will have the privilege of introducing himself as ‘Bond, James Bond.’
Croatian-born actor Goran Visnjic leads the pack as the 2/1 favorite. Visnjic, who is best known for his portrayal of Dr. Luka Kovac, a Croatian doctor in the popular television series ER , made his American motion-picture debut in the critically acclaimed drama Welcome to Sarajevo. In 2001, Visnjic starred opposite Tilda Swinton in the popular film The Deep End.
“Everyone seems to have his or her pick on who will be the next James Bond,” says Calvin Ayre, Founder and CEO of bodoglife.com. “That’s because Bond films resonate with movie-goers. Bond, himself, is suave and elegant, and the films are always edgy and suspenseful. Those are the reasons why these action-thrillers remain contemporary and never fail to make an impact with audiences.”
If any sportsbook would be offering odds on the next Bond, it would be Bodog. The online entertainment giant shares the sleek sophistication and sexy attitude that permeates the Bond series. Whether producers feel that Visnjic has the Bond characteristics is the question.
In close competition with him are actors Alex O’Lachlan (Feed) at 3/1 odds, and Ewan Stewart ( Titanic ) and Henry Cavill ( The Count of Monte Cristo ) at 4/1. Fan favorites Clive Owen (Sin City), Daniel Craig ( Road to Perdition ) and Dougray Scott (M:I-2) are at 5/1. The list of candidates is rounded out with Colin Farrell (Alexander) at 9/1, Jude Law (Closer) at 15/1, and Rupert Everett ( Separate Lies ) at 100/1 odds.
Pierce Brosnan held the lead role in the past four Bond films, but producers reportedly axed him after initially offering him the chance to return. Brosnan was the fifth man to portray the debonair secret agent 007 in the film series.
bodoglife.com, the online sportsbook, casino and poker site, now considered the “go to” source for entertainment proposition bets, has seen a dramatic increase in the amount of wagers placed on pop-culture propositions in the last few years.
bodoglife.com, located in San Jose, Costa Rica, is federally licensed by the Costa Rican and UK governments. One of the pioneers in the field, bodoglife.com is the top-ranked US facing online gambling brand, with highest site traffic amongst multi-product US gaming web sites according to Hitwise.