James Bond is an iconic role, and actors ranging from the original Sean Connery to the more recent Pierce Brosnan are largely remembered for their takes on Bond. The lateset Bond Daniel Craig is looking to be known for more than just the super spy, and he’s moving to TV to play a character who is very much not Agent 007, as he's set to star in the upcoming limited-run series Purity for Showtime.
Purity has been confirmed for a 20-episode run that will play out over two years on Showtime, according to Variety. The series will be based on the 2015 Jonathan Franzen book of the same name and follow the stories of a variety of people as their lives intersect in unexpected ways. The characters will range from idealists to murderers, and their locations will range from the middle of nowhere in Bolivia to the middle of East Harlem.
Daniel Craig will play a character named Andreas Wolf, who has been described as “charismatic” and “mysterious.” If the show follows the novel, there will be no shortage of characters in all the intersecting stories. Luckily for those of us who are Daniel Craig fans, Andreas Wolf has a significant role in the plot of the book, so we can expect a fair amount of Craig if the adaptation is faithful to the source material. Craig is also on board as an executive producer, so he's clearly invested in the project.
There has been no confirmation of who will be starring with Daniel Craig in Purity, but there’s still plenty of time for the folks at Showtime to nail the casting. Production isn’t set to begin until 2017 at this point, and we can assume that we won’t be getting a premiere date any time soon either.
Showtime has already shown a great deal of faith in Purity. 20 episodes right off the bat is a big order for a premium cable channel, even for a project headlined by a major movie star. The network can at the very least count on consistency within the show, with director Tony Field helming all of the installments in the series as well as contributing as a writer. Continuity likely won’t be too much of a problem.
Purity may be the perfect project for Daniel Craig to possibly begin a new chapter in his career. Although he has not yet confirmed that he’s done with all things Bond, he’s spoken out about being tired of the role. Given the physical demands of playing such a legendary character for four action-packed films, Craig certainly deserves a break. By virtue of his status as the first blond Bond, he’s opened the door for a wide variety of actors to tackle 007 next. Craig taking the role of Andreas Wolf could lead to very exciting things for him as well as for the future of the Bond franchise.
Unfortunately, it’ll be a while before we get to see Craig in Purity. For a look at what shows you’ll be able to watch in the meantime, check out our schedule of summer TV premiere dates.
