007: Road To A Million Landing Brian Cox As Host Was Actually A Huge Mistake
Even though a replacement for James Bond had yet to be named, it didn't stop venerable actor Brian Cox from signing up for what he thought was going to be the next 007 movie adventure.
Unfortunately for the "Succession" star, his big venture into the world of Bond was actually for the upcoming reality show competition "007: Road to a Million," which is based on the successful spy franchise by author Ian Fleming. During a recent interview on "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon," Cox recalled for Fallon that he didn't have any reason to believe "007: Road to a Million" was anything but a Bond movie since the franchise's producers, including Barbara Broccoli, were behind it.
"I thought it was the new James Bond film," Cox told the TV talker. "I said, 'Oh, finally they're getting me in a James Bond movie.' I thought, 'Yes, of course!'" Then Cox discovered what the 007 project really was about. "There was no script," the actor told Fallon, laughing. "There was no James Bond movie. I was doing this reality show." So, in an instant, Cox's aspirations to be in a 007 movie were erased. "For years, I thought, 'I would love to be in James Bond. It would be really interesting,'" Cox told Fallon. "I thought this was my moment, but it wasn't."
Cox says the 007 reality show was still 'fun' to do
Amazon Prime confirmed in March of 2022 that its James Bond reality series was actually happening after being in the works for four years. New on the streamer on November 10, "007: Road to a Million" features nine pairs of ordinary people who embark on worldwide James Bond-like adventures as they compete for a $1 million prize. Brian Cox serves as the series host — dubbed "The Controller" — who guides the pairs through the game as he keeps watch over the action.
"It was fun. I love bossing people around, so that's what I did," the "Succession" star told Jimmy Fallon. Apart from the adventure, the actor added, he loved how some emotional, human elements emerged as the competition unfolded. One couple "found a new relationship in their marriage because suddenly they were able to trust one another after so many years," Cox told Fallon. "It was very touching to see."
In the meantime, the casting of the next James Bond actor remains up in the air. Longtime fan favorite Idris Elba seemingly put his Bond casting speculation to rest in March 2023, saying the rumors of him taking up the 007 mantle were nowhere near the truth. In January, another candidate to play the super spy, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, reportedly had a James Bond meeting that "went well."