If you haven't heard yet, Daniel Craig has earned top acting honors at the Evening Standard British Film Awards (read more here) - one of the most prestigious film awards in Great Britain. He has also been nominated for Best Actor in the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) Awards. His role as James Bond, the nomination and the win are nothing short of noteworthy and important to the longevity of the Bond franchise.

Anyways, back to the awards' significance...

The Future of the Franchise

Craig's British Film Award win is remarkable - and there is no other word to describe it. Think of it this way...Imagine if someone told you prior to Craig's hiring that the next Bond actor would win the Best Actor Award at the BFAs and would be nominated for the Best Actor Award at the BAFTAS. I think my reaction would be similar to Sean Connery's in Goldfinger when he learns of Q's addition of an ejector seat in his Aston Martin DB5: "You must be joking."

Much to our surprise, here we are, three months out from the world premiere of Casino Royale and this great news on our proverbial 00 plates to feast on. I can't help to think that this truly secures the producers' original idea of refreshing the franchise and re-establishing Bond's identity - both with his fans and in the film community. Bond has shown that he can be dusted off and thrill audiences just as much as he did in the peak of his popularity in 1964 with the release of Thunderball. Adjusted for inflation, Connery's third outing as 007 produced the biggest box office buzz with nearly a billion dollars in worldwide sales, and Craig's modern-day homage is the highest in twenty or so years.

And now, with Craig's Royale surpassing his predecessor Brosnan's highest box office tally, it seems like the sky is the limit for the franchise.

"Be careful will you. 10 darts, 5 blue tipped with armour piecing heads, 5 red tipped cyanide coated causing death in 30 seconds." - Q (Moonraker, 1979)

The worst part about Casino Royale and Craig's successes is the prospect of the follow-up film, Bond 22. As in the quote above, the producers need to be careful in how they handle the entire development of Craig's next outing. I am already nervous as a result of Martin Campbell's declaration that he won't be back to direct, but have to trust that the producers will make the right decisions from here on out.

Overall, the producers and Bond fans can only rejoice in the fact that both parties were equally satisfied - we got one hell of a Bond film and the producers/studio got a blockbuster hit that is sure to revitalize interest in the franchise and secure yet another actor in history as 'James Bond.'

UPDATE: Forest Whitaker (The Last King of Scotland) has won the BAFTA for Best Actor, beating Daniel Craig (Casino Royale).

Well, crap. Although Forest Whitaker is an excellent actor in his own right. Congratulations to him.

However, Casino Royale has won two BAFTA awards - for best Sound and the Orange Rising Star Award for Eva Green. Read the complete list of winners here.