LOS ANGELES : Former James Bond actor Pierce Brosnan is making the leap from the suave 007 to the gritty role of kidnapper in an independent thriller movie, the industry press said Friday.
Irishman Brosnan, 52, who was dropped last year from the role of the British superspy he played in four movies, will star in "Butterfly on a Wheel" to be directed by Mike Barker, Daily Variety said.
The movie tells the story of a couple whose life is shattered when their daughter is abducted by Brosnan's character, which follows his recent role as a hitman in the soon to be released movie "The Matador" as Brosnan seeks darker roles following his Bond run.
"This was a very conscious shift, in terms of the company, and a new direction for Pierce," said Beau St. Clair of Brosnan's production company Irish DreamTime, which is producing the movie.
"Darker, edgier roles are really attractive to him right now. In the post-Bond phase, it's time to take that chance. A role can box you in a bit, and Bond is so iconic, it can hang on you," St. Clair added.
- AFP /ls