William Boyd is the award winning author who wrote the latest 007 novel, Solo. He says that his vision of James Bond is almost identical to the original author, Ian Flemming’s depiction of James Bond.

Guess who Flemming based Bond’s infamous good looks on? American jazz singer, Hoagy Carmichael. Yes, that’s right. James Bond’s rugged physical attributes are modeled after a singer-songwriter.

So who’s Boyd’s Bond modeled after? Daniel Day Lewis. He said:

Daniel Day-Lewis looks like Hoagy Carmichael. He is a tall, lean, rangy, very dark-haired, good-looking man. Almost swarthy. And there is a sense in which that image was what he saw Bond looking like. So that’s why I’d choose him.

Boyd’s first leap into the world of James Bond is set in 1969. It portrays a slightly older and more mature James Bond than we’re used to, and doesn’t mess with tradition, as both M and Miss Moneypenny are featured. It’s not likely Solo will make it to the silver screen because of it’s retro vibe.

Daniel Craig is still contracted to do at least two more Bond films, but could Day-Lewis take over as the next 007?

[Source: Time, The Guardian]