Daniel Craig and Rachel Weisz’s quiet bittersweet double celebration

It’s been an eventful week for Daniel Craig and Rachel Weisz, who’ve had a lot going on between personal and professional developments.

The pair each celebrated their birthdays over the past week, with Daniel turning 57 on March 2 followed by Rachel turning 55 just days later on March 7.

Neither of the two are on social media or made any public outings during the time, likely quietly celebrating with loved ones, including their six-year-old daughter Grace.

However, several bits of news on the work front have also come into play, starting days before Daniel’s own birthday with news of James Bond’s takeover by Amazon.

Amazon MGM Studios acquired the intellectual property rights to the lucrative Bond film franchise, ceded by original producers and right-holders Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson.

Daniel was the last Bond, playing him in five films, starting with Casino Royale in 2006 and ending with No Time to Die in 2021, with the future of the next 007 currently still unclear.

© Shutterstock

The English actor reacted to the news with a statement to The Hollywood Reporter, which read: “My respect, admiration and love for Barbara and Michael remain constant and undiminished.”

He continued: “I wish Michael a long, relaxing (and well-deserved) retirement and whatever ventures Barbara goes on to do, I know they will be spectacular and I hope I can be part of them.”

© MGM Studios

His birthday happened to fall on the same day as the 97th Academy Awards, where several of his fans felt he was snubbed of his first ever Oscar nomination in the Best Actor category for his performance in Luca Guadagnino’s Queer (which received no nods). He did earn Critics Choice, Golden Globe and SAG Award nominations for his turn.

It’s been a more positive update for Rachel, however, who was announced earlier this week to be set to star in an upcoming Netflix adaptation of Julia May Jonas’ 2022 novel Vladimir.

© Getty Images

The author will also serve as an executive producer, with Kate Robin as showrunner, plus Sharon Horgan and Jason Winer among the executive producers as well, with 20th Television producing.

The book centers around a woman, an English literature professor, whose life begins to shift dramatically but finds solace and intrigue in her new co-worker. Per Netflix, the series’ logline reads: “As a woman’s life unravels, she becomes obsessed with her captivating new colleague. Full of sexy secrets, dark humor and complex characters, Vladimir is about what happens when a woman is hell-bent on turning her fantasies into reality.”

© Getty Images

Rachel will also serve as an executive producer. Tracey Pakosta, vice president of comedy series at Netflix, added in a statement: “With Kate Robin’s expertise in crafting layered, darkly comedic female stories, a script that deftly examines the complexity of attraction and moral ambiguities, and the incomparable Rachel Weisz leading the cast, this project is a powerhouse collaboration of talented women. We can’t wait for our fans to be as obsessed with Vladimir as we are.”