Sorry, Callum Turner, but it looks like there’s a new James Bond frontrunner, and his name is Robert Pattinson.
According to Matthew Belloni at Puck (via The Playlist), Pattinson would sign a three-film deal for Bond, one less than the four-film commitments reportedly negotiated with Josh O’Connor and Jack Lowden. Pattinson would also earn “a whole lot more money than the others,” according to sources familiar with the negotiations.
These preliminary agreements, known as test deals, establish contractual terms before an actor is cast. Pattinson’s arrangement apparently proved so difficult to negotiate that some involved questioned why the filmmakers would go to such lengths unless they were especially interested in him, thus making him the new frontrunner for 007.
Pattinson and Nicholas Hoult were revealed to have tested for James Bond last week. They join a casting field that currently includes the aforementioned Turner, O’Connor, and Lowden. Pattinson is apparently an actor that Bond 26 director Denis Villeneuve has been wanting to see since the beginning. Pattinson and Villeneuve previously worked together on Dune: Part Three.
Bond Has Been Circling Robert Pattinson for 5 Years
What’s interesting about Pattinson joining the Bond 26 casting circus so late is that former franchise producer Barbara Broccoli was reportedly interested in him around the time No Time to Die was preparing to shoot. However, once Pattinson was cast as Batman, Broccoli, who was famous for casting actors who hadn’t received their big break yet, lost interest in the star as 007.
Of course, with Broccoli gone, Amazon would gladly see a star in the role, and Pattinson is definitely one. But is Pattinson able to juggle Bond and Batman? Probably not, but given the recent DC Studios leadership changes, his time as the Dark Knight may be coming to an end anyway.
Villeneuve recently told GQ during a special conversation at the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art in Los Angeles on Tuesday that the Bond 26 casting process was still underway. “It’s in the process, in the process. We are pushing the gas,” he said.
Production on Bond 26 is expected to begin in 2027, which has many believing Amazon will announce the new 007 before the end of the year. We’ll keep you posted.
Is Robert Pattinson your preferred pick for James Bond? Is he too old (or too famous) for 007? Tell us down in the comments with your Disqus account!
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