Just when you thought it was Callum Turner’s to lose, the race to be the next James Bond just got a whole lot more interesting.
According to Variety, Robert Pattinson and Nicholas Hoult were among the stars who screen-tested to play the new 007 for Amazon MGM Studios‘ untitled Bond 26. They join Callum Turner, Josh O’Connor, and Jack Lowden as actors who are confirmed to have tested for the role. Variety also noted that Harry Styles had discussions about the part, while The Gentleman‘s Theo James “hasn’t been ruled out.”
So, yeah, the field is still wide open.
At 40 years old, Pattinson is on the older end for Bond, but only because it’s been widely reported that Amazon was looking for an actor in their early 30s to take on the role. It’s unclear if it’s Amazon who is keen on Pattinson being Bond or Bond 26‘s director, Denis Villeneuve, who worked with Pattinson on this December’s Dune: Part Three.
As for Hoult, he’s the lead star in Amazon MGM’s How to Rob a Bank, in theaters on Nov. 13. Pattinson and Hoult are no strangers to franchise fare, with both currently starring in DC’s two biggest franchises — Batman (as the Dark Knight himself) and Superman (as the DCU’s Lex Luthor), respectively.
The Hunt for the Next James Bond Keeps Getting More Interesting
Earlier this week, Roger Friedman — who had broken Daniel Craig’s Bond casting 20+ years ago — stated that he heard Turner was the new James Bond. A few days after that report, someone told The Sun that O’Connor co-star in the drama production of Golden Boy in London told him, after “a few glasses of lager,” that “Josh was the next James Bond.”
And now, we have all the trades reporting that Pattinson and Hoult are in the mix for Bond, which brings us to five main contenders (or six, if you count Theo James, which I don’t). Honestly, I’m still sold on Turner as Bond, just because he’s someone who isn’t “a name” yet. Traditionally, at least when Eon was still handling Bond, they cast an actor who hadn’t made it big yet. If Pattinson or Hoult were cast as Bond, I’d be looking at them in Bond 26 and going, “Well, that’s Pattinson ordering his martini shaken, not stirred.”
Production on Bond 26 is expected to begin in 2027, so eventually Amazon will need to cast someone to play 007. As previously mentioned, Villeneuve will direct Bond 26, serving as his next feature after Dune: Part Three. Steven Knight, the creator, executive producer, and writer of Peaky Blinders, is penning the screenplay.
Bond 26 does not yet have a release date.
Would you rather see Robert Pattinson or Nicholas Hoult as Bond instead of the previous top contenders? Tell us down in the comments with your Disqus account!
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