After an extensive casting process, the next James Bond has reportedly been found.
A couple of weeks ago, it was reported that Jack Lowden, Callum Turner, and Josh O’Connor were set to test for the role of 007 for Amazon MGM Studios’ Bond 26. Well, while Amazon has not officially announced anyone for the role yet, Showbiz411’s Roger Friedman — who had broken Daniel Craig’s Bond casting 20+ years ago — is hearing that Turner is the new James Bond.
There are some other external factors that support Turner’s Bond casting. His 2027 schedule is wide open, and he just resigned as a director of his production company, Twentytwo Films. World of Reel notes that British tabloids are taking all of this to mean that he’s going to be the new Bond.
For what it’s worth, Pierce Brosnan has thrown his support behind Turner. In an interview with Vanity Fair that, given how Brosnan answered the question, was surely conducted before Friedman’s report, the fifth 007 actor praised all the Bond 26 finalists before singling out Turner as his preferred choice.
“All the men who are on the list now are actors I admire. Callum Turner is someone I’ve worked with, and he’s so strong. They all have a voice and a physique, and a presence on film. They all have longevity as actors, all of these young men,” said Brosnan, who shared the screen with Turner in 2017’s The Only Living Boy in New York.
As for the other two actors in the mix — O’Connor and Lowden — both recently addressed the previous casting report from October. On Tuesday, O’Connor was opening the new Everyman Theatre in his hometown of Cheltenham, England, where he stated (via The Hollywood Reporter), “To be considered in that same sort of bracket is extraordinary.”
O’Connor went on to describe the news as “such an incredibly bizarre pinch me moment… even being uttered in that same sentence and being considered for something like that. But I am afraid there is nothing to say beyond that.”
And Lowden? In an interview with British GQ published on Monday, the Scottish star said, “It’s all very flattering. It’s nice to be mentioned — for any role — and I’m just not really going to add to the noise.”
So there you have it. Are O’Connor and Lowden saying what they’re saying because they know they lost the role to Turner, or is there still a wildcard that Amazon may end up going with? Only time will tell, and that time is running out, as production on Bond 26 is expected to begin in 2027, with Denis Villeneuve in the director’s chair.
Who is your preferred choice for 007? Do you think Friedman is right and Turner has the role? Tell us down in the comments with your Disqus account!
The official ScreenAge Newsletter has arrived! Subscribe to receive a semi-regular round-up of all our exclusive content, including reviews, editorials, Top 100 lists, and more! C'mon, we know you want to venture further into the Wasteland with us!
