Speculation as to who will take over the role has been rife in recent years, with frontrunners including Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Theo James. Photo / Getty Images
The casting hunt for the new James Bond is officially underway, Amazon has announced.
After years of speculation as to who might take on the 007 mantle from Daniel Craig, the studio shared an update on Friday that “the search for the next James Bond is underway”.
“While we don’t plan to comment on specific details during the casting process, we’re excited to share more news with 007 fans as soon as the time is right,” Amazon MGM Studios added in its statement.
According to Variety, auditions have been taking place in recent weeks, signalling the public’s long wait to meet the new Bond is near its end.
The studio has enlisted the help of Nina Gold, according to reports. Gold is a British casting veteran who was nominated for an Oscar for her work in the movie Hamnet, and is well known for her work on Game of Thrones, The Crown and The Day of the Jackal.
She will be searching for Craig’s replacement after his 15-year tenure as the suave spy, ending with the film No Time to Die in 2021.
Speculation as to who will take over the role has been rife in recent years, with actors including Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Theo James, Callum Turner and Henry Cavill all being touted as potential successors.
Aaron Taylor-Johnson
The 35-year-old Kick-Ass star has long been a favourite to take over Daniel Craig’s role. In May, he fueled speculation by signing a deal with Omega, the official watch company for the Bond franchise.
Theo James
The star of The Gentlemen and The White Lotus is also tipped as a possible Bond candidate. He is backed by bookmakers to succeed Daniel Craig. The actor, 40, has previously spoken out on taking over the role and admitted he found the idea “terrifying”.
Henry Cavill
He has amassed strong fan support to take on the part and has even played roles in the past that have been based on Ian Fleming’s character. The Superman star was tipped even before Daniel Craig was cast, but there are concerns that Cavill, 42, might be too old now.
Harris Dickinson
The British actor’s breakthrough performance was in Triangle of Sadness (2022), and he has been cast as John Lennon in the upcoming Beatles biopics. He has joked about being a “second choice” for 007.
Idris Elba
The star, 52, first captured the public’s attention for his work in The Wire, before appearing in The Avengers and Star Trek franchises. Asked about Bond, he said: “I think it’s more about we just want to have a black guy play James Bond rather than Idris Elba.”
Callum Turner
Turner, who starred in the Fantastic Beasts franchise and is engaged to singer Dua Lipa, has recently been tipped as a favourite to take on the iconic 007 role. The 35-year-old could be Amazon bosses’ best pick, according to recent odds from Heart Bingo.
Jack Lowden
The 35-year-old starred as an MI5 agent in the hit TV series Slow Horses and has recently emerged as a frontrunner for the 007 role.
Last year, Pierce Brosnan warned against casting an American to play the British spy.
Brosnan, who played 007 between 1997 and 2002, told the Telegraph it was a “given” that Craig’s successor should be British, amid a raft of rumours an American could be tipped for the role.
The actor added that he “lamented” the Amazon takeover of the franchise, but acknowledged that long-time custodians Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson showed “great courage” in handing creative control to the US firm after more than 30 years.
The half-siblings presided over James Bond for three decades after inheriting it in 1995 from their father, Albert “Cubby” Broccoli, the decorated producer.
The Bond franchise has grossed more than £5 billion ($11.4b) to date, after Ian Fleming’s novels were picked up by Eon Productions in 1961. The author’s first Bond novel, Casino Royale, was published in 1953.
Since Amazon took control, Denis Villeneuve, the French-Canadian film-maker, has been confirmed as director, with Steven Knight, the Peaky Blinders creator, set to write the script.
Amy Pascal, of the Spider-Man films, and David Heyman, of the Harry Potter film series, will produce the new 007 movie.
Speaking at CinemaCon in Las Vegas last month, Courtenay Valenti, Amazon MGM Studios’ head of film, shared that the team will take “care and deep respect” when choosing Craig’s successor.
She said: “I know you’re all wondering when we’re going to announce who’s playing James Bond.
“Please know that we’re taking the time to do this with care and deep respect. It is the dream of a lifetime for all of us to bring audiences this next chapter, and it’s a responsibility we don’t take lightly.
“What I can tell you is this: when you pair one of the most beloved franchises in history with a world-class film-making team ... you’re setting the stage for something that’s truly worthy of the Bond legacy.
“That film is coming, and when the time is right, we’ll have much more to share.”
Elsewhere, Knight said at the Bafta TV Awards that his work on the new script was “going fantastically”.
He added: “I am 1000% confident that when this gets out there people are going to really love it.”
Sign up to Herald Premium Editor’s Picks, delivered straight to your inbox every Friday. Editor-in-Chief Murray Kirkness picks the week’s best features, interviews and investigations. Sign up for Herald Premium here.