Years of speculation will soon come to an end, as Amazon are reportedly closing on making a decision in the next James Bond sweepstakes that have played out, very very slowly, since the company acquired MGM and thus gained control of the long-running Bond film franchise.
According to Variety, “final screen tests for Amazon MGM Studios‘ new 007 are set to happen in the next week … beginning as early as Friday.”
They add that “who exactly will test is up in the air,” but they cite to specific finalists: Callum Turner and Jack Lowden.
Turner recently appeared in One Night Only and was previously seen in the romantic dramedy Eternity opposite Elizabeth Olsen and Miles Teller. Lowden is best known for his role on the streaming series Slow Horses; he also appeared in James L. Brooks’ Ella McCay. Turner is British; Lowden is Scottish. Their candidacy would suggest that Amazon is not looking to create a radically different Bond character, but rather to continue in the tradition started way back in 1962 when Sean Connery became the first James Bond in a big-screen 007 movie.
READ MORE: Every James Bond Movie, Ranked From Worst to Best
It’s now been five full years since Daniel Craig made his final appearance as James Bond in No Time to Die. Since then, there has been all sorts of behind-the-scenes wrangling over the future of the series. Amazon MGM eventually took full control of the franchise from its longtime stewards, Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli, and brought in producers Amy Pascal and David Heyman to oversee what will be the 26th official James Bond film.
They, in turn, brought in Dune’s Denis Villeneuve to direct the movie, which currently has a screenplay written by Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight.
Nothing is known yet about the approach this new movie is taking to Ian Fleming’s famous super-spy. The end of No Time to Die was a pretty conclusive farewell to the Daniel Craig version of the character; will Villeneuve start over from scratch with yet another “new” Bond? Will he make a period piece? Will the whole film just be a remake of Octopussy for some reason? At this point anything is possible…
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Gallery Credit: Emma Stefansky
