The James Bond franchise is at an interesting turning point. Following the exit of Daniel Craig from the iconic titular role with 2021’s No Time to Die, the Internet has been buzzing with possibilities about where the film saga will go next.
The franchise’s rights ending up at Amazon, and Dune and Blade Runner 2049 helmer Denis Villeneuve being tapped to direct the next film, have definitely added new layers to things. It still hasn’t helped on the casting front, however, with people throwing out countless fancasts for who could or should ultimately land the role. But now, it looks like one possibility has caught on in a major way.
In recent days, a number of rumors have swirled suggesting that Callum Turner is the current frontrunner to play the new rebooted James Bond. Some of this chatter is coming from industry journalists, while some of it is coming from bookmakers who are placing bets on the casting possibilities.
“We’ve been knocked over with support for Callum Turner in our next James Bond betting over the last 24 hours,” Coral’s John Hill told Evening Standard. “The British actor is now the red-hot favourite for the role.”
A model turned actor, Turner most recently starred alongside Elizabeth Olsen and Miles Teller in the A24 romantic comedy Eternity. Before that, his filmography has included Masters of the Air, The Only Living Boy in New York, and Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them.
I could see it…
So many things have become part of the conversation around the new Bond casting. Will the film be set in the modern day, or be a period piece harkening back to the franchise’s earlier era? How young could the actor be? Could the franchise finally branch into the idea of Bond being more than a white guy?
While some will surely be disappointed by the idea of another young white boy being cast as Bond, Turner might be one of the more compelling options amid the sea of rumors and fancasts. He is only 35, meaning he could feasibly play the role for an extended amount of time. He has a growing fandom both in the UK and in the states. And he’s built a filmography that shows off his acting chops without having an iconic role or a major franchise tied to it, meaning that an overwhelming amount of the audience could buy into him as Bond faster than they could a Henry Cavill or a Tom Holland.
If Turner does end up being cast as the new Bond, that immediately raises another question: could his fiancee, pop star Dua Lipa, become involved with the film’s soundtrack? The artist and creative direction behind a Bond movie’s theme song have become their own separate can of worms, ranging from songs that become iconic far beyond the franchise, to tracks that are immediately forgettable. While some might associate Lipa with more dance-heavy pop music, her 2024 special Dua Lipa Live from the Royal Albert Hall showed a different side to her careeer. It not only provided new, orchestral-driven arrangements of some of her hit songs, but it showcased her vocal prowess in a unique way… and it arguably showed that she would be perfect for a Bond theme. Honestly, I would like to see it.
(featured image: MGM Studios)
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