Credit: MGM/EON ProductionsThe search for the next James Bond may finally be over.
The upcoming James Bond movie will be the first to follow Daniel Craig’s five-film run, which concluded with No Time to Die (2021).
While there’s no release date or an official title for the film yet, Denis Villeneuve (Dune: Part Three) is directing, Steven Knight (Peaky Blinders) is writing the screenplay, and Amy Pascal (Spider-Man: Brand New Day) and David Heyman (the Harry Potter films) are producing.
Who Is the Next James Bond?
Amazon MGM has been searching for Craig’s replacement for months, with numerous actors linked to the role.
Among the many names that have emerged are Jacob Elordi (Wuthering Heights), Callum Turner (Eternity), Paul Mescal (Gladiator II), Harris Dickinson (Where the Crawdads Sing), Jack Barton (The Listeners), and Jack Lowden (Slow Horses).
A recent report claimed those six actors made up the shortlist, with Barton reportedly viewed as the leading contender.
However, other reports have suggested that the race has already narrowed further. Knight Edge Media claimed that Turner and Jack O’Connell (Unbroken) were among three remaining candidates, while noting that the identity of the third was unknown.
Now, actor Gary Oldman has added another intriguing twist.
Related: Amazon MGM’s Female ‘James Bond’ Reboot Finds Its Lead Actress: Report
While promoting his British spy thriller series Slow Horses, Oldman was asked about Jack Lowden’s chances of becoming Bond during an interview with Canada’s The Morning Show (via The Hollywood Reporter).
“It’s been rumored that [Lowden] is on the shortlist,” he said, adding, “We’re going to find out pretty soon, aren’t we? Because they have picked him. They have made their choice, but they have not announced it yet. So my fingers are crossed for Jack.”
It remains to be seen whether Oldman is right about the studio having made its decision. Although he’s probably right that we’ll find out soon, as one of the film’s producers, Amy Pascal, recently told Deadline that we may learn who the new 007 is by the end of this year.
“I would say the end of the year is a good bet. We are being really, really methodical,” she said, adding that the new iteration of Bond has “got to be something really different that is stirring and exciting and different.”
Lowden’s name has repeatedly surfaced in the speculation, and his role in Slow Horses makes him particularly interesting for 007. The Apple TV+ series follows a group of disgraced MI5 agents relegated to Slough House, with Lowden playing River Cartwright and Oldman starring as his abrasive boss, Jackson Lamb.
The series offers a very different take on British espionage from Bond, but Lowden has already demonstrated that he can play a British intelligence officer.
Interestingly, the casting director for Slow Horses, Nina Gold, is also overseeing Amazon MGM’s search for the next James Bond. There’s also another connection, as Lowden’s wife, actress Saoirse Ronan, recently told Empire that she would like to play a Bond villain.
For now, Amazon MGM has not confirmed its choice. But if Oldman’s comments are accurate, the next James Bond may already have been selected — and Lowden could be the man stepping into the role.
Do you think Jack Lowden could be the next James Bond? Let us know in the comments below!
