Pierce Brosnan, like pretty much everyone else on the planet, is “eager” to see who will be cast as the next James Bond. He admitted, however, that he has a bit of a soft spot for one of the frontrunners: Callum Turner.
As TheWrap reported last month, four actors made it to the final round of screen tests. According to insiders, Turner, “Slow Horses” breakout Jack Lowden and Josh O’Connor were among those tested, along with an unknown actor, for the role of the next 007 for Amazon.
“All the men who are on the list now are actors I admire,” the former Bond actor told Vanity Fair in an interview published Tuesday. “Callum Turner is someone I’ve worked with, and he’s so strong.”
Although he’s a fan of Turner, Brosnan said he thinks any of the actors left in the running would do a great job as the iconic spy.
“They all have a voice and a physique, and a presence on film,” he shared. “They all have longevity as actors, all of these young men. Whoever plays the role, I wish him the very best of life and strength and courage. It’s hard to tell who it would be, but I eagerly await to hear the news and the celebration of the next James Bond.”
Brosnan may be the only former Bond to comment on the next 007 thus far, but he’s not the only former co-star to weigh in. Gary Oldman, who stars in Apple TV’s “Slow Horses” alongside Lowden, told Canada’s Global News in a September interview that the next James Bond had already been chosen and that he hoped it was Lowden.
“It’s been rumored that he’s on the shortlist,” he said at the time. “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.”
The next Bond movie will be the first installment since longtime stewards Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson ceded full creative control of the franchise to the studio. Oscar-nominated “Dune” filmmaker Denis Villeneuve is set to direct the first new film in the franchise since Daniel Craig’s farewell in 2021’s “No Time to Die.” Amazon MGM Studios hired “Peaky Blinders” creator Steven Knight to write the screenplay for the 26th James Bond film.
Amazon MGM selected Amy Pascal and David Heyman as the new producers of the Bond series after talks with Broccoli and Wilson over its future stalled. The two ceded creative control but remain co-owners of the franchise.
