And just like that, the entire James Bond fandom can be considered both shaken and stirred. Ever since hearing the bombshell news that Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson had officially handed the creative reins of the 007 franchise over to Amazon, the future of Bond instantly became one of the most high-profile questions hanging over all our heads. The long-simmering drama taking place behind the scenes soon gave way to frenzied speculation over where things might go next. As far as directors go, we only just found out that visionary “Dune” filmmaker Denis Villeneuve has been hired to lead the next reboot in the years ahead. Now, we’ve received word on the young leads currently being eyed for the actual title role … and it’s safe to say that reactions are all over the map.
According to Variety, Amazon’s wish list for the next James Bond has been revealed and, well, we’re already tired. None other than “Spider-Man” actor Tom Holland, “Euphoria” breakout Jacob Elordi, and under-the-radar pick Harris Dickinson are at the top of the dream call sheet for studio executives. This would be quite a change of pace from presumed Bond frontrunner Aaron Taylor-Johnson, but it makes a fair amount of sense to go with younger actors who would remain in the role for several years to come. To that point, Variety cites insiders who claim that “the studio and producers are interested in casting a British actor under the age of 30.” (We’re left to assume that Elordi, who is famously Australian, falls under the definition of “Eh, close enough.”)
Still, the report goes out of its way to mention that no meetings have yet taken place and that Amazon is eyeballing a likely 2028 release. In other words, they have “all the time in the world” (groan) to hire a writer, wait for Villeneuve’s schedule to open up, and make a final decision on the leading man. Still, it’s safe to say we have concerns about the names listed above. Looking at you, Tom Holland!
None of these hopefuls feel like the best choice for James Bond — except maybe Harris Dickinson
A day after igniting hope that the James Bond franchise may actually flourish under the money-grubbing hands of Amazon, we’ve now crashed all the way back down to Earth upon finding out who they’re eyeing for the title character. After making the bold choice to bring Denis Villeneuve on board (who beat out a competitive field including Edgar Wright, Paul King, Jonathan Nolan, and Edward Berger), new Bond producers Amy Pascal and David Heyman have an even more pressure-packed decision to make: Who will step into the unfillable shoes of Daniel Craig and define the next era of one of the most beloved characters in all of fiction?
Unfortunately, two of the three names now being bandied about feel downright uninspired at best and cringe-worthy at worst. Tom Holland has been a commonly fan-cast name for years now, almost solely due to his English nationality, his age, and a few viral pictures of him wearing a suit. Otherwise, we’re going to come right out with the hot take that his baby face, his well-established fame, and his entire acting style don’t quite fit into the Bond mold. Similarly, Jacob Elordi feels like another “No duh” option based on every consensus ranking of hot up-and-coming talent. He certainly has a stronger body of work to his name, in all fairness, and working with the likes of Guillermo del Toro, Emerald Fennell, and Sofia Coppola suggests he has the acting chops to pull this off.
But if anyone’s asking me (not that they should), Harris Dickinson feels like the best of this bunch. Although not quite an unknown quantity anymore, the “Babygirl” star and future John Lennon in the upcoming “Beatles” films would be precisely the kind of pick that feels different and interesting enough to work. Ideally, Amazon would opt for a relative unknown without the baggage of preconceived notions weighing them down, but that appears to be increasingly unlikely. This casting will take some time before any official announcement goes down, whoever it may be, but stay tuned to /Film for updates.
