Jacob Elordi has reportedly emerged as a contender for the next James Bond, according to studio insiders.
Ever since Daniel Craig’s final outing as 007 in No Time to Die (2021), speculation has swirled about who will take the reins. Amazon, which secured the rights in 2022, is aiming to reboot the franchise with Bond 26 by 2028. That timeline has reportedly ramped up pressure to find the next lead.
According to Variety, studio insiders said the studio is currently focused on casting a British actor under 30. Among those reportedly in contention are Tom Holland, Harris Dickinson and Jacob Elordi.
They also revealed that Elordi being Australian is not considered a deal-breaker for Amazon. It would also make him the second Aussie to step into the role after George Lazenby in 1969’s On Her Majesty’s Secret Service.
The studio’s preference for a younger Bond likely rules out fan favourites such as Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Henry Cavill, and Idris Elba. But it creates an opening for Elordi after rising to fame in Euphoria and Saltburn have earned widespread acclaim.
Casting is expected to follow the appointment of a screenwriter after Dune director Denis Villeneuve was signed on to direct Bond 26.
Amazon had also looked toward top directors like Christopher Nolan, Edgar Wright and Edward Berger for the coveted role. Elordi’s chances at filling 007’s shoes might have dropped if Nolan had secured the job as he’s currently workign alongside fellow frontrunner Holland on his upcoming film The Odyssey.
Love Music?
Get your daily dose of metal, rock, indie, pop, and everything else in between.
Production on the next Bond will have to wait though, with Villeneuve currently busy planning to shoot the third film in the Dune series – Dune: Messiah – later this year to make an expected December 2026 release date.
Villeneuve’s deal only covers one film, meaning he doesn’t have final cut approval and isn’t guaranteed to return for a sequel. The last filmmaker to direct back-to-back Bond films was Sam Mendes, who helmed Skyfall (2012) and Spectre (2015).
