Who will inherit 007's licence to thrill? 'The world is not enough' in the hunt for James Bond

Well, who will be the next James Bond? Names have, of course, been swirling for years and speculation has intensified as we get closer to the beginning of filming on the 26th official film of the franchise, reportedly set to start in early 2027. With us now then to talk us through the top contenders is France 24's Emerald Maxwell. Hi, Emerald. So perhaps start by telling us who's in the running then. Well, a lot of names have been bandied about in the five years since the last James Bond. That was with Daniel Craig, of course. And in that time, we've heard actors such as Henry Cavill, Idris Elba and Paul Mescal were being considered for the role of the legendary spy. And there have been suggestions that James Bond could be perhaps reborn and played by a black or non-white actor or even by a woman. Producers, though, appear to have kept it traditional with their final casting lineup. Final screen tests reportedly took place in late October and reports vary. But there appear to be. Five top contenders. Jack Loudon of Slow Horses fame. That's the very successful series on Apple. And he's also playing Mr. Darcy in the new Netflix Pride and Prejudice, which is out next month. Then there's Callum Turner. aka Mr Dua Lipa and there has been some fan speculation that that would mean she could end up doing the theme song but Callum is also an actor appearing in the series Master of the Air or the Fantastic Beasts movie franchise for example. Then we have Josh O'Connor, perhaps best known for his award-winning portrayal of Prince Charles in The Crown, but also lots of other brilliant performances, such as in God's Own Country or Challengers. And then there were a couple of late additions to the race. These two reportedly also secretly auditioned recently. And the first one is Nicholas Holt, the child star in About a Boy, who's gone from strength to strength, most recently appearing as baddie Lex Luthor in the It's the new Superman. And finally, Robert Pattinson, perhaps the most well-known here, from the Twilight Saga to Batman, as well as auteur films like the drama. But his fame could count against him because James Bond producers have historically tended to favour someone who's not as established in audiences' minds. Whoever it is has big shoes to fill, of course. It's such an iconic role, although the character has been somewhat reinvented in the 60 years, more than 60 years he's been on the screen. Depending on who's incarnating him, of course. In his books, Ian Fleming portrayed Bond as a tall, athletic, handsome secret agent with a penchant for drinking, smoking, cars and womanising. And throughout the years, these traits have been somewhat softened on screen. And from the cold-blooded sexual magnetism of Sean Connery to the more tongue-in-cheek take of Roger Moore to Daniel Craig's gritty realism, there's really a James Bond for everyone. So we decided to ask around the France 24 newsroom for their favourites to be the next Bond. Let's take a listen. He's probably the best person for the role, Jack Lowden, of course I'm biased. He's a Scottish actor, we all know him from Slow Horses, but I think that he has enough kind of sex appeal for James Bond. I think that he's an incredible actor. My bet would be on Calum Turner because he really has the... For me, the face. I quite like Josh O'Connor as an actor. I think he's very good. So I'd be curious to see how he would interpret the Bond role. Definitely Josh O'Connor. He's got a little bit of Connery and a little bit of Moore. My two favorites, really more. In the last one, he had a child, a young daughter. Could they fast forward into the future? She comes back to take over the family firm. Of course, with a franchise this big, so much money at stake. They're probably going to go for a man, but you never know. My fingers are crossed for a lady this time. It's been a very long time since the last James Bond film in 2021. And I think many people are very tired about this wait. Why have we waited so long? The ultimate James Bond remains the original one, Sean Connery. His sort of dark attractiveness. Absolutely nothing to do with him being Scottish, of course. To say that my favourite is Roger Moore, because he had this... Classy, British style. I also grew up with Pierce Brosnan. He had the best looking suits. Very important. Which is, you know, a very good reason when you enjoy James Bond. I'd have to go with Daniel Craig. I must admit he's the only one whose Bond films I've seen the entirety of. Bet going in those projections, Emerald, but if you do, when will the announcement be made? Well, I would say imminently, because filming is just about ready to go. They've already got a director, that's Denis Villeneuve, who directed the recent Dune trilogy, and a writer, Stephen Knight, who's known for TV series such as Peaky Blinders, and filming is reportedly starting as early as 2027. In an August interview with Deadline, producer Amy Pascal dropped a big hint saying, I would say the end of the year is a good bet. We are being really, really methodical. So it's really likely a matter of weeks or even days at this point. So will it be one of these five or someone else entirely? Daniel Craig was a surprise choice back when he was announced in 2005, arriving on a Royal Marine speedboat up the Thames, and he was not initially a very popular pick. So it could be a total curveball and none of the above. But Callum Turner is currently the bookmaker's favourite, bookmaker's favourite, narrowly ahead of Jack Loudon. And I should also mention that the Daily Mail is quoting a source who said that Josh O'Connor had turned down the role. But for now, the producers, Amazon, MGM, have confirmed nothing, and in keeping with the Bond franchise, they will be sure to keep an enigma until the very last moment. You didn't tell us who you think it's going to be, Emerald. I mean, I have my favorites, but I'm going to keep that to myself. All right, I'll bet on a wild card then. Emerald Maxwell, thank you very much.