Bond. James Bond.
That infamous calling card is one step closer to being uttered again after the Daniel Craig era of the 007 franchise came to an end more than five years ago.
The lengthy saga to crown the next James Bond appears to have entered its final stage — and the focus seems to have shifted heavily toward “Primetime” and “Batman” actor Robert Pattinson.
When news first broke about the final stages of the casting process, four men were allegedly under consideration: Jack Lowden of “Slow Horses,” Josh O’Connor of “Wake Up Dead Man,” Callum Turner of “The Boys in the Boat,” and a fourth unnamed actor.
It was later revealed that it wasn’t just a fourth actor, but a fifth as well under consideration: Robert Pattinson and Nicholas Hoult.
All five men underwent a final screen-test in late October — though MGM/Amazon haven’t confirmed any of this news.
Now, Matthew Belloni of Puck News has dropped some insight into who appears to be the favorite.
Belloni writes that all five actors who screen-tested would have signed contracts for MGM/Amazon, which would include multiple films after Bond 26, adding that when Daniel Craig auditioned for Bond, he signed a one-film deal with three optional sequels.
However, according to Belloni’s sources, not every deal among the five actors is the same. The sources say that while Lowden and O’Connor had to sign on for four Bond films, Pattinson was allegedly allowed to sign on for only three — and secure a bigger payday.
Pattinson would be an unusual choice in the history of the Bond franchise in that he’s a well-known entity. Almost every Bond actor in the history of the series has started as a lesser known talent — though exceptions like Pierce Brosnan and Roger Moore buck that trend.
But the lengths producers Amy Pascal and David Heyman went to in order to secure a Pattinson screen test, as well as the fact that Pattinson recently worked with new Bond director Denis Villeneuve on the final “Dune” film seems to suggest that there’s intense interest there.
It’s also possible that with extreme delays on “The Batman: Part II” due to a significant personal issue facing director Matt Reeves (necessitating a director swap with Steven Soderbergh for the remainder of the shoot), Pattinson might not have the patience to stay available for a trilogy-capper.
When asked recently about the casting process, Villeneuve was tight-lipped, but said: “It’s in the process… I am pushing the gas.”
A casting announcement is expected by the end of the year, and the next Bond movie will likely begin production in 2027.