Callum Turner emerges as James Bond favourite as Pierce Brosnan endorses actor: ‘He’s so strong’ — SkimNews

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- William Hill shortened Callum Turner’s odds of being named the next James Bond from 3/1 to 8/13, ahead of Jack Lowden at 2/1, Josh O’Connor at 9/2, and Richard Madden, Robert Pattinson and Joe Alwyn at 16/1.
- Pierce Brosnan endorsed Turner after working with him on The Only Living Boy in New York, saying, “Callum is someone I’ve worked with” and “he’s so strong.”
- Callum Turner resigned as director of Twentytwo Films Ltd, which he founded with Dua Lipa in August; some took the move as an indication that his movie priorities had shifted.
- Amy Pascal said the casting announcement is likely to come “by the end of the year,” while the 26th Bond film is scheduled for release in 2028 under Denis Villeneuve.
- Barbara Broccoli said the new Bond would be “a man,” likely in his 30s, and that “whiteness is not a given”; Turner, Lowden and O’Connor are all 36-year-old white, heterosexual film stars.
- Amazon MGM Studios bought Bond’s creative-control rights from Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson for more than $1bn in February 2025; Amy Pascal and David Heyman were then named as producers, with Denis Villeneuve directing.
- Jack Lowden called the Bond reports “all very flattering” but declined to add to the speculation, while Josh O’Connor described being considered for the role as “an incredibly bizarre pinch-me moment.”
Why it matters: Turner’s 8/13 price leads Lowden’s 2/1, but Amy Pascal says the reveal is likely by year-end. Amazon MGM’s more-than-$1bn purchase of Bond’s creative-control rights puts the franchise’s first casting under new control in its hands, with a Denis Villeneuve film scheduled for 2028.
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