Beloved British actress edges out Zendaya as favourite for Bond Girl
There's a new name in the Bond girl conversation, just days after it was finally confirmed that Denis Villeneuve will be directing the upcoming 007 film.
The Canadian director, best known for directing Dune and Dune: Part Two, as well as Arrival, Blade Runner 2049, Sicario, and Prisoners, is now stepping up to the directorial plate amid major upheaval at Bond HQ.
Amazon Studios officially purchased MGM for $8.45billion (£6.7billion) in 2022, with a new agreement over creative control meaning Bond — and whoever is next to play 007 – is entirely under the streamer's control.
Now that a director is officially attached, the speculation around who will play who has ramped up a notch.
Zendaya has been top of minds to take on the iconic role of the next Bond girl – admittedly, not the best terminology for the iconic female lead – but Florence Pugh's name has now also entered the conversation.
Florence Pugh has taken over as the favourite to be the next Bond Girl, at 11/8, according to Gambling.com.
She already has a working relationship with Villeneuve, having joined the Dune fold for the second film.
While Pugh once ruled out being the first female Bond, she has signalled her interest in portraying a spy. She told Digital Spy: 'I think everyone's always interested in playing a spy, right?
'That's something we grow up admiring, which is so strange, but it's just a very clever and quick world that we all want to be a part of.'
Pugh's Dune co-star Zendaya – who was directed by Villeneuve in both his sci-fi films and is set to reprise her role in the upcoming third – is also in contention to be the Bond role, currently at 6/4 odds.
She has also been produced by new Bond producer Amy Pascal in a number of films, including last year's sensational sweat-fest Challengers. More Trending
The other names currently in contention according to the bookies include Ana de Armas, who had a scene-stealing turn in No Time To Die as Paloma, as well as Emma Watson and Rebecca Ferguson.
It comes after Villeneuve shared an emotional statement about taking on the next film, saying: 'Some of my earliest movie-going memories are connected to 007.
'I grew up watching James Bond films with my father, ever since Dr. No with Sean Connery. I'm a die-hard Bond fan. To me, he's sacred territory.'
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If you've got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the Metro.co.uk entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@metro.co.uk, calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we'd love to hear from you.
MORE: Whoever the next James Bond is, Denis Villeneuve threatens to overshadow him
MORE: James Bond fans convinced they've cracked the next 007 actor after director is confirmed
MORE: James Bond fans crushed after discovering Hollywood legends' 1960s-set pitch 'will never happen'
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Glasgow Times
3 hours ago
- Glasgow Times
New Dumbarton owner on not being a 'dud' and drafting in David Byrne
There is nothing, though, that is in the slightest bit routine about the new owner of Dumbarton, the larger-than-life French-Canadian businessman Mario Lapointe. Lapointe, a musician and performer whose stage name is Vintage due to his love of all things old, has spent the past week at The Rock casting his eyes over his latest investment, meeting staff and supporters and finalising his ambitious plans for the future. The Quebec-based entrepreneur spoke to the media yesterday to explain how and why he had got involved with the venerable Dunbartonshire institution and he did, their longsuffering fans will be reassured to hear, outline in detail how he intends to stop them haemorrhaging money, turn a profit once again and revive on-field displays. But there were revelations, opinions, quips, asides and declarations aired by the colourful, engaging and hugely likable character during the course of a lengthy chat with reporters at the stadium which have never been heard at a fitba press conference in this country before and almost certainly never will be ever again. Read more: Asked about who his musical influences were and what kind of artist he is, Lapointe said, 'It's weird because I listen to rock, to Lynyrd Skynyrd, Supertramp, Styx, Def Leppard and the like, but I don't sing like that. 'People tell me I am a triangle of Johnny Cash, Leonard Cohen and Tom Waits. In terms of my own style, it's more of a storytelling style. You can listen on Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube, all these places. Someone recently told me I have 7,000 people in Brazil who listen to my music every month.' So what composition can one of his Instagram followers in Sao Paulo expect to be treated to next? A heartfelt rendition of his latest power ballad I'm So Happy I've Bought Dumbarton FC perhaps? Nothing should be ruled out. 'I will have to wait for the emotions to go down,' he said. 'I was at a bar recently and someone said to me that I must be really proud of what I have done. I started to bawl. But I have a song for every emotion that you have. Whatever you're going through, I have something for you. If you go and listen you'll see that it's very authentic. There are a few songs that are dark.' (Image: Colin Mearns) Lapointe is about as hail-fellow-well-met an individual as you could ever have the good fortune to meet. So where on earth does this darkness he mentions come from? It turns out that his woman done gone and left him. That devastating life event was the catalyst, in fact, for him dusting off his Gibson Hummingbird and returning to the stage once again. 'I used to write music when I was much younger,' he said. 'I used to be in a band around the time I went to engineering school. Then I basically stopped for about 30 years or something. But after 25 years of marriage, three boys, a cheating wife and getting divorced you end up with quite a lot to say. So I wrote songs about it.' Popular music legend David Byrne, the founding member and lead singer of the seminal American new wave band Talking Heads, originally hails from Dumbarton and it was no surprise whatsoever when Lapointe admitted yesterday that he had attempted to get in touch with the Sons' most famous son during their hour of greatest need. 'I tried to reach out to him so that I could get him to make a little video so that I could pump the tyres of the volunteers,' he said. 'Just so he could say something like, 'Hey! Dumbarton! I heard that there's a new sheriff in town!' But he didn't answer.' Dumbarton were on the Road to Nowhere for a long time under their previous owners. Cognitive Capital appeared far more interested in using the land around their stadium for lucrative property developments than assembling a winning team for fans to cheer. But Lapointe, who has been a hockey and football coach for the past 20 years as well as a successful electronics entrepreneur, believes he has devised a recipe for success on and off the park. Read more: 'I always compare a good team to a good salad,' he said. 'You can't have a good salad with just lettuce. I like radishes. In sports terms, that would be guys who have a little character. People like Zlatan Ibrahimovic, guys who are a little bit different. 'I want to have a team with Dumbarton who have character. It should be tough coming here for opposition teams. When a team shows real passion and character, sometimes you overlook a little bit the results. Even if you're not top of the league, people recognise a team giving it's all and being totally committed.' Lapointe added, 'The burn rate (loss) for the club has been close to £200,000 per year. My goal is for the club to move away from that and not to burn money. 'One of the first things we are going to do is spend around £20,000 to revamp our main hospitality suite. We want that to be something that appeals to people. They can come and have a great day out at the football and really enjoy our hospitality experience. 'We also have some big spaces, big halls, inside the stadium. Those could be used for birthday parties, wedding functions, stuff like that. At the moment, they are not being used at all. 'I also want us to start hosting music nights and open mic comedy nights. These are things that could help with revenue whilst also engaging with the local community in Dumbarton. Read more: 'You have to invest in things like this initially to start finding ways of bringing in revenue. Otherwise, you will just end up in the same situation where the club is pouring money down a hole. 'Stevie (manager Farrell) knocks on my door every week. We've had good conversations so far about our budget. But cup money, league money and sponsorship money equals the player wages. That's basically it. It can't be any more simple than that. You can't run a club purely with ego and ambition. You have to run it with math. (Image: Colin Mearns) 'People will attach themselves to our story of resilience if they feel we're successful. Nobody wants to be struck with a dud. I want everybody to be positive, because positivity spreads like a virus. 'The romance of Super Mario will fade. But we have one year where we can say, 'If you want to help this crazy French-Canadian, get a season ticket'. Some people are going to get in the locomotive and some are going to sit in the wagon. But at some point I'm going to unpin the wagon and we'll continue without the deadwood.' Only time will tell if Mario Lapointe can resurrect Dumbarton's fortunes. They are an odd couple and then some. But one thing is absolutely certain. There will not be a dull moment as he tries.
The National
4 hours ago
- The National
New Dumbarton owner on not being a 'dud' and drafting in David Byrne
There is nothing, though, that is in the slightest bit routine about the new owner of Dumbarton, the larger-than-life French-Canadian businessman Mario Lapointe. Lapointe, a musician and performer whose stage name is Vintage due to his love of all things old, has spent the past week at The Rock casting his eyes over his latest investment, meeting staff and supporters and finalising his ambitious plans for the future. The Quebec-based entrepreneur spoke to the media yesterday to explain how and why he had got involved with the venerable Dunbartonshire institution and he did, their longsuffering fans will be reassured to hear, outline in detail how he intends to stop them haemorrhaging money, turn a profit once again and revive on-field displays. But there were revelations, opinions, quips, asides and declarations aired by the colourful, engaging and hugely likable character during the course of a lengthy chat with reporters at the stadium which have never been heard at a fitba press conference in this country before and almost certainly never will be ever again. Read more: Asked about who his musical influences were and what kind of artist he is, Lapointe said, 'It's weird because I listen to rock, to Lynyrd Skynyrd, Supertramp, Styx, Def Leppard and the like, but I don't sing like that. 'People tell me I am a triangle of Johnny Cash, Leonard Cohen and Tom Waits. In terms of my own style, it's more of a storytelling style. You can listen on Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube, all these places. Someone recently told me I have 7,000 people in Brazil who listen to my music every month.' So what composition can one of his Instagram followers in Sao Paulo expect to be treated to next? A heartfelt rendition of his latest power ballad I'm So Happy I've Bought Dumbarton FC perhaps? Nothing should be ruled out. 'I will have to wait for the emotions to go down,' he said. 'I was at a bar recently and someone said to me that I must be really proud of what I have done. I started to bawl. But I have a song for every emotion that you have. Whatever you're going through, I have something for you. If you go and listen you'll see that it's very authentic. There are a few songs that are dark.' (Image: Colin Mearns) Lapointe is about as hail-fellow-well-met an individual as you could ever have the good fortune to meet. So where on earth does this darkness he mentions come from? It turns out that his woman done gone and left him. That devastating life event was the catalyst, in fact, for him dusting off his Gibson Hummingbird and returning to the stage once again. 'I used to write music when I was much younger,' he said. 'I used to be in a band around the time I went to engineering school. Then I basically stopped for about 30 years or something. But after 25 years of marriage, three boys, a cheating wife and getting divorced you end up with quite a lot to say. So I wrote songs about it.' Popular music legend David Byrne, the founding member and lead singer of the seminal American new wave band Talking Heads, originally hails from Dumbarton and it was no surprise whatsoever when Lapointe admitted yesterday that he had attempted to get in touch with the Sons' most famous son during their hour of greatest need. 'I tried to reach out to him so that I could get him to make a little video so that I could pump the tyres of the volunteers,' he said. 'Just so he could say something like, 'Hey! Dumbarton! I heard that there's a new sheriff in town!' But he didn't answer.' Dumbarton were on the Road to Nowhere for a long time under their previous owners. Cognitive Capital appeared far more interested in using the land around their stadium for lucrative property developments than assembling a winning team for fans to cheer. But Lapointe, who has been a hockey and football coach for the past 20 years as well as a successful electronics entrepreneur, believes he has devised a recipe for success on and off the park. Read more: 'I always compare a good team to a good salad,' he said. 'You can't have a good salad with just lettuce. I like radishes. In sports terms, that would be guys who have a little character. People like Zlatan Ibrahimovic, guys who are a little bit different. 'I want to have a team with Dumbarton who have character. It should be tough coming here for opposition teams. When a team shows real passion and character, sometimes you overlook a little bit the results. Even if you're not top of the league, people recognise a team giving it's all and being totally committed.' Lapointe added, 'The burn rate (loss) for the club has been close to £200,000 per year. My goal is for the club to move away from that and not to burn money. 'One of the first things we are going to do is spend around £20,000 to revamp our main hospitality suite. We want that to be something that appeals to people. They can come and have a great day out at the football and really enjoy our hospitality experience. 'We also have some big spaces, big halls, inside the stadium. Those could be used for birthday parties, wedding functions, stuff like that. At the moment, they are not being used at all. 'I also want us to start hosting music nights and open mic comedy nights. These are things that could help with revenue whilst also engaging with the local community in Dumbarton. Read more: 'You have to invest in things like this initially to start finding ways of bringing in revenue. Otherwise, you will just end up in the same situation where the club is pouring money down a hole. 'Stevie (manager Farrell) knocks on my door every week. We've had good conversations so far about our budget. But cup money, league money and sponsorship money equals the player wages. That's basically it. It can't be any more simple than that. You can't run a club purely with ego and ambition. You have to run it with math. (Image: Colin Mearns) 'People will attach themselves to our story of resilience if they feel we're successful. Nobody wants to be struck with a dud. I want everybody to be positive, because positivity spreads like a virus. 'The romance of Super Mario will fade. But we have one year where we can say, 'If you want to help this crazy French-Canadian, get a season ticket'. Some people are going to get in the locomotive and some are going to sit in the wagon. But at some point I'm going to unpin the wagon and we'll continue without the deadwood.' Only time will tell if Mario Lapointe can resurrect Dumbarton's fortunes. They are an odd couple and then some. But one thing is absolutely certain. There will not be a dull moment as he tries.
Metro
5 hours ago
- Metro
Beloved British actress edges out Zendaya as favourite for Bond Girl
There's a new name in the Bond girl conversation, just days after it was finally confirmed that Denis Villeneuve will be directing the upcoming 007 film. The Canadian director, best known for directing Dune and Dune: Part Two, as well as Arrival, Blade Runner 2049, Sicario, and Prisoners, is now stepping up to the directorial plate amid major upheaval at Bond HQ. Amazon Studios officially purchased MGM for $8.45billion (£6.7billion) in 2022, with a new agreement over creative control meaning Bond — and whoever is next to play 007 – is entirely under the streamer's control. Now that a director is officially attached, the speculation around who will play who has ramped up a notch. Zendaya has been top of minds to take on the iconic role of the next Bond girl – admittedly, not the best terminology for the iconic female lead – but Florence Pugh's name has now also entered the conversation. Florence Pugh has taken over as the favourite to be the next Bond Girl, at 11/8, according to She already has a working relationship with Villeneuve, having joined the Dune fold for the second film. While Pugh once ruled out being the first female Bond, she has signalled her interest in portraying a spy. She told Digital Spy: 'I think everyone's always interested in playing a spy, right? 'That's something we grow up admiring, which is so strange, but it's just a very clever and quick world that we all want to be a part of.' Pugh's Dune co-star Zendaya – who was directed by Villeneuve in both his sci-fi films and is set to reprise her role in the upcoming third – is also in contention to be the Bond role, currently at 6/4 odds. She has also been produced by new Bond producer Amy Pascal in a number of films, including last year's sensational sweat-fest Challengers. More Trending The other names currently in contention according to the bookies include Ana de Armas, who had a scene-stealing turn in No Time To Die as Paloma, as well as Emma Watson and Rebecca Ferguson. It comes after Villeneuve shared an emotional statement about taking on the next film, saying: 'Some of my earliest movie-going memories are connected to 007. 'I grew up watching James Bond films with my father, ever since Dr. No with Sean Connery. I'm a die-hard Bond fan. To me, he's sacred territory.' Got a story? If you've got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@ calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we'd love to hear from you. MORE: Whoever the next James Bond is, Denis Villeneuve threatens to overshadow him MORE: James Bond fans convinced they've cracked the next 007 actor after director is confirmed MORE: James Bond fans crushed after discovering Hollywood legends' 1960s-set pitch 'will never happen'
