Is Aaron Pierre the next James Bond? What we know about the new 007 film

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6 hours ago

James Bond will return. Those words appeared – as is traditional – at the end of No Time to Die, Daniel Craig's final Bond outing. With Craig's 007 blown to smithereens and French-Canadian Dune auteur Denis Villeneuve now confirmed as director, a new actor will soon step into the gun barrel and take aim at a new era of Bond. But when? And how? The next film – the 26th Bond film – is the subject of much debate and speculation. And it catches the franchise at a fascinating juncture.
That's because on February 20 it was announced that EON Productions' long-time Bond custodians – Barbara Broccoli and Michael G Wilson – would be stepping back and ceding full creative control to Amazon MGM. In 2022, Amazon snapped up MGM for $8.45 billion, getting part ownership of the 50-year-old series, giving them full distribution rights. Broccoli and Wilson have stepped back, and Amazon have put veteran producers David Heyman (Harry Potter) and Amy Pascal (Spider-Man) in charge. Not only does Amazon control the past of 007, but his future too. Will we see a Marvelisation of the IP, with endless, wearying spin-offs and cross-references? Time will tell.
Meanwhile, fans are in brace position, hoping and praying that not too much desecration happens, too soon. Here's what we know so far about Bond 26.
Aaron Pierre is the new favourite to play 007
Ever since Daniel Craig hung up the Double-Os with No Time to Die, there's been non-stop speculation about who will play James Bond – pretty much any British actor of a certain age has been tipped at one time or another – which was complicated further when Amazon took the creative reins of the series. Bond is no longer under the tight grip of Barbara Broccoli and Eon Productions.
The rumoured favourite is now Aaron Pierre, star of Netflix action film Rebel Ridge. If cast as 007 in Villeneuve's film, the London-born actor would be the first black Bond, which seems a likely direction for a more modern take on the character. And Pierre's certainly an actor on the up following his casting in the new HBO/DC Comics series, Lanterns. The news comes from movie scoop reporter Darren Richtman, who wrote that Pierre is 'being considered' though there's no word on whether Pierre has met with the producers.
Other recent frontrunners have included Aaron Taylor-Johnson, who deflected questions about Bond while he was on the promotional trail for Kraven the Hunter. His casting as 007 seems unlikely after Kraven tanked at the box office. But could the success of 28 Years Later put ATJ back in the picture?
Scottish actors Stuart Martin (Rebel Moon) and Jack Lowden (Slow Horses) have also been named, suggesting a return to cinematic Bond's Scottish roots as Sean Connery. Meanwhile, James Norton was linked because of a scene in ITV drama Playing Nice, in which Norton's character attends a gala but doesn't wear a tuxedo.
Fans pointed to a supposed contract stipulation that prevents Bond actors from wearing a tux in other media. Theo James (The Gentlemen, The Monkey), Callum Turner (Masters of the Air), and Josh O'Connor (The Crown) have also been named as potential contenders. Though O'Connor – who was a 2/1 bookies favourite at one point – has said, 'If I am Bond, I don't know about it.'
The current actors linked or rumoured to play 007 are:
Aaron Pierre
Aaron Taylor-Johnson
Stuart Martin
Jack Lowden
Theo James
Callum Turner
Josh O'Connor
Regé-Jean Page
Henry Cavill
Bond's new face might be undecided, but his age remains reassuringly old(er). The idea of young James Bond has been bandied around. (The 'young' reboot is a common go-to for hackneyed franchise flogging). Wilson shot down the idea of young Bond at a BFI event in 2022. 'We've tried looking at younger people in the past. But trying to visualise it doesn't work,' he said. 'Remember, Bond's already a veteran. He's had some experience. He's a person who has been through the wars, so to speak. He's probably been in the SAS or something.'
Indeed, Bond is a naval commander (average age 42) and previous actors have been appropriately un-spring chicken-like (average age 38). Aaron Taylor-Johnson is a few years younger at just 34, while Stuart Martin is a ripe-for-the-role 39. Bond casting director Debbie McWilliams previously told the Radio Times that they looked at young actors for 2006 reboot Casino Royale, but she didn't think the youngsters had the 'gravitas' or 'mental capacity' for Bond. The 28-year-old Tom Holland pitched a Bond origin story to former distributor Sony but was turned down. 'I don't think the Bond estate were particularly interested,' Holland told Total Film. But now that Amazon have assumed full control of the franchise, might that idea be revived?
The Mail Online reported in 2023 that Phoebe Waller-Bridge was in the mix as a potential director. Christopher Nolan, the Oscar-winning Oppenheimer director, was also linked soon after – and not for the first time. Nolan was rumoured to be in 'very serious contention'.
The creative freedom Nolan would demand is often cited as a reason he wouldn't take the job – the same reason that Danny Boyle departed No Time to Die during its development. Asked about the rumours by Deadline in January 2024, Nolan denied them in no uncertain terms. 'B-----ks,' he said. 'Pure b-----ks.' Besides, Nolan already has a mammoth production in the works, trying to transfer the entirety of the Odyssey to the screen, with Matt Damon as the exiled hero.
That said, the industry insider website Puck did report after the Amazon news that Nolan was back in the picture. The director, it noted, would likely demand full creative control and an exclusive 120 day cinema screening window: his riders for Oppenheimer.
However, The Telegraph's Robbie Collin was told that a small number of potential directors – including Australia's David Michôd (Animal Kingdom) and Bart Layton (The Imposter) – had been summoned to EON for 'a first round of speed dates'.
The German director Edward Berger (All Quiet on the Western Front, Conclave) was also said to be in contention. Berger also denied it. 'That's an absolute rumour,' he told Deadline last September. 'There's no truth to it whatsoever. I would be very grateful if you put out that fire.'
With David Heyman running the show, rumours began to swirl that Alfonso Cuarón (director of Gravity and Harry Potter and Prisoner of Azkaban, which Hayman produced) was taking meetings about the job. But in April it was reported that Cuarón – who had previously rebuffed offers from Broccoli and Wilson – was no longer in contention. The latest names in the running include Steve McQueen (Blitz) and Philip Barantini (Boiling Point, Adolescence), with Puck's Matt Belloni reporting that Edgar Wright (Shaun of the Dead), Paul King (Paddington), Jonathan Nolan (Westworld co-creator and brother of Christopher) and Denis Villeneuve were pitching for the job. On June 26 it was finally confirmed that Villeneuve – a real fan favourite – would be directing Bond 26.
In the past, Broccoli and Wilson have been adamant that 007 will remain a man. 'He can be of any colour, but he is male,' Broccoli told Variety back in 2020. The issue is less about a lack of a female Bond and more a lack of female characters overall. 'I believe in making characters for women and not just having women play men's roles,' Broccoli told The Hollywood Reporter. 'I don't think there are enough great roles for women, and it's very important to me that we make movies for women about women. He should be British, so British can be any [ethnicity or race].'
Broccoli's point was absolutely right: that women shouldn't be validated by a crusty old man's role. In Bond's case, 63 years old and counting. Daniel Craig agrees. 'There should simply be better parts for women and actors of colour,' Craig told the Radio Times. 'Why should a woman play James Bond when there should be a part just as good as James Bond, but for a woman?' This is unlikely to change, though, even with the re-shuffle at the top: the mood music in Hollywood currently is towards conservativism. A female Bond may prove a step too far – even for Bezos.
Please, spare us the 'Bond-verse'. That seems a distinct possibility now that Amazon have assumed full control of the franchise. They launched a reality game show series in 2023, 007: Road to a Million, in which contestants competed for a cash prize across Bond locations worldwide, though the show was in development before Amazon's buyout and had Broccoli's backing. Will that change now?
This has long been a concern from Bond insiders. Screenwriter John Logan, co-writer of Skyfall and Spectre, wrote a New York Times op-ed warning against the influence of Amazon's corporate interests. ('What happens when focus groups report they don't like Bond drinking Martinis?')
Broccoli once told friends that she didn't trust Amazon's algorithm-based approach. One source criticised Amazon for calculating risk in development – assessing the performance of actors and similar titles – while Broccoli has ensured Bond's survival by taking risks, such as casting Daniel Craig in 2005.
Broccoli was reportedly irked by Amazon's desire to make Bond spin-offs (her response was 'Did you read the contract?'), and she was particularly unhappy with Amazon Studios chief Jennifer Salke referring to Bond as 'content', which suggests vapid streaming shows.
Broccoli and Michael Wilson were always adamant that Bond is proper film-making and should play in cinemas – not on a streaming service. 'We make films. We make films for the cinema. That's what we do,' Broccoli has previously said. And it's hard to imagine Villeneuve, known for his screen-filling vistas, making a film for streaming.
Broccoli reportedly said of Amazon, 'These people are f------ idiots.' Now, fans will get find out if her words ring true.
This piece has been updated
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