Pretty much every month, we get a new James Bond. Shortly after Daniel Craig hung up the tuxedo in 2021, there were headlines that Idris Elba was circling the part. Followed by rumors that Henry Cavill and Tom Hardy were in the running. Bridgerton‘s Regé-Jean Page had a moment, as did Bodyguard‘s Richard Madden. All Aaron Taylor-Johnson had to do was show up last summer wearing an Omega Seamaster — Bond’s watch — and suddenly he was a front-runner.
Of course, this happens every time the 007 franchise is between Bonds — remember when Mel Gibson was considered a shoo-in to succeed Timothy Dalton? The gossip becomes a story of its own, a casting sweepstakes, even if “99 percent of the rumors turn out to be false,” as one longtime franchise insider puts it. “Actually, make that 100 percent.”
Still, this casting cycle feels a little different. For one thing, it has been going on forever. Along with the inevitable post-Craig identity crisis, there’s been a corporate reshuffling, with the Broccolis handing over the series to Amazon, stretching the current Bond gap into its fifth year, inviting more rumormongering than usual.
The bigger difference, though, is that this time the actors — or their publicists — seem to be gaming the system by planting their own rumors. Last summer, for instance, Rambling published an item about an unknown ginger actor named Scott Rose-Marsh supposedly testing for the part. Turns out it was an elaborate hoax (for the record, we did note that his red hair was a red flag). The point is, a whole generation of young British thespians has figured out the one thing almost as good as being cast as James Bond is being rumored for the part. Maybe even better: It brings all the heat of the role without a 10-year contract or having to learn how to defuse a nuclear device in a dinner jacket.
And right on cue, here’s the latest casting rumor. According to British tabloids, Fantastic Beasts star Callum Turner has been “blabbing all over town” that he’s been “confirmed” as the new Bond. It may not be even a little bit true — Amazon never comments on casting rumors, and Turner’s publicist hasn’t replied to inquiries — but one thing’s for sure. He won’t be the last Bond rumor Rambling ends up reporting on.
***
Also in Rambling Reporter:
THR talks to real Palm Beachers about how much they hate Netflix’s new Members Only show; and why stars love to bring their moms to the Golden Globes.
This story appeared in the Jan. 15 issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine. Click here to subscribe.
