Callum Turner Reportedly Lands the James Bond Role, According to the Reporter Who Broke Daniel Craig’s Casting

Few casting searches in Hollywood have dragged on as long, or generated as much speculation, as the hunt for the next James Bond. Since Daniel Craig’s departure, fans have juggled shortlists, bookmaker odds and fan-casts, waiting for Amazon MGM Studios to announce the actor who will carry the Walther PPK into a new era. Now, a veteran reporter says the wait may be over.

Amazon took creative control of the franchise and brought in Denis Villeneuve to direct, with Amy Pascal and David Heyman producing and Steven Knight writing the screenplay. Casting director Nina Gold has led the search, and the studio has repeatedly said it will not comment on specific details during the process. That silence has left plenty of room for rumors.

The latest one is a big one. Roger Friedman of Showbiz411, who broke the news of Daniel Craig’s casting more than 20 years ago, has reported that British actor Callum Turner is the next James Bond. Friedman framed it as word on the street, without naming a source, and Amazon has not confirmed anything.

Friedman’s track record is the reason the report is being taken seriously. He was the first to reveal that Craig would star in the 2006 revival ‘Casino Royale’, and outlets covering the new claim have highlighted that history. He also questioned whether Australian actor Jacob Elordi was suited to the role.

The timing adds fuel. Turner was reportedly one of four actors who took part in final screen tests at Bray Studios in Berkshire, alongside Jack Lowden, Josh O’Connor and a fourth actor who was never named. Bookmakers have shifted between Lowden and Turner as the favorite, with one report listing Lowden at 8/11 and Turner at 2/1 before the news broke.

Another detail has set the rumor mill spinning. Turner recently stepped down as a director of Twentytwo Films, the production company he co-founded with his wife, pop star Dua Lipa. British tabloids have read the move as a sign that he is clearing his schedule for a role that can swallow the better part of a decade.

Not everyone is convinced. Parade pointed out that there is no confirmed connection between his departure from the company and the Bond process. The couple were also photographed having martinis at a restaurant over the weekend, which fans have eagerly interpreted.

The Daily Mail reported back in January that Turner was telling friends he had the part, and that Lipa would love to record the Bond theme. Friedman himself suggested the same thing in his piece. Turner, for his part, told The Hollywood Reporter in June that he found the rumors amusing and knew nothing about the role.

The 36-year-old actor grew up on a council estate in Chelsea, London. He is best known for leading Apple TV’s ‘Masters of the Air’ and for playing Theseus Scamander in the ‘Fantastic Beasts’ films. More recently, he has appeared in A24’s ‘Eternity’ and Universal’s ‘One Night Only’.

Commentators have noted that Turner may physically match Ian Fleming’s vision of the character better than some rivals, though he is considered less acclaimed than O’Connor and Lowden. If the report is right, he would become the seventh actor to play 007, following Sean Connery, George Lazenby, Roger Moore, Timothy Dalton, Pierce Brosnan and Craig.

Amazon MGM has said it is taking its time with care and deep respect for the franchise. Pascal said in August that the end of the year was a good bet for casting news, which would put an announcement within weeks. The studio has not set a release date for the film.

Until then, everything remains rumor. Casting reports have been wrong before, and leaks can be misleading, as the outlets covering Friedman’s claim have been careful to note. Still, if his reputation holds, the next Bond may already be wearing the tuxedo.

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