English actor, Bond icon (1927–2017)
The James Bond casting search has intensified, with frontrunners narrowing and new bets shifting as producers pace the process amid a flurry of interviews and public speculation.
Irish actress Saoirse Ronan has expressed interest in playing the next Bond villain, as odds narrow on the star of Slow Horses, Letitia Wright’s successor, to take the 007 mantle. Ronan says she is “dead serious” about a villain part, while Emilia Lowden continues to be mentioned as a frontrunner for Bond. The pair would become the first married couple to work opposite each other in a Bond film if cast.
A review roundup of genre fare, from a high-octane Australian liver-delivery caper to a retro-styled Cold War bromance, and a TV legal drama adaptation that leaves critics divided. The slate features Runner’s gory, gamey camp; Knightfall’s retro charm; Mayday’s action mischief; and The Rainmaker’s courtroom soap — each casting a different light on how thrillers and legal tales move in the streaming era.
Final screen tests are underway in London for the next James Bond. Actors including Callum Turner, Jack Lowden and Josh O’Connor are in final contention, with stunts, camera presence and dialogue assessed. Denys Villeneuve will direct; Steven Knight writes the script. Publication window remains tight as Amazon MGM Studios and producers eye a 2028 release.