Callum Turner's Odds Shorten as Bookmakers Back Him for Bond
William Hill has cut Turner's odds of becoming the next 007 to 8/13. Pierce Brosnan has also praised him, though no announcement has been made.
Betting on the next James Bond has swung sharply to Callum Turner. No casting has been announced, but a flurry of activity has moved the odds.
What moved the odds
William Hill cut Turner's odds from 3/1 to 8/13. Jack Lowden, the earlier favourite, is now at 2/1. Josh O'Connor, who also auditioned recently, stands at 9/2. Richard Madden, Robert Pattinson and Joe Alwyn are at 16/1.
The shift followed news over the weekend that Turner had resigned as a director of Twentytwo Films Ltd, which he and his wife, the musician Dua Lipa, set up last August. The weekend news led some to think he may be putting other projects first. The couple also posted Halloween photos on Saturday of themselves with martinis, the spy's signature drink.
Brosnan's endorsement
Pierce Brosnan, a former Bond, backed Turner in an interview with Vanity Fair. Turner played Brosnan's son in the 2017 drama The Only Living Boy in New York. "Callum is someone I've worked with, and he's so strong," Brosnan said.
He added that all the men on the current list have a voice, a physique and a presence on film.
Lowden told GQ the rumours were flattering but that he would not add to the noise. O'Connor told the BBC on Tuesday that being mentioned alongside the others was extraordinary and an incredibly bizarre moment.
The film behind the speculation
The odds moved ten days after the final screentests. The film will be the 26th in the series and is directed by Denis Villeneuve, with Steven Knight writing the screenplay. Amy Pascal and David Heyman produce. It is said to be scheduled for release in 2028.
Amazon MGM Studios took creative control of the franchise in February 2025 from Barbara Broccoli and Michael G Wilson, in a deal worth more than $1bn. Pascal has said the news is likely to come by the end of the year. It is not known how soon an announcement will be made.
Turner, Lowden and O'Connor are all 36. Last year Broccoli, who keeps a stake in the character, described the next Bond as a man probably in his 30s.
Turner's recent work
Turner began as a model. His films include Queen and Country, two Fantastic Beasts sequels, The Boys in the Boat and Eternity. He is shooting two films, the horror Possession and the sports comedy The Comebacker with Tom Hanks. The cyberpunk series Neuromancer is due on Apple TV in January.
If chosen, he would succeed Daniel Craig, whose last film as 007, No Time to Die, came out in 2021.
Our View
Odds are a measure of betting, not of any decision made in the studio. A short price can reverse quickly if a new rumour appears. Many names have been linked to the role over the past four years, and several early frontrunners aged out of the running as the new film was delayed.
Source: The Guardian