Quick summary
- Robert Pattinson has reportedly emerged as the front-runner to play the next James Bond, according to the US newsletter Puck.
- Puck says he was offered the most money of any contender and would commit to three films, while some rivals would sign for four.
- Amazon MGM Studios has not confirmed any casting, and the reports rest on unnamed sources.
- The next Bond film is the first made under Amazon MGM, with Denis Villeneuve named as director.
Robert Pattinson has been reported as the favourite to become the next 007, with Puck claiming this week that he has the richest offer and the shortest commitment of the actors in the running. The Telegraph reported the claim on 14 November. Nothing has been officially announced.
What Puck is reporting
The Telegraph says the 40-year-old Londoner has been offered the largest sum of any contender, citing Puck. The same report says his deal would require three Bond films, while some rivals would need to sign up for four.
The A.V. Club adds detail from Puck’s Matthew Belloni, a former editorial director of The Hollywood Reporter. According to Belloni’s “credible source”, every actor testing for Amazon MGM Studios and the film’s director had to sign a test deal. Jack Lowden and Josh O’Connor reportedly agreed to up to four films. Pattinson reportedly negotiated that down to three, with a higher payday.
LaineyGossip notes Belloni’s source also described the deal as “difficult to close”. That phrase can be read several ways, and none of them is confirmed.
Who else is in the race
The Telegraph says The Hollywood Reporter had reported last week that Pattinson joined Jack Lowden, Josh O’Connor and Callum Turner by auditioning in London. Nicholas Hoult, 36, who played Lex Luthor in the 2025 Superman film, is also understood to have taken part in screen tests.
Lowden, also 36, known for Slow Horses, has called the speculation “flattering” in an interview with GQ, but said he would not “add to the noise”. Pierce Brosnan, 73, has publicly backed Turner, calling him “so strong”, according to the Telegraph. Turner recently married singer Dua Lipa.
For readers who want the earlier chapters, Modus Carry has covered this story as it developed, including the Pattinson Bond screen test and the three-film deal report.
Why the studio might favour a star
The A.V. Club says Pattinson was “a name Villeneuve wanted to see”, possibly because of his role in the director’s upcoming Dune: Part Three. It also reports that some people close to the process wondered why the filmmakers would bother with the test if they did not want him.
Belloni argues the studio cannot afford a gamble. Amazon paid more than $1bn (about £790m) last year for creative control of the franchise, according to the Telegraph. The Broccoli family, led originally by Cubby Broccoli, had long held that the character, not the actor, should be the star. Belloni says that approach may not suit today’s market. “No franchise is bulletproof anymore,” he wrote, and an established star can help.
LaineyGossip makes a similar case, pointing to Pattinson’s popularity with younger audiences. That is the site’s opinion, not a finding.
Pattinson’s profile is not in doubt. The Telegraph traces his rise from Cedric Diggory in Harry Potter to Edward Cullen in Twilight, and on to Matt Reeves‘ Batman, Christopher Nolan’s Odyssey and Bong Joon Ho’s Mickey 17. Our Robert Pattinson tag page collects the rest of our coverage.
What happens next
The role has been vacant since Daniel Craig last played 007 in No Time to Die five years ago. The Telegraph says Amazon is thought to want to grow Bond beyond cinema, including TV spin-offs. No announcement date has been given, and every name above remains a report rather than a decision. Further coverage will appear in our Movies section.
Frequently asked questions
Has Robert Pattinson been cast as James Bond?
No. Amazon MGM Studios has not announced a new Bond. The reports about Pattinson come from Puck and are based on unnamed sources.
Why is Pattinson seen as the front-runner?
Puck reports he was offered the most money and a three-film commitment, while some rivals would sign for four. It also notes that the studio granted tests to higher-profile names such as Pattinson and Hoult.
Who else is reportedly being considered?
Reports name Jack Lowden, Josh O’Connor, Callum Turner and Nicholas Hoult, with Hoult understood to have taken part in screen tests.
Who is directing the next Bond film?
The A.V. Club names Denis Villeneuve as the director of Bond 26, the first film made under Amazon MGM Studios.
