Di race to choose di next James Bond don enter serious mode. For months, fans dey speculate about who go take over from Daniel Craig. Names like Henry Cavill, Harris Dickinson, Jacob Elordi, Jack Lowden, James Norton, Jack O’Connell, Callum Turner and Aaron Taylor-Johnson don dey circle for di rumour mill. But now, new report dey claim say one actor don become di main man for di role.
According to Page Six, Jack Barton don impress casting director Nina Gold so much. Dem even call am “The One”. Dis one na big statement, because Jack no be household name like some of di other actors wey dem mention. But im profile dey rise fast, especially after im role for Heartstopper and SAS: Rogue Heroes.
Jack Barton graduate from Oxford School of Drama for 2018. Im first role na for Netflix series The Letter For The King, where im play swordsman wey dey join young knight on dangerous mission. From there, im do small roles for Grantchester and The Pursuit Of Love. Im also appear for War of the Worlds season three as Hiram. For 2025, im get minor role for Anne Rice adaptation Talamasca: The Secret Order. But im breakout role na as David Nelson for Heartstopper, Nick older brother wey dey bully am. Di role show say Jack fit handle serious acting, even as antagonist.
Many people dey point to im appearance for SAS: Rogue Heroes as di reason why casting team take notice. For dat show, im play Lieutenant John Eliot Tonkin, and di drama plenty. Steven Knight create and write di show, and na im also dey write di new James Bond film. So e dey make sense say dis connection fit help Jack.
For interview with Numero Netherlands for January 2025, Jack talk say im go “go wherever di wind takes me”. But im add with joke: “I hear Bond is up for grabs…?” Some people dey see dat as sign say im sabi something. But Jack no confirm anything.
Di casting process don dey hot. Earlier this year, Variety report say stage actor Tom Francis don audition. And for late August, Page Six claim say more auditions go happen, with Paul Mescal and Jack Barton on di list. Amazon MGM, wey control Bond franchise, don confirm say casting dey under way. But dem no give detail. Dem say: “While we don’t plan to comment on specific details during di casting process, we’re excited to share more news with 007 fans as soon as di time is right.”
Producer Amy Pascal don talk say announcement fit come before di year end. For interview with Deadline, she say: “I would say di end of di year is a good bet.” She also talk say di team need to be “really, really methodical” because Daniel Craig hard to follow.
Di audition process na serious thing. Traditional screen test dey include scene from From Russia With Love, where Bond come out from bathroom and see Tatiana Romanova for bed. Director Martin Campbell, wey direct GoldenEye and Casino Royale, explain say di word na effortless. “You never see Bond fumble, he is very economic, efficient and effortless. Dat scene covers all di bases,” e tell Gold Derby.
Some long-time Bond casting director Debbie McWilliams also talk say di next Bond should be “total enigma”. She tell The Independent say she no want see any of di rumoured stars as Bond because we know too much about dem. “We want to know as little about dem personally as possible, because dat na wetin spies be. We no need to know where he go shopping or who im parents be, or where he live,” she explain.
Di next film, wey dem dey call Bond 26 for now, get Steven Knight as writer and Denis Villeneuve as director. Dem no don announce title or release date. But reports say di film fit come out for 2028. Some fans dey suggest titles like On His Majesty’s Secret Service or King & Country since King Charles III take over.
One thing wey dey different now na say Amazon MGM fit announce di new Bond for Prime Video. Amazon buy MGM for $8.5bn for 2021, and dem don reportedly pay extra $20m to get creative control. So e fit be say dem go use streaming platform to reveal di new actor. Dat go boost subscriptions.
Global James Bond Day na 5 October, di 64th anniversary of Dr No. Some people dey think say dat date fit be when dem go make announcement. But nothing confirm. Di only thing wey fans sabi be di message wey don end almost every Bond film: “James Bond will return.” Soon, we go know who dat James Bond be.
