No Time To Cast: What do you make of Amazon’s James Bond shortlist?

Following nan news earlier this twelvemonth that longtime stewards of nan James Bond franchise Barbara Broccoli and Michael G Wilson ceded imaginative power to Amazon Studios, Bond fans were treated to much affirmative news past week: nan personality of nan head of Bond 26.

Oscar-nominated filmmaker Denis Villeneuve will beryllium responsible for ushering nan 007 bid into a caller era. When nan announcement was made, we gave our verdict connected nan choice, and we couldn’t beryllium much excited.  

Now that things are speeding up regarding production, nan adjacent large uncover is nan personality of nan character who will win Daniel Craig and return up nan coveted mantle of James Bond.

The rumour mill keeps spinning, and everyone from Idris Elba, Tom Hardy, Michael Fassbender, Tom Hiddleston and Henry Cavill has been put guardant arsenic nan adjacent Martini swigging concealed agent.

Last year, we reported that Aaron Taylor-Johnson had apparently surface tested to beryllium nan adjacent 007 and that he’d been offered nan apical occupation – a rumour only galvanized by Taylor-Johnson precocious becoming the caller Omega marque ambassador.  

However, each these names could beryllium aged news now that Amazon’s MGM Studio’s shortlist for nan caller Bond has been unveiled.  

While location has been nary charismatic casting announcement yet, Variety reports that 3 names person emerged arsenic frontrunners: Jacob Elordi, Harris Dickinson and Tom Holland are reportedly “at nan apical of [the studio’s] list.” 

These names make consciousness considering Amazon is intelligibly aiming for a British antheral who's under-30, which intends 3 things:

1. Bond 26 will swipe nan slate cleanable and service arsenic an root communicative for nan iconic spy.

2. Barbara Broccoli whitethorn beryllium retired but Amazon are pursuing her norm that James Bond is simply a domiciled that shouldn't beryllium gender-swapped.

3. Fan favourites for illustration Hardy, 47; Fassbender, 48; and Cavill, 42, are disconnected nan table. Shame, moreover if we’re not upset astir Cavill, arsenic he’d beryllium acold excessively evident for Bond. Plus, he’s been Superman... Give personification other a changeable astatine cinematic glory. As for Taylor-Johnson, 35, he could besides beryllium retired of luck.

Let’s tally done nan precocious released frontrunners:  

Jacob Elordi

Age: 28 

Height: 1,96m 

Seen in: Euphoria, Saltburn, Priscilla - and soon to beryllium successful Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein. 

Bond material: He whitethorn not beryllium British, but it wouldn’t beryllium nan first clip an Australian character has played Bond, aft George Lazenby put connected nan tux for his solo escapade On Her Majesty’s Secret Service. Not judge that’s nan benchmark we should beryllium aiming for, but there’s precedent.

Verdict: A good actor; tall; dark; handsome; but there's thing peculiarly inventive astir this pick. Casting him would consciousness for illustration a trendy prime alternatively than an inspired one. 

Harris Dickinson

Age: 29 

Height: 1,88m 

Seen in:Triangle of Sadness, The Iron Claw, Babygirl - and soon to beryllium playing John Lennon successful Sam Mendes' Beatles biopic(s).

Bond material: Dickinson is astir apt nan astir absorbing of nan 3 favourites. He’s a awesome character and has plentifulness of range. Plus, he has acquisition successful nan action genre, having starred in The King's Man (2021). 

Verdict: Out of nan three, he’s nan 1 we’d beryllium astir intrigued about... But again, thing that shakes our Martinis.

Tom Holland

Age: 29 

Height: 1,69m 

Seen in: The Spider-Man franchise; nan wider MCU; Uncharted; The Impossible; The Devil All The Time - and soon to beryllium successful Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey. 

Bond material: Holland has proven he’s a coagulated starring man. However, while Brit has plentifulness of range, his youthful looks don’t really fresh nan brooding 007. Of nan three, Bond fans person reacted to Holland pinch nan astir scepticism - and we concur. (Check retired immoderate of nan reactions below.)

Verdict: Charismatic; nan shortest of nan three; possibly a spot excessively tiny and not rugged capable for Bond; he’s already Spider-Man – springiness it to personification who hasn’t already had their large break.

All successful all, it’s difficult to get excessively excited astir this shortlist.

Beyond our astonishment that Timothée Chalamet’s sanction isn’t connected nan list, considering his ubiquity and moving narration pinch Villeneuve connected nan Dune films, these 3 picks consciousness for illustration safe, casting-by-algorithm – arsenic if Amazon bods gathered successful a room to stock their superior concern: streaming metrics. Surely fans merit amended than that...

Where’s nan edge, nan astonishment factor? Where’s Paul Mescal, Damson Idris aliases moreover Riz Ahmed? Older actors, granted, but importantly much inspired options.  

Plus, a communal denominator pinch erstwhile Bond castings was that nan character wasn’t an evident pick. Take Daniel Craig, who was apparently “too blond for Bond” and whose casting arsenic 007 provoked a awesome magnitude of online bile. And look really that turned out: Casino Royale, 1 of nan astir critically acclaimed Bond films successful nan series.

So, considering this is only a reported shortlist, let’s not springiness up dream excessively quickly.  

Villeneuve's way grounds proves that nan Canadian maestro down Sicario, Prisoners, Arrival, Blade Runner 2049 and nan Dune films tin make thing cerebral, acheronian and eager – and nan casting needs to bespeak that. Considering he’s besides exec producing alongside his partner Tanya Lapointe, chances are he’ll person immoderate opportunity connected casting, and surely that intends nan last prime for nan adjacent James Bond won’t beryllium arsenic disappointing arsenic this reported shortlist.

Currently location is nary charismatic merchandise day aliases title for nan adjacent Bond movie - Amazon is reportedly looking astatine a merchandise precocious 2027 aliases 2028.