The news that Amazon MGM Studios are now casting the next James Bond has the showbusiness world shaken and stirred – and I can reveal the name of the actor who the writer of the next film thinks would be perfect for the role.
Steven Knight, who made his name with Peaky Blinders, thinks James Norton has what it takes to play 007. He wrote the part of the ‘new Bond’ with the Happy Valley star in mind.
Some years ago, Norton was at the forefront of the ‘Next Bond’ conversations, but recently people have concentrated on younger actors like Callum Turner, Harris Dickinson and Aaron Taylor-Johnson.
However, at 40, Norton is only two years older than Daniel Craig was when he was cast – so he could happily sign up to make 15 years of Bond films, as Craig did.
Like Craig, his has been largely a TV and theatre career up to this point.
I’m told producers David Heyman and Amy Pascal – who will make the final decision, along with director Denis Villeneuve – want the next Bond to be someone who does not have a big international movie profile already.
That will count against Harris Dickinson, who’ll be globally famous after starring as John Lennon in the forthcoming Beatles films; and Aaron Taylor-Johnson, who has been in a number of big films.
It might also rule out Australian actor Jacob Elordi who, thanks to Frankenstein and Euphoria, is arguably just too ‘big’ already.
Happy Valley star James Norton pictured at the HBO Max Launch Party in London in March
Bonds tend not to be big stars before assuming 007 status – like the last James Bond, played by Daniel Craig (pictured)
Bonds tend not to be big stars… before assuming 007 status.
Sean Connery wasn’t really known before Bond, and George Lazenby had never acted outside of TV commercials. Roger Moore and Pierce Brosnan were TV stars, but not movie stars.
Timothy Dalton and Daniel Craig did a lot of character actor work before their big breaks.
Norton is best known for Happy Valley, in which he played the psychopath Tommy Lee Royce, and was also the lead in War And Peace and McMafia. He’s also playing Beatles manager Brian Epstein in the forthcoming Sam Mendes films.
Casting director Nina Gold was in Cannes last week, attending the A Rabbit’s Foot party at seafood restaurant Fred L’Ecailler, hosted by Charles Finch.
That was an enchanted evening, with music from the Gypsy Kings and a host of famous directors including James Gray, Diego Luna and Whit Stilman. Gold was giving nothing away, aside from the fact that the next Bond actor needed to ‘ooze sex appeal’.
She has been at lots of first nights recently and there is speculation she’s been taking a look at rising stars such as Luke Thompson, David Shields and Tom Francis.
Denis Villeneuve will review her suggestions this autumn, and he gets to make the final call – with the blessing of the producers.
You would expect Gold to also consult with the scriptwriter, so she can match his vision… but this piece of casting will not be Knight’s decision, ultimately.
Speaking in Cannes, he told Screen International that it will be a back to basics interpretation.
‘Bond has been bulletproof. People have been able to make mistakes and variations and the character has survived, because the core is like a diamond, you can’t touch it. The person you are talking about is from folklore.’
One friend is distressed by the idea of Bond going to bookie’s favourite Callum Turner, telling me: ‘It wouldn’t be fair if he got to date Dua Lipa and be Bond.’
But who said life was fair…
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