NEW YORK (AP) 鈥� The bond, James Bond, market is heating up.
For almost a year, has been on tap to direct the next 007 installment, the first since . Producers Amy Pascal and David Heyman have been lined up since March 2025. The big missing piece: Who鈥檒l play the guy in the tux?
The casting process 鈥� the first that isn鈥檛 being overseen by the Broccoli family, which last year 鈥� has been typically secretive. That hasn鈥檛 stopped rampant speculation about who鈥檒l be the next Bond.
The oddsmakers have a few favorites, among them Callum Turner, Jacob Elordi and Aaron Taylor-Johnson. But our task here, today, is to open up the possibilities. This is the first time in more than two decades that a new Bond is being minted. We should have some fun with it, and cast a wide net.
So let’s take a martini shaker to the favorites. Here are some out-of-the-box candidates, ranked from least plausible to kinda legitimate.
Steve Buscemi
What? Are you telling me you wouldn鈥檛 watch Steve Buscemi as James Bond? It would instantly become the most anticipated movie of the year. The people are already . If the pope so too can James Bond.
Sandra H眉ller
It鈥檚 already become quite clear that there isn鈥檛 much She can do the most serious of dramas (鈥淭he Zone of Interest,鈥� 鈥淎natomy of a Fall鈥�) and a wide range of comedies (the recent 鈥淧roject Hail Mary,鈥� 鈥淭oni Erdmann鈥�). More than most movie stars today, she has the seductive, deadly melancholy of Bond 鈥� plus she鈥檇 deliver a great 007
Hugh Laurie
Producers reportedly want a younger Bond, but an older one might actually give them more new ground to cover. This is a franchise past 50, so a 007 in their 60s is hardly farfetched. Laurie has dabbled in spy thrillers (most notably the John le Carr茅 adaptation 鈥淭he Night Manager鈥�). We know from 鈥淗ouse鈥� that he has a terrific bedside manner in life-or-death situations. And he鈥檚 a comic genius who can wear a suit.
Tony Hale
Again: You鈥檙e telling me you wouldn鈥檛 Buster Bluth, , James Bond. It鈥檚 a seamless trajectory.
Dominic West
West auditioned for Bond when Craig was ultimately cast, but I don鈥檛 see why the 56-year-old isn’t still a good option. He has the charm and the roguish smile that would make him a legitimate heir to Sean Connery. He鈥檚 played a British spy before, in, um, Rowan Atkinson鈥檚 鈥淛ohnny English Reborn.鈥� And we already associate him, thanks to 鈥淭he Wire,鈥� with real police work. Imagine if an actor from 鈥淭he Wire鈥� got the role and
Aaron Pierre
OK, now we鈥檙e getting serious. I think Pierre, , is such an overwhelmingly natural fit that I鈥檓 surprised he hasn鈥檛 already been cast. As much as I鈥檇 like to see some less obvious candidates (I didn鈥檛 even mention Melissa McCarthy or Sacha Baron Cohen), makes him an ideal James Bond. Watch 鈥淩ebel Ridge鈥� and tell me he doesn鈥檛 have all the ingredients. Unless Buscemi steps forward, Pierre should get the role.
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