For weeks, the next James Bond shortlist was narrowed down to four actors: Jack Lowden, Callum Turner, Josh O'Connor – and a mystery name.
In a twist that left most 007 fans shaken and stirred, Robert Pattinson and Nicholas Hoult have reportedly tested (as per Variety) for the role, with many declaring Pattinson – who showcased his spy chops in Tenet – the new frontrunner.
Aiding fuel to the fire is Bond 26 director Denis Villeneuve was asked by Vanity Fair to name a recent movie he can't stop thinking about. Curiously, he answered Primetime, the Robert Pattinson-starring drama where he stars as To Catch a Predator's Chris Hansen.
"I was really impressed by Primetime," Villeneuve said. The director also includes Pattinson as part of his star-studded Dune 3 cast, which perhaps may tip the scales in his favor.
Then there's Nicholas Hoult. A perennial runner-up in big-name auditions (Batman, Superman, and Harry Potter, to name but a few), he is an intriguing new name in the mix for a process that has been played out in public over the past month.
Of the other candidates, Jack Lowden has broken his silence on being linked as a prospective new Bond actor, but with the sort of subtlety that might see him welcomed into the corridors of MI6.
Lowden told British GQ, "On this… It’s all very flattering. It’s nice to be mentioned – for any role – and I’m just not really going to add to the noise."
For more on 007's past missions, we have our ranking of the best James Bond movies.
There's also a round-up of the best movies on Amazon Prime – for your eyes only, naturally.
