The search for the next James Bond might be ending, with "Bullet Train" star Aaron Taylor-Johnson emerging as a frontrunner for the 007 role previously occupied by Daniel Craig.
Citing a report by Puck News, the Daily Mail noted that Taylor-Johnson, 32, met with Bond producer Barbara Broccoli and secretly auditioned for the role late last year. Another insider made similar claims in an interview with The Sun.
"Aaron went for a screen test to be the next Bond in September, and producers and Barbara loved him," the source said. "He is now one of the front-runners.”
A second source reportedly claimed that Taylor-Johnson had "impressed bosses so much that he has filmed one of the franchise's famous gun barrel teaser scenes, something all the actors do. That move takes him a step closer to signing a deal."
The source added: "Bosses at the brand were really impressed with his unique blend of acting intensity and his impressive back catalog of action films," according to the Daily Mail.
Broccoli and fellow Bond producer Michael G. Wilson have helmed the Bond franchise since 1995's "GoldenEye" (1995), which starred Pierce Brosnan, who formed a strong relationship with Craig over the course of the five films in which he appeared — "Casino Royale" (2006), "Quantum of Solace" (2008), "Skyfall" (2012), "Spectre" (2015), and last year's "No Time to Die" — before Craig bowed out as 007.
In an interview with Variety, Broccoli and Wilson said they were looking for an actor who could commit to the role for at least a decade.
"With Craig, when we had the conversation at this very table about, you know, whether he was going to do it, he said, 'Well, I'm going to do it. I really want to be a part of it, the whole thing.' And he lived to regret that," Broccoli said. "But it's a big commitment. It's not just showing up for a couple of months of filming."
Zoe Papadakis ✉
Zoe Papadakis is a Newsmax writer based in South Africa with two decades of experience specializing in media and entertainment. She has been in the news industry as a reporter, writer and editor for newspapers, magazine and websites.
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