As the hunt continues for Amazon’s first actor to portray the legendary 007, a report from a reliable industry insider says that Robert Pattinson has now taken the lead among the current contenders up for the job.
As reported by The Guardian, Matthew Belloni, writing for Puck, suggests that favourable contract terms have been offered to Pattinson, making him the current preferred choice.
According to Belloni, there are currently five finalists up for the role: Nicholas Hoult, Jack Lowden, Josh O’Connor, Callum Turner, and Robert Pattinson. But the test deals for these actors are quite different, Belloni says, according to three sources familiar with the dealmaking. O’Connor and Lowden were required to sign up for four Bond movies if chosen, but Pattinson’s requirement was lowered to three, with a lot more money.
Pattinson’s “star power” is reportedly one of the big reasons for this, as he’s one of the most recognizable names in Hollywood at the moment. This year alone, Pattinson has been in three critically acclaimed films: The Drama, The Odyssey, and Primetime. But the actor has also become known for his idiosyncratic style. He’s appeared in mega-franchises like Batman, Harry Potter, and Dune, as well as smaller-scale dramas like The Lighthouse, The Lost City of Z, and Bel Ami.
The interesting thing here, however, is that, if chosen, Pattinson would become the first well-known actor to be cast as Bond. Now most Bond actors have gone on to become big names, but at the time of playing the titular 007, they were fairly unknown quantities. Even Daniel Craig was a smaller-scale character actor before Bond. The one exception is Pierce Brosnan, who was known for playing the similar spy character Remington Steele.
But the key difference is that the Bond franchise is entirely under new management at Amazon, as series producer Barbara Broccoli is no longer attached. Belloni thinks that’s a key difference now, saying, “No franchise is bulletproof any more – everything is vulnerable, and most can be helped by a value-add element, like an established star.”
Amazon has technically already taken its first step into its era of Bond, with the video game 007 First Light. While the game started development well before Amazon acquired the rights, the successful launch was under Amazon’s purview. Post-launch, after fans worried about how new ownership could affect a sequel, a statement from Amazon said, “We have a great relationship with IO Interactive and are proud of what we’ve accomplished together on 007 First Light. Our partners at IO will reveal more about 007 First Light in the near future, and we’re looking forward to sharing what’s next.”
