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Aaron Taylor-Johnson Tipped to Be the New James Bond 007
Michael G. Wilson has hinted that the next James Bond will be in his “thirties.” The 80-year-old producer is in charge of casting Daniel Craig’s replacement as 007, along with his half-sister Barbara Broccoli, and has revealed that they are looking for stars like Aaron Taylor-Johnson to possibly take on the famous role.
At a BFI event commemorating the 60th anniversary of James Bond films, Michael stressed that casting for the latest Bond has yet to begin: “In the past, we attempted to look at younger people. However, visualizing it does not work.
“Remember, Bond is a seasoned veteran. He has some prior experience. He’s someone who’s been through the wars, so to speak. He’s most likely served in the SAS or something.
“He’s not some high school kid you can bring in and get things going. That’s why it works for someone in their thirties.”
Michael revealed a seduction scene from the 1963 film From Russia with Love, in which Sean Connery’s 007 discovers Soviet military clerk Tatiana Romanova (played by Daniela Bianchi) in his bed, which is always used to assess those aspiring to play the suave spy.
The producer elaborated: “We always use the same scene… and that’s the one in From Russia with Love, where Bond returns to his room after the assassination and begins taking off his shirt before going into the room to bathe.
“Then he hears something, grabs his gun, enters, and the girl is in his bed.”
Following Amazon’s acquisition of MGM, the company now owns the Bond franchise, and Michael stressed that 007 would continue as usual despite the changes behind the scenes.
He started to Deadline: “It’s a completely different world. We’ll have to wait and see what happens with Amazon. However, there will always be a Bond.”
Meanwhile, Aaron Taylor-Johnson is rumored to be the next James Bond, having filmed a version of the 007 film’s iconic gunshot opening.
Aaron Taylor-Johnson as James Bond 007
The Sun reported that the Kick-Ass actor, 32, shot the sequence, with Eon Productions set to reveal the spy franchise’s new star in March 2023, after Daniel Craig, 54, left the Bond role.
The news comes after The Sun reported that Aaron had completed a “top secret screen test” for the role at Pinewood Studios.
According to a source in the film industry, “Aaron has so impressed the Bond producers that he has filmed one of the franchise’s famous gun barrel teaser scenes, which all Bond actors do. This action brings him one step closer to a contract.
“His unique blend of acting intensity and his impressive back catalog of action films impressed the brand’s bosses.”
Aaron, who has appeared in films such as Tenet and Bullet Train, is now a 4/5 favorite to be the next Bond.
Idris Elba was said to have walked away from talks to be the next Bond to pursue “his film franchise” earlier this year. With Idris out of the running, bookmakers named Henry Cavill, 39, and Rege-Jean Page, 34, the leading candidates.
However, it has been reported that producers want the new Bond to be under 40 and taller than 5 ft 10 inches (1.78 meters). In August, a source told the Daily Star that Eon Productions was looking for a “fresh-faced” replacement for Daniel.
They added that casting an actor in his “late 30s” will allow him to stay in the role for at least a decade if not three films. According to the source, filming on the next film could begin in the winter of 2023.
Richard Madden, 36, and James Norton, 37, are also said to be in the running for the role, with Taron Egerton, 33, John Boyega, 30, and 35-year-old Kit Harington ruled out due to the alleged 5ft 10 height requirement.