A JAMES Bond expert has dropped a major hint about the identity of Daniel Craig’s successor.
The hunt for the next 007 has been dragging its heels for years, but franchise expert Mark O’Connell believes fans will know the next suave spy’s identity by the summer.
Appearing on Nick Ferrari‘s LBC radio show, O’Connell said he wanted Bond to remain British and favoured a non A-list name.
He said: “Henry Cavill could be back in the running now. Amazon‘s choice could be different to the Broccolis. Aaron Taylor-Johnson, a new guy called Harris Dickinson, keep an eye on him.”
O’Connell certainly knows what makes a good Bond, having written Catching Bullets – Memoirs of a Bond Fan, which was endorsed by none other than 007 steward Barbara Broccoli, who said: “Catching Bullets is a wonderfully funny and touching memoir… Cubby [original Bond producer, Albert Broccoli] would be proud.”
Londoner Dickinson’s stock has risen greatly over the past few years with appearances in Where The Crawdads Sing and steamy flick Babygirl, opposite Nicole Kidman.
In that film, the 28-year-old played an intern who embarks on a passionate affair with his high-powered CEO [Kidman].
One memorable scene featured a shirtless Dickinson dancing to George Michael‘s Father Figure, while there are numerous sizzling romps.
Kidman famously revealed she had real orgasms on set while filming the drama.
In real life Dickinson is in a long-term relationship with his high school sweetheart Rose Gray.
Days ago it was confirmed that Bond will still be a British man despite being sold to “woke” Hollywood streaming site Amazon.
[bc_video account_id=”5067014667001″ application_id=”” aspect_ratio=”16:9″ autoplay=”” caption=”Brit acting legend admits he wants to play James Bond saying ‘the world’s gone crazy’ if Amazon casts a US star for 007″ embed=”in-page” experience_id=”” height=”100%” language_detection=”” max_height=”360px” max_width=”640px” min_width=”0px” mute=”” padding_top=”56%” picture_in_picture=”” player_id=”default” playlist_id=”” playsinline=”” sizing=”responsive” video_id=”6369636529112″ video_ids=”” width=”640px”]Before giving up ownership of the popular film franchise, 007’s stewards Barbara Broccoli and Michael G Wilson insisted the spy would retain his nationality and gender.
Ms Broccoli, who took over the Bond brand from company Eon Productions alongside Mr Wilson in 1995, made the arrangement before she agreed to sell the rights to Amazon in a £770million deal.
Insiders have hit back at fears the streaming giant – owned by Jeff Bezos – will turn Bond “woke”.
An insider told the Mail on Sunday: “Amazon is committed to keeping the spirit of Bond alive and that means he has to be British or from the Commonwealth – and he has to be male.”
[authenticated-scripts src=”%3Cscript%20class%3D%22palin-poll%22%20src%3D%22https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thesun.co.uk%2Fpollingwidgets%2Fv3%2Fwidget.js%3Fquestion_id%3D109217%26game%3Dpolling%22%3E%3C%2Fscript%3E” type=”embedded” width=”100″ /]They added: “Jeff is a massive Bond fan and while he’s excited to see how Amazon can take the franchise forward there are certain things which are sacrosanct.
But, Bond’s race is still on the table, with the source adding: “But certain things are up for discussion, like whether Bond should be played by a man of colour.”
Former 007 actor Pierce Brosnan, 71, told The Sunday Telegraph it is a “given” the next actor to take on the role should be British after the success of Daniel Craig, 57.
The Irish actor said: “I thought it was coming for some time I guess, but I think it was the right decision for Barbara and Michael.
“It takes great courage from them to let go, they will still have a say in matters, I hope that [Amazon] handles the work and the characters with dignity and imagination and respect.”
Half-siblings Barbara Broccoli, 64, and Michael G Wilson, 83, took over the Bond franchise from their father and stepfather Albert ‘Cubby’ Broccoli – who bought the film rights from Bond creator Ian Fleming in 1961.
Since then there have been 25 movies – where Bond defeats villains bent on destruction, all while drinking martinis and seducing women.
After the announcement of the £770 million deal with Amazon, owned by billionaire Jeff Bezos, 61, some fans feared the character would be watered down and turned ‘woke’.