He has been lauded for his turn as Paul Atreides in Denis Villeneuve’s two-part Dune adaptation, with the pair recently partnering up again for number three.
So, it is perhaps no surprise that Villeneuve is considering casting Timothée Chalamet in his first ever James Bond film.
The French-Canadian filmmaker, 57, will helm the next instalment in the British spy franchise – the first since Amazon completed its massive $8.5 billion acquisition of MGM Studios and parted ways with longtime producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson.
Chalamet, who has twice been nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor, saw his odds increase in the wake of the news.
But the 29-year-old, famed for playing Willy Wonka and Bob Dylan and dating Kylie Jenner, won’t be Daniel Craig’s successor, with a source insisting ‘an American actor will not play Bond.’
‘Timothée Chalamet could be a part of a future Bond film, but in no way shape or form will he be James Bond,’ the insider told DailyMail.com. ‘An American actor will not play Bond, it is not going to happen, so that leaves Timothée out of the running for the lead.’
Denis Villeneuve, who directed the sci-fi epic, is considering signing up Timothée Chalamet for his first ever James Bond film, a source has told DailyMail.com
But Chalamet won’t be Daniel Craig ’s successor, with a source insisting ‘an American actor will not play Bond’
‘Timothée Chalamet could be a part of a future Bond film, but in no way shape or form will he be James Bond,’ the insider told DailyMail.com (pictured in Dune)
There hasn’t been a new 007 film since 2021’s No Time to Die, which marked Craig’s swansong as the famous secret agent after five outings.
Since then the fate of the franchise has been up in the air after Amazon bought MGM. The company partners with Eon Productions on Bond.
A statement released in February revealed Broccoli and Wilson will ‘remain co-owners of the franchise’ but that Amazon MGM Studios ‘will gain creative control.’
Wilson, 83, said he was ‘stepping back from producing the James Bond films to focus on art and charitable projects’ while Broccoli, 64, added: ‘With the conclusion of No Time to Die and Michael retiring from the films, I feel it is time to focus on my other projects.’
According to the Wall Street Journal, when asked about the deal last year, she told friends: ‘These people are f***ing idiots.’
Villeneuve described himself as a ‘die-hard Bond fan’ after news of his directing gig was announced this week.
‘To me, he’s sacred territory,’ he said in a statement. ‘I intend to honor the tradition and open the path for many new missions to come. This is a massive responsibility, but also, incredibly exciting for me and a huge honor.’
Bond has yet to be cast, with Aaron Taylor-Johnson – who was said to have completed a screen test at Pinewood Studios with Broccoli in March 2022 – the current favorite.
‘An American actor will not play Bond, it is not going to happen, so that leaves Timothée out of the running for the lead’ (Chalamet pictured with Villeneuve and Dune costar Zendaya in 2023)
Chalamet is famed for playing Willy Wonka and Bob Dylan and dating Kylie Jenner (pictured)
Aaron Taylor-Johnson, who was said to have completed a screen test at Pinewood Studios with Barbara Broccoli in March 2022, is the current favorite to secure the role of Bond
‘The role of Bond is Aaron’s to lose,’ our insider said. ‘He is still on the top of the list. The film is going to be put together pretty fast but Denis understands how important it is to get the casting just right.’
Pierce Brosnan previously threw his support behind the BAFTA-nominated star, whose breakout role was playing John Lennon in 2008 film Nowhere Boy – which was directed by his now-wife Sam Taylor-Johnson.
Brosnan, 71, who played the intelligence agent in GoldenEye, Tomorrow Never Dies, The World Is Not Enough and Die Another Day, said he believes his former co-star has the ‘chops’ to take on the mantel.
‘I would definitely tip my hat to the fellow,’ he said last year. ‘I think the man has the chops and the talent and the charisma to play Bond, very much so.’
George Lazenby, 85, who enjoyed one stint as the 007 agent in On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, also endorsed Taylor-Johnson, as well as former Bond villain Jonathan Pryce.
The actor, 77, who starred opposite Brosnan in Tomorrow Never Dies, previously told Good Morning Britain: ‘He’s grown into a wonderful actor and when he was a little younger, he did this extraordinary sort of action film where he played a superhero.
‘And he’s great, look at him now, he’s black tie, handsome and yeah, he’d be a great Bond.’
Johnson, who has offered cryptic responses to interviewers desperate for clues about Bond, could face competition from Theo James, Henry Cavill, Callum Turner, James Norton and Aaron Pierre, whose names have all been in the mix.
