Next James Bond race takes fresh twist as Barbara Broccoli leads to ‘significant surge’ for actor’s chances
The battle to be the next Bond has taken another turn as a relative newcomer to the race has shot to the top of likely candidates to take the role.shot to the top of likely candidates to take the role.
The “significant surge” comes after longtime Bond producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G Wilson handed creative control of the franchise to Amazon.
Wilson cited his age as a factor in the decision, saying: “With my 007 career spanning nearly 60 incredible years, I am stepping back from producing the James Bond films to focus on art and charitable projects.”
Broccoli 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.”
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The announcement came four years after Daniel Craig’s final appearance as Bond in No Time to Die.
Since, speculation on who will succeed him has been fierce and has only intensified after the streaming giant’s full takeover.
Aaron Taylor-Johnson and James Norton have long been considered frontrunners in the race, regularly jockeying for the position of overall favourite for the role.
However, they have often faltered in comparison to The Gentlemen star Theo James who remains the bookies choice according to data from OLBG.
James holds 7/4 odds of taking his Martini’s shaken not stirred, translating to a 36.4 percent chance.
However, Harris Dickinson has seen a “significant surge in the betting market”, according to OLBG.
In the last two weeks alone, the 28-year-old’s odds have been slashed from 16/1 to 5/2.
The “massive market mover” now holds a 28.6 percent chance of swooping the role on the back of his starring role alongside Nicole Kidman in Babygirl. according to OLBG’s entertainment betting Expert Jake Ashton.
Dickinson’s new odds place him narrowly behind James, on equal footing with Norton who shares a 5/2 chance.
Once favourite Taylor-Johnson has fallen behind, now holding 3/1 or a 25 percent chance of being cast.
Other touted names, like Henry Cavill and Jack Lowden remain further behind.
The Superman star see’s 4/1 odds, or a 20 percent chance, while Slow Horses Jack Lowden lags with a 16.7 percent chance, or 5/1 odds.