Next Bond Girl: Sydney Sweeney dealt huge blow to hopes of landing role as experts tips new frontrunner
The race to star opposite Daniel Craig’s successor in Bond 26 has taken an almighty twist amid a time of uncertainty surrounding the project.
The 007 universe was rocked recently by reports that long-serving boss Barbara Broccoli was at loggerheads with new collaborators at Amazon.
Amazon purchased MGM Studios in 2022 for a staggering sum of £6.4 billion, giving them a foothold in the decision-making process of the franchise.
However, despite it being almost four years since the last film, a bombshell Wall Street Journal report has claimed that Broccoli privately dismissed Amazon executives as “f***ing idiots” and shared deep mistrust of the streaming giant’s approach to the iconic spy series.
Nevertheless, even though a script, lead actor, and other crucial elements still haven’t been decided on, fans and experts have been speculating which famous faces could lead the next Bond film on-screen.
While the likes of Theo James, Paul Mescal, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, and James Norton are just a handful of names tipped for the titular role, the likes of Sydney Sweeney, Dua Lipa, Michelle Keegan, and Jodie Comer are among those rumoured to be tied to the iconic part of a Bond Girl.
In fact, new data delivered by an AI supercomputer last year even named Comer as the ideal candidate to star opposite Craig’s replacement.
But in the latest shift to the market, it’s none of the aforementioned actresses who are top of experts’ thinking when it comes to landing the next Bond Girl role.
Instead, it’s actress Margaret Qualley, 30, who’s skyrocketed to the top of bookmakers’ markets following a jaw-dropping performance in the critically acclaimed drama, The Substance.
Qualley still faces stiff competition for the role from the likes of Saoirse Ronan and several others, however, as betting expert James Leyfield explains.
Speaking on behalf of Gambling.com regarding the latest market shift, he said: “Margaret Qualley is the new 13/8 frontrunner to follow in the famous footsteps of the likes of Halle Berry, Britt Ekland, Ursula Andress, Eva Green and Gemma Arterton.
“Another actress who is no stranger to an Oscar nod is Saoirse Ronan, and she could go up against Qualley for the Best Supporting Actress Academy Award later this year.
“Ronan is 7/4 to be the next Bond Girl and it wouldn’t be a huge surprise, considering she has been vocal about the franchise recently.”
Marisa Abela, who portrayed Amy Winehouse in the big-screen biopic of the singer last year, was next in the running at 2/1 before former frontrunner Sweeney entered the fray.
He continued: “Sydney Sweeney has been there or thereabouts at the top of the Bond Girl market for months, but she is now on the drift – to 5/2 – as are Michelle Keegan (9/2) and Jodie Comer (11/2).
“However, Dua Lipa is going the other way after her price decreased to 4/1, from 9/2 last time out.”
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The Substance wasn’t the first time Qualley had received plaudits from across the globe for her performance on-screen having racked up a number of big-name credits on her CV.
The 30-year-old has bagged two Primetime Emmy nominations before for her roles in Netflix’s Maid and FX’s Fosse/Verdon.
She also starred opposite the likes of Margot Robbie and Leonardo Di Caprio in Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon A Time… in Hollywood.
Meanwhile, Sweeney shot to fame in Hulu’s The Handmaid’s Tale before becoming a household name thanks to her stint in HBO’s Euphoria.