Can you believe that it is now more than 20 years since we last went through the search for a new 007? Those of us who are old enough remember the post-Moore Dalton and, eventually, Brosnan reveals before that. Only the most ancient of Outposters will remember Moore’s unveiling in any detail.
So it is easy to forget what an absolute circus it is, with the rumors and hearsay and innuendo reaching fever pitch until the new actor is revealed, frequently as a name that nobody, especially the press, really had at the top of their lists. Yet every time it all starts up again, off they go with the same approach.
This week, the press went all weak at the knees again when a podcast host revealed he had been told who a strong contender is, and the newspapers then went and screamed “New James Bond leaked!” or variations on that theme. When you see what they are like with showbiz news, remember it and then apply it to current affairs. Terrifying.
Anyway, why the original leak is worth looking more closely at is because of who it came from. The Rest Is Entertainment podcast has a goods track record for movie and showbiz news. It is part of the wider The Rest Is… group of podcasts who do have a reputation for being well-connected with professionals in their chosen subject matter fields.
So what happened? They were running down some research that had highlighted the public’s top picks for the new James Bond. As usual, the public were ignoring age and whatever statements the Bond producers had made about their search, and they had picked Henry Cavill followed by Tom Hardy.
They were also discussing media favorites Callum Turner and Jacob Elordi. During this, presenter Richard Osman blurted out:
“The name I’ve heard is Jack Lowden.”
He then seemed to go to extra lengths to make clear that he meant a strong contender and very high up the producers list, rather than a done deal.
36-year-old Lowden has been getting great reviews as River Cartwright in the Apple TV+ series Slow Horses. He is also about to take on Mr Darcy for Netflix’s Pride And Prejudice. He is married to Irish actress Saoirse Ronan.
Rumors are that the latest 007 movie could actually enter production before the end of this year, so an announcement could come as early as October. Trade rumblings are that work has already begun on assembling the crew.
This would support the speculated plan that filming will wrap in mid-to-late 2027 for a 2028 release.
