UK ‘Harry Potter movies’ star red-hot favourite to be next James Bond | Films | Entertainment

With auditions for the next 007 reportedly underway, a Harry Potter film-series star is now the red-hot favourite to be the next James Bond. It has been nearly five years since Daniel Craig’s final outing as 007 in No Time to Die, and the successor search comes as Amazon MGM Studios take over creative control from longtime producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson.

‘Dune’ director Denis Villeneuve will be in charge of the next movie but after years of rumours – with even 53 year-old Idris Elba discussed. But now bookies have settled on a red-hot favourite: Callum Turner, 36 – husband to Dua Lipa who starred in the ‘Fantastic Beasts’ Harry Potter prequel trilogy.

With a probability rating of 40.68%, ActionNetwork.com claims Turner is way ahead of other UK and foreign actors, including Irish, American and Australian male stars.

Turner shot to global fame playing Theseus, the brother of Newt Scamander, in the fantasy films Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald (2018) and Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore (2022).

He won an nomination for the British Academy Television Award for Best Actor for his performance in the mystery series The Capture (2019) and has since starred as John “Bucky” Egan in the miniseries Masters of the Air (2024).

But his private life has also propelled him into superstardom after dating singer Dua Lipa; the couple finally tying the knot in May this year.

Tom Francis, the Olivier Award-winning star of Sunset Boulevard, is the bookies’ second favourite to play Bond with a probability of 23.08% following reports he auditioned for the role.

Enola Holmes actor Louis Partridge is 3rd (18%); Harris Dickinson is 4th (16.67%); and Kick-Ass star Aaron Taylor-Johnson is 5th (15%).

The other top 10 are the Scottish ‘Slow Horses’ actor Jack Lowden, Australian ‘Euphoria’ actor Jacob Elordi, American actor Arty Froushan, Irish actor Dónal Finn and Leo Suter.

ActionNetwork.com said: “We have been tracking James Bond odds from various bookmakers for the last 4 years, and the race to become 007 has gone through several favuorites, from Regé-Jean Page to Henry Cavill to Theo James and others.

“It has been more than five years since the last Bond film, so it is surprising a new Bond has not been named yet.

“Allegedly, Bond auditions have already begun, with the next round of shortlisted actors expected to continue auditioning in August.

“The search for someone with that essential Bond enigma remains, and the names currently in contention are said to be a mix of unknowns and established stars.

“Turner isn’t yet a bona fide Hollywood leading man, but that may actually work in his favuor for the role of 007.

“He is currently filming the Possession remake alongside Margaret Qualley, and as far as we know, he is not tied to any major franchises, which would potentially leave him free for a future Bond commitment.”