James Bond Shocker: Robert Pattinson and Nicholas Hoult Late Contenders for 007 After Auditioning for Denis Villeneuve

As James Bond casting rumors heat up, a couple more A-list actors have entered the mix: Robert Pattinson and Nicholas Hoult were among the stars who screen-tested to play the new 007.

Both British actors have the acting pedigree to play the suave spy. They also have a keen awareness of what it takes to work in major franchise fare, with Pattinson starring as Batman for DC Studios and in the “Twilight” and “Harry Potter” franchises, while Hoult plays Lex Luthor in DC’s Batman movies and starred in the 2010’s “X-Men” prequel trilogy. Pattinson also has the Denis Villeneuve factor on his side, after starring in the filmmaker’s upcoming epic “Dune: Part Three.”

Last year, Amazon MGM Studios tapped Villeneuve as the franchise’s next director, with plans to release Bond 26 in 2028 at the earliest. “Peaky Blinders” creator Steven Knight wrote the script for the film, which has been a top priority for producers Amy Pascal and David Heyman.

Since then, nearly every 30-something British actor’s name has been bandied about in the UK and US press, with rumored top contenders including Callum Turner, Josh O’Connor and Jack Loween. Variety has learned that Harry Styles has had discussions about the part, and Theo James also hasn’t been ruled out.

Pierce Brosnan, the Bond of the 90s, recently gave his stamp of approval to Turner, while Gary Oldman threw his weight behind his “Slow Horses” co-star Lowden. (Oldman also claimed that the next James Bond has already been picked, but no official casting announcement has been made.)

Amazon declined to comment on the casting rumors.

More to come…