Robert Pattinson and Nicholas Hoult have reportedly auditioned to become the next James Bond, entering the increasingly competitive race as late contenders.
The two British stars, known for portraying Batman and Lex Luthor for DC Studios, are unexpected additions to the growing list of actors who have tested for director Denis Villeneuve.
The Hollywood Reporter claims Pattinson and Hoult auditioned in London last month alongside Callum Turner, Jack Lowden and Josh O’Connor.
Pattinson already has a professional connection with Villeneuve, having worked with the filmmaker on the forthcoming Dune 3.
The latest casting development is particularly surprising because O’Connor was recently reported to have landed the coveted 007 role.
The Crown star, 36, had been widely considered one of the leading candidates to play James Bond, with reports recently suggesting that he had reached an agreement with Amazon MGM Studios after progressing through the final stages of the audition process.
Robert Pattinson and Nicholas Hoult are reportedly among the latest stars to audition for the highly sought-after role of James Bond
The decision on who will succeed Daniel Craig, pictured in Casino Royale, as the next 007 has not yet been made
O’Connor had been performing in Golden Boy at the Almeida Theatre in Islington, north London, when The Sun claimed that one of his co-stars accidentally revealed the Bond casting news after several drinks at a Soho pub.
A source told the publication: ‘I happened to meet one of Josh’s Golden Boy castmates at The French House. We got talking after a number of people asked them for selfies, and we ended up chatting in a quiet corner.
‘After a few beers, they suddenly announced that Josh was the next James Bond. I said it was only speculation, but they were adamant that Josh had got the part.
‘They claimed Josh had told them he secured the role during celebratory drinks with the Golden Boy cast after the production ended on Halloween.’
The reports emerged after O’Connor, best known for playing Prince Charles in Netflix’s The Crown, said he found the speculation about him becoming Bond ‘very bizarre’.
Speaking to the BBC, he said: ‘To be considered in that same sort of bracket is extraordinary. It’s an incredibly bizarre pinch me moment… even being uttered in that same sentence and being considered for something like that.’
However, the actor declined to comment further on whether he was in contention, adding: ‘But I am afraid, there is nothing to say beyond that.’
O’Connor has since completed his 60-performance run as the lead in Golden Boy.
The reported auditions by Pattinson and Hoult come shortly after claims that Josh O’Connor had won the James Bond role
Jack Lowden and Callum Turner are also believed to have completed final auditions before the next 007 is officially revealed
The latest Ladbrokes betting odds place Lowden firmly at the top of the list at 4/6, with Turner next at 11/4.
O’Connor is further back in the field, currently priced at 8/1.
Lowden, 36, who stars in Slow Horses, recently addressed speculation that he is the leading choice during an interview with GQ Hype, saying he expects his long-term future to be in directing.
‘It’s all very flattering. It’s nice to be mentioned – for any role – and I’m just not really going to add to the noise…
‘As a young male actor, generally, the minute you’re not playing a zany artist type, the minute you’re in a suit, people fling it at you.’
Discussing his ambitions behind the camera, he added: ‘I don’t think it’s [his future career] in acting, really. I think it’s in making something of my own.’
Turner, 36, has also attracted attention after reportedly stepping down from the film company he launched with his wife, pop star Dua Lipa — a move some have interpreted as a sign that he is concentrating on the Bond opportunity.
The actor resigned as a director of Twentytwo Films Ltd, the production company he and Lipa established last August with equal ownership. The pair intended for it to develop film and television projects in the style of Margot Robbie’s LuckyChap banner.
If Amazon MGM Studios finalises its James Bond casting by December, production on the next 007 film could begin in 2027.
