She’s one of the hottest names in showbiz right now, and it looks like Sydney Sweeney is in the running for the biggest role of her career.
The blonde bombshell rose to fame in The Handmaid’s Tale, later gaining wider recognition in Euphoria and The White Lotus.
And with huge roles like the female lead in Anyone But You opposite Glen Powell and a viral moment in the divisive superhero flick Madame Web, it’s no surprise that her name has fallen onto the desks of James Bond bosses.
Consequently, Sydney is rumoured to be a contender for the next Bond Girl.
Not only that, but she already has the backing of Jeff Bezos, whose Amazon acquired creative control of the 007 franchise earlier this year, taking over from Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson.
According to The Sun, 27-year-old Sydney is close pals with new Bond director Denis Villeneuve, meaning she’s already in with all the right people.
A source told the publication: ‘Sydney is the top name on the casting sheet for Bond.
‘Denis believes she is hugely talented, as well as having an alluring appeal to younger generations, vital in modernising the franchise.
‘They’ve hung out together a lot, and he has admired her stratospheric rise.’
‘Plus, Sydney has the quality of being athletic and able to perform physical scenes, as well as being feminine and following in the legacy of Bond girls,’ added the insider.
Indeed, Sydney recently took on arguably her most challenging and physically demanding role to date, playing trailblazing boxer Christy Martin in her biopic.
Sydney, who has experience in MMA and combat sports, gained 30Ibs for the part, saying her body was ‘completely different’ by the end of her transformation.
So, she certainly has both the beauty, brains, and brawn to be Bond’s next addition, and with her recent attendance at the Bezos wedding, plus looking cosy with former Bond gal Ana de Armas at last year’s Toronto Film Festival, you’d be forgiven for already starting to put pieces together.
As for her competition, previous actresses tipped for the coveted Bond Girl role include Florence Pugh, who is a hot favourite after working with Villeneuve on Dune 2.
Other names floating around include Sydney’s Euphoria co-star Zendaya, Bad Sisters actress Eve Hewson, Bridgerton’s Nicola Coughlan, and ex-Corrie fave Michelle Keegan.
The Bond Girl role was first played by Ursula Andress as Honey Ryder in the 1960s, while later actresses include Jane Seymour, Barbara Bach, Eva Green, Michelle Yeoh, Maud Adams, and Halle Berry.
As for the Secret Service agent himself, it is yet to be announced who will step into Daniel Craig’s shoes after he bowed out in 2021’s No Time to Die.
Currently, Aaron Taylor-Johnson is the runaway favourite, and he has been for a while.
The 35-year-old Bullet Train star has seemingly fuelled speculation on several occasions, most notably by signing a deal with Omega, the luxury watch brand that’s featured in Bond films since 1995’s Golden Eye.
And at the 28 Years Later premiere in London last month, he played coy when Deadline asked: ‘What are you doing next?’
‘I can’t talk about it,’ he replied before being escorted away.
Other than the Kick-Ass star, Theo James, Henry Cavill, Jack Lowden, James Norton, Josh O’Connor, Regé-Jean Page, and Paul Mescal are all potential Bonds, according to the bookies.
Jonathan Bailey, Jacob Elordi, Tom Holland, and Timothée Chalamet have also been mentioned in reports.
It is not yet known when a decision will be finalised on who our next 007 is, but it’s been claimed Amazon is getting closer by the day.
Who could be the next James Bond? Latest odds
Aaron Taylor-Johnson – 11/8
Callum Turner – 16/1
Harris Dickinson – 12/1
Henry Cavill – 10/1
Jack Lowden – 5/1
James Norton – 12/1
Sam C. Wilson – 16/1
Scott Rose-Marsh – 6/1
Theo James – 4/1
Odds taken from Ladbrokes.
Just days ago, Mike Hopkins, head of Amazon MGM Studios, brought Bond back to everyone’s attention when discussing Villeneuve coming on board.
‘We are honoured that Denis has agreed to direct James Bond’s next chapter,’ he said.
‘He is a cinematic master whose filmography speaks for itself.’
The four-time Oscar-nominated director, who is a long-time Bond fanatic, is famous for his work on Arrival, Blade Runner 2049, and the Dune franchise.
There’s no denying he brings plenty to the table, given how his movies have grossed more than $1.8billion (£1.3bn) worldwide.
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