Callum Turner has emerged as a surprise frontrunner to replace Daniel Craig as the next James Bond.
The actor known for his role in Fantastic Beasts, now sits just behind long-time favourite for the role Aaron Taylor-Johnson, 34, whose odds stand at 8/11.
Bookmakers slashed odds on 35-year-old Callum taking the 007 role following a surge of weekend bets.
Henry Cavill, 41, and Theo James, 40, remain in contention, but Coral bookmakers confirmed Callum’s odds have shortened significantly in recent days.
John Hill, a spokesperson for Coral, said: “Callum Turner has been extremely popular in our James Bond betting over the weekend, forcing us to slash his odds to replace Daniel Craig.
“With Turner being backed, and Dua Lipa odds-on to play the soundtrack for the next Bond movie, the power couple could be the future of the franchise.”
Dua, 29, announced her engagement to Callum over the summer.
She has long been considered a contender to record a Bond theme, following the likes of Billie Eilish, 22, and Adele, 36.
Despite the apparent shift, Coral continues to back Aaron as the leading candidate for 007, followed by Callum at 7/2, then Henry and Theo at 8/1.
Other names still in the frame include Harris Dickinson, 28, Tom Holland, 29, and Jacob Elordi, 27.
The history of romance within the Bond franchise has also resurfaced in light of Callum and Dua’s potential involvement.
Sean Connery, who died in 2020 aged 90, famously had a fling with Bond girl Lana Wood, 78, during the filming of Diamonds Are Forever in 1971.
He was also linked to Jill St John, 84.
Aaron added fuel to the rumours he will be the next 007 during the world premiere of 28 Years Later in London in June.
Asked by a Deadline reporter what he was working on next, he replied: “I can’t talk about it,” before being pulled away by his entourage.
In May, Aaron appeared to tease the speculation further by signing a deal with Bond’s long-time watch partner Omega.
He was previously reported to be the preferred candidate of veteran James Bond producer Barbara Broccoli, 64, before Amazon’s takeover of the franchise.
Speaking to Esquire earlier this year, he said: “It’s not really for me to say anything.”
‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source uk.movies.yahoo.com ’
