Does Gary Oldman know something we mortals don’t? The actor says the new James Bond has already been chosen, and hopes Jack Lowden will land the role. Going by the rumours, it’s the tale of two Jacks. In late August, there was the story that Jack Barton, whose roles include Netflix’s Heartstopper and the BBC ... James Bond 26 | Gary Oldman says a new 007 has already been chosen; backs Jack Lowden
Does Gary Oldman know something we mortals don’t? The actor says the new James Bond has already been chosen, and hopes Jack Lowden will land the role.
Going by the rumours, it’s the tale of two Jacks. In late August, there was the story that Jack Barton, whose roles include Netflix’s Heartstopper and the BBC drama SAS: Rogue Heroes, had “emerged from the pack” of potential actors in contention for the James Bond role.
Now Gary Oldman has come forward with a different bit of potential gossip. The actor has said he hopes that his Slow Horses co-star Jack Lowden will land the 007 gig.
For those keeping record, Lowden is among a number of names who’ve popped up on lists of supposed candidates. That August report, for example, included Jacks Lowden and Barton alongside Callum Turner, Jacob Elordi, Paul Mescal and Harris Dickinson.
Admittedly, Oldman’s opinion on who should play Bond isn’t exactly news – and it follows that he’d pick a young, up-coming colleague who he’s previously worked with.
No, the more interesting bit is that Oldman believes that the new James Bond has already been chosen, and that the announcement could be imminent.
Oldman made the comments on The Morning Show in Canada, and reach us via The Hollywood Reporter. Here’s what the Dracula and State Of Grace star had to say:
“It’s been rumored that [Lowden] is on the shortlist,” said Oldman. “We’re going to find out pretty soon, aren’t we? Because they have picked him. They have made their choice, but they have not announced it yet. So my fingers are crossed for Jack.”
We’ve heard before that the new 007 is set to be announced this year – and let’s face it, we’re running out of year. Oldman’s famous enough to have friends all round the entertainment industry – perhaps also among the camp of Bond filmmakers that includes producers David Hayman and Amy Pascal, director Denis Villeneuve and casting director Nina Gold.
If Oldman’s statement is accurate, then we could be hearing something official within the coming weeks – ending what feels like an eternity of speculation. We’ll keep you posted; in the meantime, do go and track down the 1990 thriller State Of Grace if you haven’t seen it yet. Oldman is terrific in it.
A final random thought: why hasn’t Oldman been in a Bond movie yet? He’d make a great Q. Or perhaps a villain, if he doesn’t mind playing one yet again.
