License to Thrill: Robert Pattinson Emerges as a Surprise Bond Contender
In hindsight, it makes a lot of sense. Robert Pattinson is one of the most gifted actors of his generation, and he recently worked with upcoming Bond director Denis Villeneuve on Dune: Part 3. Yet as the cast search for who will follow Daniel Craig and play the next Bond has intensified, Pattinson’s name hasn’t come up. This also makes sense, given that the parameters of the search seemed to be about finding a rising star, not one of the world’s most famous performers.
Yet The Hollywood Reporter scoops that Pattinson, 40, screen-tested for the role over the weekend of October 24. He now joins a talented list of hopefuls that includes Slow Horses‘ star Jack Lowden, Challengers and Disclosure Day star Josh O’Connor, and Masters of the Air and The Boys in the Boat star Callum Turner.
Pattinson is in the midst of one of his biggest years on screen ever, having starred in A24’s hit The Drama, Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey, and Lance Oppenheim’s scorching Primetime, with Villenevue’s Dune: Part 3 coming in December. He’s also currently filming The Batman Part II, the franchise he leads.
Previously, in Nolan’s Tenet, Pattinson played a time-traveling spy (of sorts), and not only is he trusted by marquee helmers like Nolan and Villeneuve, but he’s also beloved by indie darlings including the Safdie Brothers (Good Time), Lynne Ramsay (Die My Love), and Robert Eggers (The Lighthouse).
The upcoming Bond film is the first Amazon-produced film, as it purchased the creative rights from the Broccoli family in February 2025. Spider-Man‘s Amy Pascal and Harry Potter‘s David Heyman are producing, with Villeneuve helming from a script written by Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight.
The next Bond will be the first new spy in His Majesty’s Secret Service in 21 years, after Daniel Craig earned the role back in October 2005. Craig went on to play Bond in five films, culminating in No Time to Die in 2021.
No release date has been set for the next Bond film, production is expected to begin in 2027.
Featured image: LONDON, ENGLAND – JULY 06: Robert Pattinson attends the world premiere of “The Odyssey” at Odeon Luxe Leicester Square on July 06, 2026 in London, England. (Photo by Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images)
