Denis Villeneuve “having a great time” picking next James Bond from star-filled shortlist

James Bond director Denis Villeneuve has said he’s “having a great time” picking the next 007 from a star-studded shortlist of actors. READ MORE: Denis Villeneuve on ‘Dune’: “I stayed away from the David Lynch movie” The Dune director is heading up the 26th instalment in the long-running spy franchise, with a script written by Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight. It’ll be the first Bond film since Amazon took over the franchise last February and will see a new actor take on the role of the iconic secret agent after Daniel Craig bowed out in 2021’s No Time To Die. The search for the new James Bond officially began in May and, according to producer Amy Pascal, the actor will be revealed before the end of the year. Over the past few weeks, a number of reports have emerged from the casting process. One claimed that three actors were in contention for the role: Jacob Elordi, Jack Lowden and an undisclosed third actor. Another said that the final screen tests would involve Jack Lowden, Callum Turner and Josh O’Connor. The Sun claimed that Josh O’Connor has been cast as Bond after his Golden Boy co-star revealed the news to a reporter at the pub. Over the weekend, it was reported that Ro...