Three of the favourites to become the next James Bond.placeholder image
Three of the favourites to become the next James Bond. | Getty Images

New James Bond Latest: These are the 13 stars now in the frame to play 007 - as Theo James roars back into contention

The odds have shifted again as we get ever-closer to knowing who will be taking on one of the biggest jobs in cinema.

The 26th film in the James Bond franchaise is now officially on its way - with a cinema release expected in 2027, a full six years since the last instalment No Time To Die.

Film bosses have confirmed that Dune filmmaker Denis Villeneuve is on board to direct a script written byPeaky Blinders’ Steven Knight.

But the most important job - that of who will take on the iconic title role - is still to be announced.

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Since Daniel Craig hung up his tux there have been many different actors rumoured to be in the frame, including a period where Aaron Taylor-Johnson was prematurely said to have accepted the role.

All bets were off when Barbara Broccoli and her half brother Michael G. Wilson, who have essentially chosen the Bond actors since the 1990s, cashed in and signed over ‘full creative control’ to Amazon MGM Studios.

The bookies reckon they have a fair idea of the way the wind is blowing though, with five favoured actors leading the way and plenty of other famous faces still in the running.

Here are the 13 leading contenders to next don the superspy’s tux and anjoy a vodka martini, shaken not stirred.

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