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In late June, it was announced that acclaimed Arrival, Blade Runner 2049 and Dune filmmaker Denis Villeneuve had been hired to direct the next James Bond film. Bond 26 will be the first James Bond movie under the full ownership of Amazon MGM Studios.
Now that Denis Villeneuve has been officially hired the film’s director, casting rumors will begin to ramp up in earnest, with the film likely to release in 2027 or 2028. Villeneuve needs to finish his work on his Dune trilogy first, as the third movie in the acclaimed franchise is going into production this summer.
While there have been plenty of rumors about who will be the next 007, this new report from British outlet The Sun indicates Sydney Sweeney is the “top name on the casting sheet for” the film’s female lead.
“Denis believes she is hugely talented, as well as having an alluring appeal to younger generations, vital in modernizing the franchise. They’ve hung out together a lot and he has admired her stratospheric rise. Plus Sydney has the quality of being athletic and able to perform physical scenes, as well as being feminine and following in the legacy of Bond girls.” [via The Sun]
As for Sweeney’s ability to be an athletic performer, the report notes her recent physical transformation for her Christy Martin biopic, which the actress says she added 30-plus pounds of muscle.
Another aspect of the report is Sweeney’s growing relationship with Amazon owner Jeff Bezos, as she was in attendance at his Venice wedding late last month to reportedly “kiss the ring” as she tries to set up a franchise at the studio.
Next up for Sweeney will be Americana and Eden, a pair of films that will both be hitting theaters on Friday, August 22. Later this year, she’ll also be starring in the Paul Feig-directed adaptation of The Housemaid, which will be released in theaters on Christmas Day.