James Bond author Charlie Higson recently shared his thoughts on the speculation surrounding who will be the next actor to portray the iconic 007 agents. In an interview with Press Association, Higson discussed how Eon Productions, the company responsible for making the Bond films, likes to keep their plans for the franchise under wraps and often surprises people with their casting choices.
Higson commented, “As soon as the papers say, ‘So and so is being considered as the next James Bond’, you know that they’re not going to be the next James Bond, you know that they’ve been rejected.”
The author of the Young Bond series went on to reveal that he personally thinks James Norton, known for his work in Happy Valley, would make a great Bond. However, Higson acknowledged that Eon Productions has a history of surprising audiences with their casting choices, pointing to Daniel Craig as an example.
He said, “If you’d been asked in advance, you’d have said, ‘Daniel Craig, James Bond, surely not.’ But then he’s just so good in Casino Royale… any doubts you might have had immediately go out the window. So they’re pretty clever on that front and they will inevitably wait to make the announcement at the right time to get the maximum amount of publicity.”
Craig has been portraying James Bond since the 2006 film “Casino Royale” and will make his final appearance as the character in the upcoming film “No Time To Die”. The actor’s replacement has yet to be officially announced.
As the world eagerly awaits news on who will be the next actor to take on the role of James Bond, Higson’s comments offer insight into the secretive casting process of the Bond franchise. Only time will tell who the next 007 agent will be, but one thing is for sure: Eon Productions knows how to keep audiences on their toes.