The quest to find the next James Bond may be over.
Sources have told The Mail on Sunday that Callum Turner – the bookies' odds-on favourite to take over from Daniel Craig – has been telling friends the role is his.
One source close to the Fantastic Beasts star said: 'He's been blabbing all over town. Callum is the new Bond, it's been confirmed. Everyone in his circle is talking about it. It's the worst-kept secret going.'
If Turner, 35, does pick up 007's famous Walther PPK pistol, producers at Amazon may seal a two-for-one deal with Turner's fiancée, pop star Dua Lipa, to create a new song for the opening and closing credits.
Lipa, 30, who previously wrote Swan Song for the 2019 sci-fi movie Alita: Battle Angel, is eager to join the Bond juggernaut, following the likes of Adele, Billie Eilish and Sam Smith. The source said: 'Dua is over the moon for Callum. She's been saying she'd love to record the Bond theme.'
Turner, who was raised on a London council estate, started his career as a Next model before getting his big break playing Theseus Scamander in the Harry Potter spin-off prequel movie Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald and its follow-up The Secrets of Dumbledore.
He earned critical acclaim for his role in the 2023 film The Boys In The Boat, directed by George Clooney, and as Major John 'Bucky' Egan in the Apple TV show Masters Of The Air, produced by Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks.
He and Lipa started dating in January 2024 before getting engaged last summer. The couple have not announced a wedding date. They fuelled rumours that Turner could be taking on the mantle of Bond by going on holiday to Goldeneye in Jamaica, the former estate of Bond author Ian Fleming.
A source said: 'If it is Callum then he'd be a popular pick. He has the looks and sophistication for Bond and he has proved his acting chops.'
The next 007 film, known only as Bond 26 as it's the 26th in the franchise, is one of Hollywood's most hotly anticipated films, since it has been four years since No Time To Die. It could start filming this year for a 2027 release.
Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson, who controlled the franchise through their Eon Productions, sold the Bond rights for a reported $1 billion to Amazon in February last year.
Amazon boss Jeff Bezos is a 'massive fan' of the spy and a source within his company told the MoS: 'Jeff is closely involved in all aspects of taking Bond forward. He doesn't want to mess this up.
'He knows what an important place Bond holds in people's hearts. Whoever is chosen to be Bond has to be perfect.
'The script has to be sensational. It has to have all the elements of Bond, like great action sequences and gorgeous Bond girls, while making it fresh and exciting for a new generation.'
Bond 26 is being written by Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight and will be overseen by Dune director Denis Villeneuve.
Studio insiders previously told the MoS the script was being written 'without a specific actor in mind' but that Bezos and Villeneuve wanted someone 'young and British' to take on the role.
Turner has become the bookie's favourite in recent months, overtaking previous forerunners Aaron Taylor-Johnson, James Norton and Idris Elba.
Dua Lipa declined to comment while Amazon and Callum Turner were approached for comment.
PS: Liz joins the party in a state of Andress!
Liz Hurley had a licence to thrill as she kicked off 2026 with a tribute to original Bond bombshell Ursula Andress.
The model rocked up to a New Year's Eve bash in a white bikini echoing Andress's iconic look as Honey Ryder in 1962's Dr No.
Hurley, 60, who appeared in two Austin Powers films spoofing Bond, accessorised her look with a prop gun and a faux-fur coat at the 007-themed party she attended with partner Billy Ray Cyrus.
The country singer, 64, gushed: 'Talk about a banger of a way to welcome in the New Year.'
