Could a West End star be the next James Bond?

As rumours swirl about who will be the next James Bond, a name more familiar to West End fans has been mentioned in the latest round of casting speculation.

Variety has broken a story that West End and Broadway star Tom Francis may be up for the role of James Bond in Amazon MGM Studios’ next Bond movie.

A source with knowledge of the Bond search has told Variety that Tom Francis has auditioned for the role, with Bond’s casting director Nina Gold leading the search.

26-year old British actor Tom Francis is best known for his Olivier Award-winning performance as Joe Gillis in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Sunset Boulevard. Directed by Jamie Lloyd, Francis starred alongside Nicole Scherzinger as Norma Desmond.

Tom Francis also scored a Tony Award nomination for the role on Broadway, and has since appeared in a number of West End concerts.

Nina Gold has form in choosing London stage stars for Bond: Daniel Craig’s casting was partly based on Gold seeing Craig’s performance in Hurlyburly at the Old Vic and A Number at the Royal Court Theatre.

Sunset Boulevard - Tom Francis. Production photo by Marc Brenner
Sunset Boulevard – Tom Francis. Production photo by Marc Brenner

Last week Amazon MGM Studios announced that the search for the next star of the 26th 007 film in the franchise is officially underway, the first since they took full creative control from Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson last year.

Denis Villeneuve (Dune) will direct the film, with Amy Pascal and David Heyman producing via Pascal Pictures and Heyday Films. The Bond movie will be written by Steven Knight (Peaky Blinders, A Thousand Blows, House of Guinness).

Heyday Films are also producing a Follies movie, based on the National Theatre production directed by Dominic Cooke. They also co-produced the Paddington movies, on which the new West End musical is partly based, and are co-producing the new Harry Potter series for HBO.

Amazon said in a statement that, “the search for the next James Bond is underway. While we don’t plan to comment on specific details during the casting process, we’re excited to share more news with 007 fans as soon as the time is right.”

Since the statement, there has been no shortage of stories speculating about who could play Bond, with Jacob Elordi, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, and Callum Turner all cited as possible Bonds.

So far, no other West End stars have been mentioned in the casting lists – although Baz Bamigboye in Deadline did recently sound Gold out about Punch star David Shields, and Bridgerton star – and forthcoming The Lives of Others West End actor, Luke Thompson.

Which West End star would you love to see as Bond?

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Main photo: Tom Francis tipped as a possible James Bond (Photo Marc Brenner, Logo copyright Amazon MGM Studios)

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