LACMA Gala surprise: Denis Villeneuve teases major 007 news
Denis Villeneuve lit up the LACMA Art+ Film Gala with a coy tease that threw Amy Pascal for a loop.
Onstage at the LACMA Art+Film Gala in Los Angeles over the weekend, Denis Villeneuve capped his remarks with a perfectly timed 007 fake‑out — nodding to Amazon ’s MGM ties and name‑checking producer Amy Pascal as his punch line. The ballroom roared; the reveal never came.
"And to express my gratitude, with the blessing of my new friends at Amazon, I will reveal to you tonight... who will be the next James Bond. The actor who will play the next James Bond is - and I will stop right now because (producer) Amy Pascal is about to have a heart attack."
The joke landed because the appetite for the next James Bond is off the charts. With Daniel Craig done after 2021’s No Time to Die and no official successor named, even a hint from a prestige filmmaker like Villeneuve is enough to freeze a room.
Who’s in the mix?
Despite the silence from the Bond brain trust, recent reports have kept the rumor mill spinning — including talk of fresh screen tests and a few returning names. Nothing is confirmed, but the chatter has centered on:
- Robert Pattinson — reported recent screen test
- Nicholas Hoult — reported recent screen test
- Callum Turner — previously rumored contender
- Josh O’Connor — previously rumored contender
- Jack Lowden — previously rumored contender
Pressed on the red carpet, Villeneuve kept things close to the vest, deflecting questions about casting and acknowledging — per Variety’s line of questioning — that a single stray comment could set off a media firestorm.
Officially, the next Bond movie has no announced star or director, and the keepers of the franchise have offered no timeline. Trade reports have previously linked writer Steven Knight to a developing script, but the production remains under wraps.