The global search for the next James Bond has officially begun, and now one of Hollywood’s biggest names has entered the fray. George Clooney, the two-time Oscar winner and former Batman, has seen enough. He knows who should be the next 007.
In an interview, Clooney didn’t hedge or list his top contenders. He went all in on a single name: Callum Turner. “I hope Callum ends up being the next Bond,” Clooney told The Hollywood Reporter. “I think he would be a great Bond. He’s tall and handsome and charming and British, so he’s the perfect guy to do it.“
George Clooney Says Callum Turner Has Substance, Not Just Looks
Clooney knows what he is talking about. He directed the 36-year-old London native in the 2023 sports drama ‘The Boys in the Boat.‘ Getting to see Turner work up close left a mark on the veteran actor. He praised Turner for more than just his looks and said the young actor has real substance in a business that is starving for true leading men.
“He hasn’t just gone for the easy paychecks – he’s done really interesting work,” Clooney explained. “Somehow Callum has weaved his way through all of the noise and found a place where people look at him and go, ‘There’s something with this young man.’ It’s exciting to watch people saying, ‘That guy – that’s a guy I want to follow and pay attention to.‘”
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Clooney’s support comes at a time when people are already guessing wildly about the franchise. It has been five years since Daniel Craig stepped away from the role after 2021’s ‘No Time to Die.‘ Last month, Amazon MGM Studios, which now controls the franchise after a 2025 deal with the Broccoli family, confirmed the search for a new Bond is officially on. To make things even bigger, ‘Dune‘ director Denis Villeneuve has been chosen to direct the next movie, which means a major reboot is coming.
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Turner has been a favorite in online betting for a while, but Clooney giving him his public blessing takes the talk to a new level. Still, Turner himself is staying quiet about the rumors. Maybe that is smart of him.
“I know as much as you do – really, I know as much as you do,” Turner told THR, laughing off all the attention. He added that he was “not going to comment on” whether he would take the job if it was offered.
Callum Turner Remains Coy Despite George Clooney Leading Man Praise
The British actor, who just married pop star Dua Lipa, knows his way around big franchises. He played Theseus Scamander in the ‘Fantastic Beasts‘ movies and starred in Apple TV+’s big WWII series ‘Masters of the Air.‘ But as Clooney said, he is still somewhat undefined, which lets people picture him as Bond.
“It’s just harder” to find a leading man these days, Clooney said, speaking as someone who has been in the business a long time. “Talk to any big-time producer or big-time director: They’re constantly going, ‘Who’s a leading man now?’“
For Clooney, the answer is right there. Other names like Jacob Elordi and Aaron Taylor-Johnson are still floating around, but none of them have gotten the kind of clear, headline-ready support that Clooney just gave Turner.
While everyone waits for Villeneuve and Amazon to make their choice, George Clooney’s message is simple: the right man for the tuxedo is Callum Turner.
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