Sunset Boulevard favourite 'among stars auditioning to be the next Bond'
Could Tom Francis be the next 007?
Just days after it was confirmed that auditions have now begun to find the next James Bond, Variety has reported on one candidate who is said to be part of the process.
The publication reports that Tom Francis, the actor best known for his stage work including Jamie Lloyd’s revival of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Sunset Boulevard, is one of the performers who has auditioned to play the iconic spy in the franchise's next film.
The publication states that Francis is "one of many performers jockeying for the part in a casting process that is ongoing and being overseen by Nina Gold".
Radio Times has approached Amazon MGM Studios and reps for Francis for comment.
Francis, who is 26 years old, may be best known for starring opposite Nicole Scherzinger in Sunset Boulevard, but he also appeared in other stage productions including What's New Pussycat? at the Birmingham Repertory Theatre and & Juliet at the Shaftesbury Theatre in the West End.
On screen, he has been seen in four episodes of the final season of Netflix series You, and in the streamer's 2025 film Jay Kelly. He will also soon be seen starring in theatrical film The Mosquito Bowl, alongside Nicholas Galitzine and Bill Skarsgård.
It is not currently known who else has taken part in the audition process as of yet.
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It seems that one actor who was previously rumoured to be a frontrunner, Cosmo Jarvis, will reportedly not be involved, with a spokesperson for the actor telling Variety: "Cosmo is not in the mix for the role of James Bond and is not auditioning for it."
News that the casting process is underway was confirmed in a statement from Amazon MGM Studios, with the company saying: "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."
Whoever is cast will be starring in the currently untitled next Bond film, which will come from director Denis Villeneuve, screenwriter Steven Knight and producers Amy Pascal and David Heyman.
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Authors
James Hibbs is a Drama Writer for Radio Times, covering programmes across both streaming platforms and linear channels. He previously worked in PR, first for a B2B agency and subsequently for international TV production company Fremantle. He possesses a BA in English and Theatre Studies and an NCTJ Level 5 Diploma in Journalism.
