James Bond author says Jack Lowden is “not a convincing choice” for new 007

The author behind the latest James Bond novel has dismissed Jack Lowden as a potential candidate for 007, saying that he is not convincing enough for the role.

The search for the new 007 has officially begun, with Amazon MGM studios announcing the start of the process in May. Numerous names have emerged as contenders to replace Daniel Craig, who bowed out in 2021’s No Time To Die, with Slow Horses star Lowden nearing the top of the list for most onlookers.

In an interview with The Times, Charlie Higson, who has written several official Bond novels as well as the latest, King Zero, gave his verdict on the rumoured front-runners for the role. He described Jacob Elordi as “too tall”, and he said of fellow candidate Callum Turner:  “He has unconventional looks, no bad thing.”

He was less flattering about Lowden, however. “I’m not sure,” Higson said. “I like him, but it’s like when Tom Hiddleston was in the running — not a convincing hand-to-hand fighter. With Daniel Craig you can believe him kicking the shit out of someone. And you’ve got to believe that with Bond.”

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The latest Bond adventure will be directed by Denis Villeneuve and written by Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight. Jacob Elordi recently dodged questions about auditioning for the part. No casting decisions, or release date, have been announced as of yet. The longest gap between Bond films is currently six years and five months, the time between Timothy Dalton’s last film Licence to Kill (1989) and Pierce Brosnan’s debut in GoldenEye (1995). If the new film is released after February 2028, it would break that record.

Elsewhere, the producer of the forthcoming movie recently revealed that the casting of the new James Bond could be announced by the end of the year.