An iconic star from the White Lotus has emerged in the race to play James Bond, after winning praise for his stand-out performance.
Patrick Schwarzenegger raised eyebrows when he was first cast in season three of the HBO drama, but turned heads with his incredible portrayal of vapid finance bro Saxon Ratliff.
Following the finale on Sunday, social media has been flooded with compliments for the TV favourite, with many branding him ‘gut-wrenching’, ‘incredible’ and ‘the best actor on the show’.
As viewers beg for the 31-year-old – son of Hollywood legend Arnold Schwarzenegger – to get all of the award nominations, he has been linked to a very surprising stint as 007.
According to bookmakers Coral, his odds have been slashed to 5-1, from 12-1, for the coveted part since the finale aired.
‘Patrick Schwarzenegger was one of the stars of the latest White Lotus series, and on the back of the show, he has jumped into the James Bond mix,’ Coral’s John Hill said.
‘The son of the legendary Arnold Schwarzenegger has had his odds slashed to 5/1 from 12/1.’
Could you imagine Arnie getting a cameo?
We have all been not-so-patiently waiting for any 007 updates after Daniel Craig departed the role in 2021, following the release of No Time To Die.
Patrick could face some stiff competition from a fellow White Lotus alum as Theo James’ odds to step into Daniel’s shoes are currently 2/1.
Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Rege-Jean Page, James Norton, Jack Lowden, Idris Elba and Taron Egerton are some of the other names in the mix.
Adolescence icon Stephen Graham recently found himself tipped for a shot at the super spy, with odds currently at 33/1.
While we’re still waiting for a glimpse at the next Bond, Daniel Mays recently shed some light on the future of the franchise, suggesting we could get a 007 origin story.
During an appearance on the We’re Not Getting Any Younger podcast, he said that he’d heard a rumor that ‘they’re going to cast someone very young and go back to the origins’.
Longtime producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G Wilson previously announced their plans to step back, with Amazon MGM taking over creative control and Amy Pascal and David Heyman jumping on board to produce the next flick.
Popping up at CinemaCon in Las Vegas earlier this month, executives said production is finally underway in London.
‘We are committed to honoring the legacy of this iconic character while bringing a fresh, exotic new chapter to audiences around the world alongside Amy and David,’ they announced.
‘They’re both in London getting started and couldn’t be here tonight, but we wanted to thank them for what we know to make an incredible partnership.’
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