James Bond: New Favorite Emerges to Become 007

The star of Emily in Paris, Lucien Laviscount, is being lined up to become the new James Bond to replace Daniel Craig, according to Daily Mail.

The British actor caught the attention of the movie franchise’s bosses for his role in the Netflix series Emily in Paris as Alfie, the boyfriend of Emily Cooper, played by Lily Collins.

Laviscount, 30, whose first role was as a child model for Marks & Spencer when he was ten, is also deemed to be the perfect age to play Bond.

James Bond boss Barbara Broccoli has made it clear she wants the next actor to portray the character for fifteen years, which rules out former favorite Idris Elba, who turned fifty in September.

The British newspaper says that Broccoli and her team are keen to have an ethnic-minority star to play 007 so the franchise can be reflective of modern society.

Laviscount joined Emily in Paris for its second series when his British banker character swept leading lady Emily off her feet after meeting her during their French lessons. They went on to enjoy a romance after he decided to live in the French capital.

The Daily Mail reveals that despite Broccoli saying no announcement on a new 007 film is imminent, stunt men and women are being tested at Pinewood Studios. A source there said, “They want to be ready for when things start moving with the new Bond.”

Other contenders for the James Bond role

Another contender for the face of James Bond is no other than Aaron Taylor-Johnson, a 32-year-old screen star born in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, England. The husband of famous film director Sam Taylor-Wood started in the drama when he was only six.

One of his first roles was in theater, playing Macbeth, William Shakespeare’s classic villain-hero. His last was Bullet Train, where he starred alongside Sandra Bullock and Brad Pitt.

Taylor-Johnson moved in the contest to reprise the role of the main protagonist in the Bond cinematic empire when Idris Elba, a favorite before him, walked off after years of negotiations with those in charge of the next film.

Henry Cavill, another British actor, was also slated for the continuation of the 007 series before Craig.

At that time, he told the Independent UK that he “probably wasn’t ready at the time and I think Daniel did an incredible job over the past movies, so I’m happy they made that choice.” He also believed it was down to his youthful age, as he was only twenty-two years old at the time he took his screen test to play Bond.