Next James Bond: Bridget Jones star emerges as candidate to land role in blow to Aaron Taylor-Johnson hopes
Next James Bond: Aaron Taylor-Johnson faces stiff competition in the race to replace Daniel Craig
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Despite reports that Aaron Taylor-Johnson had been handed the role of James Bond ahead of the 26th film in the franchise, the identity of the next 007 remains unconfirmed.
The Kick-Ass and Bullet Train star dominated the news cycle after the reports emerged, prompting film insiders to dismiss the speculation.
Barbara Broccoli's Eon Productions insisted it doesn't comment on speculation, but a source in the know told BBC News there is "no truth in the rumours".
Therefore, the race blew back open again, with Bond fans urging bosses to consider the likes of Theo James, Henry Cavill and plenty of other actors for the role.
Now, bookmakers have seen the popularity of one actor sky-rocket in recent weeks after they starred in one of Netflix's biggest shows of the year and landed a role in the upcoming Bridget Jones film.
Leo Woodall, 27 - who also featured in the second season of White Lotus - has seen his odds shortened so much that he's now in and amongst the frontrunners for the role.
Next James Bond: Leo Woodall has emerged as a possible star
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Woodall has emerged as a 7/1 bet to bag the role of 007 and replace Daniel Craig in the next movie.
This places him as a sixth-favourite for the role, usurping a former favourite for the role in the form of now-8/1 outsider, Rege-Jean Page.
Taylor-Johnson remains an odds-on favourite for the part at 4/6 but news of new actors joining the running will undoubtedly be a blow to his hopes.
Elsewhere, the aforementioned Cavill is 7/2 to bag the role, Happy Valley's James Norton is 5/1 and Damson Idris is 11/2.
Aaron Taylor-Johnson: The Kick-Ass actor was tipped to bag the part
GettySpokesperson for betideas.com said of the odds, according to Metro: "The search for our next James Bond was seemingly a foregone conclusion following reports Aaron Taylor-Johnson had been offered the role a few months back, but a period of elongated silence has had punters speculating if there’s another twist in the tale.
"That twist may come in the form of Leo Woodall, with the actor gaining popularity in the betting following his stint in The White Lotus and One Day.
"Woodall is a new addition to the market at 7/1 – instantly placing him among the favourites for the role."
Before any news of a possible Bond stint can emerge, Woodall has joined the likes of Hugh Grant and Renee Zellweger on the set of Bridget Jones: Mad About The Boy.
However, it was reported that filming on the upcoming instalment in the series has been far from plain sailing after an incident on set reportedly resulted in one star being rushed to hospital.
A source told the Sun it was a "total disaster", adding: "This has all been so devastating for the entire cast and all the hardworking staff who were down to work.
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"They’d been due to shoot some of the film’s most important scenes and then they suffered this setback after a really unfortunate accident.
"Filming for the scenes might not start again until at least July, so the schedule has taken a hit.
"They’ve got a tight window, especially with having to work around the busy diaries of A-listers. It’s a disaster."