Danny Boyle backs Jack O’Connell for James Bond

Danny Boyle publicly backed Jack O’Connell as his choice to play the next James Bond, saying at the Zurich Film Festival that producers should cast the actor. The remark was Boyle’s personal preference, not an announcement that O’Connell has been selected for the role. Boyle praised O’Connell’s performance as Blake Fielder-Civil in the 2024 film Back to Black, calling the part difficult and the performance exceptional. O’Connell has also appeared in Boyle’s films 28 Years Later and Ink, in which he plays former newspaper editor Larry Lamb. O’Connell is among several actors whose names have been linked to the role, alongside Jack Lowden, Callum Turner, Jacob Elordi and Jack Barton. No official casting announcement naming the next Bond has been reported. Boyle’s endorsement therefore does not establish where O’Connell stands in the selection process. The casting remains a subject of competing reported statements about whether a decision has already been made. Screenwriter Steven Knight has said the actor has been chosen, while actor Gary Oldman has also said producers made their choice but have not announced it. Neither identified the person.