George Clooney says this actor would be a “Great Bond” amid 007 reboot buzz

George Clooney has entered the James Bond casting conversation with an unsolicited endorsement: Callum Turner. The Oscar winner told The Hollywood Reporter that Turner — who starred in Clooney’s 2023 film The Boys in the Boat — is “the perfect guy” to play 007 in Amazon MGM’s upcoming reboot.

“I hope Callum ends up being the next Bond. I think he would be a great Bond,” Clooney said. “He’s tall and handsome and charming and British, so he’s the perfect guy to do it.”

Why Callum Turner Is a Top Bond Contender in 2026

Betting Favorite: Turner has surged to 7/2 odds with William Hill, behind only Aaron Taylor-Johnson at 8/11. Bookmakers slashed his odds from 5/2 to 7/4 earlier this year, putting him ahead of Henry Cavill and Theo James.

Resume: The 36-year-old London native is known for playing Theseus Scamander in Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald and The Secrets of Dumbledore, plus Apple TV’s Masters of the Air and rom-com Eternity with Elizabeth Olsen.

Bond Look: Clooney praised Turner’s classic 007 profile — “6 ft tall and black-haired” with “a face carved by the gods” — plus his working-class London background, echoing Sean Connery and Daniel Craig.

What Callum Turner Says About Bond

Turner remains coy. “I know as much as you do — really, I know as much as you do,” he told THR. When asked if he’d take the role, he laughed: “I’m not going to comment on that.”

He added that the speculation is “amusing”: “Even your best friends ask you, people text you that you haven’t spoken to for 10 years — and you know nothing!”

The Dua Lipa Connection: A Bond Power Couple?

Turner recently married pop star Dua Lipa. The pair have fueled rumors since vacationing at GoldenEye in Jamaica, Ian Fleming’s former estate.

Bookmakers now list Lipa at 15/8 odds to sing the next Bond theme, following Adele, Billie Eilish, and Sam Smith. William Hill calls them a 12/1 “double act” to both appear in Bond 26.

Sources told The Mail on Sunday that Turner has “been telling friends the role is his” and Lipa “is over the moon” and “would love to record the Bond theme”.

Where Bond 26 Stands Now

Director: Denis Villeneuve will helm after Dune: Part Three releases Dec 18, 2026.

Script: Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight is writing.

Studio: Amazon MGM took full creative control in February 2025.

Timeline: Casting is expected in 2027 ahead of a rumored 2028 release.

Other names in contention include Jacob Elordi, Tom Holland, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Regé-Jean Page, and Idris Elba, though Elba recently said “some markets just don’t go for… a Black male, an African male, playing Bond”.

Bottom Line: No casting is confirmed, and Turner insists he “genuinely know nothing.” But with Clooney’s backing, strong odds, and Villeneuve directing, Callum Turner has become 2026’s most talked-about 007 candidate — with Dua Lipa possibly joining him on the soundtrack.