Gary Oldman Claims Next Bond Already Chosen, Supports Jack Lowden

Um, did Gary Oldman just reveal who the next James Bond might be?

In an interview with Global (via THR), Oldman endorsed his “Slow Horses” co-star Jack Lowden to play 007, saying he had his “fingers crossed” for the Scottish actor.

More curiously, Oldman claims that Bond producers have “already made their choice,” but “they have not announced it yet.”

It’s been rumored that he’s on the shortlist. We’re going to find out pretty soon, aren’t we? Because they have picked him. They have made their choice, but they have not announced it yet. So my fingers are crossed for Jack.

What is Oldman trying to say here? Did he let the cat out of the bag that Lowden got the gig, and then backtrack to save himself? Or is the media reading too much into this?

This comes a few weeks after Richard Osman, producer and author, and very much in-the-know, admitted that Lowden was being “strongly considered” to play 007. “The name I’ve heard is Jack Lowden,” Osman stated.

Lowden, a Scottish actor with a growing international profile, is best known for “Slow Horses” and, to me, for his starring role in Terence Davies’ “Benediction.” His varied résumé includes “Wolf Hall,” Christopher Nolan’s “Dunkirk,” and “Mary Queen of Scots.” Later this year, he’ll play Mr. Darcy in Netflix’s new “Pride & Prejudice” adaptation.

James Bond auditions took place in August. Producers Amy Pascal and David Heyman, as well as director Denis Villeneuve, informed talent who had been shortlisted. Some of the rumored names included Lowden, Callum Turner, and Jacob Elordi.