The hunt for a replacement James Bond for Daniel Craig is hotting up - with Emily in Paris star Lucien Laviscount reportedly being considered for the iconic role. Craig's turn as 007 came to an end when he was killed off in last year's blockbuster No Time To Die, and a number of top actors are being considered for the role when filming gets underway in the next couple of years.
According to the Daily Mail, Laviscount, 30, has caught the attention of the franchise’s producer Barbara Broccoli, who is searching for the next star after Craig’s 15-year tenure. "Lucien ticks all of the boxes," a source told the Mail.
"He is a super talented actor, is extremely handsome and in the past 18 months has won lots of new fans since he joined Emily In Paris. Bond bosses are already saying how you can see him in the 007 tuxedo, how dapper and fitting to the role he will look."
Laviscount first appeared on TV in 2007 in the teen drama Grange Hill before going on to appear in Coronation Street and Waterloo Road. He competed on the eighth series of Celebrity Big Brother in 2011 and last year joined the second season of Emily in Paris. He played the titular character’s love interest Alfie, who Emily (Lily Collins) meets during French language lessons after he moves to the city for a banking job.
Although there is said to be some concern about his time in the Celebrity Big Brother House, the source added: "‘Lucien appeared on the show at a time when his acting career was not as high-profile as it is now. But he was very popular then and has a fan base now which stretches a generation. That is a dream for Barbara, who is very taken with him."
It is said that Broccoli wants an actor who can play the Bond role for 15 years. With the cameras not rolling on the next film for at least two years, that rules out a lot of older actors. Bookmakers have been speculating who the next Bond might be, with William Hill placing Kick-Ass star Aaron Taylor-Johnson, 32, as the frontrunner. They have also named Tom Hardy, Rege-Jean Page and Richard Madden as possibilities.
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