The next James Bond? Callum Turner makes his case in 'One Night Only'
The next James Bond? Callum Turner makes his case in 'One Night Only'
Patrick Ryan, USA TODAYWed, August 5, 2026 at 5:30 PM UTC
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Callum Turner has always been something of a blank slate.
For years, the swoony British actor (and husband to Dua Lipa) was a relatively unmemorable on-screen presence: competently playing a brazen suitor (“Emma.”), a tenacious rower (“The Boys in the Boat”) and a gallant wizard (the “Fantastic Beasts” movies). Even as a hunky young soldier in last year’s “Eternity,” he was often overshadowed by his more dynamic co-stars Da’Vine Joy Randolph and John Early.
But that changes with “One Night Only” (in theaters Aug. 7), a surprisingly clever new romantic comedy that lets Turner, 36, step into the spotlight as a ruggedly charismatic leading man. And as speculation swirls that Turner is set to play the next James Bond, we’re finally confident in saying that we see the vision.
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“One Night Only” imagines a parallel society in which conservative lawmakers, hoping to eradicate teen pregnancy and abortions, push through a decree that single people can only have sex one night a year. Although the high-concept premise has sparked mass confusion on social media, the film ingeniously explores the possible implications of such a law. (Think black-market condoms, and surge pricing on babysitters and escorts.)
While many singles rebel against having their bodies policed, the gruffly sentimental Owen (Turner), a New York pizza shop owner, is in no rush to hop in the sack. That is, until his girlfriend (Maya Hawke) asks to sleep with another man, leaving Owen with 12 hours to shag and no one to spend them with, save for the equally stubborn Allie (Monica Barbaro).
Turner has a delightful knack for physical comedy, whether he’s getting zip-tied to a tree during a hookup gone wrong or fleeing a bodega with contraceptive contraband. But more importantly for a potential 007, he has an intoxicating combination of mischief and bone-dry wit, volleying zingers back at Barbaro with the precision of a Grand Slam master.
With his flinty blue eyes and raft of walnut hair, he certainly fits the bill of most previous Bond actors, save for the (controversially!) blond Daniel Craig. And standing at a brawny 6-foot-2, it’s impossible not to blush as he torridly kneads pizza dough or stumbles down the street in the buff, with only a Colleen Hoover novel shielding his nether regions.
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All the best Bonds are dapper yet dangerous, suavely making anyone sweat in the bedroom or at the baccarat table.
Sure, Turner doesn’t have Sean Connery’s smoldering masculinity – but frankly, who does? – nor does he possess the dark intensity that Timothy Dalton brought to the iconic secret agent. And after more than six decades of exclusively white actors playing Bond, new franchise producers Amy Pascal and David Heyman would be wise to once again shake up the public’s staid perception of the character. (Might we suggest fellow heartthrobs Dev Patel or Kingsley Ben-Adir?)
But if it’s indeed Turner who is cast, the beloved series will still be in good hands. George Clooney, who directed “The Boys in the Boat,” has already endorsed the dashing up-and-comer, recently telling The Hollywood Reporter that Turner would make “a great Bond. He’s tall and handsome and charming and British, so he’s the perfect guy to do it.”
And in case you think that “One Night Only” is an anomaly, Turner has steadily built an impressive resume as of late, showing a performer who is eager to take risks and expand his horizons.
In the eerily hypnotic “Rose of Nevada,” the actor evokes a young Tom Courtenay or Paul Newman as a bewhiskered, red-blooded fisherman caught in a time loop. Meanwhile, he’s deliciously loathsome in the desperate-to-provoke “Rosebush Pruning,” which finds him going full “Saltburn” as a lusty, manipulative recluse. (Both films are in select theaters now.)
Debbie McWilliams, a former casting director for the Bond franchise, has said Hollywood hotshots like Turner shouldn’t play 007 because we already “know so much about them.” (The actor, for his part, has coyly denied being offered the role.) But with his latest trio of movies, he’s proven not only that he can shapeshift, but he has an impish, playboy quality that could reinvigorate the series after 15 years of Craig’s gritty, grizzled superspy.
Turner. Callum Turner. Has a nice ring to it, eh?
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: The next James Bond? Callum Turner makes his case in 'One Night Only'
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
