Former James Bond casting director doesn't believe Jacob Elordi, Callum Turner or Harris Dickinson are right for this key reason

A former James Bond casting director thinks Callum Turner, Harris Dickinson, and Jacob Elordi are too "well known" to play the suave spy.

The three actors have been hotly tipped to take on the coveted role in Denis Villeneuve's upcoming film, but Debbie McWilliams - who worked on the franchise for over 40 years and was responsible for the casting of Timothy Dalton, Pierce Brosnan and Daniel Craig - doesn't think they are right for the part because it is "absolutely essential" that whoever gets the job is a "total enigma" with a very private personal life.

Debbie told The Independent: “I don’t want to see any of them as James Bond.

“It is absolutely essential that [Bond] retains a total enigma.

"I don’t want to see any of them as Bond because we now know so much about them. We want to know as little about them personally as possible, because that’s what spies are.

"We don’t need to know where he goes shopping or who his parents are, or where he lives. We never want to see him at home.

"And a vital element of the whole thing is his job description. He’s licensed to kill, and we have to believe that he can do that. If you don’t, then you’ve lost the audience.”

Debbie insisted it "helps enormously" to cast a relatively unknown Bond.

She added: “Timothy and Pierce weren’t particularly well known. Daniel had had a career in independent films and a fairly colourful romantic life beforehand, but he wasn’t a household name, and that helps enormously. I want to see somebody who is completely out of the blue.”

And despite calls for a female Bond, Debbie insisted the role should be played by a man because "it’s how Ian Fleming wrote it".

She added: “Why would you want to change that? They haven’t changed Harry Potter to Alice Potter or to a different ethnicity. That’s how it was written and that’s how it should remain, I believe.”

Casting for the prestigious role began in May, and it was reported last week that the shortlist had been narrowed down ahead of the next round of auditions.

According to Deadline, Villeneuve and the producers Amy Pascal and David Heyman have started informing talent if they have made it to the next round later this summer.

Source told the outlet that the next batch of try-outs are expected to take place in August, while the director has been calling actors directly.

No names have been confirmed, with some insiders claiming between five and seven actors will test later this summer, while others claim it's in the teens.

It's said there have been general meetings with actors over the past few weeks, but sources have suggested that's mainly been for lesser known names who are being sounded out in case they should be added to the list of more prominent performers.