Is Callum Turner the Next Big Thing?

In the world of One Night Only, a new romantic comedy directed by Will Gluck, pre-marital sex is illegal for 364 days of the year. On that one free night, the sex purge is a-go-go, but Allie (Monica Barbaro) wants to find a real connection beyond the carnal. She might have found it with Owen, a pizzeria owner whose girlfriend has told him she wants to sleep with other people that night. The reviews for One Night Only have been pretty pants, with many critics noting that the movie is curiously puritanical and does little to make its unique premise work. We’ll need to wait to see what audiences think of the film, but regardless, it will be yet another moment for its star, Callum Turner, to shine.

Over the past three or four years, the English actor Callum Turner has become curiously unavoidable. I say “curiously” because he’s done so almost exclusively through indie movies with a limited reach. Yeah, he was in two of those terrible Fantastic Beasts movies but do you remember them or him in it? This is an actor who forever seems on the verge of a major breakout and is talked about as a sure-fire bet for success. He’s not alone in that front. The entertainment industry is dominated by hot dudes with good jawlines who agents are betting big on for leading man success. Turner, though, seems like one of the few who might actually make it. Can he?

Turner is a working-class kid raised by a single mother who initially wanted to play football before finding work as a model. After a few bit-parts on British TV, he landed his film debut in Queen and Country, the final movie of the legendary director John Boorman. From there, he worked consistently, stepping from indies to small roles in bigger works to lavish TV period dramas. He did action, rom-coms, historical pieces, and gritty contemporary dramas. His trajectory is pretty standard for an actor, or at least it used to be when productions were more plentiful: working your way up the ladder at a steady pace and earning a reliable reputation.

This year, he has three projects in cinemas. One Night Only is the big one. Rosebush Pruning, a satirical thriller with a hefty eat-the-rich theme, played at the Berlin Film Festival. Rose of Nevada is the best of the bunch and gives Turner one of the best roles of his career so far. It’s a curious blend of gritty drama and sci-fi, centred on a pair of fishermen whose vessel seems stuck out of time. For those who saw it, there was no doubt that Turner has what it takes to be a very big deal. But not many people saw it.

Really, whenever I hear people claim that they don’t get the big deal about Turner, it seems to come from people who haven’t seen most of his films or TV work. That’s not their fault, obviously. Again, he’s mostly made stuff for the film festival crowd or people with MUBI subscriptions. Hype is built internally in entertainment, by agents and casting people who seek out the performances. Outside of that, you’re probably left wondering what all the fuss is about. Why is Dua Lipa’s husband suddenly everywhere?

And, of course, we have to mention Ms. Future Nostalgia herself. This year, Turner and Lipa got married in a gorgeous town hall civil ceremony before a lavish three-day spectacular in Palermo. Both events were covered with much enthusiasm, and Vogue offered a first-hand look at the expensive magic. Celebrity weddings aren’t quite the money-making spectacle they used to be, but the Turner-Lipa nuptials were seen as particularly special. Was it the cool factor? The aspirational glamour? I think it was the chance to gaze eagerly on a new power couple, one that was willing to play the game. Dua Lipa is extremely good at being famous, and with her, Turner, has become both more famous and savvier at navigating that process. With his increased media presence, he’s been charming in interviews without falling into overshare territory. Being part of a power couple always makes you more interesting.

And with the attention has come one pervasive rumour: that he will be the next James Bond. In fairness to him, every hot white Brit in the acting world under the age of 40 has been held up as the new 007. It’s practically a rite of passage, like being on Law & Order or having Jimmy Fallon fake laugh at your jokes. It is true, though, that Turner has become the bookies’ favourite and has received more buzz around the possibility than, say, Theo James or Aaron Taylor-Johnson. And he makes total sense as the kind of Bond candidate that Amazon-MGM is looking for: he’s got the looks, the talent, and he’s enough of a blank slate that audiences won’t immediately associate him with some other big role. And I do think he’d be a solid pick. At his most intriguing, Turner has that balance of charisma and darkness that I believe is crucial to Bond, especially in the 21st century. It seems weird to describe a guy who does prickly indie roles as safe, but such is the demands of Britain’s horniest spy under new management.

Would I like to see Turner as Bond? I wouldn’t be mad. He makes more sense to me that Aaron Taylor-Johnson, who feels more well-suited to the villain role, or Jacob Elordi, who is too tall and freaky (in a good way!) There’s a malleability to him that the demands of the part needs. Having said that, I’m always more intrigued to see what actors do outside of the IP realm, even if the current structures of the business don’t exactly offer a ton of room for growth in the indie and mid-budget markets. How many niche arthouse dramas can Turner make before his agent demands a bigger project for hid 10% cut? He does have one potentially interesting big-name work on the horizon: the long-awaited adaptation of the legendary cyberpunk novel Neuromancer, which will premiere on Apple TV next year. His future is bright, and not just because he’s got several holidays a year to take with his wife.