It’s not good news for Jacob Elordi.
For a while there he was in the lead to play James Bond in the Denis Villeneuve film.
He even made a commercial for Chanel called “The Chase,” with Alfonso Cuaron directing. It was a Bond-like audition.
But back then, Cuaron was in the running to direct Bond 26, until he wasn’t.
Elordi could have used a big movie to convince the Bond producers, Amy Pascal and David Heyman, that he’d be a good choice for 007. Amazon/MGM might have been enthused, too.
But tonight, Elordi stars in Ridley Scott’s “The Dog Stars,” and — no offense to pooches — it’s a dog. Rotten Tomatoes critics have it just 38%.
It’s not Elordi’s fault, and he’s gotten some notices. But the overall film is not cutting it. This is following “Wuthering Heights,” which has already been expunged from our memories, and the final season of “Euphoria,” which is best forgotten.
It’s not like Elordi isn’t trying hard. But he’s also seemingly unaware that his public romance with a Kardashian — Kendall Jenner — isn’t doing him any favors.
The good better right now for James Bond is that Jack Barton, a relative unknown, i in first place right now in the race. Elordi and Callum Turner are still mentioned, but the latter also has a big flop on his hands with “One Night Only” which really played for one night only.
I’m still not convinced that Nicholas Hoult, who’s the right age and height, and a damn good actor, isn’t in the mix. He just dropped out of the HBO Harry Potter series for “scheduling difficulties.” He seems more like Bond than these others. Going for Barton would necessitate a huge marketing plan since no one knows who he is.
As for “The Dog Stars,” look for more cliches and metaphors in headlines this weekend.
