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Robert Pattinson is the frontrunner to become the next James Bond, according to a new report from Puck‘s Matthew Belloni.

The Hollywood insider laid out his case in his latest newsletter, arguing that Pattinson has quietly emerged as the consensus favorite as Amazon MGM nears the end of its long search for a new 007.

“A strong case can be made that one choice makes the most sense for Amazon MGM and director Denis Villeneuve,” Belloni wrote, before making it clear exactly who he meant.

And if he’s right, fans won’t have to wait much longer to find out. “Barring hiccups, we’ll get an announcement before Christmas,” he predicted.

The current shortlist reportedly includes Robert, Nicholas Hoult, Jack Lowden, Callum Turner, and Josh O’Connor, with Robert and Nicholas described as late entries into the race.

O’Connor may already be out of the running, however. A source claimed that “Josh has turned down the Bond role,” and that the actor plans to take a break in 2027.

The most eye-opening part of Belloni’s report involves the contracts the actors signed before screen-testing. According to three sources familiar with the dealmaking, those test deals were not all the same.

Josh and Jack were reportedly required to commit to four Bond films if chosen. Robert, meanwhile, managed to negotiate a better arrangement.

“Pattinson, on the other hand, was able to lower that commitment to three (plus a whole lot more money than the others), given his stardom,” Belloni wrote.

He added that the studio seems willing, maybe even eager, to give up a little in order to land a big-name star for its most important franchise.

There’s also a theory making the rounds that Villeneuve and producers David Heyman and Amy Pascal weren’t thrilled with their original batch of less famous candidates, which is why they brought in established stars like Pattinson and Hoult.

Both actors reportedly tested after the others, though Robert was said to be a name Villeneuve always wanted to see.

Pattinson’s test deal was reportedly so difficult to close that some people involved wondered why the filmmakers would bother if they didn’t truly want him.

Villeneuve already has a working relationship with Pattinson, having directed him in the third Dune movie.

Robert also apparently had a fan in longtime Bond producer Barbara Broccoli. She reportedly let people in her orbit know she liked him for the role around the time No Time to Die, Daniel Craig’s final outing as 007, was gearing up to shoot.

But once Robert was announced as Batman, she reportedly lost interest.

That brings up the obvious question of whether one actor can play both Bruce Wayne and James Bond. Belloni suggested that The Batman: Part II, which is currently shooting, could end up being Robert’s last turn in the cape.

The sequel has hit some major bumps. Director Matt Reeves fell far behind on the project, which pushed its release date to February 2028, and he was temporarily replaced by Steven Soderbergh due to a personal issue.

Belloni guessed that without Reeves, Robert is unlikely to continue playing the Caped Crusader.

He also argued that Bond 26 could benefit from having a true movie star at the center, noting that no franchise is bulletproof anymore.

“Bond has always been enough to sell itself. Now? Maybe it needs to be so-and-so as Bond,” he wrote.

Robert has certainly kept busy outside of Gotham. Most recently, Pattinson played Chris Hansen in Primetime, a film exploring the controversial career of the To Catch a Predator host.

For now, the role of 007 remains officially uncast, with an announcement reportedly expected before the end of the year.