Surprise! Jamie Bell in the running to play James Bond

Jamie Bell could be about to secure the role of a lifetime. The 30-year-old actor is in talks to replace Daniel Craig in the James Bond franchise, and has already met with boss Barbara Broccoli and film producers to discuss the highly-coveted role, according to the Sun.Barbara, who has been producing the Bond movies for 20 years now, is said to have been impressed by Jamie after working with him on his latest movie .

Jamie Bell is in talks to take on the role of James Bond

"Barbara has been a fan of Jamie for a long time and has even thought about him playing another role in the franchise before," an insider told the newspaper. "Everyone remembers Jamie as the little boy in , but he's now got some serious roles under his belt. "Since the release of back in 2000, Jamie has landed lead parts in , and .In 2010, there were rumours that he was set to play a rival agent to James Bond in the 2012 film .

The 30-year-old star first found fame in the 2000 movie

If Jamie is up for the iconic role, he will face stiff competition from the likes of Tom Hiddleston and star Aidan Turner.

GALLERY: WHO WILL PLAY THE NEXT JAMES BOND?

A source confirmed: "Tom Hiddleston and Aidan Turner are still in the frame, but Jamie has really shown that he is definitely up there competing with them."

Daniel Craig has decided to step down as 007 after four films

The speculation comes after Daniel decided to call time on his tenure as Bond, after reportedly turning down a £68million offer for two more films.The actor took on the role in 2005, and has starred as 007 in four movies – , , and . Although MGM studio was said to be keen to keep him on board, the Mail reports that he turned down the big money offer to focus on new projects.

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