Racists film fans have said they will boycott the next James Bond if Jewish actor Aaron Taylor-Johnson is given the role.
Since he was announced as a potential star last week he has been subject to antisemitic attacks online and the hashtag #BoycottJamesBond has been widely shared on X/Twitter.
One wrote: “Really bad timing with Israel committing genocide in Gaza. Shame on you. I hope your company collapses.”
The actor was rumoured to have been "formally offered” the role of James Bond in the popular movie franchise, according to a report by the Sun.
Speculation began early last year when Taylor-Johnson, 33, known for his versatility across roles in Kick-Ass, Bullet Train and Nowhere Boy, was rumoured to have met with Bond producer Barbara Broccoli for a secret audition, through which he became the frontrunner for the coveted role.
One fan of the films wrote on Instagram: “Boycott Bond, Free Palestine.”
Other have said: “I wont buy a ticket for any of its movies. Will boycott all of it. Bunch of killers."
In 2015, Taylor-Johnson said he was pleased when someone told him he resembled a fashionable Chasidic Jew.
He said: “That was nice because I have really curly hair and also I’m Jewish.”
Asked this month whether he would step into Bond’s shoes, the actor, married to film director Sam Taylor-Johnson, 57, said: “I find it charming and wonderful.”
Incidents of antisemitic hate crime has risen sharply in the months after the Hamas attack on Israel.
The Community Security Trust said the rise in recorded hate incidents were “shocking”.
Jewish Tory MP Andrew Percy said: “Sadly in recent months we have seen record levels of antisemitism, much of it driven by those who claim to be concerned about the Middle East conflict.
“Sadly, we know for many this is just a cover for their sinister anti-Jewish views.”
