So desperate are 007 fans for the announcement of the next James Bond that an April Fools’ prank successfully duped thousands of movie lovers.

The 64-year-old James Bond movie franchise has been in limbo since the departure of Daniel Craig as the titular British spy after 2021’s No Time to Die.

While Dune director Denis Villenueve has been revealed as the director of the next instalment, speculation has been rife about who will star, until an announcement on April 1.

In a fake news article for April Fools’ Day, Euronews purported to reveal that Oscar-winner Jessie Buckley had been officially cast as the next Bond.

Written in a deliberately exaggerated tone, the piece claimed that Buckley – fresh off the success of Hamnet – had landed the iconic role as the first female 007.

Social media users quickly began sharing screenshots and reacting as if the announcement were real.

Some media outlets were also taken in, re-reporting the announcement as fact – with one even pronouncing it a “bold new direction under the stewardship of Amazon MGM Studios”.

Eventually, when social media users took in the date of what they were reading, the realisation dropped that they had been fooled.

While Buckley may not be next to down a vodka martini (shaken not stirred) and carry a Walther PPK, the identity of the next Bond remains a highly anticipated topic.

Several leading men have been mooted for the role – including Australia’s Jacob Elordi.

Elordi was linked to the iconic role  is the year. Photo: AAP

Celebrity gossip site DeuxMoi sent the rumours into overdrive by claiming that Elordi – who was nominated for an Oscar for Frankenstein this year and stars alongside Margot Robbie in box office hit Wuthering Heights – was actually been offered the role of the debonair British spy.

Other actors touted for the role include Idris Elba, Henry Cavill, Callum Taylor and Aaron Taylor-Johnson, so Elordi fans may not want to get too excited just yet.

In recent weeks, British actor Callum Turner has emerged as one of the names most closely linked to the part.

Turner faced direct questioning about his Bond prospects at the Berlin Film Festival in February.

British actor Callum Turner is the latest Bond frontrunner. Photo: AAP

When the Masters of the Air star was asked if he wanted to address the speculation, he responded cautiously saying: “You’re right, it’s very early for that question. I’m not going to comment on it.”

His refusal to deny the rumours fuelled further speculation among journalists and fans.

Even without its central star, work has already started on the next Bond instalment – reportedly given the working title of Bond 26 –to be led by newly signed producers Amy Pascal and David Heyman.

Pascal produced the Marvel Spider-Man franchise, while Heyman oversaw the Harry Potter franchise, including the spinoff series Fantastic Beasts.