James Bond Casting Nears Final Auditions for the Next 007

The search for the next James Bond is nearly over. More than five years have passed since Daniel Craig left the role in Cary Joji Fukunaga’s No Time to Die. According to a new report, Amazon MGM Studios is entering the final phase of its search and will hold its last round of auditions over the next week. The screen tests could begin as early as Friday and run for several days.

Insiders told Deadline that four offers to take part in the tests have gone out. Three of them went to Jack Lowden, Callum Turner and Josh O’Connor. Six potential Bonds are reportedly on the shortlist to succeed Craig.

The tests were first planned for earlier this month, but scheduling conflicts pushed the final auditions back. Amazon has set no timeline for its final decision, though most people expect an answer by the end of 2026. Amazon MGM producer Amy Pascal previously suggested as much.

The search picked up speed earlier this year when Amazon MGM hired casting director Nina Gold. She was the first winner of the Oscars’ Best Casting category, for Hamnet. Her earlier credits include Game of Thrones, Chernobyl, Conclave and several Star Wars films.

What are the candidates known for?

All three actors tied to the final screen test were previously speculated to be in the running for Bond. Josh O’Connor has risen quickly in recent years. He first drew wide attention as Prince Charles in Netflix’s The Crown. Since then he has starred in Challengers, The Mastermind, Wake Up Dead Man and Disclosure Day, among others.

Callum Turner most recently co-starred in the mildly absurd rom-com One Night Only, which is commonly described as The Purge with sex. He is also known for Spielberg’s World War II miniseries Masters of the Air and for Fantastic Beasts.

Scottish actor Jack Lowden has the most spy experience of the three. He plays River Cartwright in the espionage series Slow Horses. His co-star Gary Oldman has publicly backed him for the Bond role.

Where the franchise stands

The last 007 film, No Time to Die, definitively ended Craig’s long tenure as Bond, which began with Casino Royale in 2006. Amazon completed its $8.5 billion acquisition of MGM in March 2022, and the Bond franchise came with it.

Dune and Blade Runner 2049 director Denis Villeneuve will direct the next Bond film. Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight is writing the script.

Related reading: Amazon closes in on casting its new James Bond.

Source: Polygon