Casting of the next James Bond is reportedly down to four actors.
The new iteration of the franchise is being spearheaded by Amazon MGM Studios, which has reportedly scheduled screen tests with four actors. Screen tests are conducted in the final stages of casting when members of the film’s creative team want to evaluate an actor’s performance of material from the movie.
A report from Deadline released Thursday indicated that at least four tests had been offered, three of those to actors Jack Lowden, Callum Turner and Josh O’Connor. The fourth actor has not been confirmed.
The Hollywood Reporter, meanwhile, revealed that neither Jack O’Connell nor Jacob Elordi — who had both reportedly been considered for the role — will be testing.
Sources told the publication that these final auditions could begin as early as this week and extend to next.
An exact timeline for finalizing casting of the forthcoming film is not known, but an announcement could be made before the end of the year.
Speaking to The Independent earlier this year about the process, retired casting director Debbie McWilliams — who helped put Timothy Dalton, Pierce Brosnan and Daniel Craig in Bond’s shoes over the years — said that “it is absolutely essential that [Bond] retains a total enigma,” adding: “I don’t want to see [Elordi, Turner, Dickinson et al] as Bond because we now know so much about them. We want to know as little about them personally as possible, because that’s what spies are. We don’t need to know where he goes shopping or who his parents are, or where he lives … He’s licensed to kill, and we have to believe that he can do that. If you don’t, then you’ve lost the audience.”
Meanwhile, producers are said to be eyeing up a British House of the Dragon actor for the next film’s villain.
According to reports, 29-year-old Ewan Mitchell – who plays the villainous Aemond Targaryen in HBOs’s Game of Thrones spin-off – is in contention to play the baddie.
“Ewan is the perfect option for Amazon because he has accrued a good CV, but is not as established an actor as some of the names who have been linked to the return of Bond,” a source told The Sun earlier this month.
“They’re looking for an up-and-coming name rather than an established star, and someone with a very distinct look.”
The new film follows Daniel Craig’s final outing as Bond in No Time To Die, which was released in October 2021 after being delayed by the pandemic.
With speculation rife over who would be stepping into his shoes, Amazon made a controversial purchase of MGM Studios in January 2025, taking control of the much-loved franchise.
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