The Search for the Next James Bond Reaches Screen Tests in London

The long hunt for the next James Bond appears to be nearing its end. A handful of British actors are set to screen-test for the role in London this weekend, according to reports in the Hollywood trade press.

Variety, citing sources, reported that Callum Turner and Jack Lowden of the spy series Slow Horses appear to be in the mix. Deadline reported that at least three actors would test, naming Lowden, Turner and Josh O’Connor. Accounts differ on the size of the shortlist; the New York Daily News reported that at least four test offers had gone out.

The tests reportedly cover three elements: stunts, presence on camera and dialogue. According to The Hollywood Reporter, some actors who had been the subject of heavy speculation, including Jack O’Connell and Jacob Elordi, are not among those testing.

Amazon MGM Studios, which controls the franchise, has not confirmed the reports, and it did not immediately respond to Variety’s request for comment. In April, at the CinemaCon convention in Las Vegas, the studio’s head of film, Courtenay Valenti, asked fans to be patient, saying the company was taking the time to make the decision with care and would have more to share when the time was right.

The stakes for the studio are considerable. Amazon acquired MGM, and with it the Bond films, in an $8.45 billion deal in 2022, and it later paid more than $1 billion to take creative control of the series from the Broccoli family. The next film is to be directed by Denis Villeneuve, the filmmaker behind the recent Dune adaptations, from a script by Steven Knight, the creator of Peaky Blinders.

Whoever wins the part will follow Daniel Craig, who first played Bond in Casino Royale in 2006 and left the role after No Time to Die in 2021. The line stretches back to Sean Connery, who starred in Dr. No in 1962.

The character was born in Ian Fleming’s Cold War novels, beginning with Casino Royale in 1953, and each new actor has reshaped him for a different era. A commentary published by NPR suggested the more interesting question may be what kind of threats the next film imagines, in a world where so many devices can track people and steer their opinions.

A note of caution is in order. The reports so far rest on unnamed sources, screen tests do not guarantee an imminent announcement, and the studio has given no timetable. Until Amazon MGM says otherwise, the name of the next 007 remains unconfirmed.