Next James Bond Screen Tests Begin in London

The wait for the next James Bond is nearly over, and the last lap now has a start date. On Thursday, Deadline reported that Amazon MGM Studios has set the next James Bond screen tests, with final auditions expected to begin as early as Friday and run through the following week. The trade says at least four actors have received offers to test for the role, though the studio has confirmed none of the names publicly.

Three of those names are out in the open, with a heavy caveat. Deadline's insiders say the expected trio includes Jack Lowden, Callum Turner and Josh O'Connor, while stressing that the list remains unconfirmed. A fourth actor reportedly holds a test offer as well, and that name has not leaked. The next James Bond screen tests were originally planned for earlier in October, but scheduling conflicts among the finalists pushed them back so the group could test in the same window, according to the report.

Who is in the mix

Jack Lowden arrives with the longest-running buzz of the three. The Slow Horses star has spent several seasons playing spy handler River Cartwright, and broadcaster Richard Osman said over the summer that Lowden was being "strongly considered" for the part. His co-star Gary Oldman went further and publicly endorsed Lowden as the next Bond, a vote of confidence that gave the rumor fresh momentum in August.

Callum Turner is the familiar face from Masters of the Air and the Fantastic Beasts films, and his name has circulated through Bond shortlists for years without ever quite becoming the frontrunner. Josh O'Connor is the surprise of the group. Best known for playing Prince Charles in The Crown and for the tennis drama Challengers, O'Connor reads as an auteur-leaning leading man, an unusual fit for a blockbuster franchise, which is exactly why film fans are treating his inclusion in the next James Bond screen tests as the most intriguing wrinkle of the whole list. Two names that once dominated fan casts are out of the picture. The Hollywood Reporter says Jacob Elordi will not test and Jack O'Connell is no longer in contention, which narrows the field more sharply than any single leak.

What the final round actually involves

The Hollywood Reporter's Borys Kit broke down the testing structure on X, writing that the process comes down to three parts: stunts, camera presence and dialogue. Kit's reporting places the sessions in London over the weekend, with one source suggesting as many as five actors could take part, although Deadline's count of at least four remains the working floor. That combination makes the next James Bond screen tests the most watched casting process in years. Amazon MGM Studios declined to comment on the casting process, which leaves the trades' sourcing as the only window into the room.

Even with the tests wrapping next week, the studio has set no fixed date for a final decision. Most insiders expect one before the end of the year, and producer Amy Pascal has said an announcement by the end of the year is "a good bet". Denis Villeneuve is set to direct the next Bond film for Amazon MGM, with Pascal and David Heyman producing and Steven Knight writing the script. No release date has been announced, and every earlier film in the franchise is currently available to stream on Prime Video. The next James Bond screen tests mark the first time the role has been cast under Amazon MGM Studios, so the choice will set the tone for everything that follows.

What happens next

If the timeline holds, the casting announcement that Hollywood has been pre-writing for five years could land around the holidays, as one trade outlet put it. Whoever survives the next James Bond screen tests inherits one of the most famous spotlights in film, and until the name is revealed, every paparazzi shot in London becomes evidence. According to our earlier reporting, the week's film slate is already crowded, with Klara and the Sun landing in cinemas and Clayface fighting for box office space, while our celebrity desk has been tracking Ben Affleck's surprisingly honest take on paparazzi memes.