MOVIE NEWS · OCTOBER 25, 2026
The search for the next 007 moves toward final screen tests
Trade reports identify actors linked to the auditions. The studio’s confirmed filmmaking team remains separate from the reported casting shortlist.
Reported candidates · no official new Bond announcement
Jack Lowden, Callum Turner and Josh O’Connor are among the actors reportedly expected to screen-test for the next James Bond film. Deadline reported on October 22 that at least four test offers had gone out, naming the three actors through sources while stressing that their participation was unconfirmed.
What the latest Bond casting reports say
The Hollywood Reporter separately reported that screen tests were expected over the weekend, with Lowden and Turner still in contention. These are reports about auditions, rather than a studio announcement naming Daniel Craig’s successor.
The distinction matters. An invitation to test does not establish who has secured the part, and a reported group of contenders is not the same as the film’s announced cast. None of the named actors should yet be presented as the confirmed next 007.
For readers following the long casting search, the useful development is the reported movement toward another selection stage. Predicting a winner goes further than the available confirmation allows.
Next James Bond contenders: where you have seen them
Jack Lowden appears in Slow Horses, as documented in Apple’s official press materials. The series follows a team of British intelligence agents assigned to a department for career-damaged operatives. For context on that separate production, read our Slow Horses Season 6 review. His existing espionage credit does not confirm a Bond appointment.
Callum Turner features in Masters of the Air. Apple’s episode photographs identify him among the military drama’s performers. This provides a useful reference point for readers placing his name, rather than evidence about the outcome of the reported auditions.
Josh O’Connor played Prince Charles in The Crown. A Netflix Tudum interview about the casting discusses the choice of actor for that role. These existing performances offer a starting point for comparing the reported contenders, but they cannot tell viewers which interpretation of Bond the filmmakers will choose.
The creative team Amazon MGM has confirmed
Amazon MGM Studios has officially announced Denis Villeneuve as director, with Amy Pascal and David Heyman producing and Tanya Lapointe serving as executive producer.
Steven Knight, the creator of Peaky Blinders, is writing the screenplay. His appointment was confirmed in a separate studio announcement. Those behind-the-scenes roles have a different status from the names circulating in casting reports.
When will the new James Bond be announced?
In its May statement confirming that the search was underway, Amazon MGM said it did not plan to discuss specific casting details during the process and would share news when the time was right. That earlier statement does not verify the shortlist reported in October.
As of this article’s preparation on October 25, the studio announcements checked for this story do not name the new lead actor. Reports of screen tests also do not establish an announcement date or a release date for the film.
The next clear milestone will be a studio announcement identifying its choice. Until then, the accurate framing is that trade publications have linked actors to the tests, while the final public confirmation is still pending.
Cover image: an archival montage of previous James Bond actors published by About Amazon, not a picture of the reported candidates. Sources for the casting reports and official appointments are linked throughout.
Frequently asked questions
What the latest Bond casting reports say?
The Hollywood Reporter separately reported that screen tests were expected over the weekend, with Lowden and Turner still in contention. These are reports about auditions, rather than a studio announcement naming Daniel Craig’s successor.
When will the new James Bond be announced?
In its May statement confirming that the search was underway, Amazon MGM said it did not plan to discuss specific casting details during the process and would share news when the time was right. That earlier statement does not verify the shortlist reported in October.