The race to find the next James Bond has entered its final stretch.
Jack Lowden and Callum Turner are among the leading contenders for 007, while Margaret Qualley tops bookmakers’ odds for the franchise’s next Bond girl.
Final screen tests for Amazon MGM Studios’ new 007 are likely to begin as early as Friday and continue into next week, Variety and Deadline reported.
Deadline reported at least four test offers had been made, with Lowden, Turner and Josh O’Connor among the expected candidates.
According to Variety, Lowden and Turner appear to be in the mix for the role, with speculation about Lowden gaining momentum after his “Slow Horses” co-star Gary Oldman appeared to suggest he had reached the shortlist.
Meanwhile, The Hollywood Reporter reported that Qualley, known for “The Substance”, has a 33 percent chance of becoming the next Bond girl on betting platform BetOnline.
Sydney Sweeney and Anya Taylor-Joy follow at 25 percent each, with Florence Pugh at 17 percent and Zendaya at 13 percent.
The Hollywood Reporter also cited Oddschecker figures placing Lowden at a 62 percent implied chance of becoming the next Bond, ahead of Turner at 25 percent and O’Connor at 13 percent.
Bond films often feature several significant female characters, so more than one actress among the names listed by bookmakers could appear in the next instalment, the report said.
Amazon MGM has not confirmed the finalists or announced when it will name the next Bond. Deadline reported that the auditions were pushed back from earlier in October because of scheduling conflicts, with the decision expected by the end of the year.
Denis Villeneuve is set to direct the next Bond film, with Steven Knight writing the screenplay.
“It’s not really a subject that’s coming up in our house,” Lowden’s wife, Saoirse Ronan, said of the Bond speculation, according to Variety.