It's been a long, long wait to discover who will play the next James Bond. It’s somehow already been over half a decade since Daniel Craig's explosive farewell in No Time To Die, and a lot has happened in the years since the Blonde Bond's departure. But now, with Amazon having taken over the franchise, Denis Villeneuve aboard to direct Bond 26, and Peaky Blinders mastermind Steven Knight having put pen to paper — or finger to keyboard — on the script for His Majesty's finest's return, casting director Nina Gold is almost ready to hand the next 007 his license to thrill.
According to Deadline, Amazon MGM Studios is setting its final auditions for the tux-sporting super spy as we type, with those crucial last screen tests potentially set to begin as early as tomorrow. As for the all important question of who will be taking part in those final screen tests, it's Deadline's understanding that at least four actors have made it to the final round for the role, and that three of those contending for the part are Masters Of The Air star Callum Turner, Challengers and La Chimera leading man Josh O'Connor, and Slow Horses' borderline anti-Bond standout Jack Lowden. Interestingly, contrary to various bits of online and trade scuttlebutt, THR is reporting that Sinners' Jack O'Connell and recent hot tip Jacob Elordi are not among those vying to take up the Walther PPK.
THR's sources indicate that there'll be three primary components to the final round of testing in the hunt for Daniel Craig's successor, with stunts, camera presence, and dialogue all coming under the microscope as Amazon look to lock down the face of a bold new era in Bond. With word on the street being that an announcement is expected before the year is through, and the reported shortlist of candidates promising we're about to see another major talent made a bona fide movie star, we are shaken, stirred, and more than ready to meet the next Mr. Bond. Your move, Amazon.