Four actors will reportedly get in front of cameras to screen test for the role of James Bond next week - and three of the four finalists have been unveiled.
Rumours about who could take up the mantle next have been rife ever since Daniel Craig made his final appearance as 007 in 2021's No Time to Die, and speculation only intensified in 2025 when Amazon took full creative control of the franchise following the departure of longtime producers Michael G Wilson and Barbara Broccoli.
Now, Deadline reports that final screen tests for the role could begin as early as Friday (23 October) and continue next week.
Three of the four actors in the mix for the role are Jack Lowden, Callum Turner and Josh O’Connor, according to the publication.
While one name remains a mystery, Euphoria and Frankenstein star Jacob Elordi, who had long been rumoured for the role, is reportedly not among the four finalists.
It’s unclear when the results of the test screenings will be unveiled, but producer Amy Pascal recently revealed that the casting decision should be announced before the year is over.
She previously told Deadline of the casting timeline: "I would say the end of the year is a good bet."
Pascal also said the creative team has been "methodical" in attempting to get someone "really different" from previous Bond star Craig.
She explained: "We are being really, really methodical. Having worked with Barbara Broccoli at the studio, I mean, Daniel Craig is a hard act to follow. And it's got to be something really different that is stirring and exciting and different." Both Turner and O’Connor have long been rumoured as choices for the next James Bond.
Lowden is best known for appearing opposite Gary Oldman in the Apple TV series Slow Horses, while other credits include Dunkirk, Mary Queen of Scotts.
Turner will be recognised by many for his role as Theseus Scamander in the Fantastic Beasts series, as well as his parts in Apple TV series Masters of the Air and BBC thriller The Capture, which earned him a BAFTA nomination in 2020.
Meanwhile, O’Connor is perhaps best known for his portrayal of Prince Charles in the Netflix show The Crown. Other notable roles include parts in Francis Lee's British drama, God's Own Country, Luca Guadagnino's Challengers and Rian Johnson's Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery.
James Bond will return with director Denis Villeneuve at the helm.
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