As rumored, it appears that actor Jack Lowden, who played Lawrence of Arabia in EA's Battlefield 1, is a finalist to play James Bond.
According to Deadline, "final auditions" for the role will take place over the next week, and the process will include screen tests. At least four actors are coming in to test, the report said, including Lowden, Callum Turner (Masters of the Air), and Josh O'Connor (Disclosure Day). The fourth remains a mystery, but The Insneider said it could be Jacob Elordi. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Elordi is not testing, and neither is Jack O'Connell from Sinners.
Many expect the casting process for James Bond to do finalized relatively soon, with an official announcement coming before the end of the year.
In May this year, Bond movie production company Amazon MGM Studios said the search for the next James Bond actor was underway and that the film studio would not comment on the casting process.
Lowden is Scottish, and he would become just the second Scottish person to play James Bond, following Sean Connery. The character James Bond from the Ian Fleming book series is also Scottish.
Fans have been waiting a long time for the next James Bond movie, as the latest entry, No Time To Die, was released in 2021. However, it was expected to release much sooner, but had three delays due in part to COVID.
Daniel Craig played James Bond in five 007 films, and wrapped up his run with No Time To Die. Amazon MGM Studios bought the franchise and reportedly paid a lot of money to take back creative control from the longtime series stewards Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson.
The new James Bond movie will be directed by Denis Villeneuve, the Oscar-nominated filmmaker known for the Dune franchise. He’s also directed the movies Prisoners, Sicario, Blade Runner 2049, and Arrival.