Bond casting: final screen tests reportedly due this weekend

Callum Turner, Jack Lowden and Josh O’Connor are among the actors reportedly in the final auditions to play James Bond, with screen tests expected this weekend. The reports suggest three to five candidates have reached the last stage, but the casting remains unconfirmed and there is no announced date for a decision.

The Hollywood Reporter says the tests could begin as early as Friday and involve stunts, camera presence and dialogue. Deadline reported that the auditions, originally expected in early October, were delayed by scheduling conflicts. It said at least four offers for final screen tests had been made, and that three of the four expected to test were Lowden, Turner and O’Connor.

Accounts of who is in contention differ. Variety has said Lowden may be edging ahead, while Deadline reported that Jack O’Connell, previously linked to the role, may no longer be in the running. Jacob Elordi is not thought to be testing, according to the BBC’s account of the reports.

Amazon MGM Studios, which controls the franchise, said in May that the casting process was under way. Producer Amy Pascal told Deadline in August that the end of the year was “a good bet” for possible news about the next Bond.

The next film is due to be directed by Denis Villeneuve, with Steven Knight writing the script. Daniel Craig, the most recent Bond, last played the character in 2021’s *No Time to Die*.