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The search is still on, but it seems that an announcement is on the horizon for James Bond fans eager to find out who will play the next 007.
Director Denis Villeneuve and producers have begun notifying actors who have advanced to the next round of auditions, according to Deadline‘s sources.
Villeneuve has been calling talent directly, and while the names remain under wraps, sources have said that the next screen tests will take place in August.
One source said they expect producers to cast a wide net: between 5-7 actors, with another source saying it’s in the tens.
It was also reported that casting director Nina Gold has been meeting with actors over the past weeks, with sources saying that they were “for lesser known names to see if anyone should be added to the list of prominent actors expected to get a call for the next round”.
While the identities of the finalists are a mystery – with names like Callum Turner, Tom Francis, Harris Dickinson and Jacob Elordi rumoured as potential candidates – the timeline of these summer auditions signals that Gold, as well as producers Amy Pascal and David Heyman, are entering into a decisive stage.
Considering production on Bond 26 is set to begin next year, the expectation is that the official casting announcement will happen by the end of 2026.
It’s been five years since Daniel Craig’s swansong as Bond in No Time To Die and sources have previously indicated that screenwriter Steven Knight is drawing heavily from Ian Fleming’s earliest novels.
This could mean that audiences will get an origin story and witness Bond pre-“00” status – something only previously seen at the start of Casino Royale – Craig’s first film as the superspy.
Speculation continues…