Everything we know about the search for the next James Bond
Everything we know about the search for the next James Bond
Wesley StenzelFri, November 13, 2026 at 11:53 PM UTC
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Robert Pattinson at ‘The Drama’ premiere in NYC on April 2, 2026; Daniel Craig as James Bond in ‘No Time To Die’; Callum Turner at the ‘One Night Only’ New York premiere on Aug. 3, 2026Credit: Cindy Ord/WireImage; Nicola Dove/MGM; Jamie McCarthy/GettyKey points -
Five actors have reportedly screen tested to play the next James Bond.
Jack Lowden, Callum Turner, and Josh O’Connor have all publicly acknowledged rumors that they’re in the mix for 007.
Robert Pattinson and Nicholas Hoult are also reportedly in the running to play the superspy.
Who’s going to be the next James Bond?
It’s a question that has been ringing throughout Hollywood since Daniel Craig ended his five-film tenure as 007 in 2021’s No Time to Die. Amazon MGM now has full creative control over the series for the first time in the franchise’s history, and the studio hired Dune auteur Denis Villeneuve to direct the 26th official Bond film last summer.
In recent weeks, speculation, rumors, and reporting about casting the next 007 have ramped up significantly, and a decision on the new Bond seems to be imminent, as Villenueve said that he is “pushing the gas” on the casting process.
The current pool of finalists is reported to be five actors: Nicholas Hoult, Jack Lowden, Josh O’Connor, Robert Pattinson, and Callum Turner, who have all recently recorded screen tests for the project, according to THR. (A representative for Amazon MGM declined to comment on the reports. Entertainment Weekly has reached out to representatives for Hoult, Lowden, O’Connor, Pattinson, and Turner for comment.)
Here’s your definitive guide to the latest James Bond casting rumors and reports, broken down by actor.
Callum Turner
Callum Turner attends ‘One Night Only’ Australian premiere in Sydney on Aug. 11, 2026Credit: Brendon Thorne/Getty
Callum Turner, the English actor best known for appearing in projects like Masters of the Air and One Night Only, has been heavily rumored among the Bond frontrunners for years, and multiple outlets reported that Turner screen tested for Bond in late October alongside the other primary candidates.
Turner, 36, previously worked with David Heyman, who is producing the new Bond film, on the Harry Potter prequels Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald and Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore, as well as on the Peacock series The Capture.
THR mentioned that casting was underway for the next Bond project in an interview with Turner in June. “I know as much as you do — really, I know as much as you do,” he responded. When asked if he was interested in the role, he replied, “I’m not going to comment on that.”
In the same piece, George Clooney, who directed Turner in 2024’s The Boys in the Boat, backed the young actor as 007. “I hope Callum ends up being the next Bond. I think he would be a great Bond,” the Ocean’s Eleven star said “He’s tall and handsome and charming and British, so he’s the perfect guy to do it.”
Turner also got a shout-out from former 007 actor Pierce Brosnan in a recent Vanity Fair interview. “All the men who are on the list now are actors I admire,” Brosnan said. “Callum Turner is someone I’ve worked with, and he’s so strong. They all have a voice and a physique, and a presence on film. They all have longevity as actors, all of these young men. Whoever plays the role, I wish him the very best of life and strength and courage. It’s hard to tell who it would be, but I eagerly await to hear the news and the celebration of the next James Bond.”
Jack Lowden
Jack Lowden attends Apple TV’s Emmy Party in Los Angeles on Sept. 14, 2026Credit: JC Olivera/Variety via Getty
Jack Lowden, the Scottish actor best known for his work on Apple TV’s Slow Horses, was also reported to have screen tested for the role. Four years ago, Lowden told EW that there was no merit to rumors that he might become the next 007.
“Not as far as I know,” he said in 2022. “No, it’s still Daniel Craig in my eyes. I still find it a very strange thing to accept that. I’m still in the stage of grief. I think he should still be playing him, to be honest. But they’ve got a very difficult job on their hands [to replace him] certainly.”
Lowden’s odds seemed to improve after his Slow Horses costar Gary Oldman said that he was rooting for the 36-year-old star to become the next Bond, and also claimed that “They have made their choice, but they have not announced it yet” in September. However, Oldman later clarified that he he does not have a “red phone” to the James Bond casting team, adding, “Even if I knew... I’m not going to open my mouth.”
When asked about Oldman’s comments in an interview with British GQ, Lowden responded “Oh, Christ,” adding, “It’s all very flattering. It’s nice to be mentioned — for any role — and I’m just not really going to add to the noise…It’s very nice, and Gary’s a sweetheart — it’s particularly lovely, coming from someone like him. But I don’t really listen to it.”
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Puck reported Friday that the terms of Lowden’s deal stipulated that if he was chosen to play the next Bond, he’d be signed on for four total films.
Lowden’s wife, Saoirse Ronan, acknowledged the rumors in an interview with the in September. “Well, Gary Oldman thinks he’s James Bond,” she said before claiming that the Bond chatter doesn’t permeate the home she shares with Lowden. “We’re kind of getting on with our life, to be honest. We have plenty of other things to be dealing with. So, yeah, it’s not really a subject that’s coming up in our house, to be honest. The dog needs to be walked, the dinner needs to be made — we’re most focused on that.”
Lowden previously worked with Heyman on the BBC miniseries The Long Song. He also has perhaps the strongest connection to Bond 26 casting director Nina Gold, who cast him in both Slow Horses and Wolf Hall.
Robert Pattinson
Robert Pattinson attends Q&A for ‘The Odyssey’ in London on Nov. 11, 2026Credit: Kate Green/Getty
On Nov. 6, THR dropped an unexpected bombshell that completely upended our understanding of the Bond casting situation: Robert Pattinson also screen tested for Bond. He’s by far the biggest star among the reported finalists, given his experience in the Batman and Twilight franchises and his hit collaborations with Christopher Nolan, The Odyssey and Tenet.
Puck reported that if selected, Pattinson’s deal will be different from the other candidates: He’ll only be signed on for three movies, not four, and his payday is expected to be higher.
Pattinson, 40, recently worked with Villeneuve on the soon-to-be-released Dune: Part Three, which makes him the only one of the five who has an existing working relationship with the filmmaker behind Bond 26. He also worked with Heyman on Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, and has recently been shooting The Batman: Part II in London, though it’s unclear if his version of Batman will continue beyond that project following the regime change at DC Studios.
Nicholas Hoult
Nicholas Hoult attends the Astra Film Awards in Los Angeles on Jan. 9, 2026Credit: Frazer Harrison/Getty
Nicholas Hoult’s name also emerged as a screen-testing finalist in the reporting about Pattinson’s entry into the race.
Hoult, 36, confirmed that he and his family moved from California to London — where Bond production is expected to take place — in a Therapuss podcast appearance on Nov. 12. Hoult recently starred in Amazon MGM’s How to Rob a Bank, so he has some semblance of a relationship with the studio. (However, the film is not tracking to perform well at the box office.) He also worked with casting director Gold on 2013’s Jack the Giant Slayer.
The actor has franchise experience in the X-Men and Mad Max series, and will reprise the role of Lex Luthor in the Superman sequel Man of Tomorrow next year. Like Pattinson, his future in the DC universe remains unclear upon James Gunn and Peter Safran’s departure from the studio.
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Josh O’Connor
Josh O’Connor attends ‘The History of Sound’ New York premiere on Sept. 2, 2025Credit: Arturo Holmes/WireImage
The Crown star Josh O’Connor screen tested alongside the other four finalists in late October, according to THR. O’Connor, 36, briefly acknowledged that he was in the mix for 007 at a theater event in November.
“It’s an incredibly bizarre pinch me moment…even being uttered in that same sentence and being considered for something like that,” he said (per Variety). “To be considered in that same sort of bracket is extraordinary…But I am afraid, there is nothing to say beyond that.”
O’Connor worked with Bond 26 producer Amy Pascal on Amazon MGM’s critically acclaimed tennis drama Challengers. He also worked on The Crown with casting director Gold and later teamed up with former Bond Daniel Craig in 2025’s Wake Up Dead Man.
Puck reported that if chosen, O’Connor would be signed on for four 007 films.
on Entertainment Weekly
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