Next James Bond race enters last stages as final FOUR actors poised for screen tests in coming days

Slow Horses star Jack Lowden, Masters of the Air’s Callum Turner, and The Crown’s Josh O’Connor are said to be three of the four actors in line for the role.

The identity of the fourth contender remains a closely guarded secret.

The auditions are expected to run through the coming week, with the studio declining to comment on specifics.

Amazon MGM instead pointed to a previous statement: “The search for the next James Bond is underway. While we don’t plan to comment on specific details during the casting process, we’re excited to share more news with 007 fans as soon as the time is right.”

Mr Lowden, best known for his roles in Slow Horses and Dunkirk, and Mr Turner, who recently appeared in the romantic drama One Night Only, have been among the most frequently cited names throughout the casting process.

As well as The Crown, Mr O’Connor’s CV boasts roles in Challengers and the Knives Out film franchise.

Earlier this week, a report from The InSneider had claimed that Jacob Elordi, the Australian actor known for Euphoria and Frankenstein, had been selected as the final choice.

However, that now appears to be debunked as sources speaking to the Hollywood Reporter have confirmed that Elordi is not testing.

Similarly, Jack O’Connell, star of Sinners, was initially rumoured to be part of the shortlist but is understood not to be involved in this final round.

The screen tests are believed to comprise of three areas that actors will need to succeed in the role of 007.

These are stunt work, on-camera presence, and dialogue scenes.

Two decades ago, when Daniel Craig ultimately won the role ahead of Henry Cavill and others, the audition process involved full hair and makeup alongside a complete camera and sound crew working on a purpose-built set.

Originally, the studio had planned to hold these final auditions earlier in October.

However, scheduling clashes among the candidates forced a postponement to the month’s end, allowing all tests to take place within a similar timeframe.

Even once the auditions wrap next week, no firm deadline has been set for announcing the successful candidate, though industry insiders widely expect the decision to arrive before the end of 2026.

Denis Villeneuve, the Canadian filmmaker behind the Dune franchise, is attached to direct the new Bond outing.

Amy Pascal and David Heyman are producing and steering the franchise’s creative direction on behalf of Amazon MGM Studios.

The studio secured full creative control of the Bond series in February 2025, having acquired the rights from the Broccoli family.

Since then, it has methodically assembled its behind-the-scenes team, beginning with Ms Pascal and Mr Heyman before appointing Mr Villeneuve following meetings with several directors.

Screenwriter Steven Knight was brought aboard last summer to pen the script, with considerable effort devoted to refining the story before the casting search began in earnest.

Casting director Nina Gold joined the project in the spring, and initial auditions took place in August before the field was whittled down to its current shortlist.