Final James Bond Screen Tests Begin Friday With Turner, Lowden and O'Connor in the Mix

After years of franchise limbo, Amazon MGM Studios is moving to its final act: screen tests for the next James Bond are set to begin as early as Friday in London and run through the following week, with sources at Variety, Deadline, and The Hollywood Reporter all confirming the timeline independently.

Three names have test offers in hand, according to The Wrap and other outlets: Jack Lowden, best known as the quietly menacing River Cartwright in Apple TV+'s Slow Horses; Callum Turner; and Josh O'Connor. A fourth, unidentified actor is also said to be in contention. Jacob Elordi and Jack O'Connell, both subjects of earlier speculation, are not testing, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

The tests themselves are structured around three elements — stunts, camera presence, and dialogue — mirroring the format that has historically decided the role. Daniel Craig, Pierce Brosnan, and others all landed 007 after performing scenes from classic Bond films on camera. Even the runners-up have been preserved: footage of Henry Cavill's Bond test exists, from the last full screen-test round more than 20 years ago, when the role ultimately went to Craig for 2006's Casino Royale, according to The Wrap.

This casting process is the first to unfold entirely outside the control of longtime franchise stewards Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson, who ceded creative authority to Amazon MGM — though they remain co-owners of the franchise. Amazon paid more than $1 billion to secure that creative control, part of an $8.45 billion deal for MGM in 2022, according to The Guardian. The studio has since assembled a new creative team: Denis Villeneuve, the Oscar-nominated director of Dune, will helm the film, and Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight is writing the screenplay. Amy Pascal and David Heyman have been brought in as producers.

I want to make sure that I will be severe with the material. That I will not be complacent. I thought, 'When it's done, I need a very powerful rocket to pull me away from Arrakis.' When I was asked to do the next Bond, I said: 'OK, this is what I need.'— Denis Villeneuve, Director

The change in ownership carries real consequences for whoever wins the role. Under Broccoli and Wilson, the rules were strict — British, a certain look, a certain pedigree — and the actor played Bond exclusively on the big screen. Amazon, keen to build a broader entertainment universe around the 64-year-old franchise, has signaled openness to TV spinoffs, something the previous stewards resisted, according to The Wrap. The new Bond could, in theory, be signing up for more than just films.

I know you're all wondering when we're going to announce who's playing James Bond. Don't get too excited. Please know that we're taking the time to do this with care and deep respect. It is the dream of a lifetime for all of us to bring audiences this next chapter, and it's a responsibility we don't take lightly.— Courtenay Valenti, Head of Film, Amazon

Amazon MGM Studios has neither confirmed nor denied the reports, pointing outlets to that earlier statement from Valenti. The studio has not announced a casting timeline, though the film is reportedly positioned for a 2028 release, according to The Guardian.

Why it matters — The screen tests this week will effectively decide who carries one of cinema's most lucrative franchises into a new era — under new creative ownership, with a broader entertainment universe potentially at stake.

Sources differ on Number of actors in the final screen test round: Three to four (three named plus one unknown) (thewrap.com) vs Between three and five (theguardian.com)

Reported by variety.com, thewrap.com, deadline.com, hollywoodreporter.com, theguardian.com