Here’s the thing about the James Bond casting saga: for months it’s been a game of telephone, and this week the line finally went to a real phone call. Deadline reported on Thursday, Oct. 22 that Amazon MGM Studios is setting final screen tests for the next 007, starting as early as Friday and running through this week, with at least four actors offered a test.
Three of those names reportedly belong to Jack Lowden, Callum Turner and Josh O’Connor. The fourth is a blank. I find that blank weirdly exciting, and I’ll get to why. First, let’s be careful about what’s actually known, because Bond headlines have a habit of promoting “reportedly” to “confirmed” somewhere between the trade story and your timeline.
This is an analysis piece with my own opinions in it. The reporting comes from the trades and other outlets I link at the bottom. The scorecard, the ballot and the verdict are mine, not information from Amazon, the filmmakers or the actors.
Where the search stands, step by step
The easiest way to understand this week is to see how long the road has been. Here’s the process as it’s been reported, with today’s step marked.
- Spring 2026The search officially begins
Amazon MGM said the casting search was underway, with Nina Gold, the casting director known for Game of Thrones, overseeing it.
- AugustFirst round of auditions
Deadline reported that actors auditioned after about two months of meetings. The exact number was never confirmed.
- SeptemberThe list gets cut
Per Deadline, the studio, producers Amy Pascal and David Heyman and director Denis Villeneuve narrowed the field and worked out the test offers.
- Oct. 23 and the week afterFinal screen tests
The tests were first planned for earlier in October, then pushed because of finalists’ schedules so they could happen around the same time. Some outlets report they have begun in London. Amazon hasn’t confirmed that.
- After the testsA decision, with no timetable
Deadline says there is no set date, and that a decision might not come the moment the tests end. Many people expect news before the year is out.
One more detail worth keeping in your pocket: the filmmakers reportedly developed the story before auditioning anyone for the lead. To me, that says the part is being cast to fit a movie, not the other way around, which I find reassuring.
The finalists, and the one nobody has named
Everything on these cards about who’s testing comes from Deadline’s sources and reports that followed it. The ages and the credits are public record. The “what the test asks” lines are my read.
Who isn’t in the mix matters just as much for anyone tracking the rumor mill. The Hollywood Reporter, as relayed by Empire, said Jacob Elordi and Jack O’Connell are not among the actors being tested. If you saw either name “confirmed” somewhere this month, that’s the correction.
A note on how the tests are described. One report says they cover stunts, camera presence and dialogue. That’s a sensible guess at what a Bond test would involve, but I’m treating it as unconfirmed, since I haven’t seen it in the Deadline report itself.
How old is Bond when he starts?
All three reported finalists are 36, which got me wondering whether that’s young or old for 007. So I went back through the six actors who have led the official film series and counted how old each was when his first Bond movie came out. This chart is my own, built from public birth dates and release dates.
Average debut age of the six Bonds: 38
Two things jump out. First, 36 sits right in the middle of the pack. Nobody on this list is a Lazenby-style kid or a Moore-style veteran. Second, they won’t be 36 when a movie opens. No shoot has been announced and there’s no release date, so by premiere night all three will likely be right around that 38 average. I think that’s the quiet case for this whole shortlist: Amazon seems to be shopping in the age range that has worked before.
My scorecard: three actors, five tests
Every outlet will tell you who’s “the favorite.” I wanted something more useful, so I built a scale. Each actor gets one to five on five questions, and the questions are the ones I’d ask if I were in the room. It’s based only on what’s public: their work, not any inside information, and it’s an opinion, not a prediction.
- Spy proof: Have I already believed this person in a world of secrets and lies?
- Action proof: Does their résumé show a body that can carry a chase?
- Surprise: Would the choice make the world lean in rather than shrug?
- Star pull: Do audiences already show up for this person?
- Staying power: Can I picture this face across a run of films, not just one?
Slow Horses is the closest thing any of the three has to a Bond audition on tape. My question mark is polish: the world of Slow Horses is gloriously shabby, and 007 has to wear a tuxedo like it’s skin.
The most traditionally “movie star” of the group, with a lot of physical, ensemble and period work behind him. He scores lower on surprise only because his name has been in the conversation for a long time.
The boldest name. He has range, an Emmy and Golden Globe for The Crown and a run of acclaimed films. He’s also the one who would ask the franchise to change its shape, and I’m not sure that’s the same thing as fitting it.
So on my scale Lowden edges it with 18, and Turner and O’Connor tie at 17. Please don’t read that as a gap. One point on a scale I built myself is a coin flip, and I’d change the totals if someone argued me into a different weight for “surprise.” What the scorecard really tells me is that there isn’t an obvious weak candidate, which is a pleasant problem for Amazon.
The last time Bond was cast, the internet was sure it was wrong
If this week’s reaction stresses you out, here’s some perspective from the last time this happened. Daniel Craig was announced as Bond in October 2005, at 37. A fan campaign against him got headlines. Then Casino Royale arrived in 2006 and earned more than $600 million worldwide.
That’s not a promise about anyone on this list. It just means the first reaction to a Bond name has a very poor record of predicting what audiences end up feeling. I find that oddly hopeful, because it means the loudest argument online this week probably isn’t the one that matters in two years.
My ballot
If I had to fill out one ballot today, I’d write Jack Lowden’s name. He has the spy credibility, the age range and the buzz, and I think Amazon wants a Bond who feels earned rather than manufactured.
But the name I’m most curious about is Josh O’Connor, because he’s the one who could make me argue with myself. I’d rather be a little unsettled by a Bond choice than bored by it. That’s my taste talking, not a forecast.
Whoever it is, I hope the choice comes from the screen tests and not from the loudest corner of the internet.
I’ll be straight about my limits. I’m not in the room, nobody has published the results of the tests, and the fourth name could change everything I just wrote. If Amazon surprises everyone, I’ll enjoy being wrong. That’s part of the fun of following Bond.
James Bond finalist questions people keep searching
Who are the James Bond finalists?
According to Deadline, at least four actors were offered final screen tests, and sources said three of them are Jack Lowden, Callum Turner and Josh O’Connor. Those names are unconfirmed, the fourth actor has not been reported, and Amazon MGM Studios has not announced anything.
When will the new James Bond be announced?
There is no announced date. Deadline says there is no timetable for a final decision, though many expect one before the end of the year. Producer Amy Pascal said in August that the end of the year was a good bet, which is a hope rather than a promise from the studio.
Has Amazon confirmed who the next James Bond is?
No. As of Monday, Oct. 26, 2026, Amazon MGM Studios has not named an actor or confirmed the finalists. Everything about who is testing comes from trade reports citing unnamed sources.
Is Jacob Elordi one of the James Bond finalists?
Not according to The Hollywood Reporter, as relayed by Empire, which said Jacob Elordi and Jack O’Connell are not in the running. Amazon has not commented either way.
Who is directing and writing Bond 26?
Denis Villeneuve is directing and Steven Knight is writing, with Amy Pascal and David Heyman producing. Nina Gold is the casting director. No title or release date has been announced.
How old are the James Bond finalists?
Reports say Lowden, Turner and O’Connor are all 36. For comparison, the six actors who have played Bond in the official film series averaged 38 when their first film came out, going by their ages on release.
