The search for the next James Bond is entering its final stage, with screen tests for Amazon MGM Studios’ new 007 expected to begin this week. Actors Callum Turner and Jack Lowden are reportedly among those in contention for the iconic role.
According to Variety, sources say the final auditions could begin as early as Friday, although the identities of the actors taking part remain unclear. Representatives for Turner, Lowden and Amazon MGM Studios did not immediately respond to the publication’s requests for comment.
Denis Villeneuve will direct the next Bond film for Amazon MGM Studios, with casting director Nina Gold overseeing the audition process. The studio has yet to announce when it will reveal its next 007, but expectations suggest it will name the actor before the end of the year.
Both Turner and Lowden have featured prominently in speculation about who will succeed the previous Bond. Lowden has recently moved closer to the centre of the rumour mill. Speculation intensified after his Slow Horses co-star Gary Oldman appeared to suggest that the Scottish actor had made the shortlist.
Lowden’s wife, Saoirse Ronan, also addressed the rumours. She said the possibility of her husband playing Bond was “not really a subject that’s coming up in our house”.
Turner, meanwhile, emerged as a favourite earlier this year. Fans even imagined the possibility of a Bond theme song performed by his wife, singer Dua Lipa.
The British actor faced questions about the speculation while promoting his arthouse film Rosebush Pruning at the Berlin Film Festival in February. He declined to confirm or deny the rumours, saying with a Bond-like smirk: “It’s very early for that question. I’m not going to comment on it.”
