Final James Bond screen tests expected this weekend with Turner, Lowden and O'Connor in contention

The final round

Reports published on Friday, 23 October, citing The Hollywood Reporter, Deadline and Variety, say the search for Daniel Craig's successor has reached its last stage. The final screen tests are expected to take place this weekend, which falls on 24 and 25 October, and at least one outlet said they could begin as early as Friday. Amazon MGM Studios is reported to have sent invitations to four actors, although none of the names has been officially confirmed. Deadline's sources say three of the four expected to test are Jack Lowden, Callum Turner and Josh O'Connor, and several outlets say between three and five actors will take part.

The candidates

Jack Lowden, who stars in the spy series Slow Horses, is the name Variety most often points to as the front-runner, and some outlets say he may now be ahead. Callum Turner, who appeared in the miniseries Masters of the Air and is married to the singer Dua Lipa, was seen as the favourite at the start of the year. Josh O'Connor, known for playing Prince Charles in The Crown, is among the names Deadline has linked to the final round, and he appeared alongside Daniel Craig in the 2025 film Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery. According to the latest reports, Jacob Elordi is not expected to test, and Jack O'Connell may no longer be in the running. Earlier names included Aaron Taylor-Johnson, James Norton, Paul Mescal, Harris Dickinson and Jack Barton.

What the tests involve

The Hollywood Reporter says the auditions combine three elements: stunts, camera presence and reading dialogue. Tgcom24 described one planned test that recreates a scene from From Russia with Love, in which the lead returns to a hotel room, hears a noise from the bathroom, grabs a gun and meets a seductive spy. Casting is being handled by Nina Gold, according to Tgcom24. Deadline reported that the tests had originally been planned for early October but were postponed because of scheduling conflicts.

Production and timing

Denis Villeneuve, who directed the Dune films, will direct the new picture, and Steven Knight is writing the screenplay, which 20minutes describes as the 26th film in the series. Il Fatto Quotidiano reports that a first complete draft exists and that a release is expected around 2028, although this has not been officially confirmed. Amy Pascal, one of the producers, suggested in August that the end of the year could be a possible time to reveal the name, while urging caution. Deadline reports that there is no firm date for the announcement, even after the tests are completed. Rzeczpospolita notes that the decision may follow the tests, but not necessarily right away.

Open questions

The reports do not agree on the order of the candidates, since Variety points to Lowden while earlier coverage put Turner in front. Fans have speculated that Dua Lipa could perform the theme song, but no source confirms this. Several of the details rely on unnamed sources, and the list of testing actors has not been confirmed by the studio. Until the tests are held and the studio speaks, no name can be confirmed and no announcement date has been set.